Jeff Cole is a young black man who forged his way from ghetto thug to topnotch drug squad cop. His boss assigns him to infiltrate a dangerous Cincinnati drug gang whose formidable leader calls himself "God"… Cole soon becomes God's right-hand man…

Michael Rymer's third feature is a polished psychological thriller that leaves blaxploitation and Russell Mulcahy's outrageous Ricochet far behind to build the compelling, straightforward portrayal of a black cop lost somewhere between his origins and his crime-fighting task. A few romantic digressions and contrived moral overtones do not detract much from the sheer intensity of this film which boasts strong performances by Omar Epps and LL Cool J (no, Denzel Washington is not in this one!)

Yannis Polinnaci