Egy reklámcég vezetőjének (Michael Caine) a munkáját visszadobják. Marshallt legfőképpen az bosszantja, hogy az ő ötlete helyett egy sokkal fiatalabb és általa tehetségtelenebbnek vélt férfi (Peter Reigret) pályázatát választják. Marshall teljesen magába roskad, és az aluljáróban véletlenül magával sodor egy hajléktalant, aki bezuhan egy metrószerelvény elé. A férfiban lassan tudatosul az a tény, hogy sokkal könnyebb ölni, mint ahogy azt korábban gondolta. Eldönti, hogy lassan leszámol az összes ellenségével... a sort a feleségével kezdi.
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Graham Marshall, a long-time executive in a large advertising company, is unexpectedly passed over for promotion in favor of his obnoxious younger rival Bob Benham. While he sympathizes with his friend George Brewster, whose dismissal in the midst of a corporate takeover created the open position, Marshall is angry and disappointed. His greedy, self-absorbed wife Leslie is devastated and continually reproaches her husband for his apparent lack of ambition and willpower.
The night of the missed promotion, Graham is waiting for his train on the subway. An aggressive panhandler harasses him for being so rich and ungenerous. In a fit of rage, Graham pushes him hard enough that he falls on the subway tracks and gets run over by an oncoming train. Marshall is able to leave unobserved, which unexpectedly elates him.
Deciding to take revenge on the people who have made his life miserable, Marshall starts meticulously planning their deaths. Recalling an incident in which he was almost fatally electrocuted by faulty wiring in his basement, he arranges for Leslie to have a similar accident. After her death, he gets more ambitious and plans to get rid of Bob. First he rents a car using George's corporate account and procures a bottle of heavy downers from an office courier who deals drugs. While on a date with Stella Henderson, a female employee who is romantically interested in him, he spikes her drink with some of the downers and waits until she passes out. Driving the rental car to Bob's boat, he booby-traps it by tampering with a natural gas tank and taping some matches to the door. While returning home, he victoriously lights a cigar and absent-mindedly leaves his personalized gold plated lighter on the dashboard before returning the car to the dealer and going home. The next morning Stella wakes up as expected and assumes she blacked out after having slept with Graham. They spend the morning having sex to further cement Graham's alibi. Bob and one of his brown-nosing subordinates board his boat; opening the door, they ignite the gas tank and blow themselves up. In the wake of Bob's death his boss, Mr. Jones, reaches out to Graham and offers him the promotion. He accepts it and, while discussing Bob's death, Jones casually mentions his interest in flying planes.....
Directed by Jan Egleson
Screenplay by Andrew Klavan
Based on A Shock to the System
by Simon Brett
Produced by Patrick McCormick
Starring
Michael Caine
Elizabeth McGovern
Peter Riegert
Swoosie Kurtz
Will Patton
Jenny Wright
Cinematography Paul Goldsmith
Edited by
William M. Anderson
Peter C. Frank
Music by Gary Chang