Johnny Depp was in the midst of a pretty hot run of movies—Ed Wood, Dead Man, Donnie Brasco—when he made this enjoyable Hitchcockian trifle, which is notable almost solely for taking place in real time. At the movie’s outset, Depp’s daughter is kidnapped by a typically evil Christopher Walken, who tells Depp that if he doesn’t murder the governor of California in 90 minutes, his daughter will be killed. A vast conspiracy develops over a short time, with only a friendly shoeshine man to help Depp in his race against the clock. In a way, it was the blueprint for every 24 episode, silly plot twists and all.
