Road House

James Dalton (Swayze) is a professional "cooler" (i.e. head bouncer) with a mysterious past who is enticed from his current job in New York City by club owner Frank Tilghman (Kevin Tighe) to take over security at his club/bar, The Double Deuce, in Jasper, Missouri. Not a particularly physically imposing man and with a philosophy degree from New York University and a preference for peacefully resolving confrontation, Dalton seems the antithesis of a nightclub bouncer.

Upon arriving in Jasper, Dalton anticipates his notoriety among some of the local townsfolk and buys a battered, old 1965 Buick Riviera, filling the trunk with spare tires. These come in handy when local thugs repeatedly puncture the tires and vandalize the car. Searching for a place to stay, he eventually takes lodging at a local farm. The landlord (Sunshine Parker) and his new tenant become acquainted, introducing themselves to each other as "Emmett" and "Dalton". The occasion is also Dalton's indirect introduction to local business magnate (and next door neighbor) Brad Wesley (Ben Gazzara), who consistently irritates Emmet by deliberately flying low over Emmet's farm with his helicopter.

In the course of cleaning up the violent nightclub, Dalton dismisses several unruly and corrupt employees, including Pat McGurn (John Doe), the bartender and Wesley's nephew, and current cooler, Morgan (Terry Funk), whose belligerent demeanor causes more trouble than it solves.

After a scrape with Wesley's henchmen for refusing to re-hire Pat (caught stealing earlier), an injured Dalton admits himself to the local hospital, medical file in hand, where he meets and is treated by Dr. Elizabeth "Doc" Clay (Kelly Lynch). Doc and Dalton strike up a friendship which eventually blossoms into a romantic relationship. Unknown to Dalton at this point, Clay turns out to be Wesley's ex-girlfriend.

Wesley invites Dalton to his home in a seemingly innocent attempt to make peace, but he has an ulterior motive: Wesley would like Dalton to work for him once he extorts Tilghman's club. When Dalton declines, Wesley begins an assault on Dalton's friends, including interferring with liquor deliveries to the Double Deuce. Dalton's mentor, aging but legendary cooler Wade Garrett (Sam Elliott), arrives in town after a disconcerting phone call from Dalton and helps him defend a liquor shipment from Wesley's thugs. Garrett's reputation precedes him, for he is treated with reverence by his fellow bouncers and sticks around to support Dalton.

That evening, local automotive parts and supplies business owner (Doc's uncle) Red Webster's (Red West) store is destroyed by a coincidental fire after he refuses to give ground to Wesley's persistent extortion demands. Dalton, not wanting to exacerbate matters, allows Wesley and his men entrance to the club that night, along with the club regulars. Wesley coaxes his girlfriend, Denise (Julie Michaels), to perform a strip-tease while bandstand player Cody (Jeff Healey) plays a cover of Muddy Waters' "Hoochie Coochie Man." Unimpressed, Dalton calmly but firmly removes Denise from the stage and chides Wesley for her behavior, to the dismay of the cheering patrons. In retaliation, Wesley calls for his right-hand man, Jimmy (Marshall Teague), a former convict and proficient martial artist. Jimmy instigates a fight, systematically disabling the bouncers one by one with a pool cue while Wesley's henchmen engage Dalton and Wade. Jimmy then turns his attention to Wade. Despite Wade's hand-to-hand combat prowess (it is later revealed that he trained Dalton), Jimmy gets the upper hand until Dalton intervenes, and the two have a brief but heated skirmish before Wesley calls a halt to the mêlée.

The next day, car dealership owner Pete Stroudenmire becomes Wesley's next victim when he too rebuffs Wesley. As a result, Wesley has one of his thugs, Gary Ketchum (Anthony De Longis), demolish the structure with his monster truck as Dalton and his friends look on with contempt. After the incident, Garrett tries to convince Dalton to consider the possible consequences of involving himself in the town's affairs and leave Jasper. However, Dalton is determined to stay. Their interaction reveals that Dalton considers Wade his most trusted confidant.

That night, Doc visits Dalton and also attempts to persuade him to leave. However, their conversation is interrupted by a massive explosion; Emmett's home has been fire-bombed. Dalton manages to rescue Emmett from the blaze before the house is completely destroyed. Relieved that Emmett has not been injured, Dalton overhears the engine of a dirt bike in the distance and observes Jimmy, who stops to laugh at the carnage, fleeing the scene. Dalton, furious and obviously having had enough of Wesley's strong-armed tactics, chases and leaps at Jimmy, knocking him from the bike. As the fight ensues, despite Jimmy's jeering insults and taunts, Dalton eventually manages to gain an upper hand, prompting Jimmy to pull a concealed pistol. Dalton deflects the pistol and, blinded and goaded on by rage, kills Jimmy by tearing out his throat with his bare hand (an earlier implied maneuver he used years ago to defend himself). Jimmy immediately dies from the wound, and Doc leaves, disgusted by what she has just witnessed.

Returning to the club the next day, Dalton receives an ominous call from Wesley, seeking revenge for Jimmy's death. During the conversation, Wesley asks Dalton to make a shocking choice: he must decide whether Wade or Elizabeth will be killed. Wesley ultimately decides by the flip of coin but does not reveal the outcome. Suddenly, Wade stumbles into the building, severely beaten. After Dalton helps him to the bar, he unknowingly makes the fatal mistake of leaving Wade unattended while he goes to convince Elizabeth to leave town with him and his friend. Elizabeth, still repulsed by Dalton's actions the night before, adamantly refuses. Finally realizing he has no other recourse, Dalton returns to the Deuce to meet up with Wade and leave town. He soon discovers Wade has been brutally murdered. Pinned to the body, by way of a dagger, is a note reading "It was Tails." Fraught with grief, an enraged Dalton infiltrates Wesley's estate, where he overcomes Wesley's men. Ketchum, revealed to be Wade's killer, is killed by Dalton in the same manner as Wade.

Dalton eventually comes face-to-face with Wesley, and the two battle until Dalton restrains Wesley on a chair. Staring down at Wesley with his hand poised to rip Wesley's throat, he reflects about the error of his past violent ways. As he turns to walk away, Wesley seizes the opportunity to reach for a nearby gun. Clay arrives just in time to witness the men Wesley has persecuted over the years, Red, Emmet, Stroudenmire and Tighlman, come to Dalton's defense and shoot Wesley dead. They stash the weapons prior to the arrival of local law enforcement and proceed to corroborate each others' innocence: "I didn't see nothin'. You see anythin'?" When asked if he saw anything, a dazed Tinker, the sole survivor of Wesley's men, sheepishly states "a polar bear fell on me", inducing stifled laughter. The movie then concludes with a shot of Dalton jumping into a local swimming hole to share a romantic skinny-dip with Doc Clay.