Nothing but Trouble

"Nothing But Trouble" is a 1991 American dark comedy film directed and starring Chevy Chase as Chris Thorne, a free-spirited bachelor. The movie takes off at a rapid pace with Chris on the prowl for the next object of his affection, the lovely and affluent lawyer Diane Lightson, played by Demi Moore. His attempts to win her over are initially met with resistance, but eventually, Diane agrees to join him on a night out in Atlantic City. In an effort to charm and impress Diane, Chris decides to drive her to their destination in style, picking up a few of his eccentric friends, the "Brazillionaires", along the way. As they careen through the night in their high-powered sports cars, their reckless behavior attracts the attention of a stern and exasperated cop, who pulls them over for speeding. The ensuing confrontation between the officer and Chris, who refuses to comply with the officer's instructions, sets the stage for the chaos that is to come. As the evening wears on, the group decides to take a detour from the main road, leading them down a winding and isolated route that seems to disappear into the depths of rural Wisconsin. Their arrival at a seemingly abandoned intersection is met with a bizarre sight – a decrepit and ramshackle structure appears to be rising from the fog, shrouded in an eerie, otherworldly mist. This imposing structure is, in reality, the residence of Judge Alvin "J.P." Valkenheiser, a man of unimpeachable reputation and a deep disdain for the affluent and well-educated. Upon entering the Judge's domain, the group soon discovers that they have become unwitting guests of the court, with Judge Valkenheiser taking great pleasure in exacting a special brand of punishment on these pampered elitists. The Judge, a portly and gruesome individual with a warped sense of humor, sees himself as a guardian of the common man and a thorn in the side of those who think they are above the law. Chris, ever the charmer, soon finds himself at the center of the Judge's ire, with his smooth talk and affluence rubbing the Judge the wrong way. As the group is subjected to the Judge's merciless whims, they are forced to endure a series of humiliating and often gruesome trials, each one designed to break their spirits and teach them a lesson in humility. Meanwhile, Diane finds herself torn between her growing feelings for Chris and her initial resentment towards him, compounded by his arrogance and self-absorption. As the group faces increasingly absurd and inhumane punishments at the hands of the Judge, Diane's sympathies begin to shift, and she finds herself defending Chris and the others against the Judge's brutal whims. In a desperate bid to escape the Judge's clutches, the group hatches a plan to overthrow their captor and put an end to his reign of terror. However, their attempts at rebellion are met with a series of escalating setbacks, leaving them to face the full force of the Judge's wrath. As the night wears on and the group's circumstances become increasingly dire, Chris, Diane, and the Brazillionaires are forced to confront the dark underbelly of the Judge's twisted world. In the end, they will have to summon all their strength, cunning, and creativity to outsmart the Judge and escape his grasp, or risk becoming the latest additions to his peculiar and terrifying collection of "trials."