Stick

Stick

Year: 1985

Runtime: 109 mins

Language: English

ActionCrimeDrama

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.

Stick (1985) – Spoiler-Free Movie Summary & Plot Overview

Get a spoiler-free look at Stick (1985) with a clear plot overview that covers the setting, main characters, and story premise—without revealing key twists or the ending. Perfect for deciding if this film is your next watch.

In a sun‑splashed stretch of Florida where the line between freedom and danger feels as thin as the horizon, one man walks out of a seven‑year sentence carrying both the weight of his past and a faint hope for redemption. The world he re‑enters pulses with hidden dealings and restless ambition, a place where old connections linger like ghosts and every encounter could tip the balance between a quiet life and the pull of the underworld.

Ernest “Stick” Stickley, a former car thief with a reputation for quick hands and quicker get‑aways, steps back onto the streets only to find himself thrust into a violent flashpoint that shatters any simple notion of a clean slate. The sudden loss of a close friend in that moment forces Stick to confront the reality that the shadows of his former life still stretch far beyond the prison walls, compelling him to stay hidden while the world around him tightens its grip.

A chance encounter with a flamboyant millionaire, Barry Braham, offers Stick an unexpected lifeline: a steady job as a personal chauffeur and a modest home that promises stability. Within this new sphere, he meets Kyle McClaren, Barry’s sharp‑tongued financial consultant, whose presence sparks a budding connection that feels both fragile and invigorating. Their growing intimacy provides a glimpse of the life Stick yearns for, even as whispers of his past begin to stir the air around them.

The film moves with a gritty, suspense‑laden rhythm, blending the sleek veneer of high‑society with the gritty undercurrents of the criminal world that refuses to stay buried. Tension builds not through overt action but through the ever‑present sense that the past is a relentless tide, ready to lap against the carefully built shoreline of Stick’s new existence. As the story unfolds, the audience is drawn into a world where loyalty, love, and survival hover in a delicate, electrifying balance.

Last Updated: December 04, 2025 at 15:57

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Methodical Ex-Con Revenge Thrillers like Stick

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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Narrative Summary

These narratives typically begin with a protagonist trying to live a quiet life after prison, only to be violently dragged back into their old world by a betrayal or attack. The plot follows their shift from evasion to a deliberate, often skillful, offensive, culminating in a final confrontation where their specific talents prove decisive.

Why These Movies?

Movies are grouped here for their shared focus on the ex-con archetype, a tense and gritty tone, and a plot structure that moves from survival to methodical revenge. They deliver a specific experience of cathartic, competence-fueled violence from an underdog perspective.

Fast-Paced 80s Urban Crime Thrillers like Stick

The high-speed, street-level crime stories that defined a gritty cinematic decade.Fans of Stick will enjoy this collection of high-speed 80s crime stories. These movies share a tense, gritty mood, fast pacing, and plots that quickly spiral from a single event into city-wide danger. Discover similar films with that classic 80s action feel, straightforward narratives, and relentless momentum.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern is linear and propulsive: a single, violent event immediately sets the hero on the run. There is little downtime as the threat grows, moving from one dangerous encounter to the next. The story is driven by action and survival, with a clear villain and a final, explosive resolution that offers a hopeful, if hard-won, ending.

Why These Movies?

These films are united by their decade-specific aesthetic, fast pacing, and straightforward plots centered on urban crime. They deliver a coherent experience of constant tension and immediate danger, reflecting a particular style of filmmaking that balances dark themes with cathartic, action-heavy conclusions.

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Stick Summary

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Stick Summary

Stick Timeline

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.

Stick Timeline

Characters, Settings & Themes in Stick

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Characters, Settings & Themes in Stick

More About Stick

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