'Death Proof': A Gleefully Deranged Thriller About a Sadistic Killer Behind the Wheel of a Reinforced Muscle Car

Death Proof (2007) is a gleefully deranged thriller starring Kurt Russell as Stuntman Mike, a nefarious and charismatic Hollywood stunt driver who stalks young women from behind the wheel of his reinforced muscle car. Moving between Austin, Texas and rural Tennessee, the film follows Mike as he uses his so-called “death proof” car to seek out and terrorize unsuspecting women.

The storyline initially centers on Jungle Julia (Sydney Tamiia Poitier), Arlene (Vanessa Ferlito), Shanna (Jordan Ladd) and Pam (Rose McGowan), whose night of drinking and conversation gradually brings them into Mike’s orbit. After revealing the lethal purpose of his reinforced vehicle, Mike turns an ordinary encounter into an act of shocking brutality. The film then shifts to Abernathy (Rosario Dawson), Kim (Tracie Thoms), Lee (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and professional stuntwoman Zoë Bell playing herself—their encounter with Mike bringing about a vicious reversal of fate.

Written and directed by Quentin Tarantino (Pulp Fiction, Inglourious Basterds), Death Proof was originally released as part of the Grindhouse double feature alongside Robert Rodriguez's "Planet Terror," channeling the rugged texture of 1970s drive-in cinema. Russell is terrific as Stuntman Mike, blending charm with a deranged need for control that gradually strips the character of his mystique. An offbeat and memorable entry in Tarantino’s oeuvre, Tarantino's film serves as both a wry tribute to genre cinema of yesteryear and a vicious takedown of macho posturing.

---

Watch the trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5VmaMY7T70