North by Northwest

Roger O. Thornhill, an advertising executive, is mistaken for a man named George Kaplan. He is kidnapped by two men, Valerian and Licht, who take him to a remote location for interrogation.

At the house of Lester Townsend, Thornhill faces interrogation by Phillip Vandamm, who is posing as Townsend. Despite Thornhill's denials, Vandamm remains convinced he has the right man and decides to eliminate him.

Thornhill is forced to drink bourbon, which is part of Vandamm's plan to stage a fatal accident. However, he manages to wrest control of the car, pushes one of the thugs out, and drives off, only to get arrested for drunk driving shortly thereafter.

After his arrest, Thornhill explains his situation to the police and the judge, but no one believes him. Even his mother is skeptical, especially after a woman claims he was just drunk at a dinner party.

Thornhill, hoping to find clues about Kaplan, visits Kaplan's hotel room with his mother. He answers a phone call for Kaplan, narrowly escaping another attempt at abduction by Vandamm’s henchman.

Thornhill travels to the United Nations to confront Townsend during a speech. He is shocked to discover that the actual Townsend is not the man who interrogated him, and before they can talk, Townsend is murdered.

Knowing Kaplan is in Chicago, Thornhill boards the 20th Century Limited train. He meets Eve Kendall, who hides him from the police, though it is revealed later that she is in league with Vandamm.

Thornhill travels to an isolated crossroads where he is attacked by a crop-dusting plane. After a terrifying near-miss, the plane crashes into a gasoline truck, causing an explosion.

Desperate for answers, Thornhill goes to an art auction where he sees Vandamm and Eve. He realizes that Vandamm has sinister intentions and causes a commotion to escape capture.

In a twist, Thornhill meets a spymaster known as the Professor who reveals that George Kaplan is a fictional character created to distract from the real agent, Eve. Thornhill agrees to help protect Eve from Vandamm.

Thornhill, under the guise of Kaplan, meets Vandamm and Eve at Mount Rushmore. In a tense confrontation, Thornhill tries to trade himself for Eve but is shot and taken away in an ambulance.

After being shot with blanks, Thornhill escapes the ambulance and manages to infiltrate Vandamm's hideout. He discovers that a statue holds crucial information about Vandamm’s espionage activities.

In a final chase on Mount Rushmore, Thornhill and Eve must evade Vandamm's henchmen. A struggle ensues, leading to the deaths of Leonard and Valerian, and Vandamm's eventual capture.

The film concludes with Thornhill and Eve escaping their harrowing experiences. The final shot captures them on a train, foreshadowing their new life together as husband and wife.