A traffic jam proves to be the last straw for an unemployed defence industry worker (Michael Douglas), who goes on the rampage, dishing out revenge on all those he believes have conspired to make his life a misery. As the death toll mounts, easy-going cop Martin Prendergast (Robert Duvall) is assigned to track him down.

Follow-on from the 1986 film 'FX - Murder by Illusion' in which Tyler (Bryan Brown) is now semi-retired. However, he is talked out of the quiet life after five years and into taking part in a police-sting operation by his girlfriend's ex-husband. When the latter is murdered, Tyler investigates, with the help of his old police partner (Brian Dennehy) and soon they are trapped in a dangerous web of murder, treachery and deceit.