High Risk

High Risk

Year: 1981

Runtime: 94 mins

Language: English

Director: Stewart Raffill

ActionAdventureThriller

Getting in was easy… getting out was war!!! Four American friends, badly needing money, decide to make a commando-like raid into a South American drug lord’s compound.

Warning: spoilers below!

Haven’t seen High Risk 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!

Timeline – High Risk (1981)

Trace every key event in High Risk (1981) with our detailed, chronological timeline. Perfect for unpacking nonlinear stories, spotting hidden connections, and understanding how each scene builds toward the film’s climax. Whether you're revisiting or decoding for the first time, this timeline gives you the full picture.

1

Fishing trip cover and weapons supply

Four friends—Stone, Tony, Dan, and Rockney—gather for a weekend fishing trip that doubles as cover for a planned robbery in Colombia. They meet Clint, who supplies them with weapons and sets up target practice to prepare them. With the exception of Stone, the group shows little relevant training and treats the heist as a lark.

fishing trip location
2

Reconnaissance and moral debate at Serrano's villa

From a hidden vantage, the quartet watches Serrano, his staff, and visitors at the jungle villa. They debate whether they would have the courage to kill someone and what to do with their cash if they pull it off. The planning session reveals the moral ambiguity and risk inherent in the mission.

Serrano's villa
3

Infiltration and capture; five million looted

The team infiltrates the villa, captures Serrano and his lover, and forces Serrano to reveal the safe's combination. They escape with five million dollars in cash, marking a grim turn in their plan.

Serrano's villa
4

Jungle escape and celebratory camp

They travel on foot through the jungle and later acquire horses to continue their escape. Believing their heist a success, they camp for the night and celebrate, unaware that a rebel tracker is watching them from the trees.

jungle
5

Pursuit by Serrano's forces; Tony and Rockney captured

The next day, Serrano's men and local troops close in with all-terrain vehicles and horses. The group flees, but Tony and Rockney are captured while Stone and Dan manage to leap across a very high rope bridge to safety.

next day jungle outskirts
6

Torture and prison confinement

Serrano tortures Rockney to force Tony to reveal where the money is hidden. Tony finally capitulates and reveals the location, and the pair are taken to a prison to await the consequences of their actions.

Serrano's compound/prison
7

Escape from prison with Olivia's help

In the neighboring prison cell, Olivia, a fellow prisoner who claims she was falsely arrested, becomes involved. Tony bribes a child to pull out the barred window with a tow truck; the boy demands their clothes as payment, so Tony and Rockney dash through town nearly naked. They lose their pursuers in a bordello and, after disguising themselves in women's clothes, join Olivia at the bus station to head toward the rendezvous.

prison and nearby town
8

Dan and Stone's capture and escape from Mariano

Meanwhile, Dan and Stone are captured by General Mariano, who wants the missing money. They escape, pursue Mariano's rebels to reclaim the cash, and must kill several rebels along the way to secure their prize.

Mariano's rebel camp area
9

Wounded at the rendezvous

The rebels pursue Dan and Stone to the rendezvous point. Dan is wounded by Mariano’s tracker, and Tony is shot while trying to protect Stone, complicating their escape plan.

rendezvous point
10

Final gun battle and airlift

Serrano’s mercenaries reach the airstrip first, triggering a three-way gun battle with the rebels. The retrieval plane arrives and provides covering fire, allowing the team to board and escape as gunfire rages around them.

airstrip
11

Plane takes off, engine stalls

The plane lands, the team boards in a rush, and they celebrate their hard-won escape with the money. As they lift off, the engine stalls, leaving their fate—and the film's ending—in suspense.

airstrip

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 14:51

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Amateur plans collide with brutal reality, sparking a frantic fight for survival.If you enjoyed the high-stakes chaos of High Risk, you'll find similar tension in these movies about bungled heists and desperate escapes. This list features films where amateur plans go awry, forcing characters into a desperate fight for survival against overwhelming odds.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative follows a straightforward but effective arc: a plan is hatched out of desperation, the initial infiltration seems successful, but a critical error or unforeseen obstacle plunges the characters into a relentless chase. The focus shifts from acquisition to pure survival.

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Movies in this thread share a core structure of ambition meeting harsh reality. They are united by a tense, gritty tone, fast-paced action, and the emotional undercurrent of desperation as characters are forced to improvise their way out of a situation rapidly spiraling beyond their control.

Hostile territory survival thrillers like High Risk

Outgunned and outnumbered protagonists must endure a relentless manhunt in a dangerous land.Fans of High Risk looking for similar tense survival stories will enjoy these movies about characters being hunted in dangerous settings. These films capture the feeling of being outmatched and on the run, featuring gritty action and a persistent threat from a powerful enemy.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative is a linear fight for survival. After a triggering event, the protagonists are pursued through a hostile setting—jungle, desert, urban sprawl—by a relentless enemy. The story is propelled by a series of narrow escapes, confrontations, and the gradual erosion of the characters' resources and morale.

Why These Movies?

These films are connected by their core premise of survival against overwhelming odds. They share a high-intensity, fast-paced feel, a consistently tense and anxious mood, and a focus on the physical and tactical challenges of evading a determined hunter in an unfamiliar and dangerous world.

Unlock the Full Story of High Risk

Don't stop at just watching — explore High Risk 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 High Risk is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

High Risk Summary

Read a complete plot summary of High Risk, 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.

High Risk Summary

Characters, Settings & Themes in High Risk

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Characters, Settings & Themes in High Risk

High Risk Spoiler-Free Summary

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High Risk Spoiler-Free Summary

More About High Risk

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