Stuck

Plot synopsis:
Thomas Bardo (Stephen Rea) has been down on his luck ever since the company he worked for had closed. He has been without a job, his unemployment had run out, and he seems to be lost in the system as he tries finding a new job. He is forced out of his ghetto apartment by a heartless landlord (Wayne Robson), and he takes the small lot of possessions and heads for a public park bench to spend the night.Brandi Boski (Mena Suvari) is an attractive young female, she is a nurses aide at a retirement home who seems to be very caring for the residents there. At night when work is out, Brandi likes to party and the company she keeps is shady to say the least. She scores some ecstasy at a bar one night, and then makes plans to go back to her house and sleep with her drug dealer.As Brandi is on her way home, she is talking on her cell to her boyfriend/drug dealer Rashid (Russell Hornsby). At the same time, a policeman (Wally MacKinnon) rudely awakes Thomas and tells him to head for the shelter across town because its illegal to be in the park after dusk. As Thomas makes his way across town, Brandi, who isn't paying attention to the road, hits Thomas with her car with great force. Thomas is now literally stuck half way through her front windshield, with his legs hanging out of the window on the hood of the car.Brandi is freaked out and confused about what to do. She tries dropping him off at a hospital, but the idea of getting caught scares her off to hide her car with Thomas stuck in her windshield in her garage. When she learns that he is still alive, she promises to get him help. Since she is still high on drugs and alcohol, she instead goes into her house and makes love to her drug dealer, Rashid. She drags Rashid into this whole fiasco the next day, as she figures he has done this sort of thing before, as far as getting rid of bodies.Rashid finds it hard to do the deed, and instead is betsed by Thomas who had hid a bic pen in his sleeve and revealed it at the right time, right through Rashid's eye. Then he took Rashid's gun and shot him. Brandi comes out of her house and sees Thomas escaping and smashes him in the head with a hammer. She drags him into the garage and decides to spill gasoline all over the car, Thomas and Rashid. Thomas somehow bests her, and she burns alive in her own garage.

Tags: cult, violence

Review:
Is fear an acceptable reason for selfishness, brutality and a headlong flight from responsibility?Gordon deals admirably with this dilemma using a crafty balance of horror and humor in a bloody film about a hit & run driver who becomes inhuman while the victim remains human and humane through relentless pain, shock, & bad luck.
Both Stephen Rea and Mena Suvari offer up fine performances as a middle class guy down on his luck and a hard working and hard playing young woman in a tough and demanding job..
You can believe that this actually happened, (based loosely on a true story) though this takes events to the extreme.Stephen Rea gives a constrained performance, (pun intended) as the proverbial bug.
The story is based on the bizarre true life tale of a woman who hit a homeless man with her car and let him slowly bleed to death while stuck in her windshield.
Gordon calls this "the way the story should have turned out." The homeless man in this case is played by the reliable Steven Rea, whose sad eyes give him a head start on eliciting sympathy.
Instead of taking the man to a hospital, she drives home, leaving the man to bleed to death in her garage while she goes inside and has sex with her boyfriend.Gordon's take on the story follows the real world events quite loosely, changing most everything after the initial crash.
STUCK is one of those films that creeps up on you, teases you into thinking a comedy is in the making, then slowly reveals itself as what seems to be an exposé of our current manner of getting through life, of competing in the workplace, and of self absorption to the point of endangering those around us.
The fact that the film is based on a true story as adapted by director Stuart Gordon and transformed into a bitingly satirical screenplay by John Strysik increases the impact of this well-crafted little low budget film.
Brandi cum altered thought processes drives home, hits Thomas who comes sailing through her windshield badly injured, and out of fear and distress Brandi merely takes the 'stuck' Thomas home to park him in her garage, knowing that her boyfriend Rashid will help her.
One of the strengths of the movie was, that despite the lead character's horrid actions, she felt very real; a young, unintelligent woman, who completely lacked any understanding of true values, but who still was convincingly portrayed as a person with a warm heart and an appreciated colleague.
An hard working nurse (Mena Suvari) life's turns upside down, when she accidentally a down on his luck homeless man (Stephen Rea) late night in the streets.
But the man is actually tougher than he looks and she tries to convinces her drug-dealer boyfriend (Russell Hurnsby) to kill this bum.Directed by Stuart Gordon (Fortress, From Beyond, The Pit and the Pendulum "1991") made an entertaining darkly comedic thriller that is loosely based on a true fact.
At least as far as I'm concerned, "Stuck" easily overpowers the other two films because here Gordon has the opportunity to work with really current issues (hit-and-run accidents) and the type of agony everyone dreads (helplessly being left to die like a dog).
The basic plot is inspired by a true story (which makes everything all the more depressing), but Stuart Gordon masterfully turns the whole event into an extraordinary non-stop spitfire of social criticism.
None of what was portrayed was believable.The story is about a girl who works as a Care Assistant and is involved in an accident and what follows is a load of unbelievable tripe with enough plot holes to fly a jumbo jet through it.From about 10 minutes in to the film I just wanted it to be over.
(like, "ok, I'll go, but...whatever." You don't come to complete halt to make that statement unless you're some simple organism).**Another hit against Pedro's mom- As she's peering in the garage window and sees the man stuck in the car window, why did she bang on the window so damn long to tell him that she's going to get help?
COME OPEN THE DOOR?**Mena Suvari looked...very unappealing the entire movie.What could've been a decent thriller is absolutely killed by the terrible acting and bad writing..
Mena Suvari plays Brandi,the overworked nurse's aid who,on the verge of a promotion,crosses the line when driving drunk and drugged after a night out partying she hits a homeless man(Stephen Rea)and ends up more concerned about her promotion than his life.Stuck in the windshield of her car badly injured homeless man is along for the ride as she drives home and parks the car in the garage with the hope that he will finally succumb to his injuries.Fantastic horror film from always reliable Stuart Gordon.The gore is quite disturbing with the emphasis on broken bones and physical pain.The story is well-constructed,the acting by Rea and Suvari is strong and there are several moments of black humour to relieve the tension.Very erotic sex scene with Mena Suvari too!.
Mena Suvari plays nurse Brandi Boski who, on the eve of her promotion, strikes a homeless man who gets stuck (hence the title) in her windshield.
A problem arises soon thereafter when it is revealed that the man is not actually dead.When word came my way that a movie was coming out based on the Chante Mallard story, I was pretty pumped.
I may never have thought of Stuart Gordon as a dialogue-driven director, but this film really showcases his ability to bring normal characters to life without gimmicks.By the time you read this, "Stuck" should be available in stores.
but many aspects of "Stuck" hint that no matter how big, Gordon knows his roots.) Those who never heard of Stuart Gordon and are confused by all my ranting and raving will enjoy the film as well, because it's a story that real, with real people and real emotions.
The only reason I went beyond the 30 minute mark was to see how they were going to end this monstrosity.A chain of absolutely unbelievable, 'oh come on, you just wouldn't' events that wouldn't even work as a slapstick comedy.Really, make better use of an hour and a bit of your life.I don't want to waste any more time on this, but there's a minimum of 10 lines per comment.Nina hasn't aged well.That's just my opinion.Oh, terrible soundtrack..
What "Stuck" makes is incredibly larger than life, ten times twisted and a little bit funny, but it does also involve a situation with a car and lots of blood.
Here, Mena Suvari plays an nurse having the best day of her life until she accidentally hit and run a man (Stephen Rea) who was having the worst day of his life after being evicted from his house.
Yes, it can and it doesn't get better after one bad decision after another made by this woman who simply doesn't help this injured man, who tries in the best possible way (considerally being stuck on a windshield, with a broken leg and losing more and more blood) to get out of there.
We can put ourselves in the character's shoes, specially on Suvari's character (we would act and think better than her, our moral would be nicer than hers).A good study on how acting without thinking can get you in lot of trouble becoming an unforgettable thing in your conscience, "Stuck", just like the situation it presents, it's a point of no return.
As typical for a Gordon film, it looks visually behind the times by about 15 years, but he gets a quality performance from Suvari, who carries her scenes very well.
I have not yet seen this movie...but I was reading where some think this movie is supposed to be an unrealistic thing happening...think again.It did happen, in Ft. Worth Texas...Actually 2001, a twenty-something nurse's aide named Chante Mallard partied at a club, drank, took Ecstasy, smoked weed, left the club with her friend where she then picked up her Chevrolet Cavalier.A few minutes later, she hit a man on a dimly-lit highway.
The real-life events in this case are that a woman called Chante Mallard took drugs, ran over a guy who smashed through her windshield, but instead of stopping or getting help, she drove home with him in the windshield, and tried to get her friends to get rid of the evidence.With this movie, Stuart Gordon deviates a little from this and asks the question: What if he hadn't died as fast?
While driving back home, Brandi accidentally hits the unemployed project manager Thomas Bardo (Stephen Rea) and the man gets stuck in the windshield of her car.
Instead of taking him to the emergency of a hospital, Brandi brings Thomas to her garage and leaves the wounded man stuck in the windshield without any medical care.
The film is based on the true story of Chante Mallard; a Texan woman that hit a tramp while drunk driving and left the unfortunate fellow to die while stuck in her windshield.
Of course, it's the central plot that is the most horrifying and the idea of a man stuck halfway through a car windshield while the only person that knows about it refuses help leaves a real nasty taste.
A lot of the film takes place inside of a small garage, and the claustrophobia and isolation of this setting comes through well and Stuart Gordon makes it clear how desperate the central character's situation is at all times.
The way that things are turned on their head at the end is good and overall this is an excellent little film that is well worth a look!.
If I did not know the story of Stuck was based on true events,I would have laughed of its premise.However,although the events shown on this film really happened,a lot of elements were changed for making the story more fluid.But the problem is that the story does not result too satisfactory.Stuck is not a bad film,but I think it is mediocre.On its most basic level,Stuck is a thriller which has impulse for the stupidities of its characters and all the bad decisions they take.I think that on some sense,it pretends to show the insensibility of the humanity and the difficult situation of North American society (or,thinking about it better,from the whole world) in which it is much more easy ignoring other people's tragedies.I also found on this movie,some touches of black humor director Stuart Gordon frequently puts to his movies (for example,King of the Ants) for making lighter the intense violence and drama.I appreciated that elements but the screenplay from this film lacks of personality and style.Plus,this movie lacks of any deep levels and,as a final result,Stuck is a hollow thriller.I am maybe being unfair because I should analyze the movie for what it offers and not for what it could have offered.And,also on that level,the movie is not too satisfactory.As I said,the screenplay lacks of personality and style and it is full of irrelevant elements which add nothing to the story.Mena Suvari does not completely fit on her character.She lacks of the intensity and dramatic weight her character needed.After winning fame for his excellent work on the horror genre,Gordon backed to the theatrical drama which made him start with his career and his most recent films have that style : small stories with very few locations and a group of characters facing unusual situations.But King of the Ants,Edmond and now Stuck,did not result too satisfactory,so I hope Gordon leaves a little bit aside this style from his most recent films.Stuck is not a bad movie and it kept me moderately entertained but it was a mediocre experience in my case and,as the previously mentioned King of the Ants and Edmond,it disappointed me after Gordon's excellent works on films like Re-Animator and From Beyond..
I know that Stuck is supposedly based on a true story, but I prefer to keep thinking that these kinds of things can only happen in fiction.If you're in the mood for a short, gory thriller, then there aren't many recent movies that are more entertaining than Stuck..
Mena "American Pie" Suvari and Stephen Rea star in this remarkable little thriller that manages to deliver despite it's glaring and obvious flaws.It tells the story of a woman drunk at the wheel looking at her phone who runs into a homeless man with her car.
In fact I haven't cared as much about a character since The Pursuit of Happyness (2006).Essentially a thriller it has moments of black comedy, mostly due to Russell Hornsby who was really good here.The films main flaw is that it's essentially following the antagonist, the lead is the bad guy (Or girl in this case) and that comes across odd especially as it's as if you're watching her plight when she's blatantly the antagonist.
Watching Rea struggle against the odds is very enjoyable and builds to a decent finale that really underlines the movies quality.Despite it's flaws this is a great film helped by a solid premise and decent cast.The Good:Stephen ReaSome great ideasThe Bad:Having the antagonist as the lead is just oddI still don't like Suvari, no idea why.
I loved the scenes of the crash, the loved how they made the slow motion effects as the Car hits the Homeless man, it kinds of made it look believable,I thought homeless man acting this movie was outstanding and I don't think the female lead was not that good.At times of the movie it seem that she bored with the movie and sometimes wooded I liked how the movied ended, 7 out of 10.
It's hard to categorise the film - it has elements of thriller, horror, comedy and drama and as a result it does feel a little uneven at times.
Stephen Rea and Mena Suvari are in top form in this over the top delightfully deranged thriller about a woman who hits a bum on the day she heard that she is up for a promotion and instead of doing the right thing she slides down the path of self destruction.
Mena Suvari is a young easygoing nurse who bumps into an out of job and newly homeless Stephen Rea and gets stuck in a situation she wasn't expecting herself to wind up in.
And Stephen Rea played destitute like few can.I hope Gordon does more non-horror films.
Sadly, it did happen in 2001 when a woman hit a homeless man with her car and he ended up stuck in her windshield.
Man hit by car seems to have both feet broken somehow managed to keep right up to the end of the movie.Why Brandi did not help, especially after he said he would take all the blame on him and it will not be held answered in any way.
It's a good, somewhat gross, movie to kick back and relax to with some friends for a casual experience at its best.I'd also like to note the odd casting choice of Mena Suvari as Brandi.
And it delivers the goods: it's suspenseful and believable throughout, with great work by both Stephen Rea and Mena Suvari, surprising plot twists, some REALLY painful stuff to watch (including a wicked girlfight scene and an oh-my-God scene involving a Pekinese dog), and the combination of bloody visuals and dark humor for which director Stuart Gordon is renowned.
This is actually a sad, tragic, story; but mostly a psychological thriller, or a psychological study, about people put in unexpected, dramatic, even tragic, dilemmas and how they react to it.An overworked, X-gulping nurse and party girl hits with her car an OOW Project Manager and takes him home, stuck in her windshield.
A young woman (Mena Suvari), who is slightly high, hits a down-on-his-luck man (Stephen Rea) who wasn't looking where he was going.
The best thing about watching this film was thinking the whole time it was a true story that happened to this woman where she hit someone and panics so much that she didn't help that person.
First it starts out a bit like Crash with diverging story lines, then it's a drama, then about an hour in it's played for black humor, and finally it becomes a horror movie with a preposterous climax straight out of Fatal Attraction.
After that there's little to no action, just a pretty retarded blonde who doesn't seem to care that there's a man stuck in her car in the garage.For some reason I just expected way more action from this, I cant really place it in the horror-box.
You might even come to think it is an important film about the social status of the world today, but please remember, you only think this because you're a half-wit.If you don't want to be treated like a village idiot, don't spend your time watching this movie.
Tom(Stephen Rea) has lost his job, been thrown out of his apartment and is minding his business, walking along his merry way, and bam, a woman, Brandi(Mena Suvari), drivers her car into him, and as a result he gets stuck in her windshield.
Mena Suvari stars as Brandi, a woman who is involved in a hit & run with a down-on-his-luck man (Stephen Rea), who gets stuck in her windshield and is left to die after she drives home and parks in her garage.in this pitch black comedy (very) loosely based on the sad case of Chante Jawan Mallard, a black druggie who gloated and laughed about the whitey she had hit with her car and was handed a 50 year sentence.Ignoring the real-life incident and instead choosing to take this film on it's own merits, I found it to be a fairly tense film.
Stuck is based on the true story of Chante Jawan Mallard, a 27 year old nurse's assistant who, after a night of drinking, smoking pot and popping ecstasy, hit a homeless man with her car and then drove home with his mangled body jammed in the windshield.