A monstrous, albino mob enforcer turns against his family and his associates when he falls in love with the daughter of a rival Yakuza faction. After her father discovers the affair, both organized crime syndicates turn on the two lovers who must now navigate present-day Detroit to make it out alive.

SYNOPSIS:

Detroit. Hub of the old French Connection drug corridor from Quebec all the way to Louisiana. This “heroin highway” is now controlled by the Gabriels, a ruthless criminal organization headed by Lillian, or “Mother” as she’s called. Isaac, Lillian’s youngest son, own’s a popular club in the city and is the public face of the organization. He is her “Narcissus”.

Her oldest son, Alex, was born with Chédiak–Higashi syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that, among many ailments, has made him without pigment in his skin. To overcome a sickly childhood, Alex has built himself into a massive, dangerous individual. On the street, he’s known as a monster. To his mother, he has another name: “Grendel”.

The Hiroto Clan, a member of the Yakuza in Japan, have arrived in Detroit in exile. Katashi, the head of the family, defied the other clans and lost his wife and son in an assassination attempt. Though surrounded by loyalists and advisers, he only has one family member left: Ren, his daughter. But she has not come to Detroit for her safety. The Hirotos and Gabriels are forming a criminal alliance. Katashi and Lillian plan to solidify their bond with blood. Isaac and Ren will marry.

But something happens that no one intends. Alex and Ren grow close. He rescues her from a kidnapping attempt. One night, after a fight with her father and a violent outburst, Ren runs away. Alex finds her and tries to convince her to come home. She refuses by kissing him. After a night of passion, Ren and Alex make plans to run away.

Isaac betrays his brother and future wife to Lillian and Katashi. The two parents then plan a brutal punishment. Ren is taken by her father, tortured, and planned to be sent back to Japan. Alex is betrayed by his mother and caught in an ambush. But it doesn’t kill him. Now, Alex needs to be a hero for the one person who sees him as one. To do it, he’ll have to be the monster everyone else fears he is.

GRENDEL