Ruthless People

Jun 26, 1986

1h 33m

★ 6.6

Sam Stone's wife has just been kidnapped... And he doesn't want her back!

Overview

Sam Stone hates his wife Barbara so much that he wants her dead. He's ecstatic when she's taken by a duo of kidnappers who want $500,000 ransom in exchange for her life. Fully intending to ignore every one of the kidnappers' demands in the hopes that they do him a favor and murder her for him, the two confused kidnappers have to figure out how they're going get their money, and what they're going to do with the overbearing Barbara.

Genres

Comedy

Production Companies

Touchstone Pictures

Silver Screen Partners II

Ruthless People Trailers

Cast

Sam Stone

Danny DeVito

Barbara Stone

Bette Midler

Ken Kessler

Judge Reinhold

Sandy Kessler

Helen Slater

Carol Dodsworth

Anita Morris

Earl James Mott

Bill Pullman

Chief Henry Benton

William G. Schilling

Lt. Bender

Art Evans

Lt. Walters

Clarence Felder

Bedroom Killer

J.E. Freeman

Heavy Metal Kid

Gary Riley

The Mugger

Frank Sivero

Low-level bureaucrat Sam Lowry escapes the monotony of his day-to-day life through a recurring daydream of himself as a virtuous hero saving a beautiful damsel. Investigating a case that led to the wrongful arrest and eventual death of an innocent man instead of wanted terrorist Harry Tuttle, he meets the woman from his daydream, and in trying to help her gets caught in a web of mistaken identities, mindless bureaucracy and lies.

6.4

Mars Attacks!

Dec 13, 1996

A fleet of Martian spacecraft surrounds the world's major cities and all of humanity waits to see if the extraterrestrial visitors have, as they claim, "come in peace." U.S. President James Dale receives assurance from science professor Donald Kessler that the Martians' mission is a friendly one. But when a peaceful exchange ends in the total annihilation of the U.S. Congress, military men call for a full-scale nuclear retaliation.

7.4

Three Colors: White

Jan 26, 1994

Polish immigrant Karol Karol finds himself out of a marriage, a job and a country when his French wife, Dominique, divorces him after six months due to his impotence. Forced to leave France after losing the business they jointly owned, Karol enlists fellow Polish expatriate Mikołaj to smuggle him back to their homeland.

0.0

The Demon Of Serling

Dec 1, 2023

Reagan Rossi discovers his neighbor-Mr. Yarley-is a local serial killer dubbed 'The Demon of Serling', and the two men embark on a night of enlightenment leading to bleak and darkly funny consequences.

7.0

Grave Decisions

Aug 17, 2006

In this black comedy set in small-town Bavaria, 11-year-old Sebastian thinks you can never be too young to be a murderer. He's convinced that he killed his mother on the day he was born and is certain he's already been condemned to purgatory. Deciding he might be able to knock off a few years of his sentence by doing good deeds, Sebastian sets out to find a wife for his father Lorenz. When Lorenz and Sebastian's schoolteacher Veronika fall madly in love with each other, it seems the heavens must be smiling. There's just one hitch: Veronika is married.

5.7

The Prisoner of Zenda

Aug 17, 1979

Anthony Hope's classic tale gets a decidedly 'un-classic' treatment at the hands of Peter Sellers. Following the story somewhat, friends of the new King Rudolph of Ruritania fear for his life, and switch him with a look-a-like London cabby. Throw in two(!) lovely blondes, treachery, and a battle for life and honour, and enjoy life at its zaniest.

6.9

Dogma

Oct 4, 1999

An abortion clinic worker with a special heritage is called upon to save the existence of humanity from being negated by two renegade angels trying to exploit a loophole and reenter Heaven.

7.2

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

May 22, 1998

Raoul Duke and his attorney Dr. Gonzo drive a red convertible across the Mojave desert to Las Vegas with a suitcase full of drugs to cover a motorcycle race. As their consumption of drugs increases at an alarming rate, the stoned duo trash their hotel room and fear legal repercussions. Duke begins to drive back to L.A., but after an odd run-in with a cop, he returns to Sin City and continues his wild drug binge.

7.8

Monsters, Inc.

Nov 1, 2001

Lovable Sulley and his wisecracking sidekick Mike Wazowski are the top scare team at Monsters, Inc., the scream-processing factory in Monstropolis. When a little girl named Boo wanders into their world, it's the monsters who are scared silly, and it's up to Sulley and Mike to keep her out of sight and get her back home.

8.4

Life Is Beautiful

Dec 20, 1997

A touching story of an Italian book seller of Jewish ancestry who lives in his own little fairy tale. His creative and happy life would come to an abrupt halt when his entire family is deported to a concentration camp during World War II. While locked up he tries to convince his son that the whole thing is just a game.

0.0

Critiqué

Dec 15, 2017

An acclaimed artist gets a bad review and deals with it the only way he can.

5.6

A Halloween Feast

Apr 13, 2024

A Dark Comedy by Guile Branco. As Angela, a former dancer, descends into madness, her family tries to cope the best they can. After an infamous dinner where a certain "finger" incident occurs, their lives collectively spiral to new levels of chaos, including, but not limited to, a sadomasochistic power dynamic, a cozy coffin and a bloody endeavor where a dinosaur may or not be present. All of the skeletons will come out at a Halloween night feast.

7.3

Delicatessen

Apr 17, 1991

In a post-apocalyptic world, the residents of an apartment above the butcher shop receive an occasional delicacy of meat, something that is in low supply. A young man new in town falls in love with the butcher's daughter, which causes conflicts in her family, who need the young man for other business-related purposes.

0.0

Ratols & Ransom

Dec 31, 2025

A bustling and average police precinct is disrupted when a frantic teenager enters with a huge problem.

0.0

Savage House

Invalid Date

Set against the backdrop of 18th century England, a massive pox outbreak, and Jacobite uprising – this is a timely and darkly satirical story of Sir Chauncey Savage and Lady Savage and their blind pursuit of a better life. It is not without a tinge of irony that their family name is the Savages, for this is a Savage House indeed. Filled with duels, decadence, and bloodshed, this is a madcap play on class and power.

6.0

Blind Date

Mar 27, 1987

When bachelor Walter Davis is set up with his sister-in-law's pretty cousin, Nadia Gates, a seemingly average blind date turns into a chaotic night on the town. Walter's brother, Ted, tells him not to let Nadia drink alcohol, but he dismisses the warning and her behaviour gets increasingly wild. Walter and Nadia's numerous incidents are made even worse as her former lover David relentlessly follows them around town.

7.0

MAS*H

Feb 18, 1970

One of the world's most acclaimed comedies, M*A*S*H focuses on three Korean War Army surgeons brilliantly brought to life by Donald Sutherland, Tom Skerritt and Elliott Gould. Though highly skilled and deeply dedicated, they adopt a hilarious, lunatic lifestyle as an antidote to the tragedies of their Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, and in the process infuriate Army bureaucrats. Robert Duvall, Gary Burghoff and Sally Kellerman co-star as a sanctimonious Major, an other-worldly Corporal, and a self-righteous yet lusty nurse.

7.5

Shaun of the Dead

Apr 9, 2004

Shaun lives a supremely uneventful life, which revolves around his girlfriend, his mother, and, above all, his local pub. This gentle routine is threatened when the dead return to life and make strenuous attempts to snack on ordinary Londoners.

0.0

Streetwalkin' Cowboy

Aug 9, 2020

A delusional man in a modern day city dresses, acts like, and has the mindset of a cowboy.

9.0

Comme les Filles

May 6, 2021

Fresh out of prison after drugging the matcha latte of her pageant competition, a young and accomplished beauty queen is on the hunt for her ex-boyfriend upon discovering he's robbed her home.