Quick Links
Remakes are always a tricky prospect in Hollywood, especially if the original movie is beloved by many fans.Prime Videohave done just that with the 1989 cult classic,Road House, which starred Patrick Swayze alongside Kelly Lynch and Sam Elliott. Swayze played Dalton, the bouncer with a particular set of skills who is tasked with cleaning up a rowdy establishment in Missouri, and fending off the local criminal who appears to be running the town.
In 2024, Jake Gyllenhaal takes on the role of Dalton, and he’s re-imagined as an Ex-UFC fighter, who again takes on a job as a bouncer, but this time at a Florida Keys roadhouse, only to discover that the paradise he’s turned up in is really not all it seems. He is joined in the cast by Daniela Melchior, Billy Magnussen and first-time actor,Conor McGregor, with the action romp directed by the legendary, Doug Liman.
Dalton (Gyllenhaal taking onPatrick Swayze’s original role) is an ex-UFC fighter with a troubled past. He turns up for a fight at an underground establishment, with his opponent backing out of the fight before they can start, as they know all about his reputation. This leaves Dalton claiming the prize money and going on his way. After one particular canceled fight, he is approached by a woman called Frankie, who runs a Road House in the Florida Keys, and needs his help to clean the place up after experiencing a wave of trouble.
Dalton is reluctant to take the job, but eventually accepts and turns up in the Florida Keys, and assesses the situation at the roadhouse. He intervenes when a vicious biker gang turn up to cause havoc, and ends up fighting off the leader of the group, Dell, (JD Pardo) after he tries to shoot him on the boat he’s staying on during his visit. Dell ends up being eaten by an alligator, which draws the attention of the corrupt local police force.
Dalton soon discovers the unexpected violence at the Road House has a hidden agenda which involves a local criminal businessman, Ben Brandt (Magnussen), who aims to take over the establishment to build a resort. His father, who is currently in prison, enlists the help of a brutal fighter called Knox, (McGregor) who turns up in the Florida Keys to provide a match for Dalton’s fighting skills.
During a brawl at the Road House, Knox badly injures Dalton, which prompts him to leave town. However, on his way out of the Florida Keys, he notices Charlie’s bookstore has been burned down, which creates a rage from within, as he’d struck up a friendship with the girl, Charlie (played by Hannah Love Lanier) and her father.
Dalton seeks revenge and kills Brandt’s henchman, Vince (Beau Knapp), and steals Ben’s money. However, Brandt kidnaps his love interest, Ellie (Melchior), and her father, who is the corrupt sheriff (played by Joaquim de Almeida) and he seeks Dalton’s help, which he accepts despite his suspicions about his true intentions. Dalton refuses to hand over the stolen money, and confronts Brandt on his luxury boat, which leads to a violent showdown and an explosion set off by Dalton.
Dalton tries to rescue Ellie from the sinking boat, while Brandt aims to destroy the Road House and heads towards it in his boat. Dalton chases after Brandt, and gets aboard his boat just before it crashes into the Road House, causing bad damage to the property.
At the Road House, Dalton confronts Brandt, and they have one ofthe best fist fights, before Knox turns up at the scene, and the pair engage in a brutal fight. Knox stabs Dalton in the same place he was injured earlier in the movie, with a sharp piece of wood, causing Dalton to bleed. Brandt instructs Knox to finish off Dalton, but Knox turns on him and kills him instead. After this, Knox approaches Dalton to finish him off, but he fights back and stabs Knox repeatedly.
The sheriff turns up on the scene and advises Dalton to leave town, with the promise that he’ll cover for him. Glass Key has returned to some level of normalcy, with Frankie (played by Jessica Williams) cleaning up the damage left at the Road House while remaining open for business.
Meanwhile, Charlie and her father are trying to restore the bookstore to its former glory after the fire. Charlie sees Dalton before he departs on a Greyhound bus, and tries to persuade him to stay. But he says goodbye and leaves town. As he leaves, it is revealed that he’s left a bag of money for Charlie and her father in the bookstore.
Despite Knox’s injuries, inflicted upon him by Dalton in the brutal final showdown at the Road House, there’s a post credits scene that shows Knox is very much alive and well, and recovering from his injuries in hospital.
He causes chaos in the hospital and leaves in a revealing hospital gown, while the nurses and doctors are trying to treat his injuries. Knox is clearly not happy and this acts as a nice little setup for a potential sequel where he could seek revenge on Dalton.
Prime Video
Prime Video is Amazon’s streaming service that began as Amazon Unbox back in September 2006. The streaming service has gone through many rebrandings over the year but has managed to successfully compete with other streamers such as Netflix, Max, and Disney+. Some of their most notable titles include The Boys, Carnival Row, and Sound of Metal.
