Boaz Yakin made his directing debut with this critically acclaimed feature film. Twelve-year-old drug runner Fresh (Sean Nelson) is trapped in a familiar urban situation, surrounded by poverty, crime and gang warfare. He works as a courier for local hood Esteban (Giancarlo Esposito), and only occasionally sees his natural father Sam (Samuel L. Jackson), who is obsessed with mastering chess. Fresh shares his father's passion for chess, and uses this tactical knowledge to devise a plan through which he can escape his grim situation.
Director: Boaz Yakin
Producer: Randy Ostrow
Writer: Boaz Yakin
Music: Stewart Copeland
Actor: Sean Nelson
Actor: Samuel L. Jackson
Actor: Giancarlo Esposito
Actor: Ron Brice
Actor: Luis Lantigua
Actor: Jean Lamarre
Actor: José Zúñiga
Actor: Cheryl Freeman
Actor: N'Bushe Wright
Actor: Yul Vasquez