Billy Bob Thornton and Cynda Williams got married after filming was completed. They were divorced before the film was released two years later.
When the film was completed, the original plan was to release it straight to video. Stronger than expected word of mouth convinced I.R.S. to send it to theaters. The late critic Gene Siskel voted this film as his favorite of 1992. However, the film still failed at the box office, not even making back its negative cost, let alone duplication, distribution, and advertising expenses.
An image of a man shooting a cop was removed from the film's UK poster in the wake of a backlash against screen violence. The film itself was uncut by the British Board of Film Classification.
The script was originally titled "Hurricane".
Included among the American Film Institute's 2001 list of 400 movies nominated for the top 100 Most Heart-Pounding American Movies.