Small Crimes (2017) — AI Story Visualization

Plot Analysis Summary

A disgraced cop navigates corruption, violence, and family tragedy while trying to reclaim his life.

Story Structure — 4 Plot Phases

Release and Reckoning

Joe Denton returns from prison and immediately faces family estrangement and police scrutiny. He reconnects with his late partner's brother while navigating a trap set by a prosecutor's daughter.

Key Events

• Jail Release — Former cop Joe Denton is released from jail after six years. Characters: Joe Denton Location: Jail
• Ex-Wife Confrontation — Denton tracks his ex-wife online and receives a threat regarding his daughters. Characters: Joe Denton Location: Home
• Bar Encounter with Scotty — Scotty, brother of Denton's slain partner, offers him help. Characters: Joe Denton, Scotty Location: Bar
• Daughter's Trap — Coakley's daughter intentionally bloodies herself to frame Denton. Characters: Joe Denton Location: Car
• Police Interrogation — Pleasant questions Denton but admits evidence supports his self-defense claim. Characters: Joe Denton, Lieutenant Pleasant Location: Police Station
• Corrupt Order — Pleasant demands Denton kill Vassey and promises settlement help. Characters: Joe Denton, Lieutenant Pleasant Location: Police Station

Corrupt Deals and Dating

A corrupt lieutenant forces Denton into a contract killing, leveraging his desire to see his children. Denton begins a romantic relationship with a hospice nurse while facing escalating threats against his parents.

Key Events

• Corrupt Order — Pleasant demands Denton kill Vassey and promises settlement help. Characters: Joe Denton, Lieutenant Pleasant Location: Police Station
• Hospice Visit — Denton attempts to suffocate Vassey but is interrupted by Boyd. Characters: Joe Denton Location: Vassey's House
• Diner Meeting — Denton and Boyd meet again and begin a romantic relationship. Characters: Joe Denton, Charlotte Boyd Location: Diner
• Parental Pressure — Denton's parents demand explanations for his suspicious behavior. Characters: Joe Denton Location: Denton's Home
• Threats Escalate — Pleasant threatens Denton and his parents to ensure compliance. Characters: Joe Denton, Lieutenant Pleasant Location: Denton's Home
• Motel Surveillance — Denton sets up a camera to record Coakley's activities. Characters: Joe Denton Location: Motel Room

Surveillance and Violence

Denton attempts to record a prosecutor's illicit activities but witnesses a brutal motel shooting. The situation spirals when his home is attacked, prompting him to confide in his new partner.

Key Events

• Motel Surveillance — Denton sets up a camera to record Coakley's activities. Characters: Joe Denton Location: Motel Room
• Motel Massacre — Rooster kills Toni, Coakley kills Rooster. Denton witnesses the shooting. Characters: Joe Denton Location: Motel Room
• Missing Evidence — Denton returns to find Coakley took the camera, leaving him dejected. Characters: Joe Denton Location: Motel Room
• Home Invasion — An unknown assailant fires shots into Denton's parents' house, wounding his mother. Characters: Joe Denton Location: Denton's Home
• Confession to Boyd — Denton confesses the situation spiraled out of control to Boyd. Characters: Joe Denton, Charlotte Boyd Location: Denton's Home
• Vassey's Death — Boyd secretly murders Vassey to protect him from Denton's mission. Characters: Charlotte Boyd Location: Vassey's House

Betrayal and Final Stand

Denton is kidnapped after his partner secretly eliminates the target. He teams up with Scotty to fight back, only to discover Scotty's betrayal. The story concludes with a fatal family confrontation and a staged suicide.

Key Events

• Vassey's Death — Boyd secretly murders Vassey to protect him from Denton's mission. Characters: Charlotte Boyd Location: Vassey's House
• Kidnapping — Junior's thugs kidnap Denton and reveal Boyd's presumed death. Characters: Joe Denton Location: Street
• Thug Ambush — Scotty arrives and helps Denton kill Junior and his thugs. Characters: Joe Denton, Scotty Location: Hideout
• Scotty's Betrayal — Denton learns Scotty shot his mother and leaves him to die. Characters: Joe Denton, Scotty Location: Hideout
• Coakley's Demise — Pleasant calls Denton to report Coakley died in a car accident. Characters: Lieutenant Pleasant Location: Road
• Final Confrontation — Denton's father stabs him after refusing to let him see his children. Characters: Joe Denton Location: Denton's Home
• Staged Suicide — Denton wipes his father's fingerprints to stage a suicide. Characters: Joe Denton Location: Denton's Home

Story Breakdown

• Protagonist Return — Denton exits prison and immediately faces estrangement from his family and legal system.
  • Jail Release — Denton leaves prison after six years.
  • Family Estrangement — Ex-wife threatens legal action over contact.
• Corrupt Entanglement — A corrupt lieutenant manipulates Denton through threats and false promises.
  • Pleasant's Demand — Denton is ordered to kill a dying mob boss.
  • Coakley's Trap — A prosecutor's daughter frames Denton for assault.
• Romantic Subplot — Denton finds solace and a protective ally in a hospice nurse.
  • Diner Meeting — Denton and Boyd reconnect and begin dating.
  • Protective Confession — Boyd assures Denton and secretly eliminates the target.
• Surveillance Mission — Denton attempts to gather evidence against a prosecutor but triggers violence.
  • Camera Setup — Denton plants a recording device in a motel.
  • Motel Massacre — A jealous lover and the prosecutor exchange gunfire.
• Escalating Violence — The conflict spills into Denton's personal life, endangering his family.
  • Home Invasion — An assailant shoots Denton's mother.
  • Vassey's Murder — Boyd kills the mob boss to protect Denton.
• Betrayal and Climax — Denton is captured and forced to confront the true nature of his allies.
  • Kidnapping — Junior's thugs capture Denton and threaten Boyd.
  • Scotty's Death — Denton discovers Scotty's betrayal and abandons him.
• Final Resolution — The story concludes with a fatal family confrontation and a staged suicide.
  • Father's Stabbing — Denton's father stabs him to prevent him from seeing his children.
  • Staged Suicide — Denton alters the knife to make the wound appear self-inflicted.

Directed by

E.L. Katz

Key Cast

• Nikolaj Coster-Waldau — Joe Denton
• Robert Forster — Joe Denton Sr.
• Jacki Weaver — Irma Denton
• Molly Parker — Charlotte Boyd
• Gary Cole — Lieutenant Pleasant