The film follows Clyde Shelton (played by Gerard Butler), a family man in Philadelphia whose wife and daughter are brutally murdered during a home invasion. Despite overwhelming evidence against the perpetrator, the district attorney Nick Rice (played by Jamie Foxx) is forced to make a plea deal with him due to lack of concrete evidence, consequently, cutting down his sentence.
Ten years later, Shelton's fury and bitterness over the lack of justice against his family's killers reach him to the edge. He begins to systematically take revenge on everyone involved in the case, killing off those he holds responsible for setting his family's killer free. He strategically plans and executes his attacks from his jail cell. His targets include not only the killer but also the judge, the assistant district attorney, and other associates.
Rice, who is now the district attorney, soon realizes that Shelton is behind these killings and tries to catch him. But as the body count keeps increasing and no one can figure out how Shelton is achieving all of this, the city of Philadelphia goes into a state of shock.
Ultimately, the film becomes a cat and mouse game between Rice and Shelton. With no one safe, even those closest to Rice become targets, and he must navigate a web of manipulation to put an end to the killings.
In conclusion, Law Abiding Citizen is a thrilling drama that explores themes of injustice, revenge, and morality. It keeps its audience on the edge of their seats with plot twists and turns, creating a gripping storyline that will have viewers rooting for both the protagonist and the antagonist.