Kaila York’s “Taken In Montana” is a fine thriller compared to other Lifetime releases. The movie premiered on Lifetime on September 9, 2023. As stated in the beginning, the film is inspired by true events. Travelers in this part of the world often find themselves lost in Montana, mostly because they wander into the forests or camp alone in remote regions. The film stars Veronica Ramirez, Laurie Fortier, Justin Berti, and Matthew Pohlkamp. Taken in Montana” has a runtime of almost 88 minutes and maintains a good pace throughout the second half. So, as a low-budget production, it is worth a one-time watch. Spoilers Ahead
Taken In Montana (2023) Plot Summary & Movie Synopsis:
“Taken in Montana” begins with the Gerard family arriving in Montana for their summer vacation, a place adorned with mountains and forests. During their trip, Regan Gerard, the daughter of Craig Gerard, is taking driving lessons. The conversation between her and her mother, Sarah Gerard, seems somewhat tense as they embark on their family vacation. Suddenly, a red car begins to tail them seemingly out of nowhere, eventually colliding with their vehicle.
Regan pulls over, and the red car stops beside them briefly before driving away. Shortly after this incident, Ranger Jude Rodriguez arrives in his car and warmly welcomes the Gerard family to the town. He identifies himself as a forest ranger and offers to file a complaint against the driver of the red car if the Gerards desire. However, Craig opts to avoid any trouble since they have just arrived, and they all part ways.
Is meeting with Jackson Green actually a surprise to Craig Gerard?
When the family reaches the hotel, they book their stay in Montana. A person named Jackson Green greets Craig, and Craig is very surprised to see him. Craig has known Jackson since college, and it’s been almost 20 years. Later, Craig comes to know that Jackson is the owner of the hotel. After settling into their room, Craig goes to have a drink with his old friend, Jackson.
When Craig and Jackson share a drink, we see that this has all been a facade to cover up the fact from Craig’s family that he has been in touch with Jackson for quite some time now. Jackson helps Craig to grow his business, and now Craig wants this arrangement to be over. His business is in good shape, and he doesn’t want to get involved with Jackson much. Why? Well, we’ll get to that later. Anyway, Jackson grants Craig’s wish. However, he asks Craig to deliver a package as one last favor.
What goes wrong during the Delivery?
Later that night, Regan discovers some camping gear in her room, so she decides to sneak out while her parents are asleep. She meets with Jackson’s nephew, Tyler, who shows her a good place to camp. Meanwhile, Craig attempts to quietly leave the room to deliver the package Jackson has requested. However, as an investigative journalist, Sarah senses that something is amiss since their arrival and questions Craig about it. Craig doesn’t reveal much, while Sarah decides to accompany him. Together, they reach a certain place to deliver the package.
Craig goes to deliver the package to a person named Rick while Sarah stays inside the car. Sarah spots the red car outside the house, the same car that had collided with them earlier. She senses that something is wrong and calls out Craig’s name as she exits the car. In the meantime, Rick opens the package and discovers a message from Jackson instructing him to kill Craig.
Rick forcefully slams Craig’s head against the door and then ties up both Craig and Sarah. He keeps them inside a room and departs. Sarah had purchased a Swiss Army knife from a kid shortly after their arrival in Montana. She uses it to free herself and then exits the room. Since Rick is not present, Sarah tries to find clues that might illuminate the situation. She gets hold of the package that Craig was delivering, revealing that Jackson is the one who wants Craig dead.
The following day, Regan returns to her room after camping and doesn’t have a clue of her parents’ whereabouts. She seeks help from the local rangers, but her efforts prove fruitless. Everyone tells her that her parents may be exploring the forests and will return soon. Tyler agrees to assist her by taking her to his uncle, Jackson. Jackson assures her that he will speak to the rangers and help in locating her parents. At this point, Regan remains unaware of Jackson’s involvement in all of this.
Taken In Montana (2023) Movie Ending Explained:
How does Regan find her parents?
All this time, Craig is unconscious due to the hit he took earlier. Now, he explains everything to Sarah. He tells her how Jackson helps him in rebuilding his business from scratch by providing money. Craig reveals the real business Jackson is in. He is a poacher who wants to spread his circle in New York as well with Craig’s help. Craig doesn’t want to be a part of this vicious chain, and that is the reason he comes to Montana to tell Jackson in person that he will not be a part of his business.
Ranger Jude is also investigating the illegal killing of the animals of the forest and has reached the conclusion that Jackson and Tyler are both involved in this poacher business. He tells this to Regan, but since Tyler is helping her find her parents, she doesn’t believe Jude at first. But once she comes to know the truth about Tyler and Jackson, she decides to find her parents on her own along with Jude.
Sarah and Craig manage to escape from Rick and find themselves in the forest. Tragically, Rick injures Craig by shooting him in the leg with an arrow. Later on, Tyler takes Rick’s life because Jackson wants to eliminate any potential threats, especially with the rangers searching for Sarah and Craig. Meanwhile, Regan overhears a conversation between Jackson and Tyler in their office, uncovering Jackson’s deep-seated grudge against Craig, which dates back to their college days. Jackson and Craig were close friends in college who always supported each other. Craig often found himself in troublesome situations, and Jackson would come to his aid.
However, there was one particular incident where Craig caused a significant problem, and Jackson stepped in to help. Unfortunately, Craig’s father intervened, ultimately sparing Craig from the consequences while Jackson took the blame. After a long period of time, Jackson was savoring sweet success when Craig approached him for help in saving his father’s business. And now, as the time comes, he wants to finish Craig and complete his revenge once and for all. Jackson gives the responsibility to kill Regan’s parents so that no one can find them. Jude gives Regan a tracking device that she purposefully plants inside Tyler’s bag.
The following day, when Tyler searches for Regan’s parents, Regan and Jude follow him. They end up in front of the forest, and Tyler suddenly attacks Jude from behind. Regan shouts at Tyler, which is heard by Sarah, who is close. Sarah comes to help Regan and ties Tyler’s hands against the tree. Meanwhile, Jackson comes with a crossbow and is on the verge of killing them. Suddenly, Craig jumps from behind, and Jackson is now on the ground without any weapon to fight back.
Craig is finally admitted to the hospital. Regan always thinks that because of a mishap in her college, her mother will never trust her again. However, Sarah comforts her by saying she has always been tougher than she should have been. She trusts her daughter, and this means a lot to Regan. Jude is successful in stopping the illegal killings of the animals, as Jackson is in custody now. He dreams of restoring the ecosystem in Montana, and thanks to the Gerards, he can now do so.
