A Long Hard Streak

Billy Dean Anderson was raised by his grandparents on the Upper Cumberland Plateau in Pall Mall, Tennessee. As a boy he was involved with the church and on the path to becoming a preacher, but at a distinct point he took a drastic turn toward crime. He was obsessively creative and deeply connected to nature but had a violent, criminal streak.

The film confronts these two extremes, both explosive and spiritually redemptive, and explores the insular society he called home.

Through oral accounts from family, friends, ex-convicts who served time with Billy, local law enforcement, as well as the FBI agent who led the manhunt for Billy, we see how a young man's tumultuous relationship with the law expands into a broader story of community and loyalty.