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A Better Way to Die

2001 · 96 min

A gritty, workmanlike chase thriller that keeps moving through betrayal and mistaken identity without much let-up.

Directed by
Scott Wiper
Genres
Action, Thriller
Overview
Boomer is a rookie cop based in the urban hellhole that is downtown Chicago. After his involvement in a drug bust operation which results in the death of Carlos, his mentor and father figure, Boomer becomes disillusioned with the brutal and inhumane nature of his job. Consequently, he decides to hand in his resignation to the Chicago Police Department and return to his home town of Joliet, where his fiancé, Kelly, awaits. While en route back to Joliet, however, Boomer makes a grievous error in judgment when he stops for, and assists, an unfortunate motorist whose vehicle appears to have broken down; the naive ex-cop is swiftly attacked and rendered unconscious. Boomer awakes to find that his car and wallet have been stolen, and that he has become involved in a dangerous game of mistaken identity.

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Directed by
Scott Wiper
Genres
Action, Thriller
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How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone
  • tensestrength 2 of 3
  • darkstrength 2 of 3
  • cynicalstrength 1 of 3
Pacing
brisk, 3 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention
easy-watch, 2 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes
  • betrayal
  • crime
  • corruption
  • violence
  • identity
Places
  • big city
  • road trip
  • small town
Era
contemporary
Audience
adult
Form
None
Content intensity
  • Gore mild
  • Language strong
  • Violence strong
  • Sex mild
All scales, 0 to 10
Scales, 0 to 10
ScaleValue0 to 10
Action7
Horror2
Humour2
Realism6
Romance2
Tension6
Darkness6
Complexity4
Emotional weight4

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Cast

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