Plot Summary

Eat the Rich (1987) Plot Summary Explained

Name: Eat the Rich
Genre: Crime, Action, Comedy
Released: 1987-10-23
Duration: 90 min

Release, runtime and language: 1987 · 90 mins · English; Loading streaming availability…
Starring: Robbie Coltrane, Miranda Richardson, Paul McCartney, Dawn French, Bill Wyman, Katrin Cartlidge

Alex, a disgruntled waiter at a pretentious upscale restaurant, hits hard times and faces the scorn of the elite. He and his allies launch a violent rampage against the upper class. Simultaneously, the scheming General Karprov and Spider try to enlist the hapless anarchists to sabotage the campaign of an aspiring prime minister.

Crime Action Comedy Cast, crew & box office

On this page (6)

1 Where to watch
2 What happens: full plot
3 Plot questions answered
4 Movie threads
5 Movies like Eat the Rich
6 Every angle

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Full plot summary · contains spoilers

What Happens in Eat the Rich: Full Plot Summary

The whole story of Eat the Rich (1987) explained, from the opening scene to the final frame: every key event, every twist and what it all adds up to. Read it as a quick recap before the sequel, to check a scene you missed, or to finally understand what really happened.

Alex works as a waiter at Bastards, a posh London restaurant where the guests treat staff with cold contempt. The daily snubs finally push him to the brink, and he’s fired for mouthing off to the clientele. A sudden, violent catalyst follows when he witnesses a terrorist act at an embassy; in a moment of desperation, he robs a benefits office and takes off with a new ally, starting a perilous flight from everything he knew.

The Home Secretary—a loud, beer-loving figure who corrals support from voters, the press, and Fiona—has his own brutal way of handling trouble, and it was he who helped bring the embassy crisis to a close. Standing in his shadows are enemies like Cmdr. Fortune, a schemer who envisions a “revolution with a difference,” and Gen. Karpov, alongside Spider, who plot to derail the Home Secretary’s bid to become prime minister.

Alex makes a striking return to Bastards, this time with a four-person team of anarchists, and he unleashes a ruthless assault on both the clientele and the staff. The restaurant is transformed into a brutal satire of wealth—rebranded as Eat the Rich—where those very rich patrons become the fodder for a grim new experiment. The revelers who once dined in luxury now face a harsh reckoning, served up as a conspicuous statement about class and excess.

As Fortune and Spider awaken to the macabre menu on display, they hatch a plan to remove the conservative Home Secretary for good, adding a high-stakes political edge to the satirical clash between appetite and power. The film moves with a steady, dark wit, weaving social critique with sharp humor and a chilling sense of consequence, inviting audiences to question who gets to feast and who gets devoured in a society that prides itself on elegance and control.

Last updated: February 18, 2026 at 23:43

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Plot questions answered

Eat the Rich Plot Explained: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask most about Eat the Rich (1987): what happens in the confusing scenes, why the characters do what they do, the twists, hidden details and what the ending means. Each answer contains spoilers.

Why does Alex return to the restaurant with anarchists?

After being fired and experiencing the daily humiliation from wealthy patrons, Alex returns with a group of anarchists to exact revenge. The cumulative abuse and loss of his job have pushed him to violent action. He transforms Bastards into 'Eat the Rich' as a brutal statement against the upper class that discarded him.

Foreshadowing: The opening scenes establish Alex's growing resentment through repeated instances of contemptuous treatment by restaurant guests.

alex
bastards restaurant
anarchists
revenge
class revenge

What does 'Eat the Rich' actually mean in the movie?

The title refers to the literal transformation of the upscale restaurant into a venue where the wealthy patrons become food. The anarchists serve the wealthy guests in a macabre fashion, turning the class satire into dark cannibalism. This extreme act symbolizes the ultimate reversal of power between the elite and the oppressed.

eat the rich
cannibalism
restaurant
satire
class reversal

Why does Alex rob a benefits office after witnessing the embassy attack?

Alex is pushed to desperation after seeing the terrorist attack at the embassy. With his job lost and the city in chaos, he seizes the moment to rob a benefits office. This act represents his complete break from his previous life and signals his willingness to take extreme, criminal measures to survive.

Foreshadowing: His firing from Bastards already set him on a desperate path.

alex
benefits office
robbery
desperation
embassy attack

How do the political conspirators connect to Alex's restaurant takeover?

Commander Fortune and General Karprov are plotting to remove the Home Secretary from power. When they discover what's happening at the restaurant, they see an opportunity to destabilize the government further. Their political scheme runs parallel to Alex's violent rebellion, adding a layer of manipulation where the anarchists become unwitting tools in a larger power struggle.

Foreshadowing: The timeline shows Fortune and Spider hatching their plot only after learning about the restaurant events.

fortune
karprov
spyder
home secretary
conspiracy
political plot

Why is the Home Secretary important to the story?

The Home Secretary is the conservative figure poised to become prime minister. He ended the embassy terrorist crisis, making him popular with voters. His political opponents, Fortune, Karprov, and Spider, want to sabotage his campaign. The restaurant rebellion becomes a tool they attempt to use against him, linking Alex's personal vendetta to a larger political battle.

Foreshadowing: The Home Secretary is introduced as someone who 'helped bring the embassy crisis to a close' and has enemies plotting against him.

home secretary
prime minister
election
political campaign
Fiona Richmond

Why does Commander Fortune want to remove the Home Secretary?

Fortune envisions what he calls 'a revolution with a difference', a way to reshape power without true mass upheaval. The Home Secretary stands in his way as the leading candidate for prime minister. By exploiting the chaos at the restaurant and potentially linking it to the government, Fortune hopes to destroy the Home Secretary's political future and advance his own schemes.

commander fortune
revolution
home secretary
political scheme

What happens to the wealthy patrons during the takeover?

The wealthy diners who once looked down on Alex become victims of the anarchists' violent retribution. The restaurant is transformed into a gruesome scene where the patrons are served as the 'menu', a literal manifestation of the title 'Eat the Rich.' This extreme violence serves as the film's dark satirical punchline about class warfare.

Foreshadowing: The transformation of Bastards into Eat the Rich marks the turning point where the revenge becomes literal.

wealthy patrons
violence
restaurant takeover
revenge
class violence

Why does the film end with an ambiguous conclusion?

The open-ended finish reflects the film's chaotic, anti-establishment message. By not resolving whether the revolution succeeds or fails, the film leaves the outcome of class warfare deliberately uncertain. This ambiguity underscores the unpredictability of violent uprising and refuses to offer false closure on themes of social upheaval.

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Movie threads

More Movies Like Eat the Rich, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes Eat the Rich tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Anarchic Class Warfare Satire Movies like Eat the Rich

Violent and chaotic uprisings where the oppressed turn the tables on the elite. If you liked the darkly comic class warfare in Eat the Rich, explore these movies featuring violent uprisings, biting social satire, and chaotic battles between the oppressed and the elite.

anarchic
satirical
violent
class struggle
revolution
dark comedy
Tone: dark, satirical, violent
Pacing: fast, chaotic

Why these movies?

The story pattern: These narratives follow disenfranchised characters who reach a breaking point, leading them to orchestrate increasingly chaotic and violent acts against a corrupt and oppressive upper class. The plots often escalate into full-blown rebellion, challenging the status quo with brutal and satirical force.

Why they belong together: They share a core theme of class struggle executed through a lens of dark humor and violent action, creating a cathartic and chaotic viewing experience centered on societal upheaval.

Eat the Rich

1987

Class Warfare

2001

Mr. Freedom

1968

Wild in the Streets

1968

Troma’s War

1988

The Sporting Club

1971

Assassination

1965

Darktown Strutters

1975

Satirical Political Thrillers Similar to Eat the Rich

Chaotic plots where political sabotage collides with darkly comic social commentary. Fans of the political intrigue and dark satire in Eat the Rich will enjoy these movies where chaotic schemes, sabotage, and biting commentary on power create a uniquely tense and humorous experience.

political satire
conspiracy
sabotage
dark comedy
tense
anarchic
Tone: dark, satirical, tense
Pacing: fast, intricate

Why these movies?

The story pattern: Stories intertwine personal vendettas or social discontent with larger political machinations. Characters often become pawns or catalysts in schemes that expose the absurdity and corruption of powerful institutions, leading to chaotic and ambiguous outcomes.

Why they belong together: They combine the fast-paced, high-stakes tension of a thriller with the irreverent, critical perspective of satire, resulting in a complex and engaging critique of power structures.

War, Inc.

2008

Eat the Rich

1987

Hi, Mom!

1970

Wild in the Streets

1968

Havoc

2025

L.A. Slasher

2015

Lucky Day

2019

Plunkett & Macleane

1999

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Rotten to the Core

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The Insolent

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The Right of the Weakest

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Scorched

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Ruthless People

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RocknRolla

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Every angle

Eat the Rich (1987) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

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