Under Hellgate Bridge (2001)

Synopsis: Two years after he is released from a prison, reformed heroin addict Ryan (Michael Rodrick) returns to Astoria, Queens for the funeral of his youngest brother Jimmy, another junkie who died from a "hot shot" under the infamous Hellgate Bridge. Ryan discovers that his brother, Eddie (Brian... Two years after he is released from a prison, reformed heroin addict Ryan (Michael Rodrick) returns to Astoria, Queens for the funeral of his youngest brother Jimmy, another junkie who died from a "hot shot" under the infamous Hellgate Bridge. Ryan discovers that his brother, Eddie (Brian Vincent), is still using, and is trying to move into the business that killed Jimmy and put Ryan in jail. Adding to Ryan's pain, his ex-girlfriend Carla (Jordan Bayne), who set him up to go to jail, is now married to his adversary, small-time mobster Vincent (Jonathan LaPaglia). Watching Eddie going though the same torture that he once experienced, Ryan is faced with a dilemma: if he leaves, he won't be able to take care of Eddie, but if he stays, his rivalry with Vincent could destroy them all. Shot in the dark of bars, the dim twilight, and overcast greys of morning, UNDER HELLGATE BRIDGE lends the impression of a dying city, the death of family, and the end of a way of life. First-time director Michael Sergio has created a very personal film, wrought with the desperation and desolation of the Old West in contemporary New York. [More]