The Cars That Ate Paris

An urban couple drives through the countryside in a scene that looks like a cinema ad but ends in a fatal crash. The town of Paris actively orchestrates accidents for visiting motorists, exposing its gruesome secret from the outset.

Local townspeople strip the luggage of the dead and take survivors to the hospital. There, the survivors are subjected to lobotomies with power tools and kept as 'veggies' for medical experiments by the town surgeon.

Arthur Waldo's older brother George dies in the crash as Arthur is spared from death. The tragedy underscores the town's brutality and hints at the fates of those who remain.

Arthur is taken in by Mayor Len Kelly, who offers him shelter and a place in his household. The mayor has already adopted two girls who were orphaned in motor accidents, welcoming Arthur as part of their family.

Arthur attempts to leave Paris, but a previous manslaughter incident that he was exonerated for has damaged his driving confidence. With no usable public transport, he is effectively stranded in the town he cannot escape.

Len Kelly gives Arthur a job as a medical orderly at the local hospital. This role ties Arthur to the town's darker underbelly and its medical experiments.

A feud between the town's recovered young men who drive modified cars and the older generation simmers beneath the surface. When a hoon damages the mayor's property and a statue is broken, the older men respond by burning the driver's car while restraining him.

The Mayor elevates Arthur to the role of town parking inspector, complete with brassard and Army bush jacket. This appointment aggravates the young hoons and deepens the town's divisions.

The annual Pioneers Ball is a fancy-dress event that was meant for celebration but becomes a violent clash. The youth's car gymkhana plan turns into an assault on the town, leaving several residents dead.

During the melee, Arthur renews his driving courage by repeatedly driving the Mayor's car into his former hospital supervisor, one of the hoons. The act marks a turning point and showcases his resolve amid the town's lawless onslaught.

The film closes with Arthur and the town's residents leaving Paris in the night. The sense of finality underscores how the town's curse travels with those who survive its traps.