The Manchurian Candidate 2004

Major Bennett Marco, a commanding officer in a U.S. Army unit during the Gulf War of 1991, grapples with haunting memories of the past. His unit included Sergeant First Class Raymond Shaw, who bravely earned the Medal of Honor for single-handedly engaging the enemy in a treacherous ambush in Kuwait, ultimately leading all but two men to safety over three grueling days in the desert. Now a U.S. congressman, Shaw finds himself at the center of a web of political intrigue, manipulated by his domineering mother, Virginia Senator Eleanor Prentiss Shaw, who uses her influence to secure his nomination as the vice-presidential candidate, overshadowing the favored Senator Tom Jordan. Despite Shaw’s cold, distant demeanor, he confides in his mother, all the while harboring resentment over her part in ending his relationship with his childhood love, Jocelyn, the daughter of Senator Jordan, before his military enlistment.

As the plot thickens, Al Melvin, a former soldier under Marco, confides in him about puzzling dreams and memories related to their ambushed patrol. Although clearly struggling with his mental health, Melvin shares disturbing drawings from his dreams, prompting Marco to delve deeper into the ghostly events of that fateful day. Unraveling the truth becomes an obsession for Marco as he begins to experience his own harrowing dreams of capture, torture, and brainwashing relating to the mission.

Marco’s quest for answers leads him to New York City, where he encounters Rosie, a vivacious supermarket clerk who has recognized him. She generously offers him a place to stay. However, a shocking revelation occurs when Marco discovers a small metallic object embedded in his skin while showering—an implant from his past. In a moment of panic, he accidentally drops it down the sink while Rosie, concerned by his distress, barges in.

Determined to uncover the truth, Marco confronts Shaw at his campaign headquarters, where an intense confrontation ensues. During a lunch meeting, Marco grapples with Shaw, suspecting he has an implant in his back. Although arrested for the altercation, Marco is released when Shaw opts not to press charges. Shortly after, he retrieves the implant he had secretly held in his mouth during detention. After consulting his friend Delp, who examines the implant, they learn it was designed to store emergency medical information but potentially links back to a covert project funded by Manchurian Global, a powerful firm with strong political ties, including to Senator Eleanor Shaw.

After undergoing electro-convulsive therapy at Delp’s urging, Marco’s memories resurface: he realizes that he and Shaw were manipulated into committing heinous acts against their fellow soldiers during the ambush. As paranoia sets in, Marco discovers recordings in Rosie’s handbag—evidence of their conversations, suggesting he may be under surveillance.

His research into Manchurian Global leads him to the notorious Dr. Atticus Noyle, a South African geneticist suspected of conducting inhumane experiments during Apartheid, now involved in memory implant technology. Marco presents his findings to Senator Jordan, who uncovers shocking connections involving Dr. Noyle’s work during Desert Storm and urges Shaw to withdraw from the campaign. But Eleanor, recognizing the imminent threat, activates Shaw with a deadly command to eliminate Senator Jordan. The tragedy escalates as Jocelyn also falls victim while trying to protect her father.

In a tense twist, Rosie reveals her true identity as an undercover FBI agent, disclosing their surveillance of Marco and that they found an implant in Melvin before his mysterious death. The FBI sets up a meeting between Marco and Shaw, hoping to convince them of the brainwashing plot they’ve fallen victim to—just as Shaw’s campaign takes a monumental turn. When a call comes in from Eleanor using trigger words to command an assassination of the President-elect, Shaw battles against the mind control, fueled by the loss of Jocelyn.

In the gripping climax, Shaw heroically places himself between Marco and the President-elect, signaling him to take decisive action. As Rosie races through the crowd toward Marco, Shaw helps guide them into the perfect position, leading Marco to take a fatal shot, ending the lives of both Shaw and his mother. In a moment filled with despair, Marco contemplates suicide, but he is saved by Rosie, who manages to wound him instead.

The FBI manages to manipulate the narrative, framing a deceased contractor from Manchurian Global as the shooter, while the sinister organization’s conspiracies unravel live on television. Finally, Rosie brings Marco to the remote island compound where his conditioning took place. Reflecting on the past, Marco lets go, casting a photo of his Army unit along with Shaw’s Medal of Honor into the sea, symbolizing his desire to return to a life of peace and clarity.