Synopsis

Recently released after being framed in a corruption scandal, former newspaper reporter Harry Barber returns to the Florida town of Palmetto with little money and fewer prospects. A mysterious woman offers him a lucrative role in a staged kidnapping targeting her wealthy husband. When the scheme turns deadly and conflicting identities emerge, Harry must navigate the police investigation while trying to survive the conspiracy he helped create.

Factoids & Trivia

• The film is based on James Hadley Chase's crime novel Just Another Sucker.

• Palmetto was produced as a United States-Germany co-production, with Castle Rock Entertainment involved in the production and Columbia Pictures handling its U.S. theatrical distribution.

• Although the story is set in Palmetto, Florida, much of the filming took place in and around Sarasota, with additional locations in Palmetto and Fort Myers. Production ran from April 15 through June 13, 1997.

• The Gator Club at 1490 Main Street in Sarasota appears among the film's documented shooting locations.

• The movie was released in the United States on February 20, 1998, and earned approximately $5.9 million worldwide.

• Its alternate title was Just Another Sucker, matching the title of the source novel.

• A visible hose nozzle used to create rain can be spotted in the upper-right portion of the widescreen version during one exterior scene. The same mistake also appeared in the home-video trailer.

• A radio update mentions the Hartford Whalers, even though the NHL team had relocated and ceased using that identity before the film's 1998 release.

• The soundtrack includes "Bedbugs" by Laika, used courtesy of Too Pure Records.

• The film received mixed critical notices, with several contemporary reviews praising its atmosphere and performances while criticizing its increasingly convoluted plot.