Police corruption thriller featuring an Oscar-winning performance from Denzel Washington. Rookie cop Jake Hoyt (Ethan Hawke) has been newly assigned to an elite narcotics unit and is due to spend his first day on the job with veteran detective Alonzo Harris (Washington). As the day passes, and after dealing with street thugs and drug tycoons, Hoyt begins to suspect that Harris might have become corrupted by the job. When Harris then murders criminal kingpin Roger (Scott Glenn) and tries to get the act pinned on Hoyt, the young cop realises that he has no choice but to confront Harris himself.