Rage

Dr. Reuben lives alone with his dog in a small Mexican town, running a clinic as he drinks to drown his guilt. He is an alcoholic who blames himself for the death of his wife and baby during childbirth. He refuses to treat Maria, the pregnant woman who will likely need a Caesarean section.

An incident involving Pancho's cat leads to a chain of bites: the cat bites Reuben's dog, and the dog bites Reuben himself. The attack plants the seeds for possible rabies that will haunt the rest of the story. This event marks the beginning of Reuben's looming medical crisis.

A supply truck brings a caravan of women into town as entertainment for the workers. Perla, one of the women, is attracted to Reuben, but he shows no interest and keeps his distance. The encounter hints at a fragile human connection that his guilt has shut down.

The next morning the women depart, but Reuben discovers Perla asleep on his examination table. It will be ten days before Perla can leave on the next supply truck, prolonging their uneasy proximity. Reuben's emotional walls remain intact, even as Perla's presence unsettles him.

Fortunato is brought to Reuben delirious, restrained with ropes and foaming at the mouth. Reuben concludes the man has rabies and cannot be cured. Fortunato dies that evening, underscoring the fatal nature of the disease.

Ten days later, Perla plans to leave again and makes one last effort to befriend Reuben. He rebuffs her, insisting the fault lies with his own guilt rather than her. The moment deepens his sense of isolation.

Pancho arrives in a horse-drawn cart with news that Maria is having contractions. Reuben follows in his Jeep to help, but on the way his dog rabidly attacks Pancho's horse. Reuben shoots the dog and realizes he himself must be infected.

Counting the days back from the bite, Reuben discovers he has only 48 hours to find treatment. Pancho grabs Reuben's gun and threatens to shoot him unless he attends to Maria first, forcing him to drive on.

Haunted by the memory of his wife's death, Reuben reverses course and successfully delivers Pancho and Maria's child. He now has only 36 hours left to reach a hospital for treatment. The urgency of his countdown drives the journey forward.

Pancho volunteers to escort Reuben to the hospital as workers phone ahead for an ambulance. They face a collapsing bridge, an overheated radiator, and dwindling gas along the way, threatening to derail the mission. They press on despite the hazards.

They stop at a roadside gas station and find more fuel; Perla joins them again despite Reuben's objections. Her arrival rekindles a fragile sense of hope but also complicates their already perilous plan.

With the Jeep out of gas, the three trek across a hot desert toward the highway. Night falls as they camp and Reuben struggles with light and sound sensitivity, a sign he may be developing rabies. Perla and Pancho try to keep faith with him.

On the highway, they hijack a school bus at gunpoint to reach Buenavista and reveal Reuben's dangerous condition. Perla tells him he may be cured, but she will not be cured of him, prompting him to seize the chance to live. The driver and children push forward, but the bus eventually stalls, forcing the trio to improvise their route to safety.

Arriving near Buenavista, the trio pushes the hijacked bus into the city and continues on foot toward the hospital. Reuben smiles, recognizing a possible future despite the countdown. The ending leaves a note of cautious optimism about choosing life over despair.