Collateral

Main Plot

"Collateral," directed by Michael Mann, follows Max, a Los Angeles cab driver with dreams of starting his own limousine business. His routine night shifts take a dramatic turn when he picks up Vincent, a seemingly ordinary businessman who offers a substantial fare for driving him to multiple locations. Max soon discovers that Vincent is a hitman on a contract to eliminate several key witnesses in a federal case. As the night unfolds, Max is coerced into becoming an unwilling accomplice, driving Vincent from one hit to the next. The tension escalates as Max tries to find a way to escape and save the final target, all while evading the police and Vincent's lethal efficiency. The film explores themes of morality, chance encounters, and the impact of choices under pressure.

Characters

• Tom Cruise plays Vincent, a ruthless hitman who forces a cab driver to drive him around Los Angeles as he completes his assassination assignments.
• Jamie Foxx plays Max, a cab driver who becomes an unwilling accomplice to a hitman, driving him around Los Angeles as he completes his assignments.
• Jada Pinkett Smith plays Annie Farrell, a prosecutor who becomes a key witness and potential victim, driving the protagonist to protect her from a hitman.

Ending Explained

In the climax of Michael Mann's "Collateral," Vincent, a contract killer played by Tom Cruise, and Max, a cab driver portrayed by Jamie Foxx, face off in a tense final confrontation. After a night of forced cooperation, Max discovers Vincent's final target is Annie, a prosecutor he recently met. Determined to save her, Max crashes the cab, causing a diversion. Vincent pursues Annie into a high-rise office building, but Max intervenes, leading to a dramatic shootout in a darkened office. Max and Annie manage to escape onto a subway train, with Vincent in close pursuit. The final showdown occurs on the train, where Vincent and Max exchange gunfire. Vincent is fatally wounded, and in his last moments, he sits down, resigned to his fate. As Vincent dies, he reflects on a story he told earlier about a man who died unnoticed on a subway, mirroring his own end. Max and Annie leave the train, emerging into the daylight, symbolizing their survival and the end of their harrowing ordeal. The film concludes with a sense of relief and newfound resilience for Max.