Emory Cohen

A teen with superhero powers leads an underground group formed to bring down the establishment after the mayor of New York City intensifies police brutality towards blacks and calls for a citywide purge.

Jennifer Remming (Jenn) goes on an ocean excursion with her boyfriend Lucas Griffin, Mia Reed, and strangers Brad and Zach. After their boat is destroyed during a storm, Jenn washes ashore a deserted island. Brad also ends up on the island, but dies from his wounds. Jenn buries Brad's body only to find it dug up and missing the following morning. While swimming, Jenn discovers a bottomless black hole in the ocean floor not far from the beach. Jenn fires a flare when a plane passes overhead during the night. Jenn fires too late for the plane to spot her, although she illuminates a frightening creature standing in the sea. Jenn sleeps inside a hollow log for protection. The creature attacks Jenn's log, but returns to the water at daybreak. Jenn uses a small shark caught by spear-fishing to bait the creature the next night. However, the creature merely tears the meat from the rope and disappears again. Zach's dead body washes ashore bearing unusual knife wounds. Jenn uses the body to bait the creature, but it escapes again. Jenn builds a suspended hammock so she can sleep out of the creature's reach. The creature still pulls Jenn down, but she manages to hide until the creature retreats at dawn. After a full week passes, Lucas and Mia arrive on the island in a raft. Jenn warns Lucas and Mia that there is an amphibious monster that drags its prey back to a hole in the ocean, but they do not believe her. Jenn proposes escaping the island in the raft, but Lucas and Mia furtively refuse to leave. Jenn finds blood on Lucas' pocketknife. Jenn also becomes suspicious of Lucas and Mia's relationship. Jenn tries fleeing in the raft alone, but Mia knocks Jenn unconscious and Lucas ties her to a tree. When Jenn recovers, Lucas confronts her about their troubled relationship. Jenn asks Lucas what happened to Zach, but they are interrupted when the creature attacks Mia and pulls her into the ocean. The next day, Jenn and Lucas pack the raft with supplies and set out to sea. Jenn notices that the inside of the raft is covered in Zach's blood. The creature attacks the raft and pulls Jenn underwater. Jenn fights back using the pocketknife. The creature attacks Lucas and pulls him into its hole instead. Jenn returns to the island. During daylight, Jenn prepares kindling and makeshift spears for battling the creature. The creature swims ashore at nightfall for a fiery final confrontation. Jenn ultimately kills the monster.

An unseen tormentor harasses a reclusive author as a citywide blackout triggers fires, looting and escalating violence during the Summer of Sam in New York in 1977. June was once a known counter-culture figure, but that was a decade ago. She now lives alone in her South Bronx apartment, having all but cut herself off from the outside world. It's the notorious "Summer of Sam" and June only has to look out of her window to see the violence escalating with the brutal summer heat. The city is on a knife's edge, a pressure-cooker about to explode into the incendiary 1977 New York blackout riots. —Anonymous

Jacob Harlon is a successful stockbroker living with his wife, Katherine, and son Joshua, in California. One night he drives his wife and friends home after dinner and causes a collision which kills one of his friends. Advised to take a plea deal due to him being under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident, Jacob is sentenced to 16 months at the California Institution for Men in Chino. Shocked by the brutality of prison life, Harlon stands his ground and attacks an African-American inmate when provoked, drawing the attention of Bottles, the "shot caller" for a violent white supremacist gang, PENI. In return for protection and entry into the gang, Jacob is forced to smuggle heroin and kill a "snitch" within the gang. Harlon rises in rank, obtains the alias "Money", and acquires several gang-related tattoos. Harlon also appears muscular and his personality changes dramatically, hardened by prison life. During a riot, Harlon stabs another inmate to save the life of the head of the Sureños, but is caught on camera. This earns him respect from other gang leaders, however he is sentenced to nine more years. Harlon ceases all contact with his family, demanding that they move on and forget him. Harlon is transferred to Corcoran State Prison under maximum-security. There, he is introduced to an inmate called "The Beast", who commands the Aryan Brotherhood, the top of the white prison gang hierarchy. Impressed with Harlon's dedication, Beast promotes him to his second-in-command. Set to be released after serving over seven years, Harlon is ordered by Beast to orchestrate a weapons deal with the Sureños. Knowing he will be on parole, Harlon hesitates until Beast informs him that membership in the gang does not end when leaving prison and threatens his family. Upon release, he is greeted by "Shotgun" and other gang members, including Howie, a young Afghanistan war veteran with no criminal record. Harlon survives an attack at a party and orders Howie to answer to no one but him. Harlon's parole officer Ed Kutcher, is tipped off about the weapons deal and places Harlon under surveillance. As Harlon prepares to sell a cache of weapons, Howie reveals that he does not want to become a gang member. Harlon also discovers Shotgun is Kutcher's informant. After Harlon transfers his finances to his wife, she brings Joshua to meet him against his wishes. Seeing how his son has grown up without him, Harlon holds his emotions. Joshua demands answers but is unable to understand his father's gang life. Harlon shuts the door and has a brief emotional breakdown. On the day of the deal, Harlon escapes his surveillance and goes to Shotgun's house where he kills him. Kutcher finds Shotgun's body and retrieves his cellphone. After meeting the Sureños, Harlon texts their coordinates to Shotgun's cellphone. Realizing that Shotgun hid more of the weapons to sell himself, Harlon warns Howie to leave the criminal life. and forces him out of the vehicle. As the deal closes, the police, ATF, and SWAT-alerted by Harlon's text-surround the gangs; only Howie escapes and watches from a distance, realizing Harlon saved his life. Fully validated, Harlon is sentenced to life imprisonment with no possibility of parole. He turns down Kutcher's offer to testify against Beast in exchange for a full pardon. Harlon is returned to Corcoran, where a corrupt prison guard brings him to Beast. Realizing Harlon was responsible for the raid, Beast orders him to live out his sentence with the guilt that his family will be killed for his actions. This provokes Harlon, having smuggled in a handcuff key and a razor blade, he frees himself. Harlon subdues the guard and forces him to drop his radio before locking him in a cell. Beast realizes that Harlon tipped off law enforcement knowing he would be sent back to Corcoran. Harlon unlocks Beast's cage and a brief fight ensues leaving Beast mortally wounded. Harlon watches a dying Beast and demands "nobody's touching my family". He orders the prison guard to claim that he acted in self-defense, and assumes Beast's place as the new leader atop the gang hierarchy. With his family's safety secured, Harlon accepts his life sentence, and notifies Kutcher about the remaining weapons. He receives a letter from Joshua, explaining that he and Katherine are moving on, living a successful and happy life, and that he has forgiven his father. This touches Harlon emotionally as he looks at pictures of his former life with his family. He realizes that sacrificing his own freedom to kill Beast was the only way he could truly protect his family from his other enemies. The film ends with Harlon exercising in the yard.