Edmund L. Shaff

Set It Off

Francesca "Frankie" Sutton is a Los Angeles bank teller who is fired after a robbery, because she recognized one of the robbers, although she did not personally know him. Frankie goes to work at Luther's Janitorial Services with her three best friends, Lida "Stony" Newsom, Cleopatra "Cleo" Sims, and Tisean "T.T." Williams. Luther treats them with disrespect and pays them paltry wages. Tired of working a low-paying job, Cleo explains that they should rob a bank themselves. Frankie agrees, but Stony and T.T. are reluctant. However, when Stony's younger brother is gunned down by the police in a case of mistaken identity and T.T.'s son is taken away from her by Child Protective Services, they too now have the motivation to join the robbery. While casing a bank with T.T., Stony meets bank manager Keith Weston, whom she starts dating. The four women embark on a series of successful bank robberies, due to Frankie's inside knowledge of bank protocol with money and security. An investigation by LAPD Detective Strode ensues. Strode suspects that Cleo (because of her prior convictions), Frankie (because of her inadvertent connection to the earlier robbery and subsequent firing) and Stony (because of her brother's death) are involved. But his superior refuses to allow him to bring them in for questioning because he doesn't feel the evidence is sufficient. Concerned with the safety of their money, the four women stash the money in an air vent at one of their work sites. When Cleo, Frankie, and T.T. show up for work one day and find a new boss in charge, they quickly realize that Luther has discovered the money and fled with it. While Stony attends a banking event with Keith, the three women track Luther to a motel, where he is sleeping with a prostitute. They demand the return of their money. Luther informs them that the money is gone and pulls a gun on Cleo; T.T. kills him in self-defense. Stony is disappointed with Frankie and T.T. about the missing money and Luther's death. Frankie and Cleo persuade T.T. and Stony that they need to rob another bank and leave town the next day. The women decide to rob Downtown Federal bank, where Keith works. Concerned for Keith's safety and not wanting him to know she's a bank robber, Stony calls Keith and tells him to meet her at a cafe, far from the bank's location. The four women quickly execute the robbery but Cleo demands that T.T. grab more money, which gives Strode enough time to arrive. Strode and his partner try to talk them into surrendering. As T.T. and Stony begin to put down their weapons, a bank security guard shoots T.T. A shootout ensues as Stony shoots the guard, and an enraged Cleo opens fire on the detectives. The women eventually drive away, though T.T. succumbs to her wound and dies in Stony's arms. The three remaining women attempt to outrun the police in vain. Cleo tells Stony and Frankie that they have to split up and to take her share of the money with them. The police find Cleo who proceeds to lead them on a high speed chase until she is cornered. She drives through a police barricade, which causes the police to shoot at her car and blow out her tires. Refusing to surrender, she leaps from her car firing her gun, and is killed by the police. Frankie is found a short time later, and Strode attempts to get Frankie to surrender. Frankie attempts to run but is shot in the back and killed. Stony, who managed to blend in with a tourist group headed to Mexico, tearfully watches this from a passing charter bus. Strode sees her from a distance but lets her go. In Mexico, Stony mourns the losses of her friends and brother, and cuts off her hair. Stony calls Keith to assure him that she is all right and thanks him. She hangs up the phone and smiles. Stony is seen driving through the mountains with the stolen money from the robberies beside her.