Plot Hole


This is one of my favorite movies and scared the crap out me when i was a kid. However, it was on this morning and I caught something that left me wondering.

After viewing the sacrifice and escaping the Satan worshipers, they go to the cops but the cops are clearly in on it. While in the squad car, the cops try to convince the two guys that they were drinking, it was nighttime, they were far away and what they saw could have been anything. How did he put it? "They could have ran into a dinosaur?"

However, at the same time, the Satanists put a note on the trailer that their wives read. It is clearly a warning to mind their own business.

It seems odd to me that the Cult would try to make the men think they were "just seeing things" but at the same time, basically admit what they did to the wives in that written warning. Maybe the "cops" were just trying to get rid of them but it seemed like they were really trying to convince them that they didn't see a human murdered.


Also, did anyone else find it funny that the cult went through the trouble to cut off all the phones for miles but had no problem with selling them a shotgun?...lol


Anyway, great movie none the less.

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The hardest thing for me to get around was that some many people were involved afterward, as if everyone in the county, or however many counties they drove through, was in on it!

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I agree. I mean, it's like the entire portion of the state were Devil worshippers. I know there are a lot of freaks out there but gimme a break!

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I believe the Sheriff said something along the lines of "You're lucky you didn't run into the Jolly Green Giant."

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You have made a very excellent and intelligent observation here. You're right- on the one hand they're telling the husbands they probably imagined or misinterpreted what they really saw and on the other hand, they leave a rune on the motor home where the wives can see it, threatening who knows what if they talked. I caught that also!

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It's not a plot hole.

This isn't really that surprising or confusing.

Of course, the law enforcement who are clearly Satanists are going to tell the men that they are just seeing things. They don't want the men to think that they are in on it (even though it's brutally obvious) but want to just brush the idea off. The Cult left the note on the door to scare the couple away, thus allowing them to pursue the couple.

Well...my other God calls - The Honorable Sheriff of Nottingham

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My friend- your posting doesn't measure up logically. You appear to be suggesting a dichotomy between the police and the cult insofar as the police trying to disabuse Oates and Fonda of what they witnessed on the one hand and the cult leaving the note on the RV. But they're all the same people. The cops were part of the cult. So they should have all gotten their signals straight and be on the same page. Is it logical for the Satanist cops to try and convince our heroes that they were just seeing things while their cultist buddies in town leave a note on the motor home confirming the families' worst fears? Does it make sense that they would do that? They would be undermining each other. And- why would Fonda and Oates think that the cops were in on it, unless the police gave them good reason to think that. Which they did. By summarily dismissing and disregarding anything the men told them, it would automatically generate the seed of suspicion in the men. They would think "Why are the police so quick to dismiss what we're saying?" And- here's the big one-why allow those four people to escape just so the cultists could pursue them? I realize that was the whole point of the movie and there would be no movie without it, but logically, it doesn't make sense. You have them trapped, so to speak, inside your sphere of influence, so why not just take care of business right there? Why let them get away? Once they're out on the open road, anything could happen. You lose a measure of control. If this kind of incident happened in real life, the sheriff and his men would have shot Oates and Fonda dead at the sacrificial site and then buried the bodies in an unmarked grave. Then they'd go back to town and take care of their wives and get rid of the RV.

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I agree with some posts here that the cultists weren't "on the same page" regarding how to handle these RV intruders. Some wanted to catch and kill them and others wanted to just let them go. Of course, they may have wanted to kill them, because during the chase some of their cult members were killed, so revenge may have been a motive.

Also, it was asked why they weren't just killed there but instead allowed to leave. Well, I'm sure that if they did kill them there, there would certainly be some investigation into how these people and their RV disappeared. The trail would lead to that town and no further, therefore the place would be the center of the investigation and that attention is something the cultists didn't want. But allowing them to leave would likely ensure that there would eventually be created a paper trail of credit card transactions, eyewitness sightings of them, and more, thus making the last time the RV was seen was some place far from the town, thereby removing any suspicion on the area. Of course, the cultists were still intent on killing them all on down the road.

Originally, I think the reason the cult took after them was because they didn't know who the RV people would tell about the murder they witnessed. Later, the sheriff likely was not convinced he has dissuaded them from reporting the matter further, so it was decided the cult would have to kill them, which the other satanists wanted to do anyway to avenge the killing of their members the night before.

"Truth is its own evidence." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Dear Mr. Holbrook:
I am going to respectfully disagree with you here, sir. When I wrote that the cultists weren't on the same page, I was referring to the inconsistencies of their actions. Meaning that while the Sheriff was trying to convince Fonda and Oates that nothing sinister or criminal had occurred, the other cultists were working at cross purposes by leaving a threatening rune on the RV. And if the Sheriff's aim was to convince the men that nothing was awry, he sure did a piss-poor job of it. The more he tried to dissuade them, the more convinced they were that he was covering something up. If he had pretended to take what they told him more seriously, he might have bought himself a bit of cover. But it's really immaterial because the cultists intended to kill them right from the giddyup. After the men had witnessed the young girl's murder, the cultists came right after them with the intent to murder them too. And if the RV had not been able to drive out of that stream bed where it was stuck, that's exactly what would have happened. After all, the Satanists weren't chasing them in that early sequence just to have a friendly little chat with them and respectfully ask that they don't report what they saw to the authorities!

Now on to your second point- what makes you feel that the investigation trail would lead to that small town and center itself there? Nobody of their acquaintance knew that Fonda & Company had witnessed a human sacrifice and that they subsequently wound up in that town. No one knew they were there. It's not like Fonda got on his cell phone and informed a friend or relative of what they saw and that they were now going to this town to report it to the police authorities. And if we somehow turn up missing, you'll know where to look. Because if that had happened, and then the group and the RV were never seen or heard from again, then, yes, it would be logical that the town would then become the focal point of any inquiry. But that's not the case here. No one knew they witnessed a murder, except the cult members. No one knew they went to that town. It's not like they left an itinerary as to where they would be going. They were just winging it. They saw a turnoff from the rural road they were on and took it. A spur of the moment thing. So why would this town become the center for an investigation? If the Sheriff and his men had killed them, buried the bodies in an unmarked grave somewhere and had the mechanic completely dismantle the RV and destroy the plates and any parts containing the VIN, who would ever know? No suspicion would have ever accrued to that town.

Now as to your final point- you admit that a consensus was reached among the Satanists that these people had to be gotten rid of. Exactly my point. And what better way to do it than when you have them in your clutches? The Sheriff knew Fonda and Oates weren't buying what he was selling. He knew he had not convinced them. And the Sheriff had to be smart enough to realize that if he lets them go only to chase them down again, anything might happen. They might get away. They might obtain firearms(which they did). They might come across a law enforcement officer who wasn't a Satanist and report what they saw to him and that this small town sheriff they encountered seemed mighty quick to dismiss and ridicule their story. And during any secondary chase, innocent people might be injured on the open road which would bring the cavalry and a whole host of difficult questions to have to answer. So why take the chance? You have them where you want them. You've decided they have to die. So why not do it on your turf where you can control the course of events? Like in a game of chess, when you have the enemy King in a mating net, you don't let him slip out. You keep him locked in and deliver the death blow.

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They were just toying with them. They never had any attention of letting them get away. It was all for sport.


Ich weiss nicht...was denkest du?

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Then why let them drive out of town? Once they're out on the open road, the Satanists lose a lot of their control. A lot of things could happen that the bad guys might not be able to control. The good guys might have been able to get away somehow. Once you have the rat in the trap, why let him out just to chase him around again? You might not be able to get him the second time around! If this had been real instead of just a movie, it would have gone down like this- When the sheriff and his men had Fonda and Oates at the site of the sacrificial murder, they would have just unholstered their weapons and blown them away. Bury the bodies in an unmarked grave. Then drive back to town, kill the wives and get rid of the motor home. End of story. End of problem.

DAS IST WAS ICH DENKE!!


YUPPIE LAWYER: YOUR HONOR, MY CLIENT, MR. ADOLF HITLER, STATES THAT HE HAS NO KNOWLEDGE OF THE EVENT REFERRED TO IN THE HISTORICAL RECORD AS THE SECOND WORLD WAR. HE WAS OUT OF TOWN THE WEEKEND WHEN IT STARTED AND WHEN HE CAME BACK THE FOLLOWING MONDAY, HIS UNDERLINGS KEPT HIM IN THE DARK. HE HAS COMPLETE DENIABILITY, YOUR HONOR, AND WE ASK THAT THE COURT GRANT OUR MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGEMENT DISMISSING THE COMPLAINT.

THE COURT: COUNSELLOR, YOU HAVE PRESENTED A VERY PERSUASIVE AND COMPELLING ARGUMENT. MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGEMENT IS GRANTED AND THE COMPLAINT IS HEREBY DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE AND WITHOUT LEAVE TO RENEW.

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It's odd to shove evidence into their window to begin with. And when did they had time to write it? Lastly, wouldn't it have been better to just let them leave, hide all evidence and if it came down to it, just claim they were performing a mock ritual? Oh well, it's a great movie.


~ "The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist."

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Does anyone else think the gun shop owner was one of the few not in on the whole occult operation. He seemed blissfully ignorant to the whole mess, even wishing the husbands happy hunting... besides, he did sell them a shotgun, doesn't make sense to arm the people you are looking to kill when the satanists simply want the four main characters out of the way in the easiest and quickest manner. Anyone agree with me or see my point?

Peace is not the absence of affliction, but the presence of God. ~Author Unknown

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Maybe the cult wasn't as good organized as you might think. Not to forget not everybody must be involved in this cult. It could be that the shopkeeper wasn't a cult member.

Why the ladies didn't went to the police after they found the message?
"Well, nobody's perfect."

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It's probably not the best of ideas to apply logic/plausibility to an enjoyable campfest like "Race with the Devil." If you had a massive Satanic cult operating in the backwoods of Texas, wouldn't it follow that by definition the very people participating would be disorganized and illogical? Certainly the police were involved and hoping to ease our heroes' suspicions. The rune/paper was a curse placed on the RV and its inhabitants. The cult's intention was to curse the RV the entire time. The small town cops were convinced Fonda/Oates were going to blab their discoveries to big city authorities. The cult's death sentence had already been delivered, thus they cursed the RV (when in doubt, curse the RV).

I don't think every person encountered on the road trip was a member of the cult, but our protagonists were spooked and imagining cultists in every corner. The most illogical scene, in my opinion, is the concluding one - AND HERE BE SPOILERS!

When the ring of fire surrounds the RV and the robed Satantists appear out of nowhere, what's to stop Fonda/Oates from starting the vehicle and driving away? The flames were only 1-2 feet high. Granted, the Satanists could have flattened the RV's tires. But Fonda/Oates were still in possession of guns and firepower. It would have been a substantial battle for the Satanists to bring down the RV and the people inside. Of course, the paper/rune was placed on the RV. They were cursed. We can assume that because of the curse, the concluding scene was destined due to supernatural elements defying logic. Thus, paper/rune serves a purpose, allowing us to accept this illogical world, suspending belief. Quite simply, they had traveled a highway to hell.

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I assumed the warning was left by the guys who first chase them down from the black mass site, then when they go to the sheriff plan B kicks off, and when the go the mechanic guy, and he overhears them saying that they will go to the police anyway with evidence they collected personally, and that they were suspecting the sheriff and his deputies to be in the whole thing, their fate was sealed.

Also, they wanted to play with them and taunt them, and I guess selling them the shotgun was part of the game.

"I'm not easy to get along with...And I'm sensing you're a bit of a bitch..."

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and when the go the mechanic guy, and he overhears them saying that they will go to the police anyway with evidence they collected personally,


That's what I thought as well. That seemed to be the pivotal point with why the cultists go after them.

Love is never having to say you're sober.

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I'm not a kid when I saw Race with the Devil for the first time last year and it scared the crap out of me. Any movie that has the spirit of Deliverance (1972) sends shivers down my spine - finding yourself in "backwoods" USA and upsetting the xenophobic locals.

You have a point there with the "just seeing things" versus "mind your own business."

But the shotgun I believe is sold by a non-cultist. Essentially, this is a chase movie so the writers are giving the good guys a little advantage here and there.

But for my empathy point of view, I don't mind that the cultists can be inconsistent and illogical. It's the hunted that I identify with. It makes sense for them to report the incident to the sheriff. However (if I remember correctly), they suspect that something is a little off because the driver of the police car knew where to turn in the park. At the point, I would have left the county.

Anyway, I love the movie.






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The couples are so caught up in being taken seriously, they don't consider what they may be up against. I think that's why people can relate to them. One of my all time favorite movies, too.

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