Impulse 1974

Matt Stone, William Shatner, grows up with a dark past: as a boy he became a homicidal maniac after defending himself against his mother’s abusive boyfriend. Now a suave playboy conman, he has a long history of swindling women out of their money and then killing them to move on to the next wealthy mark. His sights settle on Ann Moy, a single mother whose life seems ripe for manipulation, yet Ann’s daughter Tina Moy, Kim Nicholas, quickly sees through the charm and warns her mother to stay away from the charismatic stranger.

The danger intensifies when Matt is visited by an old prison cellmate, Karate Pete, Harold Sakata, a hulking wrestler who wants a share of the action. Matt manages to outwit and eliminate Pete in a tense, brutal car wash confrontation, a murder that Tina witnesses. To keep up appearances and lure her into a false sense of security, Matt offers Tina a ride to school, trying to come across as protective and kind. Tina, shaken by what she saw, tells her mother, who initially brushes off the tale as a childish fabrication and accuses Tina of wrecking her happiness.

As the web tightens, Ann’s older friend Julia Marstow, Ruth Roman, grows suspicious and becomes convinced that Tina’s warnings are valid. Her growing distrust places her squarely in Matt’s line of fire, turning her into a dangerous obstacle for the conman. The suspense builds as Julia’s concerns draw Matt deeper into a web of threats and evasions, triggering a deadly countdown toward confrontation. With Julia’s opulent home as the setting, the story escalates into a final, violent showdown where truth, fear, and past deeds collide in a high-stakes clash.

Across these events, the film weaves a dark portrait of manipulation and danger, anchored by the uneasy dynamic between a mother trying to protect her child and a predatory man whose past continues to haunt every move. The narrative keeps its tone restrained and focus on character psychology, building tension through careful reveals and Rachel-like glimpses of the danger looming behind a polished exterior, culminating in a climactic resolution that leaves little doubt about the cost of deceit.