Year: 1985
Runtime: 109 mins
Language: English
After prison, car thief Ernest “Stick” Stickley witnesses his friend Rainy’s murder during a drug deal. To evade mobster Chucky’s hitmen, he takes a job as chauffeur for millionaire Barry Braham and keeps a low profile. Stick begins a romance with Barry’s financial consultant Kyle McClaren, but must fight back when Chucky’s men track him down.
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Read the complete plot breakdown of Stick (1985), including all key story events, major twists, and the ending explained in detail. Discover what really happened—and what it all means.
Ernest ‘Stick’ Stickley, a former car thief Burt Reynolds who has just served seven years for armed robbery, walks out of prison and reconnects with an old friend, Rainy José Pérez. Rainy drags him into a quick stop near the Florida Everglades that quickly reveals itself as an illegal drug deal orchestrated by his dealer, Chucky Charles Durning. The plan falls apart when Chucky’s albino enforcer, Moke Dar Robinson, guns Rainy down, and Stick narrowly escapes with his life.
With a target on his back, Stick lies low until a chance encounter pulls him into the orbit of Barry Braham, George Segal a wealthy eccentric who needs help getting into his locked car. In return for dependable driving and a path to a fresh start, Stick lands a steady job and a comfortable home, and he begins to rebuild a bond with his teenage daughter, Katie Tricia Leigh Fisher. On the business side, he also draws the interest of Kyle Candice Bergen, a sharp financial consultant who acts as Barry’s adviser and starts to see a future for herself in Stick’s new life.
Stick confronts Chucky to demand the money owed to Rainy, hoping to put a real plan in motion for a safer future. Chucky refuses, and under pressure from Nestor, a voodoo-obsessed cartel boss Castulo Guerra, Chucky dispatches Moke and other hitmen to eliminate Stick. Nestor escalates matters by having Stick’s daughter kidnapped, forcing the ex-con to step out of the shadows and into the line of fire.
What follows is a meticulous and escalating pursuit. Stick closes in on Chucky’s world, taking on henchman after henchman as he works his way through the high-rise maze surrounding Chucky. In a brutal balcony confrontation, Moke taunts Stick before Chucky unexpectedly shoves them both off the edge. Chucky survives a deadly fall, but Moke clings to a lower beam and, despite a desperate plea for help, falls to his death as Stick watches.
Undeterred, Stick tracks Nestor to his fortress of a home and systematically dismantles Nestor’s operation, clearing a path through his guards and confronting the cartel boss in a final showdown. When Nestor finally surrenders, he agrees to leave Stick and his daughter alone in exchange for his own life, a grim bargain that serves as a grim reminder of the cost of crossing that world. After freeing Katie, Stick reaches out to Kyle on a mobile phone and, with a quiet, determined resolve, arranges a rendezvous in the median of a highway where the two lovers finally embrace, choosing hope and a chance at a quieter life over the shadows of the past.
Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 14:19
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Stories where a former criminal uses their skills for a focused and violent payback.If you liked Stick, explore more movies about ex-cons forced back into violence. These stories feature protagonists using their criminal expertise for focused revenge, blending tense action with a gritty, survivalist vibe. Find similar films about calculated payback and starting over against all odds.
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Don't stop at just watching — explore Stick in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Stick is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.
Track the full timeline of Stick with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.
Discover the characters, locations, and core themes that shape Stick. Get insights into symbolic elements, setting significance, and deeper narrative meaning — ideal for thematic analysis and movie breakdowns.
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Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Stick: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.
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