Easy Rawlins (Denzel Washington) is a World War Two veteran. He is out of work, looking for a job and desperately needs to pay his mortgage. He is introduced to a man named Dewitt Albright (Tom Sizemore) who is looking for someone to help find a missing white woman, Daphne Monet (Jennifer Beals) who is thought to be hiding somewhere in the Black Community. He offers Rawlins $100 to look for Daphne Monet. Easy is suspicious but takes the money anyway.He begins the search and is quickly embroiled in the intrigues of the town. He is framed for murder and now has two L.A.P.D police officers on his trail. Easy wants out of the job he's been given but Albright forces him to continue, or else Easy dies.
Soon more trouble comes his way and with the situation getting desperate and complex, Easy Rawlins feels the need to get some outside help.
