Search Movie Plot Summaries & Endings Explained

Crime · Tense tone · Bittersweet ending

Charley Varrick (1973)

Running out of luck, Charley Varrick relies on his cunning. He and his crew rob a small-town bank, expecting a modest haul, but discover they’ve taken a huge sum tied to the mob. Now Charley must devise a scheme that outsmarts both the police and the mob while staying one step ahead. He outwits police and mob, turning the robbery into a hard chase.

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Mystery · Dark tone · Ambiguous ending

Satan’s School for Girls (1973)

Set within the grim walls of Fallbridge College for Girls, a young woman enrolls under an assumed name to uncover the truth behind her sister's apparent suicide. At the school she discovers a secret coven of witches known as The Five, and learns that she possesses the occult traits they need to unleash their plan to dominate the world.

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Fantasy · Melancholic tone · Ambiguous ending

The Spirit of the Beehive (1973)

Set in 1940, just after the Spanish Civil War, a young girl on the Castilian plain becomes unnerved after watching James Whale’s 1931 Frankenstein. Her sister tells her the creature never truly died, but lingers as a spirit in a nearby barn, sparking the girl's obsession and blurring the boundary between reality and imagination.

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Crime · Tense tone · Bleak ending

Stateline Motel (1973)

After a Canadian jewelry heist, two American thieves plan to meet near the US border to divide the loot. En route, one crashes and is forced to stay at a remote motel while waiting for repairs. The motel’s attractive proprietor in her thirties becomes infatuated with him, but his secrets and the arrival of police heighten her distrust.

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History · Tense tone · Bleak ending

The Assassination of Matteotti (1973)

How the Italian Fascist Party managed to turn the physical elimination of a political enemy into a test of strength fundamental for the ascent into the totalitarian regime.

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Thriller · Tense tone · Bleak ending

No Place to Hide (1973)

Set in late‑1960s New York, a politically driven student collective plots to bomb the offices of corporations that profit from dictators in Central American nations. Their plan leads them to enlist a notorious terrorist and bomb‑making expert, drawing the FBI into a chase, while the members wrestle with personal loyalties and romance.

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Comedy · Whimsical tone · Ambiguous ending

I Don’t Know Much, But I’ll Say Everything (1973)

Pierre Gastié-Leroy, son of an arms‑factory director, is pressured by his family to adopt militarist values. A dreamer and educator, he tries to rescue three youths he calls “little guys.” After a prison sentence, his father makes him run the factory service, where he hires those “little guys,” exposing father's corruption and their foolishness.

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Drama · Tense tone · Bittersweet ending

Deliver Us from Evil (1973)

Six friends on a relaxed camping trip stumble upon a parachuting skyjacker’s briefcase containing $600,000. After they kill the injured criminal, the promise of easy wealth tempts the group, and greed quickly turns the six men against each other. Each desperate to claim the stolen cash, betrayal and violence erupt as they fight for the money.

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Horror · Dark tone · Bleak ending

The Pyx (1973)

See It…Find Out What It Means! A detective investigating the death of a heroin-addicted prostitute uncovers evidence pointing to the existence of a murderous devil cult.

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Thriller · Bittersweet ending

The Student Teachers (1973)

They can teach you a lot…Enter their course! Sexy student teachers at Valley High School give private lessons while being terrorized by a mad rapist

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Drama · Tense tone · Bittersweet ending

The Pedestrian (1973)

After a German businessman causes a fatal car crash, investigative journalists probe his history, seeking hidden scandals. Their digging uncovers his involvement in World II activities in Greece, forcing him to confront and reassess the moral choices he made during that period.

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Fantasy · Tense tone · Bittersweet ending

Beyond Atlantis (1973)

An isolated island, long forgotten by nature, is invaded by modern explorers. Its native inhabitants are half‑human, half‑fish beings who protect a rumored buried treasure. A group of adventurers arrives, determined to claim the fortune, sparking a clash between the intruders and the mysterious island dwellers.

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Crime · Dark tone · Sad ending

Massage Parlor Murders (1973)

A vicious serial killer stalks New York City, brutally murdering massage workers in Times Square. A rogue team of detectives races against time to identify the predator and stop the rising body count, confronting danger at every turn.

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Thriller · Tense tone

Slaughter’s Big Rip-Off (1973)

The mob targets Slaughter, and he answers with a gun‑pointed finger of his own. As a lone vigilante, he finds himself hunted by Duncan, a local money launderer whose hit‑man lures him into a car perched on a cliff. Slaughter breaks free, weapon in hand, and storms Duncan’s hideout to settle the score.

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Comedy · Light tone · Happy ending

Ku Fu? Dalla Sicilia con furore (1973)

Franco, a Sicilian who idolizes Bruce Lee, becomes the unwitting pupil of Don Vito, a Chinese exile punished for smuggling rice from Palermo to Beijing. Vito’s attempts to teach him kung‑fu lead to a series of chaotic, disastrous mishaps that underline the film’s slap‑stick humor.

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Drama · Melancholic tone · Sad ending

Bang the Drum Slowly (1973)

When charismatic pitcher Henry Wiggen joins the New York Mammoths, his confidence initially wins over his teammates. However, his rough exterior begins to soften as he develops a close friendship with Bruce Pearson, a gentle giant catcher facing a terminal illness. Their bond deepens as they confront life's fragility, but simmering team tensions threaten their unlikely connection and challenge Henry’s sense of purpose and direction.

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Mystery · Dark tone · Bittersweet ending

High Plains Drifter (1973)

A lone and enigmatic gunslinger, played by Clint Eastwood, arrives in the isolated town of Lago, instantly stirring up a mixture of intrigue and suspicion. He demonstrates his skills in several confrontations, leading the townsfolk to believe he might be their only protection against a vengeful gang seeking retribution. However, as his power and influence grow, so does the unsettling mystery surrounding his true motives and a dark secret that threatens the town.

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Action · Tense tone · Bittersweet ending

Enter the Dragon (1973)

A martial arts expert is invited to participate in a prestigious kung fu tournament held on a remote island. Seeking retribution for the death of his sister, he uses the competition as an opportunity to confront a powerful drug lord and his network of criminal operatives. The tournament is a front for illegal activities, and the master must use all his skill to survive and expose the truth.

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Thriller · Dark tone · Bleak ending

Happy Mother’s Day, Love George (1973)

An adopted teenager flees to the town he believes is his birthplace, seeking his biological mother and answers about his identity. Upon arriving, he is caught up in a series of local disappearances and murders, confronting the region’s New England reserve and a cast of eccentric relatives.

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Drama · Tense tone · Bittersweet ending

A Doll’s House (1973)

Nora Helmer leads a quiet life with her husband Torvald, a bank manager, in a small Norwegian town, caring for their children while he is unaware that years earlier, when he was ill, she forged a loan and has been secretly repaying it. The arrival of her friend Kristine forces Nora to reassess her marriage and confront the truth with Torvald.

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Comedy · Bittersweet tone · Sad ending

My Brother Anastasia (1973)

Don Salvatore Anastasia, a seminary priest from Tropea, Calabria, travels to New York to meet his long‑absent brother, who emigrated illegally years earlier. Welcomed by the Little Italy community, he stays as assistant pastor at St. Lucia. His surname opens doors, revealing his brother is the notorious mob boss Albert Anastasia.

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Crime · Dark tone · Bittersweet ending

High Crime (1973)

A determined Italian police inspector confronts a powerful European drug cartel, using every ounce of cleverness to dismantle the operation. As he penetrates deeper into the organization’s hierarchy, his chances of surviving the lethal underworld diminish, raising the stakes and intensity of his pursuit.

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Drama · Bittersweet tone · Bittersweet ending

American Graffiti (1973)

As summer ends in 1962 California, Curt, Steve, Terry, and John spend one last night cruising, accompanied by the sounds of classic rock and the voice of Wolfman Jack. They navigate relationships, youthful rebellion, and the excitement of the open road, while facing the transition into adulthood. The night is filled with memorable encounters and the bittersweet feeling of change.

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Horror · Dark tone · Bittersweet ending

The Mansion of Madness (1973)

Inspired by Edgar Allan Poe, this contemporary horror thriller follows the inmates of a remote asylum who violently seize control, imprisoning the doctors and staff. With the institution now under their rule, the patients enforce a nightmarish order that reflects their own twisted visions of how the facility should be run.

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Drama · Dark tone · Ambiguous ending

Heavy Traffic (1973)

From the creators of Fritz the Cat comes a bold, gritty tale about an underground cartoonist navigating the harsh realities of inner‑city life. He draws on the colorful, often dangerous characters he meets on the streets, using their stories as the raw material for his provocative artwork.

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Action · Tense tone · Bittersweet ending

White Lightning (1973)

Following his brother’s death, Gator McKlusky is released from prison with a mission for revenge in the dangerous world of moonshining. He seeks vengeance against Sheriff Connors, a corrupt lawman who controls the illegal alcohol trade. Gator’s quest leads him into a violent confrontation with Connors and his gang, as he fights to expose the criminal network and bring them to justice.

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Action · Tense tone · Bittersweet ending

The Neptune Factor (1973)

An epic undersea adventure follows a cutting‑edge submarine dispatched to locate a deep‑sea research laboratory that vanished during a violent earthquake. As the crew descends into the abyss, they confront relentless hazards and terrifying unknowns lurking beneath the ocean’s dark depths.

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Thriller · Tense tone · Bittersweet ending

No, the Case Is Happily Resolved (1973)

When the eyewitness to a brutal murder decides not to testify, the actual murderer chooses to finger him as the murderer and claim eyewitness status for himself.

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Romance · Bittersweet tone · Sad ending

Jeremy (1973)

At a New York arts school, cello student Jeremy becomes enchanted when he sees Susan rehearsing for a ballet audition. Drawn to her dedication, he experiences the thrill and uncertainty of his first love, navigating the demands of their artistic pursuits together.

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Drama · Tense tone · Mixed ending

The Day of the Jackal (1973)

A shadowy organization recruits a professional assassin, known only as the Jackal, to assassinate French President Charles de Gaulle. As the Jackal systematically eliminates anyone who stands in his way, French detective Claude Lebel launches a desperate race against time to track him down and prevent the attack. The pursuit becomes a tense and dangerous game of cat and mouse, with the fate of a nation hanging in the balance.

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Thriller · Tense tone · Sad ending

Gehri Chaal (1973)

Dharamchand, chair of Olympic Bank, faces a final audit when his daughter Hema discovers his corpse. A suicide note reveals he embezzled 20 lakhs and killed himself. Brother Ratan hides the note to protect the family’s reputation. Blackmailer Shekhar coerces Ratan into a robbery two days before the audit; the gang loots the bank, burns the records and escapes.

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Drama · Hopeful tone

The Last American Hero (1973)

Junior Jackson’s ambition and a desire for redemption drive him from his North Carolina hometown into the competitive world of professional stock car racing. Alongside his brother Wayne, Junior faces a challenging journey filled with corporate sponsorships and shady dealings. He strives to achieve his dream of racing success and earn enough money to resolve his father’s financial difficulties.

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Thriller · Tense tone · Bittersweet ending

The MacKintosh Man (1973)

A British intelligence operative creates a fictitious criminal persona, deliberately gets arrested, serves time and is released to penetrate a covert spy ring and reveal a mole. Just as he nears success, his cover is compromised and he is handed over to the gang that threatens the mission.

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Drama · Tense tone · Sad ending

Dillinger (1973)

After a shoot‑out in Kansas City kills five FBI agents, the Bureau targets notorious bank robber John Dillinger. His daring robberies make him a folk hero; after escaping jail he joins Pretty Boy Floyd and Baby Face Nelson, becoming Public Enemy Number One. The G‑men launch a manhunt, turning the chase into a high‑stakes game across the Midwest.

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Horror · Tense tone · Sad ending

The Boy Who Cried Werewolf (1973)

After spending a weekend at his father's isolated mountain cabin, young Richie Bridgestone witnesses his dad being mauled by a creature he knows is a werewolf. Determined to be believed, Richie races against doubt, trying to convince his mother and therapist that the monster is real, while the threat looms larger.

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Thriller · Tense tone · Bittersweet ending

Lady Ice (1973)

SHE wanted a fortune in jewels … HE wanted her! An insurance investigator romances a wealthy young beauty when he suspects she may be involved in fencing stolen jewels.

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Action · Tense tone · Happy ending

Cleopatra Jones (1973)

A skilled and determined federal agent, Cleopatra Jones, pursues a ruthless crime boss, Stella Stevens, to her gambling den in Macao. Known for her exceptional martial arts abilities and unwavering resolve, Jones confronts Stevens in a dangerous showdown. She relentlessly investigates Stevens’ criminal empire, leaving no detail unexplored in her pursuit of justice and to dismantle the entire operation.

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Animation · Light tone · Happy ending

Treasure Island (1973)

Young Jim Hawkins joins Dr. Livesey, Squire Trelawney, and a cheeky pirate mouse named Hiccup as they charter a vessel to locate the legendary hoard left by the infamous Captain Flint. Their expedition is jeopardized when Flint’s former crew members conspire to seize the ship and claim the treasure for themselves, forcing the party to outwit the mutineers and protect their quest.

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Horror · Dark tone · Ambiguous ending

Death Smiles on a Murderer (1973)

Greta, a beautiful young woman, is abused by her brother Franz and abandoned to die during childbirth by her lover, the aristocrat Dr. von Ravensbrück. Grief‑stricken, Franz uses an ancient Incan‑inscribed formula to resurrect her. Greta returns as an undead avenger, hunting down the Ravensbrück family and confronting her obsessive brother.

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Drama · Tense tone · Bittersweet ending

Cahill U.S. Marshal (1973)

A hardened U.S. Marshal, haunted by his strained relationship with his sons, finds them implicated in a dangerous bank robbery orchestrated by a ruthless outlaw. Forced to confront his past mistakes, he must now pursue his own children while bringing the criminal gang to justice in this gritty Western drama, testing his skills and challenging his sense of duty.

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