The film is presented through several flashbacks as the three inmates are being interviewed in regards to the apparent suicide of their 4th cellmate, Mitch Palmer, who has hanged himself. It is gradually revealed throughout the interviews that the inmates tortured and humiliated Mitch prior to his hanging.
The film begins with the four cellmates playing poker for cigarettes and trading stories of their lives prior to their incarcerations. After Mitch wins all of his cellmatesâ cigarettes, they coerce him to play one more game. Mitch says heâll put his entire bag of cigarettes on the table, and the loser has to eat an entire tube of toothpaste.
Mitch loses the round and refuses to eat the toothpaste as the cellmates continually ask him to uphold his end of the bet. At first it seems like the cellmates decide to give up and call it a night. Harry Katish, who is in jail for armed robbery, pretends to wash up and wraps a towel around a bar of soap. He then goes to Mitch and begins to scream and hit him with the soap, as the others grab him and hold him down. All three force him to eat the entire tube of toothpaste. The three leave him be as Mitch lies on the floor, his stomach in pain. Peter Thompson, a low level drug dealer, goes to Mitch and pretends to be concerned, and says heâll make him a special drink that will make him feel better. Peter grabs a glass, and fills it with water, salt, and a piece of pepper. Mitch says he isnât stupid, but the other cellmates tell him as far as theyâre all concerned, he already drank the drink, and threaten to hold him down again.
Out of fear of being held down again, Mitch drinks as much as he can but begins to throw up. The cellmates laugh, and Peter says heâll make another drink to make him feel better. Peter takes water filled with urine and feces from the toilet bowl. Mitch however, is choking and throwing up, but the cellmates start a countdown advising theyâll force him to drink it. Mitch grabs the glass and after one sip begins to throw up and choke.
Jack Ulrich, in jail for arson, becomes enraged and violently beats Mitch, telling him to lick up his vomit with his tongue and belittles him as a pig. Mitch begs and pleads that heâll clean up the mess with his mop, but Jack continues to beat him harder as Peter and Harry watch apathetically. Mitch crawls to the mess and begins to lick the vomit, further becoming sick. The cellmates become bored and decide to call it a night.
As the cellmates sleep, Mitch sits down and stares at the emergency button. He makes a run and presses it, screaming into the intercom that he needs help, but the cellmates wake up and drag him to the wall and cover his mouth. Peter, speaking to the guards through the intercom, says Mitch just hurt himself and itâs nothing they canât handle. The three cellmates beat Mitch to the ground, and then all urinate in a cup, pouring it down Mitchâs throat.
Jack is further enraged that Mitch pressed the emergency button, and then anally rapes him. Peter, witnessing the rape, begins to feel remorseful and says things have gone too far, however he is threatened with violence by Jack and Harry, with Jack remarking that heâs âalready a part of thisâ and to âremember who made the drinkâ. Harry then stares at Mitch, grabs the mop handle, and violently sodomizes Mitch with it, then putting the bloody and feces covered handle in Mitchâs mouth. Mitch becomes catatonic as Jack and Harry watch TV, and Peter begins to shake with remorse.
Jack and Harry confront Peter on his remorse, who states he is fearful that the guards will see the blood and bruises during their routine checks, and that serving a longer sentence as a result is not worth this. Harry asks Peter what they should do, and Peter recounts an urban myth in that if a cellmate commits suicide, the psychological trauma inflicted on his fellow cellmates will significantly reduce their sentence. The three cellmates decide that Mitch needs to hang himself. They first prop him against the barred window and tie his neck with a TV cord, but the attempt fails. They then try with Mitchâs bedsheets and have him stand on a garbage can, granting him a final cigarette before Harry says âenough of this shitâ and kicks the garbage can away, killing Mitch. Peter is reduced to tears as Jack and Harry remain apathetic.
The next morning, the three cellmates agree to hit the emergency button and pretend to be upset by what has happened, however Peter remains silent. Throughout the interviews, Harry denies any involvement or accusations in regards to the torture and humiliation and remains indifferent to what has transpired; Jack admits his guilt and is remorseful, stating he doesnât know why he did what he did and wants his hands washed clean; Peter is in tears for the entire interview, stating the hanging was his idea and Mitch did not deserve what happened to him.
The film ends with text stating the three cellmates, all serving 2- to 3-year sentences, received an additional 8 to 15 years for their role in Mitch Palmerâs death. It is then revealed Mitch was serving a 6-month sentence for vagrancy and resisting arrest. The closing frames show Mitch helping Peter do proper pushups, and bonding in a friendly manner with his fellow cellmates.
Who's death played a role in the three cellmates receiving an addition 8 to 15 years in jail?
Mitch Palmer