Year: 1998
Runtime: 86 mins
Language: English
Director: Ian Barry
The forecast predicts clear skies and blistering heat, with temperatures climbing into the upper‑2000 °F range. As a massive fireball barrels toward the planet, officials have only a few hours to mount a response before the resulting heat surge pushes conditions beyond what humans can survive. Governments scramble to evacuate vulnerable populations and deploy emergency cooling measures.
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Read the complete plot breakdown of Inferno (1998), including all key story events, major twists, and the ending explained in detail. Discover what really happened—and what it all means.
Eddie Lomax Jonathan LaPaglia rides an old Indian motorcycle across a desolate salt flat, a quiet dawn shattered when the bike breaks down and his nights of heavy drinking blur into a dangerous haze. He wakes with fragile memories of war and a looming sense of dread, convinced he is haunted by the atrocities he and his comrades committed. In a moment that feels like a shaky hold on sanity, he considers ending it all—and even hands over his bike to an old Army friend in the process. But the moment spirals out of control as Eddie begins firing at random, and a shot tears into a passing truck, setting off a chain of violence that will redefine the town’s fate.
Three Hogan brothers close in, harassing him and forcing a brutal confrontation that ends with Eddie being beaten and shot. The youngest, Petey, is the one who executes the final brutality and the bike is taken. Before the dust can settle, Johnny reappears, carrying Eddie back to his home where a doctor-like recovery begins and Eddie’s body and mind slowly start to mend. With his strength returning, Eddie makes a brutal vow to reclaim his life and his motorcycle, setting off through town on a path of vengeance.
The quest leads him to a local store where his gun has been sold, and when Eddie fights his way inside he kills the two men who attacked him and frees their prisoner, Eli Hamilton, a man who supplies Eddie with more weapons and ammunition. The recovery sequence isn’t just physical; it rekindles old connections, and at a sunlit diner Eddie meets Rhonda Reynolds, a friend of Johnny’s, who becomes part of his uneasy circle. He learns the identities of his attackers and enlists Jubal Early, a diner regular, to quietly tidy up the bodies left behind by Eli and his new ally. The plot thickens as Eddie discovers the Hogan brothers work with a local gang known as the Heathens, and he heads for the Bomb Bay Café to confront them.
What follows is a tense escalation: Eddie kills more men, rescues two women, and asserts that the Hogans hired him. The night is charged with danger as two women at a hotel vow to “thank” him, a moment that underscores the town’s blurred lines between mercy and manipulation. A crowd-bound meeting that night sees the Heathens and Hogans escalate into a full-on ambush, their feud spilling into a brutal and explosive street battle in which Eddie’s presence helps tilt the scale in unexpected ways. In another moment of selfless grit, Johnny returns to draw attention away from Eddie, allowing him to escape a second time.
Rhonda and Eddie face fresh heartbreak when Johnny’s injuries prove life-threatening, but the resolve to avenge him keeps them moving. Back in town, an uneasy alliance forms as the Heathens and Hogans align to kill Eddie, but he and his allies set a careful trap in his hotel room. Eddie systematically wipes out most of the gang, leaving only Matt Hogan to stand in a final, brutal duel. The town’s vigilante voice emerges as a chorus of residents shoot Matt, sparking a debate over who truly ended him.
In the aftermath, a fragile peace settles over the town. Eddie feeds the press a rumor about UFOs being responsible for a string of disappearances—an odd, hopeful note that attracts tourists and commerce. With Rhonda by his side and a vision of Johnny walking beside him, Eddie rides toward a future that feels earned, if imperfect, marking a strange but hopeful close to a dark and violent chapter.
Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 11:07
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.
Fast-paced stories of brutal, single-minded quests for violent payback.If you enjoyed the brutal, fast-paced vengeance quest in Inferno, you'll find more movies like it here. This thread groups similar action thrillers and vigilante stories where a hero takes justice into their own hands through a series of violent confrontations.
The narrative follows a linear and straightforward path: a grievous wrong is committed, propelling the protagonist into a focused, violent mission against clear antagonists. The plot moves swiftly from one confrontation to the next, driven by a singular goal with little room for subplots or complex twists.
Movies in this thread share a core narrative of revenge, executed with high intensity and fast pacing. They are united by their focus on visceral action, a morally ambiguous but determined protagonist, and a sense of grim, relentless momentum.
Grim journeys where trauma leads to a costly and imperfect redemption.For viewers who appreciated the heavy emotional weight and bittersweet redemption arc in Inferno, this thread collects similar films. These stories focus on traumatized protagonists finding a hard-worn, imperfect peace after a journey through violence and moral ambiguity.
The narrative arc begins with a character broken by past trauma, who navigates a dark and oppressive world. Their path to a form of redemption is paved with violence and difficult choices, culminating in an ending that provides a fragile sense of peace or connection, but is irrevocably shadowed by the costs and consequences of their actions.
These movies are grouped by their shared focus on a heavy emotional journey centered on trauma and a morally complex path to redemption. They deliver a similarly bittersweet ending feel, where peace is achieved but remains shadowed by loss, creating a powerfully resonant and somber mood.
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Track the full timeline of Inferno with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.
Discover the characters, locations, and core themes that shape Inferno. Get insights into symbolic elements, setting significance, and deeper narrative meaning — ideal for thematic analysis and movie breakdowns.
Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of Inferno 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 Inferno: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.