The film begins with two recently escaped convicts approaching a group of campers. One shoots and kills the campers. At a hotel, young lawyer D. J. Farraday (Robert Glen Keith) notices his father Del (Dean Stockwell) with a woman whom he has obviously been having an affair with. D. J. is upset and the two drive to their remote family cabin by a lake to talk things over. What neither expects is that D. J.'s estranged gay brother Campbell "Cam" (Jason Behr) is already there, apparently planning a weekend retreat with his boyfriend. Cam has been out of touch with the family for two years because he had violent arguments with Del regarding Cam's lover. Del had found Cam and his boyfriend, Billy (Andrew Cooper), embracing in the cabin. Del brutally beat Billy, and father and son have not spoken since. Cam says Billy is dead, and blames his father for the loss. The three sit down to air their differences when a pair of strangers, Frank Dabbo (James Remar) and Red (Jaimz Woolvett), arrive at the door, claiming to need help with their car. Red is introduced as Frank's adult son. The mood soon turns confrontational between Frank and Del, threatening to erupt into violence at any moment, especially when it becomes clear that Frank and Cam know each other. It turns out that Frank and Red are escaped convicts who put their lives in danger. Frank is a psychopathic killer who has escaped from prison and has come to retrieve half a million dollars stashed in the nearby woods. The police show up looking for the convicts, things get tense, and in the aftermath it becomes clear that Cam knows the pair and has some sort of entanglement with them. Unexpected twists and turns thicken as this tale unfolds. The nature of the relationship between Frank and the not-so-innocent Cam is revealed.
This thriller has a mixture of feelings: sadness, regret, learning to forgive, and secrets unveiled. You may enjoy it if you are a fan of action and drama. Written and directed by Victor Salva, who based much of the dialogue between Del, D. J. and Cam on conversations he and his own father had while Salva was growing up. The production took 18 days to film. Two versions of the film have been released. A director's cut of the film with commentary by Salva and Behr was released on May 2, 2000 with several deleted scenes which further explain the relationships between the major characters.
