SYNOPSIS:

Caldwell, West Virginia. In the backwoods of a seemingly sleepy and friendly town lies a dark underbelly. JAMES BUTTERMAN, the town’s pharmacist, makes money by selling pills illegally to everyone, including the mayor, sheriff, and their wives. He uses TOLLY, JOHNNY, and AARON (his pharmacy assistant and housemate) as drug runners. As the story opens, Tolly, high on drugs, forces Aaron to give him oral sex. The situation escalates when Tolly is shot and killed, causing Aaron to flee the scene. MICHAEL YOUNG, recent graduate and future husband to MEREDITH, decides to turn down medical school to take a high-paying pharmacist job in Caldwell, working for James. Upon arrival, Michael’s arrangement is such: James is leaving to go to Florida and Michael will stay in his house, rent free. Michael seeks change in Caldwell and his first taste of it comes when he has an affair with CRYSTAL, the local good-time girl, and though he doesn’t know it, daughter to James. Michael begins seeing and hearing strange and suspicious things about Caldwell and intimidated to leave by psycho-hillbilly WHITEY BLOSSER, but despite this, he embraces the oddity of it. Michael is approached by a skittish Johnny, who pleads for Michael to help him find Aaron. Johnny becomes the only person in town that Michael can really trust. At the same time, Crystal and Michael’s relationship grows strong. What Crystal doesn’t tell Michael is that her father is paying for her to keep Michael happy, but it’s turned into more than a “job.” Things heat up when Meredith comes to town and surprises Michael. Crystal become jealous of Meredith and wants her to leave. Michael discovers something unlawful about the way the pharmacy’s accounts are set up. After reviewing the accounts, Michael figures out James’ crooked scheme: selling stock drugs to outside sources for double the price. In conspiracy with Whitey, Crystal meets Michael in a bar and tells him that Johnny is in trouble. They rush to the woods and discover a body floating down the river. What Michael thinks is Johnny’s body is really Crystal’s father, James, who has been killed by Whitey. With aid from Crystal, Whitey breaks into the motel room where Michael is hiding. He beats and ties up Michael, as he and Crystal are set to split up James’ fortune. But because of their relationship, Crystal is unable to deceive Michael any longer as she gives up the million dollar pay day and tries to save him from the violent ending that is planned for him. Wise to Crystal’s deception, Whitey stops her before she can free Michael, but Whitey is surprisingly shot dead in the end by Johnny, in an unexpected feat of courage.