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!

Haven’t seen The Reckoning yet? This summary contains major spoilers. Bookmark the page, watch the movie, and come back for the full breakdown. If you're ready, scroll on and relive the story!

Timeline – The Reckoning (1970)

Trace every key event in The Reckoning (1970) with our detailed, chronological timeline. Perfect for unpacking nonlinear stories, spotting hidden connections, and understanding how each scene builds toward the film’s climax. Whether you're revisiting or decoding for the first time, this timeline gives you the full picture.

1

Mick pushes Hazlitt to back the computer plan

Mick convinces Hazlitt to persuade the board to develop computers, overturning the directors' rejection. He believes this strategic shift will save the company and boost his own status. The moment occurs in the morning during a tense business discussion.

morning London, company office
2

Rosemary informs Mick about his dying father

Rosemary calls to tell him his father is dying; he initially wants to leave, but Hazlitt pressures him to finish a report. The conflict between personal duty and corporate ambition tightens around him. This scene sets up the personal costs of his ascent.

morning London, company office
3

Mick travels to Liverpool and discovers his father's death

Mick drives his Jaguar to Liverpool to visit his childhood home and discovers his father, John Joe, has already died. He notes bruises on his father's face and body and questions everyone present to learn what happened. The journey marks a turning point as he faces a mystery behind his father's death.

afternoon Liverpool, Mick's childhood neighbourhood
4

Cocky Burke hints at revenge and a dangerous truth

At the Irish social hall, Cocky Burke tells Mick that English Teddy Boys attacked his father after singing an Irish rebel song, suggesting a heart attack as the cause. Cocky urges Mick to take revenge rather than involve the police. This conversation plants the seed of vigilante action in him.

evening Liverpool, Irish social hall
5

Joyce helps Mick escape and they reconnect later

During a police disruption at the hall, Joyce helps Mick slip away. She is a nurse connected to his father's doctor, and later she and Mick visit his former house where they make love. The night blends personal reckoning with his quest for vengeance.

night Liverpool, Irish social hall
6

Back in London, board meeting and Rosemary confrontation

Back in London, Mick and Hazlitt preside over a successful board meeting, solidifying his position at the company. He then goes home and propositions Rosemary, signaling his intent to have control over both career and marriage. The sequence underscores the tension between ambition and domestic life.

evening London
7

Mick's outburst at a party and Rosemary leaves

The next day, Mick, buoyed by a sense of power, goes out drinking and returns home in a rage, punching Sir Miles Bishton at a party. The incident foreshadows his unraveling personal life. Rosemary leaves him soon after, further destabilizing him.

the following day London, party
8

Hazlitt's suspension and Moyle's takeover chatter

Hazlitt is suspended, and Moyle returns to steer the company. In the midst of corporate maneuvering, Rosemary leaves Mick, marking a personal setback that echoes the broader power struggle. The mood shifts from triumph to insecurity as the board reconfigures.

the following day London
9

Mick confronts his father's attacker in Liverpool

After a magistrate rules his father's death accidental, Mick drives back to Liverpool, checks into a seedy hotel, and arranges an alibi. He borrows a local company car and heads to the social hall, where he confronts Jones—the attacker—and savagely beats him with a pipe. The act secures his sense of justice, albeit through violence.

night Liverpool, social hall
10

Police attention and farewell to his mother

At dawn, Mick checks out and learns that police have been looking for him. He bids an affectionate goodbye to his mother, who tells him the cops have visited. The scene underscores the personal cost of his choices.

morning Liverpool
11

Mick manipulates Hazlitt's secrets with Hilda

Back in London, Mick seduces Hilda, Hazlitt's secretary, and extracts information that damages Hazlitt's standing. He uses the information to bolster Moyle's confidence in promoting him. The maneuver reveals a growing ruthlessness in his ascent.

evening London
12

Moyle confirms Hazlitt's replacement; Hilda's fate questioned

In a boardroom moment, Moyle tells Mick he will replace Hazlitt with him, recognizing his leverage. Moyle assumes Mick will want to keep Hilda, but Mick dismisses her as untrustworthy. The exchange seals Hazlitt's downfall and cements Mick's rise.

later London
13

Final reckless triumph on the motorway

Reconciled with Rosemary, Mick and she ride along a motorway; he exhilarates at driving past a barrier and nearly colliding with a truck, declaring that if he can get away with that, he can get away with anything. The final image crowns his moral compromise with a dangerous thrill.

final scene UK motorway

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 09:24

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