Payback (1999)
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A betrayed criminal survives an assassination attempt and embarks on a violent quest to reclaim his stolen share of a heist.
The story
Professional criminals Porter and Val Resnick steal $140,000 from a local Chinese Triad. However, Val betrays Porter, revealing his intent to use the money to join a powerful criminal organization known as the Outfit. This betrayal leads to Porter being shot by his own wife, Lynn, who has been deceived by Val. Left for dead, Porter survives and eventually recovers. Driven by the need to reclaim his $70,000 share, Porter begins a dangerous journey to track down Val and the money, navigating a web of informants, corrupt detectives, and the ruthless Outfit.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After surviving an assassination attempt by his wife, Lynn, Porter seeks his $70,000 share of a $140,000 heist from the criminal Val. Porter discovers Lynn is a drug addict and eventually finds Val at the Outfit-owned Oakwood Arms. After a violent confrontation, Porter learns Val gave the money to the Outfit. Porter is then pursued by the Outfit's henchmen and corrupt detectives Hicks and Leary, who demand a cut. Porter eventually kills Val and discovers the names of Outfit bosses Fairfax and Carter. He manages to frame the detectives for Val's death. Porter then kidnaps the son of the Outfit's head, Bronson, to use as leverage. After a series of violent encounters, including killing Carter and several Triad members, Porter is captured by the Outfit. Fairfax beats Porter for the boy's location. Bronson arrives with a ransom but refuses to pay. In a final confrontation, Porter remains tied in a car trunk but manages to trigger a bomb Phil had planted earlier, killing everyone inside the apartment. Porter and his companion Rosie escape with the money.
- First release year
- 1999
- Runtime (minutes)
- 101
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Brian Helgeland
- Writers
- Brian Helgeland · writer; Terry Hayes · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Mel Gibson · Porter; Gregg Henry · Val; Maria Bello · Lynn; David Paymer · Stegman; Lucy Liu; Deborah Kara Unger; James Coburn; Kris Kristofferson · new villain
- Genres
- action; thriller; crime; gangster; black comedy; neo-noir
- Themes
- revenge; betrayal; greed; identity
- Tone and mood
- violent; sadistic; predictable; muted
- Premise and plot tags
- heist; revenge; crime; action
- Source material / true-story basis
- The novel The Hunter by Donald E. Westlake using the pseudonym Richard Stark.
- Content notes
- BDSM; spousal abuse
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics, with a 56% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 46/100 score on Metacritic. It was well received at the box office, grossing over $161 million worldwide.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 46 · scale: 100 · review count: 18
- Production trivia
- The film was a primary influence for the video game Grand Theft Auto III.; The theatrical version was significantly different from Brian Helgeland's original cut.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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