Ticker

Ticker

Year: 2002

Runtime: 10 mins

Language: English

Director: Joe Carnahan

AdventureAction

The Driver escorts a wounded diplomat with a mysterious briefcase under helicopter fire. A bullet punctures it, starting a countdown and leaking fluid. After destroying the attackers, the Driver refuses to proceed until he learns the case’s contents – a human heart for a peacekeeper’s survival. Delivering it forces the tyrant to abandon his coup; Driver leaves.

Warning: spoilers below!

Haven’t seen Ticker 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 & Setting – Ticker (2002)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Ticker (2002). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

The events unfold in a contemporary setting, spanning a single high-stakes day. Modern policing tactics, such as SWAT deployments and bomb squad interventions, drive the pace and tension. The movie relies on present-day urban environments rather than historical milestones.

Location

United States Senator's house, San Francisco

A tense hostage crisis erupts at the house of a United States Senator, drawing in a bomb squad and SWAT team to disarm a deadly device. As the siege unfolds, the action shifts to the streets and industrial districts of San Francisco, where investigators pursue the bomber's network. The setting juxtaposes a fortified residence with gritty urban locations, highlighting a city under siege and the race against time.

🏛️ Government 🏙️ City 💥 Action

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 11:58

Main Characters – Ticker (2002)

Meet the key characters of Ticker (2002), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Frank Glass (Steven Seagal)

A veteran bomb squad leader who disarms a basement bomb yet suspects it may be a feint. He remains calm under pressure and guides Ray Nettles through the crisis, using his experience to cut through chaos. His insistence on thoroughness and his wary intuition drive the critical moments on the rooftop and beyond.

🔧 Veteran 🧠 Calm under pressure 🎯 Precision

Ray Nettles (Tom Sizemore)

A narcotics cop whose grief over a past loss fuels his relentlessness. He pursues leads with hard-edged persistence, sometimes clashing with colleagues as he chases both criminals and his own demons. His drive to protect others is tempered by personal pain that threatens his judgment.

🧭 Determined 💔 Grieving 🛡️ Protective

Art "Fuzzy" Rice (Nas)

Ray's partner, who senses Ray's need for help and urges him to seek support. He is loyal and grounded, providing a steady counterpoint to Ray's relentless pursuit. He becomes a casualty of the escalating attack, underscores the cost of the city's war on crime.

🤝 Loyal 🧠 Practical 💪 Dependable

Claire (Jaime Pressly)

The woman connected to the case who becomes the mastermind behind the bombings. She decides to cooperate after capture, but maintains an air of mystery as she reveals details about the bomber ring and plays both sides. Her manipulation and cool resolve drive the story's most shocking twists.

🧠 Manipulative 🎭 Calculated 🗝️ Strategic

Vincent Cruichshank

Leader of the bomb crew assembled for the climactic attack. He embodies the plan's brutality and works with a partner who doubts the mission, creating tension through conflict within the ranks. His actions push the chase from the streets to a final confrontation.

💣 Ruthless 🔗 Connected 🗡️ Aggressive

Alex Swan

A central bomber whose plans are revealed as the mastermind's larger scheme unfolds. His actions escalate the countdown toward a city-wide catastrophe. His role embodies the threat of well-organized, calculated violence.

🧭 Calculated 💥 Threat 🕳️ Hidden

Vershbow

A surviving member of the bomb plot who coerces Swan and contributes to the tense, final confrontation. His fear gives way to cold feet and affective double-crossing, heightening the tension as law enforcement moves to stop the next strike.

🗝️ Sneaky 🧊 Cold 🧯 Reactive

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 11:58

Major Themes – Ticker (2002)

Explore the central themes of Ticker (2002), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

💔 Grief

Ray Nettles is haunted by the car bombing death of his wife and son, and his drive to solve the case is fueled by personal loss. Glass tries to mentor him through the crisis, helping him cope with trauma while staying focused on the danger. The film uses grief as both a motivation and a potential obstacle to sound judgment.

🕵️ Deception

The mastermind Claire manipulates the investigation, exploiting loyalties and misdirecting investigators. The bracelet, the decoy bombs, and the shifting loyalties create a web of misdirection that keeps the police guessing. Betrayals culminate in a high-stakes revelation at City Hall.

🛡️ Duty

Police and bomb squad personnel face the burden of protecting civilians while navigating competing pressures. Glass's insistence on verifying threats and the team's coordinated response illustrate professional duty under extreme stress. The narrative probes the balance between heroism and the risk of overreach during a city-wide crisis.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 11:58

Mobile App Preview

Coming soon on iOS and Android

The Plot Explained Mobile App

From blockbusters to hidden gems — dive into movie stories anytime, anywhere. Save your favorites, discover plots faster, and never miss a twist again.

Sign up to be the first to know when we launch. Your email stays private — always.

Explore Movie Threads

Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Frantic Urban Countdown Thrillers like Ticker

Heart-pounding stories where a city's fate hinges on a race against time.If you liked the high-stakes, fast-paced tension of Ticker, this list features movies with similar ticking-clock scenarios. These action-thrillers focus on a desperate race against time to prevent disaster in a city setting, perfect for fans of relentless pacing and urban danger.

tensesuspensefulurgentanxiousrelentlessgrittydesperate

Narrative Summary

These narratives typically center on a single, escalating threat with a clear deadline. A protagonist or team, often an expert or law enforcement official, must navigate a hostile urban landscape to defuse a bomb, stop an assassin, or prevent a catastrophe, facing obstacles that constantly raise the stakes.

Why These Movies?

Movies are grouped here for their shared combination of a fast pace, high intensity, and a tense tone driven by a literal or metaphorical countdown. They deliver a coherent experience of urban anxiety and procedural urgency.

High-Stakes Courier Missions like in Ticker

Stories where a simple delivery becomes a deadly fight for survival.Fans of Ticker's premise of a driver protecting a vital cargo will enjoy these movies. This list features thrilling stories centered on dangerous deliveries, where a courier's skills are pushed to the limit against relentless pursuers, capturing the same feel of a focused, high-intensity mission.

tensegrittyfocusedrelentlesssuspensefulprofessionalchase

Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern follows a highly skilled but often reluctant courier who accepts a seemingly straightforward job. The cargo's true importance is revealed mid-mission, transforming the delivery into a critical objective that attracts dangerous adversaries, forcing the courier to use all their expertise to survive and complete the task.

Why These Movies?

These films share a core premise that generates specific tension: the protection of a vital item under duress. They are united by a focused plot, high action intensity, and the character archetype of the professional forced into a heroic role.

Unlock the Full Story of Ticker

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

Ticker Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Ticker, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

Ticker Summary

Ticker Timeline

Track the full timeline of Ticker with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

Ticker Timeline

Ticker Spoiler-Free Summary

Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of Ticker that covers the main plot points and key details without revealing any major twists or spoilers. Perfect for those who want to know what to expect before diving in.

Ticker Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Ticker

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Ticker: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

More About Ticker