The plot, about bank robbers held at bay by the Los Angeles Police Department, is based on a real incident which occurred February 28, 1997 known as the North Hollywood shootout. Homicide detective Frank McGregor (Michael Madsen) tracks a violent duo of bank robbers: Larry Eugene Phillips, Jr. and Emil Mătăsăreanu. The film opens with scenes of police officers getting ready for work in the morning interspersed with scenes of the robbers Phillips and Mătăsăreanu preparing to loot an armoured bank truck. Officer Donnie Anderson (Ron Livingston) is mourning the death of his police officer father. He displays a lack of attention on his SWAT assignment and is forced by his superior to take time off. Meanwhile, the staff at the North Hollywood branch of Bank of America are preparing for start of business.
