Shot Caller

Fresh out of prison, Jacob 'Money' Harlon returns to a world where loyalty buys safety and power. A former gangster, he earns his release but finds the system still uses him as a tool. His parole hinges on rejoining the very organization that turned him into a weapon. The leaders pressure him to pull off a calculated heist that will strike at a brutal rival gang, dragging in his crew and the fragile line between personal survival and criminal obligation. As he navigates a dangerous chain of control, old loyalties collide with new temptations, and the cost of ambition becomes eerily clear. The streets of Southern California become a high stakes arena where every choice carries a price for money and status.

Directed by Ric Roman Waugh and released in 2017, Shot Caller is built from an original screenplay rather than a pre existing novel or play, showcasing a gritty tale of reintegration, power and prison politics.

Critics treated it as a lean, hard edged look at how prison life shapes crime on the outside, with money and reputation hanging in the balance. The film centers on choice under pressure, the fragility of loyalty, and the brutal price of power, anchored by stark performances.