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 & is due to spend his first day on the job with veteran detective Alonzo Harris (Washington) As the day passes & after dealing with street thugs & drug tycoons Hoyt begins to suspect that Harris might have become corrupted by the job When Harris then murders criminal kingpin Roger (Scott Glenn) & tries to get the act pinned on Hoyt the young cop realises that he has no choice but to confront Harris himself