“The Limey” is a 1999 movie from the director Steven Soderbergh starring big names like Terence Stamp as Wilson, Lesley Ann Warren as Elaine, Luis Guzmán as Eduardo, Barry Newman as Avery, Peter Fonda as Terry Valentine, Melissa George as Jennifer, and more. Soderbergh’s film explores the story of Wilson, a criminal fresh out of prison, who goes to extreme lengths to find the truth behind his daughter’s death.
The Limey (1999) Plot Summary & Movie Synopsis:
Why does Wilson arrive in London?
The day has finally arrived, and Wilson is out of prison after serving his mandatory sentence. For those unfamiliar with his story, Wilson was once a skilled conman and career criminal, raking in large sums of money until his luck ran out. He was eventually caught and sentenced to prison. Upon his release, Wilson heads to LA to meet Eduardo Roel, the man who had written to him about his daughter’s tragic fate. Eduardo was also the one who had sent Wilson the newspaper clipping while he was incarcerated. During his time in prison, Wilson learned that his daughter, Jenny, had died in a car accident. Her vehicle overturned and caught fire.
According to the police report, Jenny broke her neck on impact, which likely meant she didn’t feel the flames engulfing the car. Terry Valentine, Jenny’s then-boyfriend, told the police that she had stormed out of the house upset after a heated argument between them. Eduardo believes Jenny’s death was nothing more than a tragic accident, but Wilson isn’t convinced. He suspects foul play, that someone may have murdered Jenny and staged the crash to make it look like an accident, covering their tracks.
Wilson and Jenny shared a complicated, up-and-down relationship. While Wilson loved his daughter, he was often absent from her life, and over time, Jenny grew distant. Wilson recalls a memory where Jenny would frequently threaten to report his illegal crimes to the police. She would even go as far as picking up the phone to call the cops on her own father. Jenny feared that one day, Wilson’s criminal lifestyle would catch up with him, and he’d be taken away for good. Eventually, her fears came true. Wilson was arrested and sentenced to prison on multiple charges.
Who is Terry Valentine?
Wilson initially suspects Eduardo, Jenny’s friend, thinking he might have had something to do with her death. But after clearing his doubts, Eduardo agrees to help Wilson find Jenny’s killer. Jenny’s best friend, Elaine, also joins the search to uncover the truth. Eduardo reveals that Terry Valentine, a music producer and the man Jenny had been dating, was involved in an illegal drug operation with a man named Avery.
Acting on this lead, Wilson heads to a warehouse, demanding information about Valentine and his daughter. When the dealers there refuse to talk, Wilson pulls a gun, leaving one alive deliberately to deliver a message to Avery and Valentine that he’s coming for them. Upon hearing about the incident, Valentine begins to worry. Avery brushes it off, assuring him that there’s nothing to worry about, no one can link them to the dead drug dealers.
Wilson seizes the opportunity to break into Terry’s house during a party, hoping to find something that could connect Terry to Jenny’s death. At the time, Terry was dating a much younger woman named Adhara, almost half his age and the daughter of one of his close friends. When Wilson finally sees Terry in person, he nearly pulls the trigger. However, Eduardo stops him, insisting it’s not the right time.
Meanwhile, Avery, believing Wilson is the one responsible for killing the drug dealers, chases after Wilson and Eduardo in his Mercedes. The pursuit ends when Wilson forces Avery’s car off a ridge, incapacitating him. Avery survives the crash and decides to take care of Wilson once and for all. Terry, desperate to stay out of trouble, instructs Avery to do whatever it takes, just make sure nothing can be traced back to him.
What is the DEA’s interest in Terry Valentine?
Avery visits a rundown bar and hires a hitman named Stacy to take care of Wilson. Stacy tracks Wilson down and tries to corner him in a parking lot, but federal agents intervene and escort Wilson away. At a DEA safe house, Wilson tells the agents he’s after Terry Valentine, the man his daughter was dating when she died.
Wilson assumes the DEA is also after Terry for double-crossing them in a drug deal, but in reality, they couldn’t care less about Valentine. Their only interest lies in finding the man Terry used to launder drug money for. Thanks to the DEA, Wilson learns that Terry is hiding out in his heavily guarded mansion in Big Sur, along with Avery. To end it all, Wilson decides to break into the mansion at night and settle the score. Meanwhile, Stacy, the hitman, has the same idea. He and his crew plan to infiltrate the estate, hoping to rob it of the drugs or cash they believe Avery is hiding there.
The Limey (1999) Movie Ending Explained:
What Really Happened with Jenny?
That night, under the cover of darkness, Wilson breaks into the mansion and silently takes down Terry’s armed guards one by one. Around the same time, Stacy and his crew arrive, leading to a violent shootout that leaves everyone dead, except for Terry and his girlfriend, Adhara. Wilson seizes the moment and attacks Terry. As Terry tries to escape, he falls and breaks his foot, rendering him unable to walk. Terry finally confesses the truth about what happened to Jenny. He admits he got involved in the drug trade due to financial troubles.
Things went smoothly for a while, but eventually, Jenny discovered the truth and threatened to go to the police. In a panic, Terry tried to stop her, and during the confrontation, accidentally caused her death. Avery, acting as Terry’s security consultant, staged the scene by putting Jenny’s body in her car and making it look like a tragic accident. Surprisingly, instead of killing Terry, Wilson chooses to walk away, perhaps because he knows Jenny once loved him, and taking Terry’s life would only dishonor her memory, even in death. As “The Limey” nears its end, Wilson tells Eduardo and Elaine to live their lives and quietly departs for London.
