Young lovers and small-time New Orleans scammers Coco Chavez (
Carla Gugino) and Junior Armstrong (
Simon Baker-Denny) move up a few rungs when they kidnap wealthy computer mogul Ben Dyson (
Greg Wise) in Sebastian Gutierrez's neo-noir. During the crime, Coco kills Dyson's girlfriend, Patty (Beverly Penberthy), wife of Senator Rupert Hornbeck (
Hal Holbrook). Assigned to the case are FBI Agent Sadie Hawkins (
Emma Thompson) and Police Lt. David Friedman (
Alan Rickman). When Hornbeck threatens Friedman instead of assisting him, the detective suspects that this is no ordinary kidnapping for ransom, and he does his own investigation. A conscience-stricken Coco realizes that she may have been set up to kill Patty, and she, too, takes matters into her own hands. A fairly complex tale of betrayal and corruption, Judas Kiss also spoofs noir conventions -- for instance, agent Hawkins is reading
Jim Thompson's crime novel The Killer Inside Me, and he discusses the writer's works with Friedman during lulls in the action. ~ Steve Press, All Movie Guide