Year: 2000
Runtime: 119 min
Language: English
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Two outlaws, Parker and Longbaugh, devise a plan to kidnap a pregnant woman for ransom. Their seemingly straightforward scheme quickly unravels, plunging them into a violent and dangerous situation. Faced with unexpected challenges and ruthless adversaries, they must fight to survive in a world where the lines between right and wrong are blurred and every decision has deadly consequences. This gritty thriller explores the lengths people will go to when driven by desperation and the brutal realities of a lawless existence.
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Parker, portrayed by Ryan Phillippe, and Longbaugh, played by Benicio Del Toro, are two notorious troublemakers who have a penchant for seeking out or stealing money through any means necessary. Their latest scheme begins when they overhear a conversation at a sperm donation clinic about a $1,000,000 payment for a surrogate mother carrying the child of Hal Chidduck (Scott Wilson). Motivated by the potential payday, Parker and Longbaugh devise a plan to kidnap the pregnant surrogate, Robin (Juliette Lewis), and things quickly spiral out of control when their attempt leads to a chaotic shootout with her bodyguards, Jeffers (Taye Diggs) and Obecks (Nicky Katt). Tragically, two guards and several bystanders lose their lives during this dangerous encounter, but the kidnappers manage to escape with Robin, leaving Jeffers and Obecks behind to face arrest.
As the situation develops, Jeffers and Obecks are promptly bailed out by Joe Sarno (James Caan), a seasoned operative and a close confidant of Chidduck. Sarno swiftly takes charge of the operation to rescue Robin. Meanwhile, Longbaugh contacts Robin’s gynecologist, Dr. Allen Painter (Dylan Kussman), ordering him to a truck stop for a medical examination of Robin. Upon returning to Chidduck, it is revealed that Dr. Painter is actually Chidduck’s son.
Longbaugh then escalates the situation further by demanding a staggering $15 million ransom for the safe return of both Robin and her unborn baby. In a twisted turn, Jeffers and Obecks, lured by the promise of wealth, hatch their own plan to save the child, intending to keep the ransom for themselves and eliminate everyone involved under the guise of a rescue. One fateful day at a Mexican motel, Sarno approaches Longbaugh with an offer of $1 million to simply release Robin and walk away, referencing a plan of his daughter that may benefit them all. However, Longbaugh refuses, opting to gamble on their original plan.
Conflict mounts as Jeffers realizes that Robin is, in fact, Sarno’s daughter. With a growing sense of urgency, he, Obecks, and Painter set off to meet the kidnappers while Sarno departs to arrange the ransom. Doubt begins to creep into Parker’s mind regarding their actions, and during a tense moment outside their motel room, Robin seizes the opportunity to grab a shotgun and barricade herself inside, nearly shooting Parker in the process.
As the sirens draw near, Parker and Longbaugh make a hurried escape. Robin rushes out just as the Mexican police and Jeffers, Obecks, and Painter arrive. In a chaotic series of events, Parker and Longbaugh initiate a gunfight from a distance, resulting in the deaths of two officers. Jeffers, in a desperate bid, crams Painter and Robin into his vehicle and speeds away, leaving a wounded Obecks and the dead officers behind.
Determined, Parker and Longbaugh resort to torturing Obecks to discover Robin’s whereabouts, while she finds herself confined to a secluded Mexican brothel under Jeffers’ control. As tensions rise, Jeffers forces Painter to perform a risky C-section to deliver the baby, unaware of the emotional twist that Robin and Painter had conceived the child together. In a dangerous twist, as Parker and Longbaugh ambush the brothel, a fierce confrontation ensues, leaving Parker wounded once again.
The situation escalates dramatically when Sarno arrives with the promised ransom. In a deadly exchange, Parker is compelled again to reconsider their actions while Longbaugh’s guilt weighs heavily on him. Even realizing that the money is likely a trap, they charge in, resulting in a blood-soaked gang shootout where all of Sarno’s men are lost. Sarno manages to shoot and incapacitate both Parker and Longbaugh. Just as silence falls, the cries of a newborn baby signal the arrival of Painter with Robin, who cradles their child—revealing that the baby is indeed Sarno’s grandson. As the ambulance takes Robin, Painter, and the ransom away from the scene, Parker and Longbaugh are left to face their grim fate.
In a shocking twist, several days down the line, Chidduck’s wife unveils that she is pregnant—hinting at a possible affair with Jeffers, further complicating the web of relationships and betrayals in their chaotic lives.
Last Updated: October 28, 2024 at 18:05
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