Into the Night 1985

Ed Okin, a depressed aerospace engineer and insomniac, discovers his wife is having an affair and, at the suggestion of his friend Herb, heads to LAX to clear his head. There, a stunning jewel smuggler named Diana jumps into his car and pleads with him to drive her away from four Iranian SAVAK agents who are hot on her tail. What starts as a quiet ride soon spirals into something far more dangerous as he agrees to help her escape, stepping into a world where trust is scarce and danger is around every corner.

She persuades him to ferry her to a string of locations, and he quickly becomes entangled in her perilous predicament. As the truth unfolds, he learns that the emeralds she carries are priceless and were smuggled from the Shah of Iran’s treasury, drawing the gaze of a shadowy lineup of international pursuers. The chase reveals itself as more than a simple escape—it is tied to a larger real estate deal, and the two of them end up striking a tense, high-stakes deal with Shaheen Parvici to secure their safety.

The caper grows increasingly out of control, and the tension peaks when Diana is taken hostage by thugs at the airport. Ed, growing weary of the escalation, shares his mounting ennui with the gunman holding her head, a moment that ends abruptly as the gunman shoots himself. Federal agents collapse the immediate danger by taking them to a motel room, where one agent reveals a briefcase with US$750,000 (roughly $2.2 million in 2024) in cash, provided by one of Diana’s wealthy friends. Diana showers, Ed finally enjoys a full night’s rest, and when he wakes, the room is empty save for a haunting silence and the money gone. Yet a returning Diana stands in the doorway, money in hand, wearing a smile and a simple request: a ride to the airport.