Comedy,Crime,Mystery,Thriller
United States of America
of the plot and characters.
The movie follows Daryl Zero (played by Bill Pullman), a brilliant but eccentric private investigator who is known for his ability to solve impossible cases. Zero's methods are unorthodox, and he relies heavily on his assistant Steve Arlo (played by Ben Stiller) to do the legwork and social interactions that he can't handle.
Zero's latest case involves Gregory Stark (played by Ryan O'Neal), a wealthy executive who is being blackmailed. Stark refuses to tell Zero who is behind the blackmail or what the blackmail material is, forcing Zero to use his deductive skills to uncover the truth.
As Zero delves deeper into the case, he becomes increasingly obsessed with it, neglecting his personal relationships and spiraling into a dangerous addiction to prescription drugs. His behavior puts a strain on his partnership with Arlo, who is increasingly frustrated with Zero's erratic behavior.
Meanwhile, Zero discovers that Stark's son Jeff (played by Kim Dickens) is involved in the blackmail scheme, and that the material being used to blackmail Stark is incriminating evidence of Jeff's involvement in a hit-and-run accident.
As Zero struggles to unravel the web of lies and deceit surrounding the case, he ultimately discovers that the mastermind behind the scheme is one of Stark's rivals, desperate to gain an advantage in a corporate takeover bid.
In the end, Zero is able to solve the case and bring the perpetrator to justice, but at great personal cost. The movie ends with Zero disappearing into the night, leaving Arlo to wonder what will become of him.
