Training Day is a 2001 American neo-noir crime thriller film.
Synopsis[]
On his first day on the job as a Los Angeles narcotics officer, a rookie cop goes beyond a full work day in training within the narcotics division of the LAPD with a rogue detective who isn't what he appears to be.
Plot[]
Los Angeles Police Department Officer Jake Hoyt is assigned for an evaluation headed by an experienced narcotics officer Detective Alonzo Harris. Alonzo is known to be a corrupt cop to several other narcotics officers who are also on the take. Alonzo and Jake begin the day by catching some college kids buying cannabis. Confiscating the drugs from the kids, Alonzo tells Jake to smoke it. Jake refuses initially, but complies when Alonzo threatens him at gunpoint. Alonzo states that refusing like this while on the streets would easily get him killed. He tells Hoyt shortly thereafter that he had actually consumed PCP. After paying a visit to Roger, an ex-police officer turned drug dealer, Jake notices a pair of drug addicts attempting to rape a young teenage girl in an alley. Jake intervenes whilst Alonzo watches. After Alonzo scares them off, Jake finds the girl's wallet on the ground and takes it.
Later on in the day, Alonzo and Jake apprehend a wheelchair-bound dealer named Blue, and find crack rocks and a loaded handgun on him. Rather than go to jail, Blue informs on his associate Kevin "Sandman" Miller, who is in prison. Using a fake search warrant, the two steal $40,000 from Sandman's home. Sandman's wife realizes the theft and calls out to nearby gang members who open fire on Alonzo and Jake as they flee. At lunch, the two visit Alonzo's mistress Sara and their young son. After, Alonzo meets with a trio of corrupt high-ranking police officials he dubs as the "Three Wise Men". They tell Alonzo that they are aware the Russian Mafia are looking for him, and suggest that he skips town. Alonzo insists he has control of the situation, and trades Sandman's drug money for an arrest warrant.
Traveling back to Roger's house using the obtained warrant, Alonzo, Jake, and four other narcotics officers just as corrupt as Alonzo seize $4 million from the premises. Alonzo shoots and kills Roger when Jake refuses to do so. Jake wholeheartedly refuses to be a part of it, and when threatened seizes Alonzo's shotgun, prompting a Mexican standoff with the other officers. Alonzo tells Jake that the LAPD will run a blood test on him which will identify the PCP-laced cannabis he smoked earlier. Alonzo promises he can falsify this in exchange for his cooperation, and Jake reluctantly agrees.
Later that evening, Alonzo drives Jake to the home of Smiley, a Sureño, to run an errand. Jake reluctantly plays poker with Smiley and his fellow gang members as he waits for Alonzo, whilst Smiley reveals Alonzo's situation. By midnight, Alonzo must pay $1 million to the Russian Mafia for the killing of one of their men in Las Vegas, or be killed himself. Realizing that Alonzo abandoned him and has paid Smiley to kill him, Jake retaliates but is beaten and dragged to the bathroom to be executed. A gang member searches Jake for money before he is killed, and finds the teenage girl's wallet who happens to be Smiley's cousin. After hearing Jake's story of how he had saved her from being raped earlier that day, Smiley shows gratitude and lets him go.
Jake returns to Sara's apartment to arrest Alonzo, but a gunfight and chase ensue. Alonzo is subdued, whilst the entire neighborhood congregates to watch. In an attempt to get the crowd on his side, Alonzo offers money to whoever kills Jake; but nobody interferes. Instead, they allow Jake to walk away with the money, and Jake plans to submit it as evidence against Alonzo. Alonzo flees for his life to Los Angeles International Airport, but his car is ambushed by the Russians, who kill him. Jake returns home as the news broadcast Alonzo's death, which eerily mirrors how Alonzo pictured the news would portray Jake.