Crank is a 2006 American action film written and directed by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor in their directorial debuts. It stars Jason Statham, Amy Smart and Jose Pablo Cantillo. The title of the film comes from a slang word for methamphetamine. In the film, Chev Chelios, a Los Angeles–based hitman, is poisoned by the mafia and must keep his adrenaline flowing constantly in order to keep himself alive, while he tries to track down the man who poisoned him. The film was followed by a sequel titled Crank: High Voltage in 2009. Chev Chelios is a Los Angeles–based British hitman who works for a crime syndicate led by Don “Carlito” Carlos. Chelios is contracted by Carlito to kill mafia boss Don Kim as members of the Triads have been encroaching on Carlito’s business. Chelios goes to Don Kim and apparently murders him. In the confusion, ambitious small-time criminal Ricky Verona uses the opportunity to conspire with Carlito against Chelios: Verona will kill Chelios so the Triads do not retaliate, and then take Chelios’s place as Carlito’s new hired gun.

While Chelios sleeps in his apartment, Verona and brother Alex, along with several henchmen break in and inject Chelios with a Chinese synthetic drug which inhibits the flow of adrenaline, slowing the heart and eventually killing the victim. Chelios wakes to find a recording left by Verona showing what he has done. Furious, Chelios smashes his TV and heads out. Chelios calls mafia surgeon Doc Miles, who informs Chelios that to survive he must keep his adrenaline pumping through constant excitement and danger and is unsure if the antidote exists. Chelios keeps up his adrenaline through risky and dangerous acts, which include picking fights with other gangsters and police, reckless driving and motorcycling, taking illegal drugs and synthetic epinephrine and having public sex with his girlfriend Eve.