Ruthless is a movie directed by Art Camacho, where the story follows Harry, a high school wrestling coach, who lost his daughter a year ago when she was raped and murdered by a boy named Johnny McCrory. Though Johnny was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment, Harry is still struggling with the loss of his daughter. Soon, a girl named Catia, who is of a similar age to Harry’s daughter, comes into his life. Her family situation is pathetic, and she became a victim of a human trafficking gang with her mother’s boyfriend, Tom. When Harry goes to find her, he discovers that the trafficking ring has some connection to his life. But what is it? And will he ultimately rescue Catia? Let’s dive into the story of Ruthless film to find out more. And if you are Dermot Mulroney’s fan, then you will love the raw emotions, anger, and frustration that the actor brings to screen.
Spoilers Ahead
Why was Catia abducted from school?
After Harry’s daughter’s tragic death and the perpetrator being arrested and sent to California State Prison for kidnapping, raping, and murdering her, this punishment just wasn’t enough for Harry. I mean, how could it be? He was a father, after all. He kept on wondering if he could do something more—something else! What if he could have been there for his daughter and taken revenge? So, he turned to heavy drinking, drowning his sorrows, and as a wrestling coach, all he did was telling his wrestlers to hit him hard to feel the pain. Meanwhile, while training the kids at his school, he met Catia, a teenage girl about the same age as his daughter, who was really eager about wrestling. But from the get-go, you could see there was a bit of back-and-forth between her and Coach Harry. He believed she didn’t have what it takes to be a wrestler, but she believed the opposite. At least, that’s what his tough-love tactics were aimed at—to make her fight even harder.
Meanwhile, we get a glimpse into Catia’s family situation. She doesn’t have her father around, and her mother, who’s 45 and doesn’t have a high school degree, always seems to find herself in bad relationships to get by because she can’t find a job. Because of this, Catia ends up staying with her mother and her boyfriend, Tom, who’s terribly abusive. He makes her cook for him, tells her to pay rent, and even hits her often. So, Catia thinks it’s better to live on the streets than to live through this mistreatment. Maybe her mother can tolerate it, but not her. Leaving home as she’s sitting at the bus stop, not knowing where to go, Harry spots her on the streets with her bag and takes her out to dinner. He figured she must be hungry and also felt saddened knowing that a girl his daughter’s age was being treated so poorly. But he couldn’t take care of her; I mean, he was not in the right place to take care of someone like her. So, he took her back home and complained to the police. But the police didn’t listen, thinking he was an outsider and that it was a domestic issue they couldn’t interfere with. So, Harry decided to take matters into his own hands, especially after seeing Catia’s scarred face the next day, which fueled his anger even more. Thinking, “How dare he!” he went to Tom’s house, threatened him, and literally broke his joints. But Tom wasn’t someone to let bygones be bygones. He knew Catia was the reason behind all this, and he had to take his revenge. So, what did he do? He called someone named Sergio, who was linked to a human trafficking ring as a recruiter, and told him to take Catia away. The next day, as Catia went to school, a van came and abducted her.
Why did Harry go to Las Vegas?
When Harry found out about Catia being kidnapped, it didn’t take him long to realize that Tom was behind all of this. So, he went straight to Tom’s house, threatened him, and broke his hands and legs until he confessed. Tom spilled the beans, revealing that he got help from a guy named Sergio to take Catia away. Harry went to Sergio’s house, where he learned that Catia had been taken to Las Vegas. There, a sickening auction was planned for the girls in the human trafficking ring. The highest bidder would take Catia and others her age. Harry was horrified; he couldn’t let that happen. Without wasting a moment, he headed to Las Vegas, straight to the casino hotel where the auction was set to take place. He informed Detective Jones about the situation. Jones and Harry had a history; he was the one who had investigated Harry’s daughter’s case. Initially, Jones hesitated to let Harry take the lead, but he knew Harry’s intentions and his courage were unmatched. On the other hand, Catia’s mother and Detective Jones together were also headed to Vegas. At first, she was confused as to why a stranger, a middle-aged man, was taking so much interest in her daughter. She thought it was creepy. But when she learned about Harry’s daughter and his true intentions, she realized he was the perfect man for the job.
Did Harry save Catia?
When Harry reached the location and met Dale Remington, the man behind the auction, he was initially confused, unsure if there was really an auction happening. But little by little, he learned something that blew his mind: Dale mentioned a guy named Johnny, who used to be their recruiter and went to prison. Harry realized it was the same Johnny McCrory who was sent to prison for his daughter’s murder. But maybe Johnny didn’t murder her but took the blame? Maybe it was this ring that took her life, and these men were the real culprits. Harry was furious and wanted to take them down. So, he got in touch with Detective Jones and the Las Vegas Police Department, who told him they would take the lead. But Harry requested to be the one to bring them down. As the auction began, Harry saw the sickening process: it was all virtual, with pictures and videos of girls like Catia on the screen, and bidders had to pay to take them. But the girls were kept in a secret location. Harry made Dale tell him the location by using his wrestling skills, and as soon as he got it, he threw Dale in his car trunk and rushed to the location to free Catia and the others. As Harry was rescuing the girls, a guy named Rich tried to stop him. He admitted to Harry that he was the one who’d killed his daughter, not Johnny. Harry was angry and wanted revenge, but before he could do anything, Detective Jones showed up and took care of Rich by shooting him from behind. With Rich out of the picture, Catia and the other girls were safe, and Harry’s mission was a success. It was a moment of relief knowing that justice was served and the girls were okay.
Can you imagine how many other girls might be trapped in that human trafficking ring? Harry didn’t even know they were connected to his daughter’s death. It makes you realize how big this gang is and how many more girls are in danger. We can only hope that there are more people like Harry out there willing to risk their lives to save these girls and that the police will do their job, taking down people like Dale, Rich, and others. As for Harry, we hope he can find some peace knowing the truth and getting justice for his daughter. It’s good to see Detective Jones asking for his help with future detective work. We hope there will be more missions where Harry’s instincts and determination can make a difference. And of course, there’s always his wrestling to help him unwind and take the edge off.
