June 26, 1992
Unlawful Entry is a 1992 American psychological thriller film directed by Jonathan Kaplan.
Storyline
One night, an intruder enters Michael and Karen Carr's upscale Los Angeles home. Karen is briefly taken hostage at knifepoint before the burglar escapes. Police arrive and one officer, Pete Davis, takes an extra interest in their case due to their considerate approach. He later cuts through departmental red tape and helps install a security system in their house. Appreciating Pete's assistance, the Carrs befriend him.
When Michael jokingly expresses interest in getting revenge on the intruder, Pete invites him on a ride-along with him and his partner, Roy Cole. Initially, the ride-along is enjoyable, as Michael witnesses Pete and Cole engage in their nightly police routine, including stopping a woman who was speeding, having food at a takeaway, and responding to a domestic disturbance. But after dropping Cole off, Pete reveals to Michael he has located the burglar who invaded the Carrs' house, and offers Michael an opportunity to retaliate for the attack on Karen. Michael declines, admitting he wasn't serious about personally taking revenge, but Pete becomes insistent and demanding. When the burglar attempts escape, Pete brutally beats him before Michael orders him to stop.
Distrusting Pete's emotional instability and overprotective behavior, Michael implores Karen to avoid him, though Karen believes Michael is overreacting. When Pete arrives at Michael's club, Michael condemns Pete's behavior and demands he stay away from him and Karen. Pete later meets Karen for coffee and begins intruding in her marriage with Michael, believing that Michael is too weak and cowardly to stand up for Karen.
Angered at Michael's lack of gratitude and rejection, Pete harasses Michael by damaging his finances, and breaks into their house at night. When Michael files a complaint against Pete's behavior, Pete uses his police connections to destroy Michael's business reputation. Advised by his lawyer, Michael tries bribing Pete with $5000 and apologizes for his rejection, but Pete rejects Michael's offer and reveals his obsession with Karen, and when Michael asks Pete if he'll try to arrest him, he declares he would rather kill Michael. Michael warns Karen about Pete's obsession and demands she stay away from him. When Michael turns to Roy Cole for help, Cole orders his partner to seek psychiatric help or be reported. Instead, Pete murders Cole, blames the murder on a known criminal, and plants cocaine in the Carrs' house to frame Michael, enabling Pete to pursue Karen. Unknown to Pete, however, Michael's lawyer arranges bail for his client, who begins rushing home.
Back at the Carr house, Pete forces himself inside while Karen is sleeping and murders Penny. Karen awakens to find Pete cooking dinner, where Pete declares he loves Karen, but unknown to Pete, Karen discovers Penny's corpse. Karen pretends she loves Pete as a ruse to reach his gun, and attempts to shoot him, but the gun is empty. Realizing Karen does not love him, an enraged Pete dismisses her as worthless and attempts to rape her, but is distracted by his car alarm. After finding his car vandalized, he realizes that Michael has returned home. The couple attempt to escape, but Pete attacks, attempting to kill them both, and he and Michael get into a vicious fight. When Pete accidentally alerts the security company, he attempts to cancel the emergency response by posing as Michael on the phone, but gives the wrong security code, unaware Michael changed it. Realizing the police are on their way, Pete attempts to get Karen to escape with him, threatening to kill Michael if she doesn't, but Karen instead uses an ornament to strike Pete in the face, allowing Michael to beat him up and knock him down the stairs.
While the couple waits for police to arrive, Pete regains consciousness as Michael holds him at gunpoint. Pete, convinced Michael will not shoot him, tauntingly asks him, "You gonna make the citizen's arrest?", unknowingly asking the same question Michael asked him in their earlier confrontation. To Pete's shock, Michael chooses to shoot him, and fires the gun multiple times, ultimately killing Pete, before he and Karen then go outside as the police arrive.
Sound Effects Used
- Hollywoodedge, Crunchy Fist Impact PE247301/Hollywoodedge, Kick Body Hit 4 Thud Cr PE101601
- Hollywoodedge, Punch Face Hit 4 Sharp PE100401