When a secret marriage is planned between Othello, a Moorish general, and Desdemona , the daughter of Senator Brabantio, her old suitor Roderigo takes it hard. He allies himself with Iago , who has his own grudge against Othello, and the two conspire to bring Othello down. When their first plan, to have him accused of witchcraft, fails, they plant evidence intended to make him believe Desdemona is unfaithful.

A modern retelling of Shakespeare’s Othello set within the music scene of East London. Oz and Ivan are lifelong friends and music producers. When Oz gets offered a lucrative recording contract, he makes the decision to separate from Ivan professionally. This rejection turns to rage, as Ivan plots to undermine Oz’s success and get him kicked off the label. The plan kickstarts an escalation of jealousy and paranoia in Oz. With deadly consequences.

Hot young stars, a hip, driving soundtrack, plus a provocative tale of jealousy and betrayal combine to create this controversial modern-day version of Shakespeare’s classic, “Othello.” O is Odin James (Mekhi Phifer), the school’s star basketball player and future NBA hopeful. Even though he’s the only black student at the elite Palmetto Grove Academy, he has the adoration of all, including the team’s coach (Martin Sheen) and the Dean’s beautiful daughter, Desi (Julia Stiles). Odin’s troubled friend Hugo (Josh Hartnett), the coach’s son, is deeply resentful of his father’s preference of Odin on and off the court. When Hugo plots a diabolical scheme to sow the seed of mistrust between O and Desi, it sets in motion a disturbing chain of events which erupts into a firestorm of breathtaking intensity.