Synopsis

After a broken-down car strands small-time gambler Bobby Cooper in the isolated Arizona town of Superior, he becomes entangled with a seductive woman, her volatile husband, and a collection of dangerous locals. Desperate to leave and carrying a large debt, Bobby discovers that every attempt to escape only pulls him deeper into a vicious cycle of betrayal, violence, and bad luck.

Factoids & Trivia

• The screenplay was adapted by John Ridley from his own novel, Stray Dogs.

• Filming took place from November 1996 through January 1997 in Superior, Arizona, as well as other locations in Arizona and California, including the Coachella Valley.

• The production used reversal film stock 5239 rather than conventional negative film. The choice contributed to the movie's harsh, highly saturated, grainy appearance.

• Joaquin Phoenix helped devise the unusual haircut for Toby N. Tucker. The initials "TNT" were shaved into the back of the character's head, reflecting the exaggerated small-town style Phoenix associated with the role.

• The film premiered at the Telluride Film Festival on August 27, 1997, before its U.S. theatrical release on October 3, 1997.

• Despite its estimated $19 million budget, the film earned roughly $6.6 million domestically. Its deliberately lurid style and bleak humor later helped it develop a cult following.

• The story was remade in India as the 2004 action thriller Musafir.