Road House
1989 · Directed by Rowdy Herrington
Patrick Swayze as a philosophy-degree-holding bouncer at a Missouri roadhouse. He breaks up fights, romances the doctor, and goes to war with the local oligarch. Ben Gazzara is the bad guy. Sam Elliott shows up to mentor.
Why It's Cult
Road House is what happens when a 1950s Western gets relocated to a Reagan-era roadhouse and given a New Age twist. Swayze is doing some of the most committed action work of the era — he did most of the stunts. The famous "pain don't hurt" line. The throat-rip. The bouncer code: be nice until it's time not to be nice. The 2024 remake exists; it is not this.
The Plot, Officially
Serene and laconic, yet powerful and lethal, Dalton is an expert in martial arts and the best professional bouncer in the business. With such a reputation, Dalton is summoned in a small town in Missouri to clean up the sleazy bar called The Double Deuce from the troublemakers who terrorize the customers, without knowing, however, that the villainous local entrepreneur, Brad Wesley, wants things to remain unchanged. As Dalton cleans up the nightclub, and with it, the town from Wesley's hired goons, a deep wound from a knife will inspire a passionate affair with local Dr. Elizabeth "Doc" Clay. Now, the corrupt Wesley has enough reasons to take Dalton out of the way, nevertheless, the bouncer has the final say.
Starring
Patrick Swayze, Kelly Lynch, Sam Elliott
Where to Watch
via JustWatch →
