Gun Nation

Amanda Holt and her detective husband Jordan share a home in the San Fernando Valley. Late one night, a home invasion robbery results in Amanda's violent rape. Too cowardly to risk his own life coming to her aid, Jordan is forced to watch. In the aftermath, he vows to devote all his time and energy into tracking down the trio of robber-rapists. Days turn to weeks but there's no progress in solving the brutal crime. To Amanda, it appears Jordan's given up, has moved on to other cases. But she remains traumatized, her relationship with her husband now considerably strained. Determined to empower herself, Amanda gravitates to a downtown gun shop where management and clients patronize her as a female out of her element in a world of men and guns. Spending time at a shooting range, she meets a man who takes her seriously. Dexter Pogue comes across as entirely comfortable in a world of personal firepower. His quiet strength draws her in. He teaches her about the world of guns and ammo. They begin an affair. Then it happens: one day Dex appears at Amanda's home, informs her he's tracked down one of the perps who raped her. Armed, Amanda joins Dex in a pawnshop confrontation that sends the offender to the hospital. In the aftermath she's confused, exhilarated, empowered, sickened by the violence. Not long afterward it happens again: Dex shows up, informs Amanda he's found the second rapist. There’s a second, violent confrontation, this time in an after-hours lounge. Only difference is. this time she can't be certain they got the right guy. Again, she's confused, terrified by the violence Dex has led her to. She's sick of Dex, sick of her husband, sick of men. Amanda packs her bags, drives to the desert, moves into a trailer park, changes her name, her identity, attempts to begin a new life. One stormy night a stranger arrives at her trailer. He's the brother of the supposed rapist she and Dex killed in the lounge, has parole papers to prove the brother was serving time a thousand miles away at the time of the crime. Now the stranger wants revenge, is about to get it when Dex comes to her rescue, more gunplay as he dispatches the would-be rapist. He's madly in love with Amanda, wants her to travel with him to Montana, begin a new life there together. Amanda agrees, but while Dex is disposing of the body, she receives a second visitor. This time it's Jordan, who's likewise tracked her down. He begs her to take him back, wants to rekindle their life together, regrets he didn't take her pain seriously. Furthermore, he's got good news. Her rapists are either dead or behind bars. One's dead, killed in a bar shootout. A second took a gunshot in a pawnshop, went to a hospital, ratted out the third partner. He's got their mug shots to prove it. She agrees to take Jordan back. A few days later, back in their San Fernando Valley home, Dex makes another appearance. He confronts Jordan, demands Amanda for himself. Another shootout during which Jordan calls for backup. A pair of Jordan’s detective pals join the gunplay. But wait, where has she seen these men before? Then she gets it. They're the supposed rapists in the mug shots. Jordan didn't solve shit, he persuaded his partners to pose for him, the only way to get his wife to take him back. Betrayed, Amanda decides to hook up with a badly wounded Dex, head to Montana with him. But once in Montana she makes a disturbing discovery about Dex. The lovers play out their final, violent thread in a bucolic, picture postcard setting.