Mark Dacascos plays Jesse, an ex-con fresh out of prison. He takes a bus to Los Angeles and hooks up with Larry, his old prison cellmate. Larry's living in a trap house with a few other junkies. It doesn't take long for Jesse to get sucked into their drama.

Boogie Boy is grittier than the high-concept action movies that were typical of Dacascos in the nineties. Instead of a barebones story that merely provides an excuse for the fight scenes, there's a genuine attempt at character development. Sometimes it actually works. There are hints of a prison romance between Jesse and Larry. It's a little unclear whether Jesse considers him more of a friend or a lover; in fact, it seems a little unclear to Jesse himself.

The cast is a rogue's gallery of B-list actors and familiar faces. Jaimz Woolvett, best known as The Schofield Kid in Unforgiven, plays Larry. Traci Lords, John Hawkes, Robert Bauer, and Scott Sowers are among the trap house regulars.

Eighties rock icon Joan Jett appears as a hard-nosed musician called Jerk. Her band performs at a bucket of blood that Larry's gang frequents. When her junkie drummer passes out on stage, Jesse takes over the sticks. Jerk invites him to join the band for their next gig in Detroit. Jesse's torn. One one side, an opportunity that only happens in Archie comics; on the other, his loyalty to Larry.

After the show, Larry asks Jesse to accompany him on a drug deal. The buyers try to double-cross them. Jesse and the gang fight their way out, leaving a pile of bodies in the process. Jesse and Larry skip town and find sanctuary at a remote hotel in the desert.

Two more familiar B-listers get introduced at the hotel. Frederic Forrest plays Edsel, the hotel's owner. Emily Lloyd plays his wife Hester. They're a quirky couple, to say the least. Hester is a shameless flirt. Edsel seems ambivalent about it. He spends his days pretending to surf on a board suspended from cables. Larry spends most of this time dope sick.

Back in Los Angeles, the chickens are coming home to roost. Ben Browder and James Lew play Freddy and Jason. Their brothers were among the bodies left behind when Larry's drug deal went wrong. They kill their way through the trap house regulars until finally getting wind of the hotel.

Meanwhile, Jesse decides to accept Jerk's offer to join her in Detroit. Hester wants to go with him. This leads to new conflict between Jesse, Larry, Hester, and Edsel. Before they can work it out, Freddy and Jason arrive at the hotel for the inevitable showdown. Violence ensues.

Craig Hamann wrote and directed Boogie Boy with a neo-noir vibe, focused more on the characters than the stunts. The result is uneven. A lot of it feels contrived, but I appreciate the effort.

6 out of 10.

Seen on Tubi.