Year: 2004
Runtime: 120 min
Language: English
Director: Michael Mann
Budget: $65M
A weary cab driver named Max finds his life turned upside down when Vincent, a meticulous and dangerous hitman, hires him for a seemingly simple ride. What begins as a routine evening quickly spirals into a terrifying ordeal as Max is forced to chauffeur Vincent through the city, witnessing and becoming entangled in a series of calculated murders. As the night progresses, Max must confront his own sense of morality while desperately trying to stay alive and uncover the reason behind Vincent's deadly mission.
Warning: spoilers below!
Haven’t seen Collateral 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!
Explore the full timeline and setting of Collateral (2004). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.
Last Updated: October 22, 2024 at 19:22
Meet the key characters of Collateral (2004), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.
Last Updated: October 22, 2024 at 19:22
Explore the central themes of Collateral (2004), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.
Last Updated: October 22, 2024 at 19:22
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.
High-stakes stories that unfold in a single, relentless night across a vivid cityscape.If you liked the high-pressure, single-night structure of Collateral, you'll find similar tension in these movies. This thread gathers films where the plot unfolds in a compressed timeline across an urban landscape, creating a fast-paced, claustrophobic experience. Discover other movies like Collateral that use the night as a catalyst for suspense and moral confrontation.
Narratives in this thread are defined by a tight, real-time structure, often confined to a single evening or night. The urban setting, usually illuminated by artificial neon lights, provides a backdrop for a chase, a crime, or a series of fateful encounters. The journey through the city mirrors an internal journey for the protagonist, culminating in a dramatic transformation or confrontation by sunrise.
Movies are grouped here based on their shared use of a compressed, nocturnal timeline and a stylized urban setting. They create a specific vibe of immediacy and inescapable momentum, where the darkness and isolation of the city amplify the tension and danger faced by the characters.
An ordinary person is coerced into aiding a dangerous professional on a deadly mission.Fans of the gripping dynamic between Max and Vincent in Collateral will enjoy these films. This thread features stories where a regular person is taken hostage and forced to assist a criminal or assassin, creating a tense, character-driven thriller. Find similar movies to Collateral that explore the psychological battle of a deadly forced partnership.
The narrative pattern centers on a Faustian bargain or outright coercion, where a protagonist's ordinary life is violently interrupted. They are thrust into a high-stakes situation controlled by a formidable antagonist. The story arc involves the civilian's psychological evolution from helpless victim to active resistor, often turning the tables through ingenuity or a newfound courage, while confronting stark moral dilemmas.
These films are grouped by their core premise of a coercive partnership, which creates a specific, claustrophobic form of tension. The similarity lies in the character dynamic—the contrast between the professional's detached efficiency and the civilian's escalating fear and defiance—and the high-stakes, life-or-death scenario that unfolds in real time.
Don't stop at just watching — explore Collateral 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 Collateral is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.
Read a complete plot summary of Collateral, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.
Track the full timeline of Collateral with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.
Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of Collateral 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.
Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Collateral: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.
Discover movies like Collateral 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.
Collateral (2004) Plot Summary & Movie Recap
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