“The Retirement Plan,” directed by Tim Brown, is an action-crime film released in 2023. The star-studded cast includes Nicholas Cage, Ashley Greene, Ron Perlman, Jackie Earle Harly, Ernie Hudson, Joel David Moore, Lynn Whitefield, Grace Byers, and more. The movie’s narrative revolves around Matt (Nicholas Cage,) who is reluctantly drawn back into a life he had left behind many years ago in order to protect his daughter and granddaughter. Matt’s daughter, Ashley, possesses a critical hard drive, making her the target of Miami’s most formidable drug kingpin. Matt and Ashely find themselves entangled in a high-stakes scenario as the story unfolds.
The Retirement Plan (2023) Plot Summary & Movie Synopsis:
The movie starts with an intense and gripping scene, and we see Jimmy (Jordan Johnson-Hinds) and a wounded Mitch urgently pushing to their getaway vehicle. Ashley (Ashley Greene), Jimmy’s wife, is at the steering wheel, urging Jimmy to rush Mitch to the hospital for help. Mitch succumbs to his injuries, tragically plunging Ashley into a whirlwind of terrifying emotions. Jimmy, trying to maintain composure, instructs Ashley to drive to the pier. Once there, he directs her to board Mitch’s boat while he steps aside to make a quick call. On the call, Jimmy informs the person on the other end that the job is completed and he has the drive. Mitch also pleads for protection for himself and his wife. The suspense deepens as it’s revealed that Mitch has stolen a hard drive from Donnie.
The following day, Donnie (Jackie Earle Haley) takes charge and instructs his team to track down Jimmy. Meanwhile, following Jimmy’s advice, Ashely sends their daughter, Sarah (Thalia Campbell), to her father, Matt Robbins (Nicholas Cage). Matt is a grumpy old man who loves to drown himself in whiskey and beachside adventures, often waking up a bit disheveled. Sarah meets Matt and reveals herself as his granddaughter.
Back in Miami, Donnie interrogates Ashley and Jimmy about the drive’s whereabouts. But Ashley and Jimmy remain tight-lipped, refusing to share any information. Donnie’s intelligence network kicks into gear, and they discover that Sarah is in the Cayman Islands. Without wasting a single second, Donnie sends General and Bobo on a mission to retrieve Sarah. Adding a twist, he tasks Bobo with finding the drive and handling Ashley and Sarah once the drive is secured.
What was Matt’s Real Job?
Ashley lands in the Cayman Islands with Bobo (Ron Perlman) and General (Ronnie James Hughes), all geared up to retrieve the hard drive. However, luck doesn’t seem to be on her side—Matt and Sarah are nowhere to be found. Matt and Ashley’s strained relationship comes to light. Over the years, they’ve lost touch, and Matt’s dedication to his government contract work left little room for quality father-daughter bonding. In fact, Ashley had gone to the extent of telling Sarah that her grandfather was no longer alive, illustrating the extent of the disconnect. This lack of connection and emotional support led Ashley to sever ties and relocate to Miami, seeking a fresh start.
On the flip side, upon early retirement, Matt sought solace in the Cayman Islands’ peaceful surroundings. Matt returns to his house and is confronted by General, who demands the drive. Confused, Matt denies any knowledge of the drive, leading to General’s growing frustration. The situation escalates rapidly, and the General holds Ashley at gunpoint in the heat of the moment. However, seizing an opportunity, Matt swiftly eliminates General, saving his daughter. Subsequently, Bobo attacks Matt, engaging in a fierce struggle. In a stroke of luck, Ashley picks up General’s fallen gun and unleashes a hail of bullets, forcing Bobo to flee in Matt’s truck. To their surprise, Sarah hides in the truck, and Bobo realizes he still has leverage.
General had gravely underestimated Matt, presuming him to be nothing more than a grumpy, old drunkard. Little did he know, Matt was a retired but razor-sharp assassin with an impressive track record. Matt was no ordinary government contractor; he was a seasoned hitman with hundreds of successful assassinations under his belt. His miscalculation proves costly, resulting in his death. Matt reaches out to his old friend, Drisdale (Lynn Whitfield), a contact from his days with the federal government.
He knows that in a situation like this, he needs every piece of information available about Donnie and his men. Memories of their shared history begin to resurface. We learn that Drisdale was Matt’s handler during his time working covert missions worldwide. Meanwhile, Donnie wasn’t backing down. He dispatches more of his ruthless men, hell-bent on eliminating both Ashley and Matt and retrieving the precious hard drive.
The hired goons track the duo to their hotel room, issuing threats about hurting Sarah. But before another word could escape their lips, Matt eliminates them all. At the same time, Ashley struggles to process the fact that her 65-year-old father had just taken out multiple goons twice without breaking a sweat. Ashley finally learns the truth about her father’s real work. Matt never had an ordinary 9 to 5 job. Instead, he had been traveling across the globe, eliminating threats to the government. Meanwhile, Donnie grows more agitated after finding out that Matt keeps murdering the guys he sends to Cayman Island in order to collect the disc.
The Retirement Plan (2023) Movie Ending Explained:
Was Matt Able to Save Ashley and Sarah?
Matt visits his old friend and gambling confidante, Joseph (Ernie Hudson), seeking his help encrypting the hard drive. The palpable tension in their expressions hints that the drive’s contents are both incredibly valuable and exceedingly dangerous. Seeking answers, Matt reaches out to Drysdale once more, and the response he receives paints a chilling portrait of Donnie Iger. Donnie isn’t just another criminal; he is a major player in the world of organized crime.
His influence extends like dark tendrils into various illicit domains, from money laundering and kidnappings to murder, drug trade, and human trafficking. However, Donnie Iger is but a cog in a much larger, more sinister machine. The true puppeteer behind this web of criminality is Hector Garcia (Grace Byer), an infamous and ruthless woman who trusts no one.
Her wariness extends even to those within her inner circle, especially when it comes to matters of money. She once drowned her accountant’s husband, all for a mere $16,000 theft. She wanted to send out a message to all who dared cross her path—Hector Garcia was not to be underestimated or trifled with. Donnie and his team locate Matt and Ashley on Joseph’s boat. He instructs his men to encircle the boat, capture Matt and Ashley without harm, and recover the hard drive.
Matt notices Donnie’s men closing in and hides Ashley in the boat. Donnie declares that he’ll let them live if they surrender the drive. Matt counters by refusing any deal until Donnie releases Sarah. A struggle breaks out, and one of Donnie’s men detonates a grenade near the boat. Water starts flooding into the vessel with Ashley still inside. Meanwhile, Sarah tricks Bobo and successfully locates Matt.
With Sarah now out of harm’s way, Danny draws upon his assassin skills and swiftly neutralizes most of Donnie’s men. Sarah arrives just in the nick of time to rescue Ashley, pulling her to safety before she drowns. Nevertheless, Donnie eventually seizes both mother and daughter and escapes with them on his boat.
Hector reaches out to Fitzsimmons (Joel David Moore), his contact within the federal government, and issues a stern ultimatum: either he must facilitate Donnie and his team’s exit from the island, or she’ll expose him to devastating consequences. She also warns him about the dire repercussions that would follow if the contents of the drive were made public, potentially destabilizing his entire empire. Left with no other viable option, Fitzsimmons arranges for a cargo plane and successfully evacuates Donnie and his crew from the island.
Drisdale also informs Matt that Donnie is en route to Miami. Unbeknownst to the others, Drisdale has her own agenda. She has been pursuing Hector for years, frustrated by the fact that Hector always seemed to stay one step ahead. However, now Drisdale has a trump card that could eliminate Hector and dismantle her criminal empire. Matt infiltrates Hector’s compound and begins eliminating her men like flies.
On the other hand, Ashley and Sarah manage to flee their captors. Donnie once again catches them and plans to use them as a bargaining chip. Donnie also proves himself effective by capturing Matt and managing to retrieve his hard drive. In a shocking twist, Donnie shoots and kills Hector after getting the drive. However, Matt’s drive to Donnie is fake, and he’s still holding the real drive.
Believing the drive in his possession, Donnie aims his gun at Matt. But Drisdale arrives and kills Donnie. Drisdale also shoots her associate Fitzsimmons, who was also working for Hector. With the bad guys taken care of and Ashey and Sarah safe, Matt commandeers Hector’s boat and leaves to continue living his retirement plan.
What was on the Drive?
Towards the Ending of “The Retirement Plan,” the long-standing mystery surrounding the contents of the hard drive, which had kept both Hector and Donnie on edge, finally becomes clear. In truth, the government had been relentlessly pursuing Hector’s criminal organization for years, but Hector had consistently managed to elude justice. Hector had infiltrated every corner of the government, ensuring she always had the upper hand when it came to law enforcement.
One of these traitors working for Hector was Fitzsimmons, who had been supplying her with crucial insider information about the agency’s operations. As for the contents of the drive, it likely held incriminating evidence capable of dismantling Hector’s criminal empire. In the end, during a conversation between Christopher and Matt, the latter discloses that the drive contained information with the potential to tarnish the careers of numerous politicians. It’s plausible that the drive contained the names and evidence of politicians who had accepted bribes from Hector in exchange for turning a blind eye to her criminal activities.
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