Russell Baze (Christian Bale) is an ordinary man working at steel mill, taking care of his ailing father, and looking after his little brother, Rodney. Russell's life takes a turn after an episode of drunk driving and gets worse when Rodney goes missing after a bare knuckle prizefight up in the mountains. When the police don't follow through fast enough, Russell decides to take justice into his own hands.
Tropes:
- Appalachia: The town the Baze family lives in is North Braddock, Pennsylvania, while the DeGroat and his crew make their home in the Ramapo Mountains range in New Jersey.
- Anti-Hero: Russell does seem like a genuinely nice guy who pays for his brother's debts and cares for his ailing father. He kills two people drunk driving and shoots DeGroat in the back when he could have easily been subdued and arrested.
- Big Bad: Harlan DeGroat
- Domestic Abuse: DeGroat chokes and beats his date when she thinks him having food poisoning is funny.
- Dying Town: North Braddock seems to be this, considering the steel mill is going to close.
- Disproportionate Retribution:
- DeGroat abusing his date when she thinks him having food poisoning is funny, and pummeling a good Samaritan nearly to death for coming to her aid.
- He latter ambushes Petty and Rodney and has them both killed, because Rodney did a bit too well in a rigged fight before he took the dive.
- Kick the Dog: When Russ tries to trap DeGroat, DeGroat executes the unarmed, helpless bartender in the area before trying to flee.
- In fact, the first scene when DeGroat abuses his date seems to serve no other purpose than kick the dog.
- Love Triangle: A mild version between Russell, Lena, and Chief Barnes after Russell gets out of prison.
- Police Are Useless: Russ seems to think so when they make no progress on finding Rodney, but is proven wrong when the police find Rodney dead.
- Promotion to Parent: While they are both grown men, Russell takes the parent role to Rodney since their father is bedridden and eventually dies.
- Steel Mill: Russel works at one.
- Throwing the Fight: Rodney throws the fight, as expected, but poorly, causing DeGroat to go after him.
- Would Hit a Girl: DeGroat chokes and beats his date.
- Vigilante Execution: Russell shoots DeGroat in the back when he could have easily been subdued and arrested.
