In the heart of a gritty urban landscape, two charismatic yet morally conflicted hitmen, Vince “The Gentleman” Vega (Donald Glover) and Jules “The Preacher” Winnfield (Michael Ealy), navigate a series of increasingly absurd and darkly comedic situations as they work for an enigmatic crime boss, Marsellus Wallace. Their lives intertwine with a colorful cast of characters, each with their own twisted tales.
The story kicks off with Vince’s awkwardly tense evening escorting Mia Wallace, the boss’s wife, who is as wild as she is enigmatic. Things take a surreal turn when Vince’s attempt to be a perfect gentleman goes sideways, leading to a near-death experience that will have everyone questioning their life choices.
Meanwhile, Jules, who has recently found religion in the strangest of places, begins to question the ethics of their profession just as they find themselves in the middle of a botched robbery at a local diner. The would-be thieves, an overly ambitious couple, known only as Pumpkin and Honey Bunny, are hilariously unprepared for the havoc that Jules and Vince are about to unleash.
As the pair’s misadventures unfold, they cross paths with Butch Coolidge, a charming but down-on-his-luck boxer who’s been double-crossed in a rigged fight. Butch finds himself on the run from Wallace, but not before stumbling into a situation so bizarre it could only happen in this twisted world.
Throughout the film, the narrative crisscrosses between outrageous events and characters, all connected by their association with the mysterious and ever-powerful Marsellus Wallace. The film’s blend of sharp wit, dark humor, and unexpected moments of vulnerability make Smooth Criminals a rollercoaster of a dark comedy, where everyone’s just trying to survive the chaos with their dignity intact—or what’s left of it.