The ’90s Crime Thriller Gives Bill Paxton His Most Powerful Acting
Bill Paxton may be most well-known for his contribution to films like Titanic, Edge of Tomorrow, and Apollo 13, but 1992’s One False Move is another film worthy of your consideration.
Bill Paxton In One False Move
Though we sorely miss Paxton’s charisma and sense of humor since his passing in 2017, his charm lives on through his work, and his performance in this crime thriller should not be overlooked.
And you may have slept on this one because it was originally slated for a straight-to-video release before making its way to theaters.
If you want to watch Bill Paxton take on the role of a troubled yet ambitious detective, you can snag a 4K Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection for $39.96 and see for yourself.
You can also stream the film on-demand on a number of services like Apple TV+, Vudu, and Amazon Prime Video.
Los Angeles And Arkansas
One False Move begins in Los Angeles, but quickly hightails to Star City, Arkansas after three criminals commit a series of murders motivated by a stash of cocaine and a bag of money.
The LAPD gets in contact with Bill Paxton’s Dale “Hurricane” Dixon, the Star City Police Chief. Though Dale is well known and respected in his local community, his police work isn’t necessarily respected by the Los Angeles detectives.
Billy Bob Thornton And Others
The criminals, Ray (Billy Bob Thornton), Pluto (Michael Beach), and Fantasia (Cynda Williams) are incredibly dangerous, and willing to continue their violent ways until they can see a return on their investment in this Bill Paxton movie.
After reviewing the surveillance photos that were taken at a convenience store after Fantasia murders a state trooper, Dale points out that Fantasia is actually a women he knows from Star City named Lila Walker.
But One False Move takes a turn when the LA detectives have reason to believe that Dale may be more familiar with Lila than he’s letting on.
Low Budget But Critically Acclaimed
One False Move was a low-budget production, and only cost $2.5 million to produce. But since this Bill Paxton movie was originally going to be released straight-to-video, its theatrical release was more of an afterthought after it became popular through word of mouth.
Despite its critical acclaim, One False Move only grossed $1.5 million at the box office.
Strong Characters
Box office numbers aside, One False Move won over critics and is considered a powerhouse directorial debut for Carl Franklin.
The performances of Bill Paxton, Billy Bob Thornton, Cynda Williams, and Michael Beach received considerable praise, and the film garnered a 93 percent critical score across 57 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes.
Roger Ebert said it best when he pointed out how the plot isn’t necessarily the film’s strong point but rather its strong characters.
Bill Paxton’s Performance
Though One False Move may be one of Bill Paxton’s more low-budget ventures, his wit and energy are as apparent as ever in this crime thriller.
His ability to shift from a seemingly naive detective to fully showing his true colors and capabilities is acting at its highest level, and is worthy of a look. So if you’re a fan of Paxton’s other work and One False Move wasn’t caught on your radar, it comes with strong recommendations that you check it out as soon as you can.
