Blood and Wine

Blood and Wine

Year: 1996

Runtime: 101 mins

Language: English

Director: Bob Rafelson

CrimeThrillerCrime

Honor is absent among thieves. A disillusioned father and husband, desperate to fund his fledgling business, stages a risky heist. As the robbery unfolds, his wife's unexpected interference throws his plan into chaos, forcing him to confront the consequences of his choices.

Warning: spoilers below!

Haven’t seen Blood and Wine yet? This summary contains major spoilers. Bookmark the page, watch the movie, and come back for the full breakdown. If you're ready, scroll on and relive the story!

Blood and Wine (1996) – Full Plot Summary & Ending Explained

Read the complete plot breakdown of Blood and Wine (1996), including all key story events, major twists, and the ending explained in detail. Discover what really happened—and what it all means.

Alex Gates Michael Caine is a Miami wine merchant who has distanced himself from his wife Suzanne Judy Davis and from his stepson Jason Stephen Dorff. Suzanne is recovering from a broken ankle after a drunken tumble, while Alex grapples with mounting debts. In a bold bid to solve his money troubles, he hatches a plan to steal a valuable diamond necklace from the Reese family, the clients whose wine cellar he services, where his Cuban mistress Gabriela Jennifer Lopez works. He quietly tests the waters by casing the house during a wine delivery, with Jason along for the ride, unaware that Jason is becoming drawn to Gabriela despite the murky ties between them. The tension between loyalties and desires threads through every choice they make, turning a routine job into a dangerous game of trust and betrayal.

On the day of the heist, Alex and his partner Victor Michael Caine, a British safe-cracker who is dying of tuberculosis but feverishly hungry for one last score, arrive at the house under the ruse that the Reese cellar needs repairs. Gabriela was supposed to let them in, but she’s been fired the day before; yet Alex has cultivated a rapport with the security guard Marc Macaulay, who can be persuaded to grant access. Victor withdraws the guards on an errand while he works on the safe, and though a second guard grows suspicious, Victor completes the job without being discovered. The plan then shifts: they decide to pawn the necklace in New York City, and Alex invites Gabriela to accompany him on the trip, tempting her with money and a new future.

Back home, Suzanne stumbles upon airline tickets and instantly senses the affair. A fierce confrontation erupts, and Suzanne knocks Alex unconscious with her walking stick. In the scramble, she empties out his suitcase, where the necklace is hidden, and uses the gems to supplement her wardrobe. Suzanne and Jason flee to the Florida Keys, believing they can lay low while the heat dies down. In Key Largo, Jason has the necklace appraised and learns it is worth about $1 million. He also visits Gabriela back in Miami, handing her the contact information for their hiding place. The pursuit widens as Alex and Victor press Henry, hoping he can reveal the whereabouts of their pursuer, and Victor—constantly racing against tuberculosis—deals with Henry in a brutal assault that underscores how far he’ll go for the payoff.

The jewelers are alert to the missing treasure, and Jason’s appraiser’s report keeps the pressure on. In Key Largo, Victor pretends to flirt with Suzanne to lure Jason into a vulnerable moment, but Jason—a man who now knows too much about who’s chasing him—recognizes the attacker. A violent confrontation sends Jason and his mother fleeing in their car, and a devastating crash leaves Suzanne dead and Jason gravely shaken. He crawls back to Miami, discharges himself from the hospital, and returns to confront Alex—only to find Gabriela waiting in his bed. After a tense, charged exchange, Gabriela and Jason find a fragile truce, and Gabriela ultimately chooses to walk away from the crime, even as the affair casts a long shadow over both of them.

Alex, meanwhile, discovers that Jason and Gabriela are entangled in a web of lies and danger, and Victor confronts Jason with a volatile boldness that ends in tragedy. Victor attacks Alex at his home, but the exhausted thief collapses, and Alex, driven to a final act, smothers Victor with a pillow. Jason, empty of mercy and driven by anger, checks Victor’s pockets and finds a photograph of Alex holding the pilfered necklace—a piece of evidence that could crush them all. The next day, Gabriela shows Jason the necklace and reveals that she doesn’t want it, yet she keeps one diamond for herself before she finally leaves it with Alex. The police and an ambulance arrive on the scene, and Alex decides to dispose of the necklace by tossing it into the ocean, unaware that Jason has hidden the incriminating photo in a travel bag that the authorities will likely search.

In the end, Jason sails away alone on his boat, the setting sun painting the horizon as a quiet, ominous reminder of the price of greed. The film closes on the image of the open sea and a man who has learned that the biggest treasure may be the truth you can’t outrun, even as the photograph—the one piece of hard proof—rests in a bag that could still seal someone’s fate.

Last Updated: October 05, 2025 at 11:44

Mobile App Preview

Coming soon on iOS and Android

The Plot Explained Mobile App

From blockbusters to hidden gems — dive into movie stories anytime, anywhere. Save your favorites, discover plots faster, and never miss a twist again.

Sign up to be the first to know when we launch. Your email stays private — always.

Explore Movie Threads

Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Movies about desperate heists and moral collapse like Blood and Wine

Plans unravel under the weight of greed and betrayal, leading to tragic consequences.If you liked the tense, unraveling heist in Blood and Wine, explore more movies where greed and desperation lead to a moral collapse. These films feature high-stakes plans gone wrong, volatile partnerships, and bleak consequences for all involved.

desperatetensegrimanxiousparanoidcynical

Narrative Summary

The narrative follows a high-risk criminal endeavor, often planned by a desperate protagonist. The central conflict arises not just from the execution of the plan, but from the clash of personalities, betrayals, and unforeseen personal entanglements that cause everything to fall apart violently.

Why These Movies?

They are grouped by their central premise of a heist or crime that acts as a catalyst for a character's moral undoing. They share a dark, cynical tone, high tension, and a focus on the tragic, cause-and-effect chain reaction set off by a single bad decision.

Claustrophobic family crime dramas with intense tension like Blood and Wine

Where criminal acts force a dysfunctional family to confront its deepest fractures.For viewers who appreciated the domestic tension and crumbling family dynamics in Blood and Wine, this thread collects movies where crime acts as a catalyst for a family's implosion. These stories are heavy, character-driven, and focus on betrayal and tragic consequences within a household.

claustrophobicdysfunctional familygrimdesperateheavytense domestic

Narrative Summary

The story intertwines a criminal plot with a deep exploration of a dysfunctional family. The crime amplifies existing familial conflicts—like infidelity, resentment, or illness—creating a claustrophobic atmosphere where personal and criminal betrayals become indistinguishable, leading to an emotionally heavy and bleak conclusion.

Why These Movies?

They share a specific focus on the intersection of crime and family dysfunction. The similarity lies in the oppressive, domestic atmosphere, the high emotional weight of the consequences, and the portrayal of how greed and desperation can shatter familial bonds from the inside out.

Unlock the Full Story of Blood and Wine

Don't stop at just watching — explore Blood and Wine in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Blood and Wine is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Blood and Wine Timeline

Track the full timeline of Blood and Wine with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

Blood and Wine Timeline

Characters, Settings & Themes in Blood and Wine

Discover the characters, locations, and core themes that shape Blood and Wine. Get insights into symbolic elements, setting significance, and deeper narrative meaning — ideal for thematic analysis and movie breakdowns.

Characters, Settings & Themes in Blood and Wine

Blood and Wine Spoiler-Free Summary

Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of Blood and Wine that covers the main plot points and key details without revealing any major twists or spoilers. Perfect for those who want to know what to expect before diving in.

Blood and Wine Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Blood and Wine

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Blood and Wine: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

More About Blood and Wine

Similar Movies to Blood and Wine

Discover movies like Blood and Wine that share similar genres, themes, and storytelling elements. Whether you’re drawn to the atmosphere, character arcs, or plot structure, these curated recommendations will help you explore more films you’ll love.