Year: 1978
Runtime: 105 mins
Language: English
Director: Richard Taylor
Stingray burns across the screen as drug dealers Lonigan and his partner Tony shoot two cops who try to frame them, then flee with a million dollars and a stash of drugs hidden in a red Corvette Stingray parked at a used‑car lot. When they return for the loot with their boss Abigail, they discover the car has been bought by two carefree men, Elmo and Al. A frantic chase ensues, pitting the dealers and the police against the unsuspecting new owners.
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Two small-time drug dealers, Al and Elmo, are on their way to a high-stakes sale when they uncover a dangerous twist: the buyers have planted a homing device inside the million-dollar briefcase. Panic erupts as the device signals trouble, and a sudden gunfight claims the lives of the two buyers, leaving the criminals scrambling to sew up their escape. The chaos draws police attention, and Lt. Herschel [/actor/richard-cosentino] pulls the pair in for questioning, though without solid proof he releases them and orders his partner, Sgt. Murphy, to tail them.
Buoyed by a confident plan, the trio—Abigail Bratowski, a wanted woman in disguise as a nun, and Roscoe, one of Abigail’s men—joins Murray and Tony, and the group quickly ditches the precinct to chase their loose ends. The money and drugs are hidden inside a gleaming Corvette Stingray parked at a used-car lot, a target that instantly draws the gang’s attention. A tense pursuit ensues as the criminals try to blend with the street, but [Al] and [Elmo] manage to shake their pursuers briefly when Al misreads the situation and is pulled over by patrol officers for speeding. Abigail wastes no time, opening fire and killing the officers, allowing the duo to slip away again.
Desperation grows as Lonigan, the gang’s boss, buys a tracker in a bid to geolocate the homed cargo. When they catch up to the Corvette and its new stand-ins, [Lt. Herschel] and [Sgt. Murphy] arrive in a police car, reigniting the chase. A ladder crashes into Herschel’s car, injuring it and offering a temporary edge to the criminals. Abigail decides to change out of her nun costume, forcing Lonigan to pull over to avoid drawing attention. Believing they’ve lost their pursuers, the criminals pull into a service station, where [Elmo] spots bags of heroin in the backseat and convinces [Al] that they should flip the heroin for cash.
Just as the duo weighs their next move, Abigail and Roscoe roll in. In a rapid escape, [Al] floors the gas, and Lonigan and Tony are dragged along in their pursuit. A new plan unfolds as they head toward a construction site to shake their tail. The chase rages on, with a bulldozer briefly disabling Lonigan’s car. In the woods, [Elmo] narrowly escapes Abigail, who accidentally shoots Rosco instead of him. A chase resumes as Abigail and Roscoe scramble for the remaining weapons; she steals a motorcycle and then crashes, losing Elmo again.
Night falls, and the pursuit pivots back to the city as Abigail, Lonigan, and Tony converge at a construction site. She frees the car from the bulldozer and the chase kicks up once more. A bar, Ronnie B’s, becomes a new fortress for the night, where a tense standoff erupts after Abigail rebuffs a patron and a brawl erupts. In the mayhem, [Al] and [Elmo] seize a machine gun from Abigail and slip away in the Corvette once more. The bar sits under the watchful eyes of the authorities, and soon Herschel and Murphy arrive with an APB on Abigail and her crew.
The next day, the city hums with the echo of their escape as [Al] and [Elmo] pick up a hitchhiking girl and plot a low-profile return. Abigail carjacks an Austin-Healey, shoots the driver, and tracks down Lonigan and Tony. Lonigan is stabbed, and Abigail makes a chilling bargain to share the money with Tony if he cooperates. A cosmetic misstep adds to their woes when the Corvette is driven into a car wash, where the new paint job is washed away. The pursuit rebuilt from Abigail, Lonigan, and Tony leads to a three-way gun battle at a dead end: Tony turns on Abigail and is shot dead, and Abigail herself is killed when her own gun, left in the door, discharges.
Herschel and Murphy arrive as the dust settles, and the girl manages to hide the drugs’ briefcase from authorities. In a final twist, the case itself goes missing—stolen by a bum—with [Al] and [Elmo] giving chase. The attempted pursuit ends with Al falling into the river, and Elmo realizing his greed played a fatal hand. He discovers that [Al] was not dead after all, surface-floating and alive. With the money still out there and the future uncertain, the two survivors decide to pull back from the crime scene and dream of a vacation in Bolivia.
Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 11:00
Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.
Movies where the road becomes a battleground in a relentless, high-speed chase.If you liked the high-speed car chases and desperate road-bound conflict in Stingray, you'll find more movies like it here. These films are defined by their relentless pacing, dangerous stunts, and stories where the chase itself is the main event, pitting drivers against cops, criminals, or fate.
Narratives in this thread are linear and propulsive, often triggered by a single event—a heist, a betrayal, or a MacGuffin hidden in a vehicle. The plot unfolds through a series of consecutive chase sequences and violent confrontations, with clear goals for all parties and little room for subplots or introspection.
Movies are grouped here based on their shared focus on vehicular action, fast pacing, and a tense, dangerous atmosphere. They deliver a consistent experience of high-octane suspense and chaotic misadventure, making them ideal for viewers seeking adrenaline-fueled, straightforward thrill rides.
Stories where a simple criminal plan spirals into chaotic survival.For viewers who enjoyed the high-stakes misadventure and escalating chaos in Stingray, this section features similar films where a criminal plan unravels. These stories often involve ordinary people caught in dangerous situations, leading to frantic chases and a bittersweet reckoning with the consequences of greed.
The narrative pattern begins with a tempting opportunity—often money or drugs—that promises a better life. This hope is quickly shattered as the plan goes awry, forcing characters into a frantic flight from more powerful, ruthless antagonists. The journey is less about professional crime and more about survival amid the fallout of a bad decision.
These films are connected by their focus on the consequences of ambition and greed, a tone of desperate anxiety, and a plot structure where a single mistake snowballs into life-threatening chaos. They share a visceral, grounded feel where the stakes are dire, but the emotional core is the characters' struggle to escape a situation they never intended to be in.
Don't stop at just watching — explore Stingray 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 Stingray is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.
Track the full timeline of Stingray 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 Stingray. Get insights into symbolic elements, setting significance, and deeper narrative meaning — ideal for thematic analysis and movie breakdowns.
Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of Stingray that covers the main plot points and key details without revealing any major twists or spoilers. Perfect for those who want to know what to expect before diving in.
Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Stingray: 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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