Directed by

Brendan Cowles
Made by

Lions Gate Films
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Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for Drive Thru (2007). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.
At the fast-food joint Hella Burger, the drive-thru becomes a stage for a brutal night as Horny the Clown [Van De La Plante] taunts Brandon Meeks [Edward DeRuiter], Tony, and their girlfriends Brittany [Jessica Landon] and Tiffany [Nicole Cavazos] over the intercom. When Tony tries to confront the clown, chaos spills into the kitchen. Brandon Meeks [Edward DeRuiter] arrives moments later and finds Tony with his head in the deep fryer. Horny the Clown murders Brandon with a meat cleaver, then goes outside to kill Brittany [Jessica Landon] and Tiffany [Nicole Cavazos]. The kitchen falls into silence, the neon lights flicker, and a sense of dread lingers over the greasy counter and fryers. The horror has only just begun.
Elsewhere, Mackenzie Carpenter [Leighton Meester] and her boyfriend Fisher Kent [Nicholas D’Agosto] discover a Ouija board at a party and ask it about their future; the board spells out the license plate of Brandon’s car, a chilling clue that ties these events to something older and darker. The next day at school, Horny ambushes Mackenzie’s friend Val Espinoza [Sita Young] in the locker room, heightening the sense that danger is stalking the teens beyond the walls of the building. The school janitor, Lenny Schwartz [Sean Whalen], finds and returns Mackenzie’s camera she lost at the party, and when she develops the photographs, they reveal the brutal bodies of the four murdered teenagers. Horny chases Mackenzie into the gymnasium, where Val’s head has been placed inside a modified microwave that causes it to explode. Mackenzie is forced to flee as Horny hunts her through corridors and classrooms, and she discovers that Lenny has been found hanging. A police officer who encounters the scene seems oblivious to the bodies, leaving Mackenzie to wonder who can be trusted.
Mackenzie is taken to a police station and questioned by Detectives Brenda Chase [Lola Glaudini] and Dwayne Crockers [Larry Joe Campbell], who suspect Lenny to be the killer and struggle to piece together the escalating nightmare. The detectives visit Hella Burger’s owner, Jack Benjamin [John Gilbert], who proves to be of little help in solving the mystery. At a carnival haunted house where Mackenzie and Fisher work, a couple, Chad Baldwin [Tyler King] and Tina McCandless [Maliabeth Johnson], are killed by Horny, deepening the sense that the killer’s reach extends far beyond the schoolyard. Fisher, in shock after discovering the bodies and encountering Horny, is taken to the hospital, where he is visited by Mackenzie and her mother, Marcia Carpenter [Melora Hardin].
As Mackenzie digs deeper, she begins to suspect that her mother is hiding something connected to a past she never fully explained. Fisher escapes the hospital by drugging Crockers and later reunites with Mackenzie, bringing with him the burden of what is to come. Back at home, Marcia reveals a chilling backstory: when she was young, she and her friends bullied Archie Benjamin, Jack’s son and the original performer of Horny the Clown. On Archie’s eighteenth birthday, celebrated at Hella Burger, they knocked him unconscious and left him to burn when a candle lit the place on fire. The vengeful spirit of Archie Benjamin has returned to target the children of his murderers.
Later, Mackenzie and Fisher are attacked by Archie himself. While Mackenzie is knocked unconscious, Fisher faces a terrifying encounter and is driven to a desperate act that exposes Archie in a new, unsettling way—his eyes turning bloodshot as he gazes upon Archie’s deformed face. Archie hurls Fisher through a window, and Detectives Chase and Crockers arrest Jack, believing he is behind the murders. Mackenzie awakens in Hella Burger, tied to a chair with a cake in front of her for her eighteenth birthday; Archie’s presence lingers as gasoline and fear fill the room. Marcia arrives and shoots Archie in the mouth, who then chokes her out. Mackenzie drinks whiskey from a flask, uses it to fuel a desperate plan, and when Archie torments her with a candle, she spits the whiskey at him, setting him on fire. The nightmare seems to end as Mackenzie and Marcia escape, racing to the hospital to find Fisher, only to learn that he has escaped and is now possessed by Archie’s spirit. The lingering threat culminates in a final, brutal moment as Crockers is killed by Horny the Clown at Hella Burger’s drive-thru, leaving the town to wonder who will survive this cursed legacy.
Follow the complete movie timeline of Drive Thru (2007) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.
Horny's drive-thru rampage begins
At Hella Burger, Horny the Clown taunts Brandon, Tony, Brittany, and Tiffany over the intercom. Tony breaks into the restaurant to confront him, and Brandon arrives shortly after to find Tony with his head in a deep fryer. Horny then kills Brandon with a meat cleaver and leaves to murder Brittany and Tiffany outside.
Brittany and Tiffany are murdered outside
Horny exits the restaurant and kills Brittany and Tiffany, extending his deadly spree beyond the drive-thru. The brutal killings set a chilling tone for the teenagers' nightmarish trajectory.
Ouija board reveals a clue
Mackenzie and Fisher play with a Ouija board and ask about their future. The board spells out the license plate of Brandon's car, giving them a tangible lead tied to the earlier carnage.
Val attacked at school
The next day at school, Horny ambushes Mackenzie's friend Val in the locker room, signaling that the killer is targeting their circle beyond the restaurant. The incident escalates the sense of danger at the school.
Camera recovered and evidence grows
Janitor Lenny finds and returns Mackenzie's missing camera. Mackenzie later develops the photos, which reveal the dead bodies of the four murdered teens, including her friends.
Val's death in the gym
Horny chases Mackenzie into the gym, and Val's head is placed inside a modified microwave, causing an explosive death. The scene underscores the killer's gruesome methods.
Lenny is found hanged
Mackenzie discovers that Lenny has been hanged, hinting at a wider net of danger. This grim discovery deepens the mystery around the murders.
Detectives interview Mackenzie
Detectives Brenda Chase and Dwayne Crockers question Mackenzie at the police station, their investigation focusing on whether Lenny could be the killer. The questioning reflects growing suspicion and the transfer of the case into official hands.
Chad and Tina killed at the carnival
At a carnival haunted house, Horny kills Chad and Tina, widening the scope of the night’s terror. Fisher reacts in shock after finding the bodies and the killer.
Fisher hospital escape and reunion
Fisher is hospitalized after the carnage and is later visited by Mackenzie and her mother. In a drug-fueled escape, he tricks Crockers and reunites with Mackenzie.
Archie’s origin revealed
Marcia reveals that Archie Benjamin—the original Horny—was bullied as a youth and died in a fire while the others watched. Archie's spirit returns to kill the children of his mother's old friends, explaining the killer's motive.
Final confrontation and Archie’s death
Mackenzie and Fisher are attacked by Archie in a climactic confrontation. Marcia shoots Archie in the mouth, and Mackenzie uses whiskey to set him on fire, burning him to death. Archie’s spirit lingers with Fisher, who is later revealed to be possessed, while Horny kills Crockers at the drive-thru as the chaos ends.
Explore all characters from Drive Thru (2007). Get detailed profiles with their roles, arcs, and key relationships explained.
Mackenzie Carpenter (Leighton Meester)
A determined high school student who investigates the murders after discovering gruesome evidence on a lost camera. She pieces together the killer's pattern, questions her mother’s secrets, and leads the push to uncover Archie’s identity. Resourceful, brave, and increasingly wary of the truth hiding in her hometown.
Fisher Kent (Nicholas D'Agosto)
Mackenzie’s ally who helps uncover the mystery. He experiences trauma from the killings and faces a terrifying confrontation with Archie’s ghost. Loyal but quickly tested by fear and shock as the danger intensifies.
Brandon Meeks (Edward DeRuiter)
A friend of the group who becomes one of the early victims. His murder amplifies the sense that the killer is targeting the children of those involved in old wrongs. His death deepens the fear in Mackenzie and her circle.
Tony (Haven Lamoureux)
Brash and protective, he confronts Horny at the restaurant and pays the price early in the escalating horror. His impulsive nature underscores the teenagers' willingness to challenge danger.
Brittany (Jessica Landon)
One of Mackenzie’s friends and a girlfriend of Tony, who becomes a victim in the early killings. Her death marks the transition from isolated incidents to a serial threat.
Tiffany (Nicole Cavazos)
Another close friend of Mackenzie’s who is killed during the drive-thru carnage. Her death reinforces the sense that no one is safe.
Jack Benjamin (John Gilbert)
Owner of Hella Burger and father of Archie Benjamin. He becomes a suspect as investigative clues surface, but is ultimately unable to stop the killings.
Archie Benjamin / Horny the Clown (Van De La Plante)
The killer whose body was burned in a past incident. His vengeful spirit returns as Horny the Clown, committing deadly acts and terrifying the town. He embodies a generational grudge and supernatural menace that fuels the film’s horror.
Marcia Carpenter (Melora Hardin)
Mackenzie’s mother who reveals the town’s dark backstory and helps confront Archie’s spirit. She ultimately acts to save her daughter, shooting Archie and aiding in the escape.
Lenny Schwartz (Sean Whalen)
The janitor who stumbles upon crucial evidence and becomes a casualty of the killer’s rampage. His discovery underscores how ordinary figures can intersect with horror.
Val Espinoza (Sita Young)
Mackenzie’s friend who is attacked in the locker room, her murder serves as a turning point in the investigation and escalation of fear.
Chad Baldwin (Tyler King)
A teen who and his girlfriend Tina McCandless are killed by Horny at the carnival, highlighting the expansion of the killer’s reach beyond the school.
Tina McCandless (Maliabeth Johnson)
Chad's girlfriend and a victim in the carnage, symbolizing the indiscriminate nature of the killer’s rampage.
Robbie, The Hella-Burger Manager (Morgan Spurlock)
Manager of Hella Burger who provides the backdrop of the restaurant world where the violence erupts. Not a direct killer, but integral to the setting.
Detective Brenda Chase (Lola Glaudini)
Detective in charge of investigating the murders, skeptical of the suspects, and often at odds with the killer’s apparent occult threat. Works with Crockers to close the case.
Detective Dwayne Crockers (Larry Joe Campbell)
A second detective who pursues the killer and carries the investigation through the twists and red herrings. He becomes entangled in the case as the body count rises.
Learn where and when Drive Thru (2007) takes place. Explore the film’s settings, era, and how they shape the narrative.
Time period
Present day
The story plays out in a contemporary, modern-day setting. It uses familiar locations like a mall, school, and fast-food restaurant to ground the horror in a recognizable environment. The events unfold in real-time as clues emerge through cameras and everyday teen life.
Location
Hella Burger, High School, Carnival Haunted House, Hospital, Police Station
The film largely unfolds around the Hella Burger restaurant where most killings occur. It also follows the teen world of a nearby high school, with scenes at a carnival haunted house, and visits to a hospital and police station as investigators try to piece together the murders. The juxtaposition of everyday teen life with grisly violence creates a tense, claustrophobic setting.
Discover the main themes in Drive Thru (2007). Analyze the deeper meanings, emotional layers, and social commentary behind the film.
🩸
Revenge
A past wrong—the murder of Archie’s son and the arson that burned him—sets off a cycle of vengeance. The killer returns to target the children of those responsible, turning the present into a reckoning for past actions. The film uses the supernatural threat to explore how guilt, anger, and retaliation can haunt generations.
👻
Supernatural
Archie Benjamin’s spirit manifests as Horny the Clown, blurring the line between killer and ghost. The possession and spectral vengeance shape the murders, driving the characters to confront a haunting that transcends death. The haunted environment compounds fear as the living try to outsmart an unseen force.
😨
Fear
The teens must navigate a sudden, deadly threat that turns familiar spaces into traps. Suspense builds as friends disappear, clues surface, and trust erodes among allies and investigators. Survival hinges on deciphering the past while avoiding the killer in a relentless, escalating chase.

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Discover the spoiler-free summary of Drive Thru (2007). Get a concise overview without any spoilers.
In the sleepy town that revolves around its beloved quick‑service restaurant, the newly opened Hella Burger promises bright neon signs, late‑night cravings, and a drive‑through that feels like a shortcut to ordinary teenage life. Beneath the grease‑slicked counters and the upbeat jingles, an unsettling presence watches from behind the window, hinting that the real danger isn’t the food but something far more sinister lurking in the shadows of the kitchen.
The story follows Mackenzie Carpenter, a high‑school senior whose curiosity and sense of responsibility push her to investigate the odd noises and odd messages spilling over the intercom. Alongside her supportive boyfriend Fisher Kent, she begins to piece together a troubling pattern that suggests the clown mascot—an emblem meant to entertain—has a darker agenda. Their friendship and youthful bravado are tested as they navigate the awkward corridors of school life, local parties, and the looming atmosphere of the fast‑food joint, all while trying to keep the town’s unsuspecting residents safe.
Tone‑wise, the film blends the bright, colorful veneer of a teen‑centric town with a creeping, almost cartoonish horror that feels both familiar and unsettling. The neon glow of Hella Burger casts long shadows, and the constant hum of fryers becomes a metronome for rising tension. As the characters balance everyday concerns—exams, relationships, and family expectations—with the growing unease of an unseen threat, the audience is drawn into a world where ordinary settings become the stage for a fight against a twisted menace that could turn the town’s favorite hangout into a nightmare.
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