History Film / ShotCaller

* ForWantOfANail: We see a flashback to the night that pushed Jacob down his dark path. During a double date, he and his wife casually decide to order a second bottle of wine, making him slightly too tipsy as he drives them all home. When his friend offers a fist bump, Jacob instinctively complies, momentarily distracting him from the road at just the wrong time.

* DissonantSerenity: Bottles.

* FourEyesZeroSoul: Bottles.

* HollywoodLaw: While Jacob might have been given a 16-month sentence for what he did, it is extremely implausible for somebody with his profile (stockbroker, family man, and first-time offender with a DUI manslaughter conviction) to get immediately placed in a maximum-security prison like the one Jacob goes to. He might even get probation or a suspended sentence, especially as he'd be able to get a good defense lawyer. Even if sentenced to prison, this would almost certainly be minimum or medium security, and he'd only get in maximum for breaking rules. Then [[RuleOfDrama there would be no plot of course]], but they could have had a more plausible scenario for this.

* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: The Beast is never referred to by anything else. His real name, Jerry Manning, is only briefly seen when the Aryan Brotherhood's minion prison guard types up a report which includes his name.

* HollywoodLaw: While Jacob might have been given a 16-month sentence for what he did, it is extremely implausible for somebody with his profile (stockbroker, family man, and first-time offender with a DUI manslaughter conviction) to immediately be sent to a maximum-security prison like the one Jacob goes to.

* ReverseMole: [[spoiler:Shotgun]] is working with Officer Kutcher to bring down Jacob and the rest of the Aryan Brotherhood, since his drug-smuggling girlfriend has a twenty year sentence hanging over her head. Jacob kills him when he finds out.

* GeniusBruiser: The highest-ranking members of the Aryan Brotherhood are incredibly cunning in addition to brutal fighters. Their leader, the Beast, reads psychology books and political treatises in his spare time, and loans Jacob some of them to hone his skills.
-->'''The Beast:''' A warrior's greatest weapon is his mind.

* RedBaron: Any inmate with any notoriety has a nickname: Jacob (who used to be a businessman) is "Money", Frank is "Shotgun", the mid-level glasses-wearing Aryan is "Bottles", the Aryan chapter leader is "The Beast", etc.

* VillainProtagonist: Although he is a PunchClockVillain who only joined the group to survive in prison, Jacob is a high-ranking member of the Aryan Brotherhood and by the start of the film is so deeply involved in the organization that [[ChronicVillainy he can't leave it anymore]].

* ActorAllusion: Creator/JonBernthal is playing a guy called Frank, whose nickname is "Shotgun". [[Series/ThePunisher2017 Hmmm...]]

* FirstRuleOfTheYard: Deconstructed. Jacob Harlon realizes that he has to win favor with one of the local prison gangs for protection, so when a random inmate challenges him in front of them, he immediately starts a fight to save face. They take him in afterwards, but their subsequent demands for him to smuggle drugs only ends up drawing him further and further into the gang.

* HadToComeToPrisonToBeACrook: Jacob Harlon was originally convicted for two years after pleading guilty to a DUI manslaughter charge. He joins the Aryan Brotherhood in prison to survive, and is forced to get his hands dirty more than once, starting by smuggling drugs and later by murdering snitches and rival gang members. During one of these attacks in the middle of a prison riot, the act is caught on camera, and Jacob is given an additional nine years (85% mandatory) on top of his original sentence, and sent to a secure housing unit. Even after he leaves prison, he continues his activities for the gang on the outside, and [[spoiler:orchestrates events so that he becomes the leader of the entire gang after killing his predecessor for threatening his family.]]

* KlingonPromotion: In the end, [[spoiler:Jacob uses a razorblade he smuggled into the prison to overpower a corrupt guard, then unlocks the cell to Aryan leader "The Beast" so he can kill him and take over the gang after convincing the guard to falsify the death report to say that Jacob acted in self-defense.]]

* ResignationsNotAccepted: After Jacob becomes a high-level member of the Aryan Brotherhood, their leadership imposes that he will continue to earn for them after leaving prison, even threatening his wife and son. Jacob eventually decides that [[spoiler:killing the leader and taking over the entire gang]] is the only way he can permanently ensure his family's safety.

* TattooedCrook: Jacob acquires a large amount of white supremacist tattoos during his prison sentence displaying his gang affiliations. Obviously, the same holds true for the other higher-ranked members.

* ChronicVillainy: Jacob continues the Aryan Brotherhood's activities as soon as he's out of prison, as [[ResignationsNotAccepted the only acceptable retirement is death]]. Ultimately, [[spoiler:he gives up his freedom and usurps control over the entire organization as the sole method to reliably protect his family from reprisals.]]

A businessman is sent to prison after killing his best friend in a drunk driving accident, where he becomes deeply involved with a skinhead gang. After being released after ten years, he is ordered to oversee a major weapons deal with the Sonora cartel, while a probation officer tries to track him down.

* BookEnds: The film opens with Jacob writing a letter to his son Joshua apologizing for failing him as a father and advising him to get on with his life. At the end, [[spoiler:Joshua sends him a letter back, telling his father that he has finally forgiven him.]]

* HadToComeToPrisonToBeACrook: Jacob Harlon was originally convicted for two years after pleading guilty to a DUI manslaughter charge. He joins a skinhead gang in prison to survive, and is forced to get his hands dirty more than once, starting by smuggling drugs and later by murdering snitches and rival gang members. During one of these attacks in the middle of a prison riot, the act is caught on camera, and Jacob is given an additional nine years (85% mandatory) on top of his original sentence, and sent to the most secure section of the prison. Even after he leaves prison, he continues his activities for the gang on the outside, and [[spoiler:orchestrates events so that he becomes the leader of the entire gang after killing his predecessor for threatening his family.]]

* PunchClockVillain: Jacob joins the Aryan Brotherhood in prison for reasons of survival. While he assists in drug smuggling and carrying out hits on their enemies, at no point does Jacob display any racist views of his own. He even seems to be perturbed by Shotgun offering him a bunch of drunk girls at a party and doesn't take advantage of them.

* TattooedCrook: Jacob acquires a large amount of white supremacy tattooes during his prison sentence displaying his gang affiliations. Obviously, the same holds true for the other higher-ranked members.