In 1954 Macon County, Georgia, a pair of brothers from Chicago set out on a two-week spree of cheap thrills across the Deep South before their imminent Air Force obligations. Chris Dixon [Alan Vint] and Wayne Dixon [Jesse Vint] drift from town to town, chasing a sense of danger and escape, while their fellow traveler, Jenny Scott [Cheryl Waters], a pretty blond with a murky past she’d rather keep hidden, tags along for the ride.
As they roll through Louisiana, their route intersects with a local problem: Sheriff Reed Morgan [Max Baer Jr.] is preparing to bring his son Luke Morgan [Leif Garrett] home from military school as hunting season looms. He buys Luke a new shotgun, a quiet reminder of the rougher edge of life in the countryside. When car trouble forces a pause in their journey, the trio finds temporary shelter in the town where Morgan rules with a wary eye. Hamp [Geoffrey Lewis], the garage owner, steps in to patch the car, offering just enough help to keep the trouble at bay, while the uneasy feeling of being watched lingers.
Morgan’s warnings about lingering in town grow sharper, and the group ends up pushing their luck by lingering too long. After a failed repair attempt, they retreat to Morgan’s barn for shelter, a decision that will set off a chain of brutal events. In the house, Morgan’s wife is violently raped and murdered by two men who, in a separate confrontation, also kill a cop when they’re stopped. When Morgan returns to his home and discovers the tragedy, his thirst for vengeance is fierce and unrelenting. He pursues Chris, Wayne, and Jenny across the rural roads, convinced that they must be responsible, and a tense, running firefight erupts as the trio tries to outrun the escalating danger.
Wayne and Jenny end up holed up in a boat, hoping to ride out the hunter’s pursuit. Chris slips away to try to start the boat’s motor, but a gunshot shatters the moment of relief. Believing Chris may be dead, Wayne and Jenny brace for the worst. Then Luke Morgan enters the boat’s cabin and shoots Wayne and Jenny, a shocking turn that reveals the personal cost of the chase. It’s later clarified that Morgan himself was killed during the firefight, throwing the balance of the pursuit into chaos.
Wounded but alive, Chris returns to the boat to find his friends dead and Luke held by a policeman. The town’s grip finally loosens as the investigation closes in, and the dying confrontations give way to a somber aftermath. The last scene follows Chris in his repaired car, leaving behind the scene as locals and law enforcement watch him go, a quiet epilogue hinting at what life holds after the violence. The closure comes through an implied future: Chris rises to become a master sergeant in the Air Force, married with three children, while Luke spends the remainder of his life in a mental hospital, a stark counterpoint to the life he might have had.
- Alan Vint brings a measured tension to Chris Dixon, a man trying to balance recklessness with responsibility.
- Jesse Vint embodies Wayne Dixon’s impulsive zeal and loyalty, even as danger closes in.
- Cheryl Waters portrays Jenny Scott with a blend of vulnerability and grit, a catalyst in the unfolding drama.
- Geoffrey Lewis gives Hamp a practical, steady presence that becomes crucial when the car needs a fix.
- Max Baer Jr. anchors the tragic arc of Sheriff Reed Morgan, a man driven by fear, loss, and vengeance.
- Leif Garrett captures Luke Morgan’s youth and the shadows that taint his path.
