The 51st State - Plot

Plot

The film begins in the year 1971. Elmo McElroy (Samuel L. Jackson), a new college graduate with a degree in pharmacology, is caught smoking marijuana when a patrolman pulls over his car. Because of his arrest and conviction, he is unable to find work as a pharmacologist. The film then fast forwards to the present day as a drug lord called "the Lizard" (Meat Loaf) calls a meeting with his organization, hoping to sell a brand new substance invented by McElroy. The meeting goes awry when McElroy, in a bid to escape from the Lizard's control, blows up the building, killing everyone but the Lizard, who falls through the floor. With revenge on his mind, the Lizard contacts Dakota (Emily Mortimer), a contract killer, who killed the only witness in a case against the Lizard, as depicted in several early scenes in the movie. Dakota initially refuses to chase down and kill McElroy, but when the Lizard offers to clear her gambling debts and give her a $250,000 bonus to complete the hit, Dakota takes the job.

McElroy heads for Liverpool where he has a deal arranged. At the airport he is met by Felix DeSouza (Robert Carlyle), a local "Fixer" who has been sent by his boss Leopold Durant (Ricky Tomlinson), head of a local criminal organization, in exchange for two football tickets to the sold-out Liverpool versus Manchester United game.

At the meeting, McElroy makes his pitch, claiming that his product, POS 51, a synthetic drug that can be produced with minimal facilities, is 51 times as potent as ecstasy, opiates, amphetamines, and cocaine. A second opinion from a local chemist confirms McElroy's claims and Durant gives him over a million dollars in bonds. Since it is 18 million dollars short of the agreed payment, McElroy threatens to leave.

Meanwhile, in a room across the street, Dakota is watching through a rifle scope, waiting for her chance to kill McElroy, but Felix DeSouza keeps unknowingly standing in the way. As she is about to pull the trigger, the Lizard calls, now being concerned about keeping McElroy alive until he can get the formula. Instead of killing McElroy, she is to kill anyone who is meeting with him. She switches rifles to an automatic weapon and kills everyone in the room except DeSouza and McElroy. Escaping with McElroy, DeSouza is shot in the rear by Dakota, who remarks, "That's for getting in the way". As McElroy and DeSouza leave the hotel, the two are attacked by a gang of skinheads, who are also out to get the drug. McElroy protects himself and Felix with a golf club.

Detective Virgil Kane (Sean Pertwee) arrives on the scene and gives a chase. He is soon lured into a game of chicken by McElroy, who escapes. Kane returns to the crime scene and strings up Durant on the bottom of a large cargo container. He demands 50 percent of Durant's deal with McElroy. A miscommunication leads to the cargo container being dropped, rather than being lowered slowly, crushing and killing Durant in the process.

McElroy asks DeSouza to contact the next drug lord in town, who is a gun dealing club owner and drug distributor named Iki (Rhys Ifans), promising him his formula for £20 million. McElroy and DeSouza make their way to a chemist (drug store) to get the ingredients for POS 51. One of the drug's defining attributes is that it can be made with over-the-counter products, none of which yet appear on any government's banned substance list. They are followed by the skinheads, who are armed this time. McElroy isn't that dismayed at being captured, as the skinheads claim they have a lab to produce the drug. The lab turns out to be an Animal Testing Facility that the skinheads have broken into. McElroy makes two batches of the drug; one blue and one red. He claims that the red pill is the stronger version, and after he takes one, the skinheads try it. While they are partying, waiting for the effect of the drug, in the next room McElroy spits out his red pill. He relates to DeSouza that its primary effect is that of a powerful laxative, which should take effect any moment. McElroy and DeSouza leave after throwing some rolls of toilet paper to the screaming skinheads, who are writhing on the floor.

The two visit Iki's rave club, where McElroy initiates his deal with the raver king and delivers the drug to the waiting crowd. The distribution is interrupted by Kane and a police raid, Felix is surrounded by police and arrested. Dakota appears, and it is revealed that her real name is Dawn and that she and DeSouza were romantically involved. She captures McElroy and attempts to leave with him via the roof and the escape ladder. McElroy gets the upper hand, suspending her over the edge of the roof. Having no choice, she strikes a deal with him and they escape from Kane.

Meanwhile, DeSouza is in police custody, being interrogated by Kane. The corrupt cop wants in on their deal with Iki or he will get DeSouza on charges of possession of a firearm. He arranges the time and the place, letting Kane in on the deal.

Meeting back up with McElroy and Dawn, they contact Iki. The venue is the Liverpool vs. Manchester United game, in a private viewing box, at Anfield. This time the deal is interrupted by the Lizard, who shoots Iki and demands the formula to POS 51. The Lizard celebrates with a drink, as McElroy reveals the true nature of the drug-it's a placebo and the ingredients cancel each other out, making it the "most expensive candy" in the world. McElroy tells the Lizard that POS stands for Power of Suggestion.

Kane interrupts the moment, just as McElroy's cocktail, ingested by the Lizard, takes effect. The cocktail contains a chemical that becomes explosive when it reaches a certain temperature; this is the same chemical McElroy used in his earlier attempt to leave his employment with the Lizard. Pulling an umbrella from McElroy's golf bag, DeSouza, McElroy, and Dawn take cover behind it. Police arrive and arrest Kane, who is lying unconscious on the floor, covered in bloody bits of the Lizard. Having made their escape, the three divide the money, Dawn and Felix agree to give their relationship a second chance. During the credits, a putt falls in a hole. McElroy is playing golf in front of the castle (filmed at Cholmondeley, Cheshire) seen on the card pinned to the Lizard's lab wall in the beginning of the film (the same card with the formula burned by McElroy in the skybox). The castle is the home of the McElroy clan.

The final scene has Elmo finishing a round of golf with Hector Dougal McElroy, who Elmo reveals is a descendant of the same family that once owned Elmo's ancestors. Elmo now owns the McElroy castle, and as he walks towards it, he strips naked and says "Elmo is in the house!"