Pain & Gain with Dwayne Johnson

The film is inspired by the true story of Daniel Lugo (Mark Wahlberg), a Miami bodybuilder seeking the American dream and wealth. He recruits fellow bodybuilder Adrian Doorbal (Anthony Mackie) and ex-convict Paul Doyle (Dwayne Johnson) to help with a failed kidnapping and extortion plot due to their poor decision-making. Set in late 1990s Miami, Lugo and Doyle are ambitious bodybuilders struggling financially and eager for wealth. Doyle, a recently released fundamentalist Christian, faces challenges from past steroid use that affected his health.

Lugo, a gym trainer, aspires for success with guidance from a shady motivational speaker. They encounter Victor Kershaw, a Colombian immigrant and moderately wealthy restaurant owner who starts training at their gym. Kershaw, who is overly critical, starts mocking every part of his workout. Eventually, Doyle and Lugo grow tired of his antics. They kidnap and torture Kershaw for a month to access his wealth, which they then enjoy lavishly. Unfortunately, despite their bodybuilding skills, these incompetent criminals continually stumble into trouble and lack the intelligence to understand their mistakes. It’s uncertain how long their ill-gotten gains will last.

In 1994 Miami, aspiring bodybuilder Daniel Lugo pursues fitness and the American Dream filled with wealth and women. He decides to take action by devising a money-making scheme. He recruits fellow bodybuilders Adrian Doorbal, who suffers from steroid-induced impotence, and ex-convict Paul Doyle, a Christian with a cocaine addiction, to kidnap unpleasant entrepreneur Victor Kershaw and extort him. However, their plan fails due to their amateurish incompetence and numerous blunders. In 1995, Daniel Lugo (Mark Wahlberg), a convict released for Medicare fraud, is hired by Sun Gym owner John Mese (Rob Corddry) to boost membership and focus on fitness. Within six weeks, Lugo increases membership by 75% and bonds with trainer Adrian Doorbal (Anthony Mackie), who suffers from impotence due to steroids. Lugo becomes envious of the wealth and lifestyle of Victor Kershaw (Tony Shalhoub), a shady new gym member he starts training. Motivated by speaker Jonny Wu (Ken Jeong), Lugo plots to kidnap and extort Kershaw for his money through torture.