Year: 1991
Runtime: 101 mins
Language: English
Director: Lewis Teague
It’ll blow your mind A male prison escapee heads for his hidden loot, electronically attached to a female prisoner.
Warning: spoilers below!
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Read the complete plot breakdown of Wedlock (1991), including all key story events, major twists, and the ending explained in detail. Discover what really happened—and what it all means.
Frank Warren is an electronics expert and jewel thief who orchestrates a diamond heist at a high-stakes exchange with his longtime partner Sam and his fiancée Noelle. After the theft, Frank quietly hides the diamonds, but his two partners betray him and alert the authorities. He is arrested, yet he refuses to divulge the stash location to the police — or to [Sam] and [Noelle].
He is sentenced to 12 years at Camp Holliday, an experimental “future prison” run by the sadistic Warden Holliday. There are no bars or fences; instead, every prisoner wears a sealed electronic collar — a Wedlock — that is linked to another random inmate. If the two linked inmates are separated by more than 100 yards (91 m), or if anyone tampers with the devices, both collars detonate, decapitating the wearers. The warden uses this cruel system to bully Frank into revealing the stash, but Frank remains steadfast and silent.
In the prison yard, Frank discovers his Wedlock partner is Tracy Riggs, a prisoner who claims she was wrongly convicted. When they accidentally separate, their collars begin to chime with a warning, underscoring the danger of any distance between them.
Sam and Noelle close in on Camp Holliday and stage a violent ambush on a prisoner transport bus to kidnap Frank. In the ensuing chaos, Frank and Tracy manage to escape the authorities and Frank’s treacherous former partners, though the need to stay within reach to avoid detonation forces them to move in tandem as they race across the country with the police and the betrayal team in hot pursuit.
During the journey, Frank and Tracy clash at times but gradually build a fragile trust and a budding romance. They seek out an old associate of Frank’s, Emerald Emerald, who possesses the skill to remove the collars. The plan is interrupted when Sam and Noelle ambush them before the procedure can be completed, but Frank and Tracy fight back, kill their pursuers, and have the collars removed.
With the threat behind them, Frank leads Tracy to the stash’s hiding place for the diamonds. However, Warden Holliday has been tracking them through the internal transponders in the removed collars and arrives in a helicopter to claim the loot for himself.
In the final confrontation, Frank outsmarts the Warden. He attaches a collar to Holliday and drops the matching linked collar into the departing helicopter. As the helicopter pulls away, the distance limit is breached, killing the Warden and destroying the aircraft.
With their enemies dead and the collars gone, Frank and Tracy reclaim the diamonds and drive off together to start a new life.
Last Updated: December 27, 2025 at 11:31
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.
Thrillers where high-concept technology forces characters into a desperate race.Explore movies like 'Wedlock' where characters are forced into a desperate chase by a dangerous technological premise. If you enjoyed the explosive collars and relentless pursuit, you'll find similar tension in these high-concept sci-fi and action thrillers.
The narrative typically begins with the instant activation of a lethal technological constraint, launching the protagonists into a fast-paced chase. The story is a linear race against time and a hostile force, where solving the technological puzzle is as crucial as outrunning the physical threats, often leading to a clear, hard-won resolution.
These movies share a core premise where technology directly creates the central conflict and pacing. They blend sci-fi concepts with thriller mechanics, resulting in a consistently tense and fast-paced experience focused on survival against an unforgiving system.
Stories where two opposites are chained together on the run from greater evils.Find more movies like 'Wedlock' featuring two unlikely partners thrown together on the run. If you liked the dynamic between the fugitives bound by the electronic collar, you'll enjoy these thrilling stories of survival built on tense, evolving relationships.
The plot hinges on the initial animosity and distrust between the two leads, who must navigate external threats while managing their volatile partnership. The narrative arc often sees their relationship evolve from pure necessity to a fragile alliance or even romance, set against a backdrop of constant action and narrow escapes.
These films are united by the compelling character dynamic of a forced partnership. The shared experience of survival creates a unique blend of action, character development, and moderate emotional weight, making the journey as important as the destination.
Don't stop at just watching — explore Wedlock 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 Wedlock is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.
Track the full timeline of Wedlock with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.
Discover the characters, locations, and core themes that shape Wedlock. Get insights into symbolic elements, setting significance, and deeper narrative meaning — ideal for thematic analysis and movie breakdowns.
Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of Wedlock 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.
Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Wedlock: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.
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