The movie follows the story of Lee Marvin and John Vernon, two partners who are about to steal money they have been planning for a while. Within a short time, Vernon decided to shoot Marvin, but after two years, Marvin returns as he tries to take revenge again.
Boorman brings an existential bleakness and depth to his genre material (adapted from Donald E. Westlake's novel), and Marvin's minimal dialogue enhances the impact of his performance.
There are moments of breathtaking visual creativity, from the not-quite-freeze-frames over the opening credits to a series of confrontational close-ups when things turn violent.