What Is Jerry and Tom About?
The premise of Jerry and Tom in 297 words, with nothing given away. The full story follows below.
In the rain‑slick streets of Chicago, two men run a shabby used‑car lot that doubles as the façade for a tightly knit partnership of contract killers. By night they move through the city’s shadowy underbelly, their business concealed behind rusted hoods and cracked windshields, while by day they bargain over dented bumpers and cheap coffee. The juxtaposition of ordinary commerce with lethal precision sets a tone that is equal parts gritty realism and darkly comic absurdity.
Tom is the seasoned professional, a pragmatic operator whose calm demeanor masks a lifetime of hard‑earned rules. Jerry is the eager newcomer, whose raw energy and instinctive optimism clash with Tom’s measured approach. Their relationship is a study in mentorship and tension: Tom’s world‑weary advice often meets Jerry’s impatient curiosity, creating a dynamic that teeters between camaraderie and subtle rivalry. As they navigate the demands of their secret trade, the pair constantly negotiate the thin line between duty and conscience.
The film’s atmosphere leans into the neon‑lit melancholy of a city that never sleeps, punctuated by moments of dry humor that undercut the violence lurking beneath. The used‑car lot itself becomes a character—a rust‑caked sanctuary where deals are struck, secrets whispered, and the weight of each contract hangs in the air like exhaust fumes. The contrast between the mundane and the murderous amplifies a prevailing sense of moral ambiguity, inviting viewers to wonder how far a man will go when his livelihood and his ethics are in perpetual conflict.
When a particularly personal assignment arrives, the already fragile balance between Tom’s seasoned restraint and Jerry’s impulsive drive is tested. This looming job forces both men to confront the hidden costs of their chosen path, hinting at deeper questions about loyalty, identity, and the price of a life lived in the shadows.
What Happens in Jerry and Tom?
The complete story of Jerry and Tom, from the first scene to the last, in 599 words (about 3 minutes). Spoilers throughout. Names in the text link to 6 cast member pages.
Spoilers ahead
In a dim Chicago bar, Tom and Jerry wait for the go-ahead to cleanly eliminate their target, Stanley. Jerry is eager to finish the job immediately, but Tom holds back, and Stanley tries to keep the mood light with jokes as the clock ticks. When the phone finally rings, the film pivots into a flashback that takes us back ten years to 1984, setting up the tangled history that binds them all.
The flashback opens with a younger [Tom] and a youth named Karl. Karl narrates a brutal assault: a local gangster ripped the nose off Karl’s nephew, a crime that unsettles Tom deeply. Although Tom promises to look into the matter, Karl grows wary and bargains as they enter Tom’s car. The uneasy tension culminates when Tom, sensing betrayal, yanks Karl into a fatal moment, strangling him after an apology. Jerry, who witnesses the act, vomits but insists he’s otherwise fine, a pattern that hints at the murkier lines they walk.
Next, [Tom] embarks on another hit that takes them out of state, with Jerry tagging along. Their mood sours as Jerry becomes surly, and Tom allows him to witness the hit at its site—a cinema. There, they encounter an unnamed man who grows irritated by their loud conversation about a domestic dispute with his girlfriend. The man recounts a story about his fiancée, Vicki Torrance, the star of the low-budget action film he’s watching, whose own mob-related troubles ended in tragedy on the set. The tale moves Jerry, who decides to marry his own girlfriend, while Tom and Jerry rise to leave. In a chilling moment, Tom slits the man’s throat, warning Jerry not to become too emotionally entangled in their victims’ stories.
On their first real kill, the duo trails a target to a Chinese restaurant. Jerry’s nerves show, and he makes a spectacle of himself, prompting Tom to calm him with a reference to Ronald Reagan’s fictionally cold-blooded performance as a hit man in a famous movie. The thought of following in such footsteps steadies Jerry enough to pull off the shot. Later, Tom coolly describes their co-worker, Vic, who supposedly once had an affair with Marilyn Monroe and who allegedly helped orchestrate JFK’s assassination, stirring a mix of superstition and bravado in their dynamic. When the next target arrives, Jerry asks to take the shot himself, but Tom lets him try and watches as Jerry awkwardly shoots the man head-on, leaving with a sense of grim satisfaction.
During a meal with Vic, Vic reveals plans to publish memoirs and seek a film adaptation and talk-show appearances. The trio debates who should portray them on screen and who should play each of them, a conversation that skews toward vanity and legacy. A tense moment erupts when Jerry reveals he is diabetic and pulls out a syringe, abruptly stabbing Vic in a moment of brutal indignity. Tom chastises Jerry for killing Vic in such a manner, arguing they had planned to take him out back after dinner for a cleaner death.
The tension peaks when Jerry’s fear overtakes him during their final hit: he panics and accidentally kills an innocent bystander. He then confesses to unsettling fantasies about killing his own family, even admitting at one point to pointing a loaded pistol at his infant son’s head. Back in the present, the phone rings again and Tom takes the call, delivering the hit on Jerry. After freeing Stanley, Tom discovers that Stanley has his own orders—the man tasked with ending Tom’s life. The film closes on Stanley’s quiet, unsettling question: does Tom know any good jokes?
Jerry and Tom Timeline: Every Key Event in Order
10 key events in the order they happen, from “Present day bar stand-off before the hit” to “Stanley asks if Tom knows any good jokes”. 6 events name a place, across 5 locations.
- 1
Present day bar stand-off before the hit
Tom and Jerry sit in a dim Chicago bar, waiting for clearance to kill Stanley. Their mood is tense, with Jerry eager to pull the trigger and Tom holding back. The phone finally rings, signaling the operation's start, and the moment the call arrives triggers a pivot to a flashback.
When:present Where:Chicago bar
- 2
Karl recounts the assault and Tom kills him
The flashback opens with Karl narrating a brutal assault on his nephew by a local gangster. Tom promises to investigate, but as they enter Tom's car, the tension escalates and Tom betrays Karl, strangling him after an apology. Jerry witnesses the murder, vomits, and then insists he is fine, hinting at a darker pattern.
When:1984 Where:Tom's car
- 3
Cinema encounter and the Vicki Torrance tale
Tom and Jerry travel out of state for another hit, with Jerry along for the ride. They attend a cinema where they witness the hit and encounter an unnamed man irritated by their loud talk about a domestic dispute. The man tells a story about his fiancée Vicki Torrance and mob troubles on her set, which unsettles Jerry and foreshadows a personal reckoning.
When:1984 Where:cinema
- 4
First real kill at a Chinese restaurant
The duo tails a target to a Chinese restaurant for their first real kill together. Jerry's nerves show and Tom calms him with a reference to Reagan era fiction about a cold blooded hit man. The plan proceeds and the target is killed.
When:1984 Where:Chinese restaurant
- 5
Jerry takes a shot on a new target
When the next target arrives, Jerry asks to take the shot. Tom allows him to try and watches as Jerry shoots the man head on, leaving with a grim sense of satisfaction. The moment deepens their uneasy bond and hints at Jerry's rising confidence.
When:1984
- 6
Dinner with Vic ends in a brutal stabbing
The trio shares a meal with Vic, during which Vic discusses memoirs, a film adaptation, and talk show appearances. Jerry reveals he is diabetic and abruptly stabs Vic with a syringe, brutalizing the moment. Tom chastises Jerry, arguing they had planned a cleaner murder for Vic.
When:1984 Where:dining room
- 7
Final hit goes wrong; Jerry boasts and fantasizes
During their final hit, Jerry's fear overtakes him and he accidentally kills an innocent bystander. He confesses unsettling fantasies about killing his own family, including aiming a pistol at his infant son's head. The moment marks a severing of their professional veneer.
When:1984
- 8
Return to the present; Tom executes the Jerry hit
Back in the present, the phone rings again and Tom takes the call, delivering the hit on Jerry. He then frees Stanley, who reveals that Stanley has his own orders to end Tom's life. The scene tightens the film's tension as loyalties blur.
When:present Where:Chicago bar
- 9
Stanley reveals his own orders against Tom
Tom frees Stanley, who reveals that he has orders to kill Tom, flipping the dynamic and turning the tables on the hunter. The revelation shifts the balance of power and casts a shadow over Tom's control of the situation.
When:present
- 10
Stanley asks if Tom knows any good jokes
Stanley's quiet, unsettling question about knowing any good jokes closes the film. The line underscores a chilling blend of humor and violence that defines the story's atmosphere. It leaves Tom's fate and their shared history unresolved.
When:present
Who Are the Main Characters in Jerry and Tom?
9 characters, among them Deb (Sarah Polley), Tom (Joe Mantegna) and Jerry (Sam Rockwell): who each one is and the part they play in the story. 7 of them link to the actor’s page.
-
Deb (Sarah Polley)
Played by Sarah Polley
Deb is Tom's girlfriend, anchoring a domestic life that starkly contrasts with the killers' violence. Her presence frames Jerry's stories about his own relationship and highlights the fragility of ordinary love amid hard-edged crime.
- 💑 Relationship
- 🫶 Vulnerability
-
Tom (Joe Mantegna)
Played by Joe Mantegna
Tom is the seasoned hit man who executes with cool precision and a penchant for proper deaths. He prioritizes control and reputation, often pushing Jerry toward professional distance even as he risks losing him emotionally.
- 🔪 Assassin
- 🧠 Strategy
-
Jerry (Sam Rockwell)
Played by Sam Rockwell
Jerry is a younger, impressionable hit man who clings to personal stories and emotions. He oscillates between loyalty to Tom and a growing fixation on the victims' lives, leading to volatile choices and moral conflict.
- 💭 Vulnerability
- 🧩 Morality
-
Vic (Charles Durning)
Played by Charles Durning
Vic is a veteran killer who talks of memoirs, fame, and a possible film legacy. His bravado and appetite for attention contrast with his eventual vulnerability, revealing the fragility of power in the hitman world.
- 🏁 Ambition
- 🗺️ Legacy
-
Stanley (Peter Riegert)
Played by Peter Riegert
Stanley is the looming figure who reveals a looming threat: he is tasked with killing Tom, adding a twist to the killers' power dynamics. His presence creates suspense and underscores themes of fate and retribution.
- 🎭 Twist
- 🕵️ Suspense
- K(
Karl (Unknown)
Karl is a gangster whose brutal act against his nephew triggers a chain of fear that pulls him into Tom and Jerry's orbit. He is killed by Tom after a moment of bargaining, revealing the swift, merciless nature of their world.
- 💥 Gangster
- ⚖️ Betrayal
-
Billy (Maury Chaykin)
Played by Maury Chaykin
Billy runs the used car dealership where Jerry works, grounding the criminals' world in a mundane, money-making environment. His business ties place the hitmen within a familiar, everyday setting.
- 🚗 Business
- 🧭 Grounded
- VT
Vicki Torrance (Shelley Cook)
Played by Shelley Cook
Vicki is the star of the low-budget action film within the film. Her on-set tragedy—a weapons mishap—drives a key anecdote that shapes Jerry's emotional arc and foreshadows consequences in their world.
- 🎬 Meta
- 💥 On-set
- UM
Unnamed Man (Cinema storyteller)
An unnamed moviegoer in the cinema shares a story that haunts Jerry, illustrating how personal narratives influence the killers' actions. The tale about his fiancée Vicki underscores the film's meditation on storytelling and consequence.
- 🎤 Narrative
- 🗣️ Reflection
Where and When Is Jerry and Tom Set?
Jerry and Tom is set in Chicago bar, Billy's Used Car Dealership, Cinema and Chinese Restaurant (1984 and present day). Here is why the time and place matter to the story.
When
1984 and present day
The narrative toggles between a present-day frame and a flashback set in 1984. The 1984 scenes reveal the brutal origin of Tom and Karl's volatile relationship and Karl's murder at Tom's hands. In the present, the hitmen await an assignment, carry out a fatal hit on Jerry, and face Stanley's ominous plan to kill Tom, ending with a final, jokey question.
Where
Chicago bar, Billy's Used Car Dealership, Cinema, Chinese Restaurant
The story unfolds across a gritty Chicago setting, moving from a seedy downtown bar where hitmen await orders to the backroom world of organized crime connected to Billy's used car lot. Tom and Jerry's actions are anchored by the mundane spaces of Billy's dealership and ordinary streets, underscoring the collision of everyday life with violence. A cinema and a Chinese restaurant provide key locations for killings and the exchange of stories that drive the plot.
- 🏙️ Urban
- 💀 Crime
- 🗺️ Underworld
What Are the Themes of Jerry and Tom?
3 ideas the story keeps returning to, among them Violence, Storytelling and Loyalty and Betrayal.
-
01
Violence
The film probes how professional killers maintain emotional detachment while committing brutal acts. Each murder reveals the moral cost behind a practiced routine, exposing the fragility of a code built on fear and efficiency. The violence escalates from calculated strikes to impulsive acts driven by psychological strain.
-
02
Storytelling
Stories told by victims and colleagues shape how the killers perceive their work and justify their actions. The cinema tale, the supposed memoirs, and the ongoing conversations blur lines between fiction and reality. The narrative framework uses these stories to critique sensationalism and the emptiness of a life defined by violence.
-
03
Loyalty and Betrayal
Tom and Jerry's long-standing partnership forms the moral backbone of the film, tested by fear, ambition, and betrayal. Jerry's emotional reactions reveal a yearning for human connection within a brutal profession, while Tom pursues cold control. The resolution— Tom killing Jerry as Stanley looms—exposes how loyalty can be sacrificed for survival.
What Kind of Film Is Jerry and Tom?
Dark in tone, with steady pacing and a moderate story, going by the plot summary.
- Tone
- Dark
- Pacing
- Steady
- Story
- Moderate
- Intensity
- High
- Ending
- Bleak
A dark and morally complex crime drama that offers a tension-filled glimpse into the grim world of hitmen, punctuated by unsettling humor and the psychological toll of violence.
- dark
- tense
- unsettling
- cynical
- morally ambiguous
- claustrophobic
- contract killing
- mentorship
- male bonding
- moral decay
Content notes: graphic violence, murder, strangulation, psychological distress, child endangerment.
Quiz
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Where to Watch Jerry and Tom
Stream it on Hoopla, or rent or buy it from Amazon Video and Fandango At Home. US availability and prices from JustWatch.
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