James Gray’s directorial debut, (1994), is a stark, brooding crime drama that prioritizes family tragedy over traditional gangster thrills. Set in the wintry, bleak landscape of Brooklyn’s Brighton Beach, the film follows Joshua Shapira (Tim Roth), a cold-blooded hitman for the Russian Mafia who reluctantly returns to his old neighborhood for a contract killing. Critical Overview

Critics generally view the film as an impressive, if occasionally uneven, debut that established Gray’s signature "operatic" and "melancholic" style. Little Odessa movie review & film summary - Roger Ebert