Story Overview

Death Proof opens in Austin, Texas, where the city’s nightlife pulses around Jungle Julia (Sydney Tamiia Poitier), a charismatic and widely admired DJ. Spending the night out with her closest friends, Shanna and Arlene (Jordan Ladd and Vanessa Ferlito), the trio drifts from bar to bar, unaware that their carefree celebration is being quietly observed.

Lurking on the fringes of the night is Stuntman Mike (Kurt Russell), a former Hollywood stunt driver with a chilling presence, a scarred face, and a sinister-looking muscle car. Mike has been watching the women for days, fascinated by their confidence and freedom, patiently waiting for the right moment to act.

As dawn approaches and the night winds down, the women hit the road, believing the danger has passed. Unbeknownst to them, Mike follows close behind, his car engineered to protect only the driver — “death proof” for him, but lethal for anyone else. What begins as a night of fun spirals into a brutal confrontation, revealing the film’s dark exploration of obsession, violence, and survival, all wrapped in a stylized homage to grindhouse cinema.