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Year: 2014
Runtime: 108 min
Language: English
Director: David Grovic
In this gripping thriller, John Cusack stars as Jack, a hapless tough guy plagued by bad luck, who's tasked by legendary crime boss Robert De Niro to complete a peculiar job. As he waits through a chaotic night, his fate becomes entwined with Rivka's (Rebecca Da Costa), a stunning woman whose life takes a violent and emotional turn for the worse upon Dragna's arrival.
Warning: spoilers below!
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In a bizarre twist of fate, elderly gangster Robert Dragna hires the skilled assassin Jack to retrieve a mysterious package and await Dragna’s arrival at a motel. What initially seems to be a simple job—retrieve the bag and keep it secure—quickly devolves into chaos when Jack probes Dragna for details, only to be met with cryptic responses. The situation escalates further when, upon receiving the package, Jack is ambushed by one of Dragna’s henchmen, forcing him to kill in self-defense and hide the body in his trunk.
Upon his arrival at the motel, Jack is greeted by a cast of eccentric inquirers: Ned, the wheelchair-bound desk clerk; Rivka, an alluring and secretive prostitute; and Lizard and Guano, two perpetually agitated bald men. When Jack asks for room 13, Ned warns him about its dangerous reputation as a “deathtrap,” which inadvertently piques Jack’s curiosity. Undaunted, he chooses to disregard the warning and is soon propelled by an impulsive urge to invade the room of two unsuspecting men in suits, killing them without justification.
As he rummages through the aftermath, Jack stumbles upon FBI badges and a briefcase, heightening his anxiety regarding the package’s potential implications. His original plan to dispose of the bodies spirals into further complications when Rivka discovers the corpses, stirring concerns that become more acute with Lizard and Guano’s escalating antics.
In a quest for answers, Jack confronts Rivka about her ties to Dragna and the mysterious package, yet her vague replies intensify his paranoia. When Lizard and Guano confront Jack on their journey, they unwittingly seal their fate at his hands. Left in disarray, Jack must now contend with what to do with Rivka and how to navigate the impending visit from Dragna.
Meanwhile, Ned’s suspicions about Jack’s secretive behavior lead him to involve Sheriff Larson, whose inquiry only adds to the mounting tension. With Jack increasingly cornered, he makes a frantic decision to bury the suspicious bag in the motel’s car park. Yet, Ned, having astonishingly regained the ability to walk, notices the clandestine activity and confronts Jack, only for their clash to result in Ned’s sudden death.
As Sheriff Larson seeks to bring Jack to justice for Ned’s disappearance, Rivka reappears just in time, risking everything to confront the deputy. Despite Larson’s threats, Rivka’s resourcefulness prevails, allowing her to rescue Jack and reignite their cautious alliance. However, the dynamic shifts when Rivka reveals her thorough knowledge of the package’s contents, hinting that her involvement runs deeper than she initially let on.
The stakes escalate as Jack finds himself ensnared in Dragna’s secretive game, where the motel’s staff and local law enforcement are unwitting pawns in a larger scheme. Uncovering the dark truth behind the package sets Jack on a collision course with his fate, drastically altering the trajectory of his life.
In a dramatic twist, Rivka, now unveiled as Dragna’s confidante and assassin, manipulates events to fulfill her employer’s objectives while Jack is left to grapple with his own survival. Their twisted relationship reaches a breaking point in a heart-pounding climax, leaving Jack to confront his greatest adversary amid a backdrop of betrayal and turmoil.
Following this intense encounter, Rivka’s true motives come to light as she claims the reward for Jack’s death and disappears into the distance with him, her former target turned reluctant ally, leaving behind a chaotic legacy of deceit and destruction.
Last Updated: November 21, 2024 at 11:29
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