Swelter

Swelter

Year: 2014

Runtime: 96 mins

Language: English

Director: Keith Parmer

ActionDramaThrillerCrime

Ten years after a casino heist, four escaped convicts track down their former partner to a desert town. Now a lawman, he has no memory of his criminal past. Driven by greed and seeking revenge, the convicts confront him, forcing him to confront the truth about his past and the lives they disrupted.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – Swelter (2014)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Swelter (2014). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

The events unfold in a contemporary setting, spanning roughly a decade—from the casino job’s fallout to the climactic confrontation in Baker. The timeline uses memory fragments and shifting loyalties to reveal past betrayals. The period feels modern, with implied policing and weaponry, while the focus remains on personal and communal secrets.

Location

Las Vegas, Baker

The film begins with a $10 million casino heist in Las Vegas, a city famous for its neon lights and high-stakes gambling. The action shifts to Baker, a remote town whose quiet facade hides powerful, secretive networks. Baker's uneasy balance of local allegiances and hidden histories drives the drama and clashes that follow.

🎰 Casino 🏜️ Desert town 🗺️ Town secrets

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 14:11

Main Characters – Swelter (2014)

Meet the key characters of Swelter (2014), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Cole (Grant Bowler)

The former leader of the heist crew who masterminded the $10 million plan. Ten years after the disappearance, he is broken out of prison and uses his influence to pursue the missing money, even kidnapping London to pressure rivals. His charisma masks ruthless ambition as he accelerates toward a deadly duel with Bishop.

🎯 Leader 🗡️ Ruthless 🔒 Mastermind

Stillman (Jean-Claude Van Damme)

The calmer, calculating member who resists the crew’s slide into wholesale violence. He senses the danger of their plan unraveling and acts as a counterweight to Cole’s aggression. His restraint and experience make him a stabilizing voice amid Baker’s chaos.

🧭 Strategist 🛡️ Reserved

Bishop (Lennie James)

The vanished partner who now runs a biker gang in Baker. Haunted by migraines from a bullet in his skull, his memory fragments reveal his role in the past and the consequences that haunt him. He becomes the town’s pivotal figure and the primary opponent to Cole’s plans.

🧠 Memory 🧭 Leader

Kane (Daniele Favilli)

The ruthless enforcer pushing for a violent spree to realize the crew’s ambitions. He uses London as a shield during a tense confrontation and is ultimately shot by Cole, marking a brutal turning point in the power struggle.

⚔️ Enforcer 🗡️ Aggressive

London (Freya Tingley)

Bishop’s step-daughter and a focal point of Baker’s turmoil. She carries a troubled history with her mother Carmen and becomes entangled in the conflict as factions seek leverage over her. Her position highlights the town’s fragility amid rising violence.

💔 Victim 💡 Catalyst

Doc (Alfred Molina)

The town’s enigmatic physician who helps piece together what happened and who is behind Baker’s turmoil. Through him, clues about Bishop’s past and the missing money come to light, shaping the unfolding conspiracy.

🩺 Healer 🧠 Informant

Carmen (Catalina Sandino Moreno)

London’s mother and a woman who once shared a life with Cole. She seems to know about Bishop’s past and still trusts him, improvising a pistol when needed. Her presence anchors the town’s memories and loyalties amid the chaos.

👩‍👧 Guardian 🕰️ Past secrets

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 14:11

Major Themes – Swelter (2014)

Explore the central themes of Swelter (2014), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🗡️ Betrayal & loyalty

Loyalties fracture as ambition and fear pull crew members in different directions. Cole’s leadership is tested by the return of old partners and the lure of the missing money. The town’s fragile alliances are strained as everyone chooses sides under mounting pressure.

💥 Power & violence

The pursuit of control drives escalating violence and brutal acts. Plans crumble under impulsive moves and the town’s unpredictable reactions. The clash between calculated strategy and raw aggression fuels the escalating confrontation.

🧭 Secrets & memory

Baker hides a maze of memories that surface as fragmented clues, re-shaping relationships and loyalties. Bishop’s migraines and recollections hint at a deeper history that alters the power dynamic. The buried money becomes a symbol of secrets that outlive those who hid them.

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 14:11

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Explore Movie Threads

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 about confronting the past like Swelter

Characters are forced to face the violent secrets they tried to leave behind.If you liked Swelter, you’ll enjoy these movies where characters must face a violent or criminal history that catches up to them. These stories explore themes of identity, revenge, and redemption, often set against gritty, tense backdrops similar to the desolate town in Swelter.

tensegrittyvengefulsuspensefulpsychologicalconfrontationalbrutal

Narrative Summary

The narrative follows a protagonist living a new life, often under an assumed identity or with amnesia, whose peace is disrupted by the arrival of figures from their past. This forces a psychological and often physical confrontation, unraveling the truth and leading to a climactic, violent resolution that questions if one can ever truly escape their history.

Why These Movies?

These films are grouped by their central theme of a hidden past resurfacing to threaten the present. They share a high-stakes, tense atmosphere, a heavy emotional weight from themes of betrayal and violence, and a protagonist grappling with a fractured identity.

Claustrophobic thrillers in isolated towns like Swelter

An isolated community becomes a pressure cooker when violent outsiders arrive.Find more movies like Swelter that trap their characters in isolated, often desert towns under threat from violent intruders. These films share a tense, oppressive mood, a steady build to a violent confrontation, and a strong sense of place that heightens the drama and suspense.

oppressiveclaustrophobicdesolatesuspensefulgrittybrutaltense

Narrative Summary

The narrative revolves around an isolated setting, like a small desert town, that is infiltrated by a threatening force. The community's isolation becomes a trap, forcing a moral and physical standoff. The plot methodically escalates the threat, creating a pressure-cooker environment where escape is difficult and confrontation is inevitable.

Why These Movies?

This thread groups films by their oppressive, location-driven tension. The shared elements include a desolate setting that feels like a character itself, a steady pacing that builds dread, a high-intensity confrontation, and a tone of grim survival against overwhelming odds.

Unlock the Full Story of Swelter

Don't stop at just watching — explore Swelter 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 Swelter is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Swelter Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Swelter, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

Swelter Summary

Swelter Timeline

Track the full timeline of Swelter with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

Swelter Timeline

Swelter Spoiler-Free Summary

Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of Swelter 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.

Swelter Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Swelter

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Swelter: 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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