在纽约警署，泰尔尼家族声名赫赫。老弗朗西斯·泰尔尼（强·沃特 Jon Voight 饰）创下无数丰功伟绩，在黑白两道皆有很高声望，他的儿子小弗朗西斯（诺亚·艾默里奇 Noah Emmerich 饰）、雷（爱德华·诺顿 Edward Norton 饰）以及女婿吉米·伊根（柯林·法瑞尔 Colin Farrell 饰）也同样在警察的岗位上兢兢业业。某晚，正在参加橄榄球比赛的吉米突然得到噩耗，他所负责的辖区发生枪战，数名警员中弹身亡。在父亲的鼓励下，雷加入特别行动小组，开始追捕相关疑犯。 　　在调查过程中，雷发现越来越多疑点，进而察觉吉米、小弗朗西斯甚至敬爱的父亲都可能牵涉其中。正义在这一刻染上污点，雷的调查之路也充满曲折和危险……A family of police officers - patriarch, two sons, and a son-in-law - deals with corruption in a precinct in Washington Heights. Four officers die in an ambush at a drug dealer's apartment. It's brother Francis's precinct, so when the investigation led by brother Ray finds hints of police corruption, there's pressure to close ranks and save Frankie's career. Dad, a police brass, promises Ray that he and Frankie can clean things up, and Ray should focus on catching the drug dealer who killed the cops. Meanwhile, brother-in-law Jimmy, a hothead and an enforcer, is visited at home by a lowlife. Is Jimmy involved in the corruption? Where can this take the family?