Skeleton Murder on the High Highway Full Treatment

The opening credits sequence includes an animated sequence where a black El Dorado drives across the screen to wipe the credits while the song "Skeleton Murder on the High Highway," by Professor Rex, plays.

A black-and-white driver's safety video from the Colorado Highway Patrol opens on a patrolman standing in a studio. He introduces a video that shows the extreme ends that some drivers come to when they don't obey the rules of the road. He says that only YOU are responsible for your actions on the highway.

Seven years earlier, Teddy Shannon and Sally Peterson are making out while a group of teens parties on the beach at Goblin Grotto. Lee lays out a handkerchief filled with drugs and everybody takes their pick. Denny tells Arnold, the nerdy kid, to grab the cooler. Denny tosses him the keys, but Arnold misses them. He searches around for them.

Sally announces that the last one in the water is a nerd and runs to the lake. The other girls join her. The guys light up and share a bowl.

Arnold finds the keys just in time to see everyone else having fun. The guys rush him and call him a nerd.

Arnold looks up to see a Black El Dorado idling at the top of the road leading to the grotto. He can't see the driver and he drops the keys again. The other teens make fun of his slowness.

Arnold finds the keys. When he looks up, the El Dorado is gone. The guys start singing the Jeopardy theme and Arnold gets the cooler out and runs towards them. He almost falls, but makes it with a round of applause. Beers are distributed.

Sally suns herself on a raft in the middle of the lake. Etta and Daisy watch in jealousy and decide to up their game and take off their tops. The boys cheer as the girls dive into the water.

Arnold climbs onto the raft. Sally ignores him. He looks away in shyness. The other girls and boys play around in the shallow water. Arnold shakes himself dry and gets water on Sally. She acts grossed out. He apologizes. She turns away from him. He looks towards the shore and the El Dorado is back.

Arnold hears a splash in the water and looks towards it. Nothing there. When he looks back, the El Dorado is gone. Another splash. Arnold turns to see a shark headed towards the raft. He's shocked and stumbles and falls into the water. The shark swims towards him and he pulls himself onto the raft. He scrapes his leg and starts bleeding. His blood gets on Sally and she freaks out.

The shark gets close and surges out of the water to reveal that it's Teddy with a shark's fin strapped to his back. He gets on the raft, laughing. Sally beats on his chest and complains about the blood.

The El Dorado is back. Arnold freezes in terror while Teddy and Sally kiss and make up. On the shore, Lee throws the football over Denny's head. Denny goes to get the ball and the El Dorado speeds down the hill.

Arnold yells to warn Denny, but Denny is drunk and high and not paying attention. Arnold yells again and Denny hears him. He turns to respond when the El Dorado hits him, knocking Denny into his own Camaro. The car backs up and then drives forward again, crushing Denny's body and destroying the Camaro.

Everyone runs for the water and swims towards the raft. The El Dorado smashes up the other cars. Everyone makes it to the raft and when the smoke clears, the cars are all wrecked. Except the El Dorado. The Driver gets out and stands next to the car. Sally tells Teddy to do something. He threatens to kick the Driver's ass.

The Driver gets in the car and backs it to the edge of the water. The teens scoff, but the El Dorado shoots flames out of its' back wheels, under the water and towards the raft. The flames shoot up from under the water and kills them all. The Driver speeds away.

In the present, Goblin Grotto is a place for families and teens to hang out on a hot day.

The Belleview family rides in their minivan along Highway 101. The family makes fun of dad Curtis for his choice in music, while the mom, Lynn Marie, is into cooler artists. The son, Logan notices a series of wreaths along the side of the road memorializing those who have died in crashes. A sheriff pulls them over and the daughter, Lillian, makes fun of her dad for that.

Sheriff Amos Handy approaches the car and tells Curtis he was speeding. Curtis admits it. He gets a ticket. Lynn Marie asks if there is a place they can have a picnic. They're new to town and they don't have the keys to their new house yet. The sheriff directs them to Goblin Grotto and warns them to be safe on these roads, which are dangerous.

Curtis pulls the minivan into Goblin Grotto and parks. Lynn Marie directs everyone to get stuff out of the van to set up their picnic. As they walk towards a picnic table, everyone stares at them. Logan yells at them if they keep staring, he might moon them. Lynn Marie is mortified. The locals lose interest in the new people.

The local kids are playing lawn darts. Lynn Marie starts unpacking the food while Curtis gets the grill ready. Georgie Reynolds throws a lawn dart too high. Jake Hankins chases it, but he's not going to get there. The dart is about to hit Mary Lou Reynolds. Logan snatches the dart out of the air, saving Mary Lou, while Jake jumps out of the way and knocks Lillian over.

Everyone goes crazy over Logan's catch and mobs him, including Mary Lou, who hugs him. Jake helps Lillian up apologetically and then they make eye contact. They instantly connect. Mary Lou sees this. Jake compliments Lillian's eyes and Mary Lou steps between them to introduce herself as Jake's girlfriend. Lillian is blindsided. Mary Lou makes fun of her and warns her to watch where she goes. She yanks Jake away. Logan rejoins Lillian and asks what that was all about. Jake and Mary Lou get on his motorcycle and leave. Logan realizes Lillian likes Jake and makes fun of her.

Ray and Ollie Jacks introduce themselves to Logan an Lillian. They are twins, with Ollie being senior class president and Ray being a stoner. Ray asks if they get high: Lillian is a no, Logan is a yes. Muriel Dinning introduces herself. She is a sex worker and former cheerleader. Abby Everly is a current cheerleader. Hope Gentry is a shy religious girl. Thad Estevez is a sulky baseball player. June Cross is student body president. Walden Wilson is a literary hipster. Georgie Reynolds is a football player, candidate for city council and his dad is the mayor. Georgie asks if Logan plays football and gets excited when Logan says yes. Georgie introduces Logan to other Cavalier players: Everett, Pete, Wade, Luke; and cheerleaders Lauren and Margie. Curtis tries to get Muriel's card from Logan, but Logan threatens to tell his mother. Georgie gives Logan his card and promises to invite them to parties. Diane Jacks, the school principal, and her husband Senior introduce themselves to the Belleviews.

The minivan sits outside the house. Two pods are being unpacked by men in jumpsuits. Lillian finishes unpacking her room and puts up the final piece, her Euphoria poster. Logan comes in and tells her to check out his room. He's less Goth than his sister. He's into sports and comic books and music and women. The centerpiece of his room is a poster of Olivia Rodrigo. Lillian lightly makes fun of him and then suggests they go to the Grotto.

At Goblin Grotto, Ray has a right lovely paid sexual encounter in Muriel's sex van. He has fun and she says they can do it again.

Lillian and Logan ask their parents for the car so they can visit the grotto. Lillian drives her parents Mercedes-Benz, which their parents paid someone to drive to this town. He complains that she won't let him drive and she says she never will because he's a bad driver. A song comes on the radio and they sing along.

Lillian and Logan arrive at the grotto. Lillian sees the black El Dorado on the cliff above the Grotto. The driver stands outside the car staring down at them. She turns to tell Logan about the driver, but when she looks back, he's already in the car. Logan compliments the car and Georgie welcomes them.

Georgie introduces them to a few more people: Laura and Tommy, who can't keep their hands off of each other, and Joey, who is Jake's brother. Joey hits on Lillian, but she doesn't even notice as she's staring at Jake. Mary Lou catches her and Lillian finally says hello to Joey. Lillian and Logan walk away and Joey calls dibs on Lillian, although Jake barely notices.

Thad climbs a tree and swings on a rope and drops into the grotto to cheers. Logan climbs the tree for his turn, but once he gets to the top, he doesn't want to swing. He climbs back down. Ray climbs up next. Lillian sees the El Dorado on the cliff overlooking the grotto. Ray swings and the Driver waves his hand. A heavy breeze pushes Ray back and when he lets go of the rope, he crashes, ribs-first into the bank and then falls into the water. Logan pulls him from the water while Ollie calls for an ambulance. Lillian looks to the cliff and the El Dorado is gone.

Ollie rides in the ambulance with Ray. June tells everyone they should pack int he party Pete, Wade and Luke boo quietly, but everyone looks at them like they're assholes. The crowd breaks up.

Lillian misplaced her bracelet and goes back to the beach to retrieve it. She looks around and runs into Jake, who has found the bracelet. Lillian hugs him and kisses him on the cheek.

Logan waits for Lillian. He sees Wade talking to Ladyhawk, a truck driver. Wade makes eye contact with Logan and Wade comes to talk to her. Wade asks him to help him load crates into his car. Logan reluctantly agrees. Logan asks if this is legal and Wade waves him off. He's been running this stuff for his dad for two years and this is going to be his last run. He's off to college and he's probably going to leave the gig to Everett. Or Logan if he needs a job. Wade hands him a bottle of the moonshine and he takes a sip it's gross. Wade isn't interested in the gig and he tells Wade to be safe. Wade laughs it off, saying if it's his time, it's his time. Lillian returns with the bracelet. Logan teases her for flirting with Jake.

Wade rockets down the highway, drinking and singing along with the music. He passes by one of Georgie's campaign billboards and the eyes are burnt out. The El Dorado shows up behind him, but he ignores it.

The El Dorado closes in on him. He tries to go faster, but his Camry can't handle it. They approach a curve in the road. The El Dorado smashes into the rear of Wade's car and Wade barely keeps it under control. The El Dorado hits Wade's Camry again and pushes him into the oncoming lane, where a semi smashes into Wade's car, destroying it. The El Dorado drives on.

At home, Lillian and Logan tell their parents that they're visiting Ray in the hospital. Their parents are worried, but Lillian says neither of them is the daredevil type.

At the hospital, Ray has four cracked ribs and some internal bleeding, but otherwise he's fine. He's weirded out that Logan seemed to know what was going to happen. Everyone stares at him.

Lillian works at My Cousin Richie's Diner. She checks out an old couple and Jake walks in. She's totally into him and his style. She tells him she just started working there. He asks if she's had the cherry pie. She hasn't. He orders a slice. He takes a bite and it's the best thing he's ever had. He offers her a bite, but she's worried about doing it on the clock. He convinces her and she loves it. A clump of cherry sticks to her lip and he carefully wipes it off for her. She blushes. Everett peeks inside and calls him. Jake tells Lillian he'll be right back.

Outside, Everett asks Jake for drugs, but Jake says he doesn't have them on him. They're at his house. Jake says he'll meet Everett at the house.

When he comes back, Lillian greets him with a nervous smile. She asks him what that was and he says it's just a little business for his mom. He pays for the pie and asks her if he can get her phone number. Lillian says he has a girlfriend. He says not if she gives him her phone number he doesn't. She gives him the number and tells him to text, she hates talking on the phone.

Jake parks out front and goes inside. Joey's waiting for him. Their mother is Chrissy Hankins. She hugs them and tells them she listened again and wants to go over the rules. They proceed to review Notorious B.I.G.'s 10 Crack Commandments. She conveniently ignores the ones about family, but Jake doesn't. Everett arrives to make a purchase. He's twitchy.

Everett speeds along the highway, almost in withdrawal with his need for the heroin. He drives past the El Dorado without seeing it. The car starts up and follows him. Everett speeds up, but the El Dorado starts to catch up. The Driver sticks his hand out the window and shoots energy into the cloud. Lightning strikes Everett's car and it stalls. It drifts to a stop and the El Dorado stops, too.

Small bits of hail start to hit Everett's car. A chunk of hail the size of a basketball smashes the hood of the car. Everett grabs the heroin and leaps out of the car, running for the woods. Another basketball-sized piece of hails hits him in the shoulder, knocking him down. He rolls onto his back and hail the size of a car smashes into him. The El Dorado drives away.

Lillian pulls her car up to a nondescript suburban home, where a party seems to be going on inside. She and Logan are sketch about getting out of the car, but she decides to park anyway. They go up to the door, but are hesitant to open the door. While the debate it, Jake opens the door and gestures for them to come inside.

Jake leads them into the kitchen. Ollie makes out with a teen boy. Georgie gets excited when he sees Logan and gets him a beer. Jake and Lillian join the group near Ollie. Georgie pulls Logan aside. Jake asks Lillian what she likes to drink. Joey takes a hit from a joint and passes it to Jake. Jake takes a hit and offers it to Lillian, but she doesn't smoke. Jake says there's nothing else to do in this town except get high. Lillian says it's not her thing. Jake passes the joint along and starts making out with Lillian.

Logan stands in the kitchen with Pete and Luke. Pete asks Logan if he parties. Logan asks if athletes get drug tested. Pete handles him molly and says they don't test for it. Logan takes it and asks what it does. Pete and Luke tell him he'd better get a girlfriend quick. Luke and Pete say they miss Wade.

Later, Logan is totally hallucinating and goes to his parents' car for safety. Inside, he starts a conversation up with James Dean. They start making out.

Walden arrives at the party and notices a high Logan in his car making out with an imaginary person. He knocks on the window and snaps Logan out of his daze.

Curtis drives the family to school for the first day. Principal Diane Jacks gives them an introduction and answers question. Curtis and Diane are happy with the school, but Logan seems less so.

Later, Lillian and Logan drive up to an abandoned house. Again, they are reluctant to go inside. This time Logan just goes for it.

Logan and Lillian walk into the living room and everyone cheers. Abby is flirty with Logan, who is surly because he left his girlfriend behind when he moved here. They had previously broken up, but he's dwelling. Abby takes Logan to get a drink. She asks why they aren't out at the grotto today. Georgie says it's too hot.

Chrissy gives a speech at city hall. She introduces herself and it's over the top.

Ollie describes how the theme park is closed down, there are no jobs and no school. There's nothing to do in this town. Joey says the town is boring. Ollie notes that many people have moved away and there are a lot of abandoned houses. Thad says some people left their things behind. Joey says they take it. Jake says it's not that devious. June's mom is in real estate, so they know which houses are occupied and which aren't. They explore and party in the abandoned houses. The electricity is still on at some places and some people left some amazing things behind. Joey finds a bottle of Dom Perignon.

The crowd follows Chrissy’s every word as she complains about people having dangerous unprotected sex. Diane tells Lynn Marie that Chrissy is exaggerating.

At the party, many of the teens are engaged in some kind of sexual activity or another. Joey sees Jake and Lillian making out and storms out of the house.

Chrissy continues her speech, giving herself some blame for the town's problems before warning them of the scourge of drugs among young people.

At the party, a series of shots of teens doing drugs.

Chrissy continues her speech, adding rock and roll to her complaints about sex and drugs. Curtis walks out. Lynn Marie and Diane find it hilarious, but Chrissy doesn't.

Back at the party, the athletic guys are skateboarding in an empty pool. Logan is good, but Lillian is even better. Thad is the best of all. Hope comes in and grabs Lauren and Margie to help Mary Lou.

Chrissy finishes her speech, getting thunderous applause from the white families and skepticism from the others.

Mary Lou drives down the highway with Hope, Lauren and Margie. Mary Lou says they're going to the grotto. Hope asks why, but Mary Lou responds there's nowhere else to go. Mary Lou asks for more drugs. Hope's dad is a Big Pharma rep, so she has access to as much Adderall as possible. The other girls join in. They pass around a White Claw to wash the pills down.

Mary Lou sees the lights of the El Dorado in her rear view mirror, but ignores them. Mary Lou says she can't believe that Lillian and Jake were flirting in front of her. The other girls agree. The El Dorado smashes into the back of Mary Lou's car. They scream and Mary Lou speeds up.

She swerves down and access road and instead of going to the grotto, Mary Lou drives up towards the cliff. The El Dorado smashes into them again. Lots of screams. Mary Lou drives past the entrance to Xanadu and comes to a stop near the edge of the cliff. The El Dorado burst from the forest and smashes into Mary Lou's Kia. The car shoots over the cliff and plunges into the water.

The meeting is over and people chat in small groups. Curtis and Lynn Marie talk with Diane and Senior Jacks. Chrissy comes over and introduces herself. Lynn Marie asks how Chrissy already knows their name. She says she knows everything in this little town. Diane agrees in a snark way. Chrissy asks what she said and Diane says she was clearing her throat. Chrissy invites Lynn Marie and Curtis to join her M.A.D.D. chapter, but Lynn Marie says their social calendar is filled. Chrissy is shocked they don't want to help her save children from the scourge of alcohol.

Jake calls her and Chrissy goes to join him, saying they'll discuss this later. Lynn Marie says she's not interested. Diane warns them to be careful around Chrissy, she's vindictive. Outside, Chrissy gives Jake a duffel bag and he drives away. Curtis asks what that's about, but Diane and Senior tell them not to ask.

Chrissy bangs a gavel to quiet the room. There are only four other women in the room. One of the ladies present isn't even sure if she's supposed to be there. She decides to stay. This is the meeting of D.A.M.M., Demon-Assisted M.A.D.D. Mothers. Chrissy says it has begun again and the women are shocked. They have to be ready, though, and can't let the town freak out like last time. The mayor will come down hard on all of them. Chrissy has revealed very little about the spell she has cast ,but it was a response to the fact that a drunk driver killed her son Johnny seven years ago. D.A.M.M. is about getting revenge and that revenge isn't complete.

The crowd of young people chills out in an abandoned house by candlelight. Everyone is drinking or smoking weed. A heavily bandaged Ray is with them, but nobody's festive. Thad says his mom is Venezuelan, but his dad is a white guy who took his mom's last name because he's on the run or something. His dad gets violent and his mom ran away, leaving him here. Muriel rubs his back.

Tommy starts freaking out and Georgie and Joey calm him down. He can't wait around anymore. He turns and leaves. Laura follows him. Georgie notes that Tommy is quite drunk. June says someone should stop them and she runs after them. The others follow, but it's too late, they're gone.

Logan says he and Abby are going to leave, too. He notes that this place isn't any safer than anywhere else. Lillian hugs him and says she's going to stay with Jake. She tells him to be careful and he tells her the same. June says that splitting up is ridiculous but everyone ignores her. Except Joey, who gives her a supportive smile.

Logan and Abby eat take-out on a picnic table at the grotto. She asks if it's safe to be here. Logan says all the accidents were at night. He later asks if there are any places for dates in this town except for abandoned houses and the grotto.

The El Dorado parks on the cliff, far above them, and they don't notice. Abby asks if he bought wine. He goes to get it from the car after they kiss. He gets everything and it starts raining. On the wind, the Driver whispers he took her. Abby is gone.

He puts things down and finds her footprints leading down to the water. On the wind, the Driver whispers for Logan to join him in the water. He sees a ripple and dives in. He swims around looking for her. He finds her being held down by the hands of a skeleton, pulling her towards the bottom.

Logan tries to free her, but the skeleton hands pull back. He kicks at them, knocking it loose. He pulls Abby away and dozens more skeleton hands reach for both of them, growing longer and longer. Logan carries Abby to the shore and out of the water.

The water level continues to rise, almost chasing them. Logan pulls Abby towards the car as quickly as he cans. They get inside and he locks the doors. Abby starts to wake. Logan drives up the hill and calls Lillian. He tells her he'll explain later. Lillian tells him to meet them at Xanadu. Logan asks about Thad's father, but she tells him not to worry about it.

Tommy and Laura drive down Highway 101. Tommy is stressed, Laura is scared. She asks him what's happening, but he doesn't know. She asks him to pull over and he stops.

The El Dorado pulls up beside them and revs its engine. She asks what the Driver wants. Tommy says it's time to race. She thinks he's kidding, but Tommy says it's the murderer.

Tommy tells her to get out, but she refuses. He says if she doesn't, he'll kill both of them. He yells at her again and she gets out and shuts the door. She tells him not to do it, but Tommy says he has to.

Tommy takes off and the El Dorado follows. Tommy has a good lead, but the Driver sticks his hand out the window and casts an energy bolt at the ground. A massive segment of the road rises up, turning into a ramp. It launches Tommy into Georgie's billboard. The car explodes.

The El Dorado pulls up next to Laura. The Driver steps out and opens the shield on his helmet to reveal his skull face. Laura tries to scream, but can't. The Driver tells her to give everyone a message, then he leans in and whispers into her ear.

Everyone hangs out with Lillian in the parking lot. She gets off the phone and addresses them. She says Logan and Abby are okay, but Tommy's dead. Laura saw the killer, too. Pete and Luke say that Lillian and her family brought the killer. Jake tells them to give it a rest. Luke and Pete attack him, but the other boys come to Jake's rescue and scare them off. Lillian threatens to call the sheriff if she sees them again. She says they're supposed to meet at Xanadu.

Pete and Luke were eavesdropping and they know that everybody is headed to Xanadu. Pete drives along while Luke sleeps in the passenger seat. Pete murmurs about getting the Sheriff.

Jake and Lillian are the last to arrive at Xanadu, driving the minivan. Xanadu is the ultimate bachelor pad. Laura bursts in and they comfort her. Laura is finally calm and she tells them she's supposed to give them a message. The driver said "tell them I'm back." Ray said that he heard his parents talking about how Jake and Joey's mom summoned something. Laura gets more and more freaked out and she runs outside. Walden follows to make sure she's safe.

Later, Walden drives along the highway, a sobbing Laura in the passenger seat. Sheriff Amos Handy pulls them over. The sheriff chastises Walden for driving crazy with everything the town has been through. He notices Laura crying and offers to help. The El Dorado smashes Amos into Walden's car, killing the sheriff. He pushes the car into the forest and a branch impales Laura and Walden's heads, killing them. The El Dorado rides off.

The teens relax at Xanadu. Lillian asks Jake if they can go somewhere and talk. In private, they talk about Jake's dad, who was an asshole. Jake worries that he's just like his father. Lillian comforts him, then kisses him. They make love. Outside the window, though, Joey watches them. He gets angry.

Joey runs towards his car and June spots him. She tells him it isn't safe to go anywhere alone and he tells her to get in the car with him. Joey drives along the highway with June in the passenger seat. He asks her why she came along. She says she wants him to be safe. He says she shouldn't have come along. Joey complains about Jake taking Lillian when he knew that Joey wanted her. June asks if Lillian wanted him and he doesn't respond.

Joey looks in the rear view mirror and sees lights gaining on them. Joey says it has to be the El Dorado. He pulls over and shoves June out the door. She's upset, but he says he just saved her life. Jake takes off and she runs into the forest. The El Dordo whizzes by and there's a big explosion. Joey's car is a mass of burning wreckage, but the El Dorado is unharmed. June turns into the forest and runs.

June tells the deputy sheriff, Chrissy and the other adults what she saw. Chrissy says it sounds crazy. That's when June tells her that Joey was killed in a car crash.

Chrissy sits down with a thud, flabbergasted at another loss. She confesses to summoning the creature to try to save kids, but it didn't work. She found an ad in a comic book and contacted a British man who sold her a spell. She could summon a force of vengeance to kill everyone responsible for her son Johnny's death. But if it didn't get everyone soon enough, it would go away and come back seven years later to finish the job. To avoid it's return, she was supposed to help it get everyone. But she failed. And it's back.

Chrissy reveals that she knows how to capture the demon. The gold-and-purple bracelet that used to belong to Lynn Marie's mother and is now worn by Lillian. Chrissy admits to deposing Lynn Marie's mother from the Olympia HOA and then Lynn Marie's family moved away. Lynn Marie calls Lillian and tells her the story.

Chrissy steps outside and they follow. The second she steps off the curb, the El Dorado runs her down.

At Xanadu, the gang sits around eating when Mitch Estevez arrives. He's super upset that people are in his house. He's being an ass and scaring people, so the football players push him outside. the second he's outside, the El Dorado arrives and runs him down. Then it backs up and runs him over again.

The Driver gets out and opens its visor. It blasts the house with fire, setting it ablaze. Lillian tells them they've got to lure it towards the cliff. They rush towards the edge. The Driver jumps in the El Dorado, revs the engine and drives after them.

Lillian says they have to get it to drive into the water. The Driver thinks he can drive right back out, but he doesn't know about the bracelet.

Georgie tells the athletes to cluster towards the middle to protect the others. They try, but the El Dorado arrives too quickly. It shoots over the cliff, taking Georgie, Pete and Luke with it. Jake and Thad are both hit by the car, but everyone else is safe.

Lillian waits for the car to sink under the surface, then throws the bracelet into the water. A green light flashes across the surface and the El Dorado and Driver are trapped.

People check on Thad, who is okay, and Jake, who is bleeding, but otherwise okay. Everyone hugs and cheers.

The survivors join Thad in watching Xanadu burn. Lillian asks if they should call the fire department, but Thad says nah, let it burn. Jake and Lillian kiss. Logan and Abby hug.

A post-credits scene returns to the Colorado Highway Patrol Safety video from the beginning. The director cuts and the Patrolman asks if anybody believes this bullshit. The director responds that no, they don't, this is just a favor for the governor. The two men laugh and walk away.