Caught Up is a 1998 neo-noir directed by Darin Scott and starring Bokeem Woodbine, Cynda Williams, Tony Todd, Basil Wallace, Clifton Powell, and Jeffrey Combs.
Ex-convict Daryl Allen (Woodbine) has just been paroled, and wants nothing more than to go straight. Unfortunately, life seems to have other plans. In short order, he finds himself dealing with a duplicitous fortune teller identical to his ex-girlfriend, her vicious Rastafarian crime kingpin ex-boyfriend and his gang, a local crime boss who conscripts him into his employ, and a corrupt but powerful LAPD detective.
Caught Up contains examples of:
- Antagonist in Mourning: Billy mourns Vanessa's suppose death because he wanted to kill her.
- Anti-Hero: Daryl is grumpy, rude, and short-tempered, but he's not a bad guy. He sincerely just wants to get his life together and make an honest living, despite all the roadblocks in his way.
- Asshole Victim: Billy is established as a pretty repugnant figure in his own right before being horribly murdered by Ahmad's men.
- Big Bad Ensemble: There's multiple different Big Bads all jockeying against each other. LA crime kingpin Billy Grimm, Jamaican gangster Ahmad, Dirty Cop Frank Lowden, Vanessa, and the security guard.
- Camp Straight: Billy Grimm is an effeminate crime boss who dresses in bright pink and paints his nails, but is actually heterosexual.
- Casting Gag: Snoop Doggy Dog's character is named Cool Kitty Cat.
- Celebrity Cameo: Snoop Dogg as Cool Kitty Kat and LL Cool J as Trish's husband Roger.
- Churchgoing Villain: Ahmad downplays this trope, but one of his main quirks is making Biblical allusions or quoting the book. For instance, he compares his gang stealing diamonds to "Adam tasting the forbidden fruit in the garden of Eden!"
- Cosmic Plaything: All Daryl wants is to go straight and get a job, but gets put through a laundry list of misfortunes and traumas despite doing nothing to deserve it.Daryl: Do you believe in reincarnation? I do. You know why? Because the only reason I can think of for God to fuck with one person as much as he has me, is if I did some really messed up shit in a past life.
- Dirty Cop: Detective Lowden wants to take over Billy Grimm's criminal empire to use it to help the LAPD catch bigger fish, and doesn't care that Daryl is innocent so long as he's easily threatened into being a mole. He eventually turns out to have been in league with Vanessa in her scheme to sell stolen diamonds.
- The Dog Was the Mastermind: The mysterious figure who keeps trying to kill Daryl and Vanessa is the security guard from the beginning.
- Eunuchs Are Evil: The security guard wants revenge on Daryl because Trip shot his penis off during the bank robbery. He doesn't care that Trip is long dead or about any collateral damage he incurs along the way,
- Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas; Ahmad pistol whips Billy for calling him a motherfucker.Ahmad: I don't appreciate rude talk about me mother! You say that again, I'm gonna deck you.
- Evil vs. Evil: Vanessa and Lowden, Ahmad's gang, Billy, and the security guard are all working against each other. By the end, they've all killed each other, except the guard, who shoots himself after believing he killed Daryl.
- Faking the Dead: Vanessa has Trish killed to fake her own death and frame Daryl. Daryl eventually realizes this and figures out she wanted to lead Ahmad on the wrong trail long enough that she could sell the diamonds and leave town.Daryl: It's the night of the living dead, here!
- False Friend: Billy's employee Herbert quickly befriends Daryl. He eventually reveals himself to be Frank Lowden, an undercover cop who wants to take down Billy and has no compunction about putting Daryl in danger to do it. He takes gleeful pride in revealing this.
- Gag Penis: Cool Kitty Cat claims he has a ten inch long penis.Daryl: You sure you ain't exaggerating there a little bit?
Cool Kitty Cat: Exaggerating? Nigga, my shit is certified by the government. USDA. That's the United States Dick Association, fool. - Giggling Villain: Billy is constantly giggling when he has Daryl on the ropes.
- I Am the Noun!: When the security guard reveals himself:Security Guard: I AM JUSTICE, FUCKASS!
- Identical Stranger: Vanessa is identical to Daryl's ex-girlfriend Trish. Vanessa has Trish murdered to fake her own death.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Jake Samples, Daryl's parole agent, is self-righteous and callous at first. However, when he sees Daryl is sincerely trying to get his life together, he become genuinely supportive. In the end, he helps clear Daryl's name after realizing he's innocent.
- Karmic Death: Trip tricks Daryl into being a getaway driver for a bank robbery. When Daryl crashes the car, Trip gets flung out the windshield and breaks his neck.
- Large Ham: Basil Wallace as Ahmad gleefully swallows the scenery.
- Malevolent Masked Men: Daryl is constantly pursued by a mysterious, masked man who keeps trying to kill him. The man initially seems to be one of Ahmad's goons, but is revealed to be the security guard from the opening out to avenge the loss of his penis and testicles during the bank robbery.
- Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane: Does Vanessa actually have supernatural powers, or is she just a good cold reader?
- Poor Communication Kills: Billy is the victim of a double dose of this. After Ahmad threatens him to find Daryl's location, he has a brief laugh before telling his captor that the protagonist is hiding in his closet (he is, actually). Ahmad had just gotten through a Motive Rant, so he believes Billy is mocking him and his story; so he decides the best thing to do is to torture Billy with acid. Unfortunately for him, his mook Bob administering the acid misheard him saying "a proper drop" as "a couple drops", so he ends up burning a hole right through Billy's skull, killing him.
- Reformed, but Rejected: Daryl genuinely wants to go straight, but finds himself hampered by bad luck and people taking advantage of his criminal record.
- Sissy Villain: Billy Grimm is effeminate and paints his nails, though he's explicitly Camp Straight and has a dysfunctional romance with Vanessa.
- With Friends Like These...: Daryl's friend Trip offers to go to the bank to pick him up some money to help him start a nightclub. Daryl waits in the car after driving Trip there, and only realizes too late Trip was robbing the bank.Trip: You said you needed the money!
Daryl: You didn't tell me you were gonna rob the bank!
Trip: Well, I'm not gonna tell you everything Imma do.