The Reckoning

The Reckoning

Year: 1970

Runtime: 111 mins

Language: English

Director: Jack Gold

Drama

Michael Marler, a thriving London businessman, is on the brink of achieving the pinnacle of success. The sudden death of his father after 37 years forces him to return to his Liverpool hometown, where he confronts his neglected Irish heritage. Learning his father was killed in a clash with a gang of Anglo‑Saxon teddy boys, Michael resolves to exact personal revenge, refusing to involve the police.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – The Reckoning (1970)

Explore the full timeline and setting of The Reckoning (1970). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

early 1960s

Set in early 1960s Britain, the film unfolds within the emerging corporate world and urban neighborhoods. It captures the era's tension between traditional working-class loyalties and modern, profit-driven ambition. Period details include boardrooms, nightlife, and the rise of technology and car culture that shape the characters' choices.

Location

Liverpool, London

Liverpool serves as the emotional and social anchor of the story, with Mick returning to his late father's neighbourhood. The action moves between Liverpool's familiar streets and corporate London, highlighting the clash between working-class roots and boardroom power. Key scenes unfold in a social hall, a hotel, and a sleek office, grounding the drama in recognizable British locations.

🏙️ Urban Britain 🧭 City contrasts

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 18:09

Main Characters – The Reckoning (1970)

Meet the key characters of The Reckoning (1970), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Michael 'Mick' Marler

A high-ranking corporate executive whose working-class roots fuel an uncompromising bid for power. He pursues innovation and status, often at the expense of others, and his arc moves from ambition to a chilling willingness to bend rules and hurt people to protect his position.

🎭 Drama 🧭 Power 🏢 Ambition

Moyle

The company’s boardroom figure who wields influence and ultimately decides to replace Hazlitt with Mick. He embodies pragmatic corporate power, valuing results and loyalty, while delivering a calculating form of leadership.

🏢 Corporate 🎭 Drama

John Hazlitt

The company's senior executive who backs Mick’s ideas but also enables risky behavior. He is a manipulator who helps Mick climb the ladder, representing a corruptible leadership style.

🏢 Corporate 🗣️ Drama

Rosemary Marler

Mick’s wife, who grows tired of his ruthless ascent. Their marriage strains under professional ambition and personal disconnection, leading to separation.

👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨 Drama 🏠 Family

Joyce Eglington

A nurse who helps Mick during a crisis and becomes a personal link to his father's case. She becomes a catalyst in Mick’s pursuit of vengeance and answers.

💬 Drama 💉 Caregiving

Cocky Burke

John Joe’s longtime friend who urges Mick to go to the police but distrusts authorities. He embodies a code of loyalty and a wary view of institutions.

👥 Drama 🗝️ Loyalty

Jones

The man identified as John Joe’s attacker, the Teddy boy whose actions trigger Mick's brutal revenge. His fate becomes the turning point for Mick’s moral descent.

🗡️ Violence 🕵️‍♂️ Crime

John Joe Marler

Mick’s father, a beloved amateur balladeer whose death and bruised face catalyze the plot. His passing exposes the gap between public kindness and private violence.

🕊️ Family 🗺️ Roots

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 18:09

Major Themes – The Reckoning (1970)

Explore the central themes of The Reckoning (1970), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🏢 Power & Ambition

Mick climbs the corporate ladder by pushing the company to invest in computers, revealing a ruthless appetite for status and control. Hazlitt's position is tested as Mick seeks to outmaneuver him. Moyle ultimately elevates Mick, illustrating how power can corrupt judgment and ethics. The narrative shows ambition as a force that can dismantle personal relationships and moral lines.

💥 Violence & Revenge

Mick's anger over his father's death culminates in a brutal beating of Jones, the man accused of the attack. The pursuit of vengeance drives Mick toward a deeper moral collapse. Violence becomes both a means of retribution and a mirror of the protagonist's inner decay. The story suggests that revenge may offer temporary relief but imposes lasting consequences.

👨‍👦 Family & Guilt

The death of Mick's father exposes unresolved family ties and the burden of guilt. Mick's marriage suffers as his ambition overrides affection, leading to separation and distance. Joyce's presence offers a fragile human connection amid the corporate intrigue and personal turmoil. The theme ties private loss to public risk, shaping Mick's decisions.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 18:09

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Explore Movie Threads

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Morally complex character studies like The Reckoning

Stories of driven individuals unraveling under the weight of grief and ambition.Explore movies like The Reckoning that delve into the dark side of ambition and revenge. These films feature protagonists on a volatile path of self-destruction, grappling with heavy themes like grief and moral compromise. If you enjoyed watching a character's relentless, unsettling collapse, you'll find similar stories here.

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Narrative Summary

Stories in this thread typically follow a linear but intense progression where a protagonist, often starting from a place of success or stability, is shattered by a pivotal event. Their subsequent quest—for revenge, power, or answers—becomes an obsessive and destructive force, damaging their relationships and ultimately leading to an ambiguous or bleak resolution that questions their initial motives.

Why These Movies?

These films are grouped by their focus on a singular, compelling character arc of internal decay. They share a dark, tense tone, high emotional intensity, and a steady pacing that allows for a deep, often uncomfortable, immersion into the protagonist's deteriorating mental state and moral compass.

Gritty revenge dramas with bleak endings like The Reckoning

Gritty tales where personal vengeance leads to an ambivalent and unsettling end.Discover movies similar to The Reckoning, focusing on protagonists taking justice into their own hands. These gritty dramas are set in harsh urban environments and explore the heavy toll of revenge, often ending on an ambiguous or bleak note. If you liked the tense, personal vengeance story in The Reckoning, this thread is for you.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern involves a protagonist returning to a troubled past or environment to confront a wrong. The revenge plot is personal, not professional, and is tightly woven with the character's internal struggles with identity and belonging. The pursuit is methodical and grim, leading to violence but rarely to a sense of victory, instead leaving the character spiritually hollowed or trapped in a cycle of conflict.

Why These Movies?

These movies are united by their core premise of a personal, non-professional revenge quest set in a realistic, often gritty world. They share a high intensity, a dark and oppressive tone, and a steady pacing that builds tension towards an ending that feels ambiguous or bleak, refusing to glamorize violence.

Unlock the Full Story of The Reckoning

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

The Reckoning Summary

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The Reckoning Summary

The Reckoning Timeline

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The Reckoning Timeline

The Reckoning Spoiler-Free Summary

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The Reckoning Spoiler-Free Summary

More About The Reckoning

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