Intent to Kill

Intent to Kill

Year: 1992

Runtime: 99 mins

Language: English

AdventureActionThriller

When courage overcomes fear, a survivor emerges. A determined young policewoman is assigned to dismantle a ruthless drug kingpin who is forging his own agenda to expand his distribution empire, pulling her into a perilous cat‑and‑mouse pursuit that tests her resolve and the limits of justice.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Intent to Kill (1992) – Full Plot Summary & Ending Explained

Read the complete plot breakdown of Intent to Kill (1992), including all key story events, major twists, and the ending explained in detail. Discover what really happened—and what it all means.

Undercover and on the edge of danger, Vickie Stewart, a capable police detective, goes deep undercover as a prostitute to dismantle a ruthless drug operation run by the Colombian Cowboys. She is paired with her police sidekick and boyfriend, Al, as they trace shipments and press the case, chasing a stash valued at about $50 million. The operation deteriorates fast when the gang opens fire and vehicles erupt in flames, sending alarms through the city. Salvador, a brutal drug dealer who is part of the crew, manages to slip away and pleads with his boss, the Mooch, for a week to recover the lost drugs. The tension between loyalty, risk, and the violent truth of the streets sets the tone for what follows as Sal regroups and the investigation tightens its grip.

The next morning at the Los Angeles Police Station, a setback hits hard: Captain Captain Jackson pulls Vickie off the case after a key witness, Maria, a Hispanic prostitute, says she was raped by several men. The department’s skepticism delays the charges, leaving Maria frustrated and seeking a path to justice. Undeterred, Vickie tracks down the alleged rapists, visits their home, and confronts them with a fierce resolve, ultimately beating the suspects and arresting the last one. The case complicates matters as Sal plots a new way to reclaim the lost drugs, while Vickie learns that not all police statements align with the truth she’s uncovering.

Sal partners with a Black gang to obtain a replacement shipment, but his plan is imperfect and he doubles back on them in his bid to stay ahead. Meanwhile, Vickie befriends Roberto Melendez, a convict whose brother was killed in the gunfights, and through him uncovers the murky world of corrupt detectives who had previously questioned him. This thread of distrust fuels her determination to connect the dots and push forward with the evidence she can gather, even as the city grows more dangerous.

As the plot deepens, Vickie goes undercover again, this time to offload a new shipment by targeting a drug factory headed by a figure known as Philiy the Pig Jacobs. She delivers a hard-edged beat-down and makes an arrest, but the victory is tempered by the captain’s chastisement over the lack of concrete evidence and the weight of continuing danger. That evening, Vickie returns home to a personal blow: Al’s betrayal—he is cheating on her with a brunette he met at a bar. In a vengeful act, she takes Al’s car from the garage and sets it on fire, channeling her fury into a moment of solitary reckoning amid mounting chaos.

Sal and his gang persist in eliminating rivals to secure the replacement drugs, and the pressure mounts as Mooch grows impatient with the partial recovery. In a parallel turn, Vickie connects with Maria and her father Nick Gonzalez, eventually agreeing to room with Maria and offering protection. She also teaches a self-defense class at the gym, where she is courted by fellow officer Tom, a moment of warmth amid ongoing peril. The tension peaks when three men arrive to collect protection money from Maria and Nick; Vickie intervenes, shooting two attackers and arresting the third, reinforcing her resolve to see justice through.

The pursuit resumes as Vickie and her fellow officers tighten their surveillance around Sal, his girlfriend Mia, and the hotel they frequently visit. Sal’s plan to reclaim the lost drugs escalates into a full-blown assault on the police station, a brutal night of gunfire in which many officers fall. The chaos spills into Sal’s world as he pursues Mia, who is abducted and later shot in the back to prevent discovery. The ensuing firefight draws in more officers, and Sal’s escape plan takes a dangerous turn when he commandeers a police car and vanishes into the neon-lit night.

In the climax, a high-stakes pursuit spills onto the streets, ending in a dramatic crash where Sal and Vickie collide with a semi-trailer and are forced to exit their wrecked vehicles. The final, pulse-pounding showdown unfolds in the street: Vickie, driven by a blend of duty and resolve, shoots Sal dead, bringing an end to his reign of violence and tying together the threads of betrayal, bravery, and heartbreak that defined the case. The streets slowly quiet, but the memory of the week’s violence lingers as Vickie processes the personal and professional costs of chasing a truth that was always more precarious than it appeared.

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 11:28

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