Unlawful Entry
Happily married Michael and Karen Carr call the police after Karen is held at knife point during a failed robbery attempt in their home. Before long, one of the responding officers, Officer Pete Davis, helps arrange the installation of a new security system, taking extra interest in the couple's case. As a result, the grateful Carrs invite him to stay for dinner and they strike up an unexpected friendship. However, as the lonely policeman develops an intense fixation on Karen, his take on friendship develops into a dangerous obsession soon becoming the Carrs' worst nightmare.
Despite a respectable budget of $23.0M, Unlawful Entry became a box office success, earning $57.1M worldwide—a 148% return.
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
Unlawful Entry (1992) exhibits precise plot construction, characteristic of Jonathan Kaplan's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 52 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.4, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Michael Carr
Pete Davis
Karen Carr
Roy Cole
Main Cast & Characters
Michael Carr
Played by Kurt Russell
A successful architect whose life unravels when a charming LAPD officer becomes dangerously obsessed with his wife and begins to systematically destroy his life.
Pete Davis
Played by Ray Liotta
A charismatic and psychopathic LAPD patrol officer who uses his badge and manipulation skills to insert himself into the Carr family and terrorize them when rejected.
Karen Carr
Played by Madeleine Stowe
Michael's wife, a schoolteacher who becomes the unwitting object of Pete's obsession after a home invasion brings him into their lives.
Roy Cole
Played by Roger E. Mosley
Pete's veteran police partner who initially covers for Pete but eventually recognizes his partner's dangerous instability.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Michael and Karen Carr celebrate in their beautiful Los Angeles home, a couple with a perfect life, successful marriage, and sense of safety in their upscale neighborhood.. Structural examination shows that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 13 minutes when A burglar breaks into the Carr home at night. Karen is terrorized, Michael fights the intruder. Their sanctuary is violated, and they call the police for help.. At 11% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 27 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 24% of the runtime. This illustrates the protagonist's commitment to The Carrs accept Pete into their inner circle, inviting him to social gatherings and allowing him access to their lives. Michael makes the choice to trust the police officer completely., moving from reaction to action.
At 55 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Notably, this crucial beat Michael confronts Pete about his behavior and tells him to stay away. Pete appears to accept this rejection, but it's a false victory—Pete's true psychotic nature is unleashed, and the stakes dramatically escalate., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 84 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Michael is arrested and jailed on false charges orchestrated by Pete. His reputation is destroyed, his marriage is strained to breaking, and he realizes the entire system is corrupted by Pete. Michael's faith in law and order dies., reveals the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 89 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 79% of the runtime. Pete's partner Roy Cole discovers the truth and helps Michael. Michael realizes he must break the law to defeat the lawman—he must become the aggressor to protect his family. The moral code shifts., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Unlawful Entry's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs systematic plot point analysis that identifies crucial turning points. By mapping Unlawful Entry against these established plot points, we can identify how Jonathan Kaplan utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Unlawful Entry within the thriller genre.
Jonathan Kaplan's Structural Approach
Among the 4 Jonathan Kaplan films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.3, reflecting strong command of classical structure. Unlawful Entry represents one of the director's most structurally precise works. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Jonathan Kaplan filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional thriller films include The Warriors, Thunderball and Rustom. For more Jonathan Kaplan analyses, see Bad Girls, Brokedown Palace and Project X.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Michael and Karen Carr celebrate in their beautiful Los Angeles home, a couple with a perfect life, successful marriage, and sense of safety in their upscale neighborhood.
Theme
During the home invasion aftermath, Officer Pete Davis tells the Carrs, "You can't be too careful these days. You never know who to trust." The theme of violated trust and safety is established.
Worldbuilding
Establishment of the Carrs' marriage, Michael's business, their lifestyle, and their belief in suburban security. The world before paranoia sets in.
Disruption
A burglar breaks into the Carr home at night. Karen is terrorized, Michael fights the intruder. Their sanctuary is violated, and they call the police for help.
Resistance
Officer Pete Davis responds to the call and becomes overly helpful. He catches the burglar, befriends the couple, helps them install security systems, and becomes increasingly present in their lives. Michael and Karen debate whether they're being paranoid about Pete's attention.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
The Carrs accept Pete into their inner circle, inviting him to social gatherings and allowing him access to their lives. Michael makes the choice to trust the police officer completely.
Mirror World
Pete's obsessive interest in Karen becomes apparent. He makes inappropriate advances and reveals his dangerous psychology, representing the dark mirror of trust—the protector who becomes the predator.
Premise
Pete escalates his manipulation and control. He inserts himself deeper into the Carrs' life, shows up uninvited, makes Karen uncomfortable, and begins to subtly threaten Michael while maintaining his helpful cop facade.
Midpoint
Michael confronts Pete about his behavior and tells him to stay away. Pete appears to accept this rejection, but it's a false victory—Pete's true psychotic nature is unleashed, and the stakes dramatically escalate.
Opposition
Pete wages psychological warfare on the Carrs. He frames Michael for drunk driving, plants drugs, uses his police authority to destroy Michael's credibility, and isolates the couple. Every attempt Michael makes to fight back is turned against him by Pete's manipulation of the system.
Collapse
Michael is arrested and jailed on false charges orchestrated by Pete. His reputation is destroyed, his marriage is strained to breaking, and he realizes the entire system is corrupted by Pete. Michael's faith in law and order dies.
Crisis
Michael sits in darkness, his life in ruins. Karen doesn't know who to believe. They face the dark realization that the system cannot save them—they must save themselves.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Pete's partner Roy Cole discovers the truth and helps Michael. Michael realizes he must break the law to defeat the lawman—he must become the aggressor to protect his family. The moral code shifts.
Synthesis
Final confrontation at the Carr home. Pete invades their house once more, this time to kill Michael and take Karen. Michael fights back using Pete's own tactics—violence and determination. The protector-turned-predator is destroyed by the ordinary man defending his home.
Transformation
Michael and Karen stand together in their home, traumatized but alive. The perfect safety of the opening is gone forever, replaced by hard-won survival and the knowledge that they can only truly trust each other.