Just for the Hell of It 1968

The film opens with a wild teenage party inside a crowded Florida apartment, where a self-styled crew called Destruction Incorporated erupts into chaos. Led by Dexter, a man whose grip on reality feels dangerously thin, the crew also includes his loyal ally Denny, Denny’s girlfriend Bitsy, and the imposing figure known as Lummox. Dexter doesn’t pretend there’s a point to their rampage beyond the thrill itself: “just for the hell of it.”

From the party, the Destruction crew moves to a neighborhood bar where the mood turns nastier than the night began. The bartender tries to quiet them, but they retaliate by beating the owner. The gang then piles into Dexter’s white 1967 Mustang and roams the town, harassing locals and striking fear into anyone who crosses their path. A teenager swipes a woman’s newspaper and sets it aflame, another man is splashed with paint, and a police officer becomes a taunting target. The sense of menace expands as the crew shows no hesitation in brutalizing anyone who stands in their way.

A corner coffee shop becomes the stage for a brutal confrontation with a former friend, Doug. The fight spills into the street and the crew’s violence escalates; they rough up the shop’s proprietor and drag him toward the stove, burning his hands in a cruel display. The press begins to condemn the violence, and the police aggressively pursue the group, though Dexter, cool and calm under pressure, denies any involvement. With witnesses afraid to come forward and evidence scarce, he is discharged with a warning to stay out of trouble.

The violence continues to cascade through the town. A blind man is tormented; a man with a fresh bandage is beaten with his own crutches; a baby is snatched from a mother and the stroller demolished, all done in front of horrified onlookers. The Destruction crew harasses workers at an office, raids a cafeteria, and even invades a little league game. Doug tries to intervene during a street skirmish but ends up in jail after a chaotic clash with the gang. Meanwhile, Bitsy phones Doug with a ploy to lure him away, hinting she wants to help turn the gang in to the authorities, but her real motive remains murky.

Jeanne, Doug’s girlfriend, is left at home as Bitsy’s plan unfolds, and the gang arrives at Doug’s house to taunt and threaten. In a shocking home invasion, Dexter, Denny, and Bitsy strip and brutalize Jeanne, leaving her battered and maimed, with the horrifying image of a rat carved into her stomach. Doug, outraged and determined, tries to rally assistance, but the law appears unable to keep pace with the escalating terror.

Fueled by revenge, Doug pursues the Destruction crew as they flee in Dexter’s Mustang, with Denny and Bitsy hopping away on a motorcycle. A high-speed pursuit ends when the motorcycle crashes into a pole, exploding on impact and killing both of them. The chase winds down, and Dexter appears to have slipped through the net, while Lummox checks in with updates about those in jail and the fates of his comrades.

Dexter’s reaction to the news is characteristic of his chilling detachment: “who cares, man?” The film closes with a stark caption that seals the message: THE END… of this movie, but not the violence.