Torque (film)

Torque is a 2004 American action film directed by Joseph Kahn (in his feature film directorial debut), written by Matt Johnson and produced by Neal H. Moritz. The film stars Martin Henderson, Ice Cube, Monet Mazur, Adam Scott, Matt Schulze, Jaime Pressly, and Jay Hernandez. Its plot follows Cary Ford, a biker discovers and stows away motorcycles filled with crystal meth, but a gangster, Henry James, has plans to recover his drugs. He frames Ford for the murder of his rival Trey's brother, who heads the Reapers, a biker gang. Ford goes on the run in an attempt to clear his name, while the FBI and multiple groups of motorcycle-mounted marauders chase after him.

Torque was theatrically released on January 16, 2004, in the United States by Warner Bros. Pictures. The film underperformed at the box office, grossing $46.5 million worldwide against production budget of $40 million, and received mixed-to-negative reviews from critics, with common criticisms regarding the screenplay and direction, though the action sequences were singled out for praise. It was nominated for several Taurus Awards for its stunts.

Biker Cary Ford stops at a diner owned by his ex-girlfriend Shane. Later, Ford meets up with his best friends Dalton and Val. En route to a motorcycle party, they encounter the Reapers, a biker gang consisting of leader Trey and his brother Junior, who get into a scuffle with Ford.

At the party, Ford sees Shane, who is mad that he left. Biker gang the Hellions then pulls up. It includes leader Henry James, his girlfriend China and his right-hand man Luther. Henry is irate at Ford for stealing his bikes (which contain crystal meth). He gives Ford an ultimatum until sundown to return the bikes.

That night, Ford and his friends arrive at a nightclub where biker gangs hang out. The three gangs run into each other and cause a brawl. Scared, Junior runs into the bathroom to find the Hellions there. Junior apologizes to Henry for being unable to pay him back for a botched drug deal (which Trey refused to allow earlier) and begs Henry to give him time to work it out. Henry instead kills Junior. Ford, Shane and the two friends then spend the night at a motel.

At the murder scene, FBI agents Tehya Henderson and Jay McPherson assure Trey that they will find Junior's killer. China becomes a false witness and says that Ford killed Junior. Furious, Trey swears to kill Ford.

After learning that Ford is wanted for Junior's murder, Shane, Ford and company hit the road. The Reapers find them and a chase ensues with all riding into a forest. Ford tells his friends to split up, resulting in the chase being led near a passenger train. In the ensuing struggle, Trey falls in front of the train with his leg getting caught on the tracks. Ford saves Trey and gives him his own bike to escape, leaving Trey puzzled. Shane, Dalton, Val and Ford later find a cave to stay for the night.

Ford calls the FBI agents to tell them that he is innocent. McPherson picks up the phone and says that he does not believe Ford. However, Henderson does. The next morning, the four hitch a ride inside a truck, which is stopped by police checkpoint. Before the agents open the back of the truck, Ford and Shane bust out in a race car with the two friends on their bikes. The four drive onto a highway with the FBI and Trey on their tail.