Stand Up Guys

One fateful morning, Val emerges from prison and is picked up by his longtime friend, Doc, who takes him to his apartment. As Val is distracted, Doc considers ending his life with a gun but hesitates after Val expresses a desire for some excitement. To kick off their reunion, Doc takes Val to a local brothel and arranges for Val to spend time with a woman. However, Val soon returns, admitting he can’t go through with it. Seeking a solution, they break into a pharmacy where Val can get “boner pills,” and Doc grabs some prescription medications for himself.

Once Val is prepared, they head back to the brothel where he engages with the same prostitute again. In a tense moment, Doc contacts a mob boss who informs him that he must eliminate Val by 10 a.m. the following morning. Val has a moment of fun, dancing closely with a young woman at a nearby bar. In a haze of prescription drugs, he expresses gratitude to Doc for being a steadfast friend throughout his years behind bars.

However, Val’s condition worsens, and he passes out in Doc’s car. Contemplating his next move, Doc ultimately decides to take Val to a hospital, where a nurse happens to be the daughter of their old friend, Hirsch. The doctor then needs to perform a procedure to alleviate Val’s problematic erection. As midnight approaches, they find a diner where they strike up a conversation with waitress Alex. During their discussion, Doc reveals the overwhelming weight of his situation: he has been tasked with killing Val for a crime Val committed long ago, which has haunted them both since Val was imprisoned.

With only nine hours left until the hit, the two friends brainstorm possible strategies for survival. Their daring plan leads them to steal a muscle car and visit a nursing home to rescue Hirsch. Following a high-speed escapade with police in pursuit, they manage to evade capture. Reaching the brothel once more, Hirsch enjoys a lively evening with two women, both of whom leave satisfied.

The adventure takes a wild turn when they discover a tied-up woman in their trunk after hearing strange noises. After a quick clothes-theft from a store owner, they return to the restaurant, where Alex serves them again. The captive, named Sylvia, recounts her harrowing experience of being abducted and held against her will. Incensed, Val and Doc join her in seeking revenge against her captors.

The bold duo storms into a warehouse, confronting four thugs—catching them completely off-guard. After a violent show of force, they leave the remaining gangsters bound and call the police to collect them, allowing Sylvia to exact her own form of justice with a baseball bat. In a cruel twist, upon returning to the car, they find Hirsch has died of natural causes, leading them to a somber journey to the hospital. There, they receive help from Hirsch’s daughter to give him a proper burial.

Now racing against the clock with just four hours remaining before Val’s deadline, the trio grabs breakfast at the diner, where Alex serves them once more. It dawns on Val that he’s crossed paths with Doc’s granddaughter yet Doc has kept this from her. Stepping away under the mounting pressure, Doc pleads with the mob boss for Val’s life, but the boss threatens dire consequences for Alex if Doc fails to carry out the assassination.

Val, seeking solace, visits a local church for confession, listing both his sins and his rare moments of goodness from the past day. Following this, Val and Doc break into a haberdashery in search of suits, but the duo finds themselves in a deadly confrontation when mob goons arrive to kill them. In a last effort, they eliminate one and manage to intimidate the other into fleeing. The clock strikes ten, and with tension in the air, Doc ominously states, “It’s time.” Meanwhile, Alex discovers a shoebox filled with cash at Doc’s apartment, finally realizing the identity of her grandfather. With determination, Val and Doc set out toward the mob boss’s lair, ready to face whatever comes next.

Last Updated: October 27, 2024 at 18:56