No Country for Old Men Summary

The narrative begins by introducing us to Sheriff Ed Tom Bell, who reflects on the wickedness he perceives in the changing world after having encountered a ruthless murderer. Simultaneously, we're introduced to Llewellyn Moss, a Vietnam veteran hunting in the desolate landscapes of Southwest Texas. Moss inadvertently stumbles upon a drug deal gone awry and impulsively decides to pocket a suitcase containing over $2 million. Upon returning to the scene to aid a surviving victim, he finds the man dead and quickly becomes a target of the drug cartel, forcing him into hiding and moving his wife, Carla Jean, to her mother's house in Odessa.

The narrative then shifts to an unnamed man, Anton Chigurh, a sadistic hitman with a signature bolt weapon who flips coins to decide his victims' fate. Having learned of the botched drug deal, Chigurh ruthlessly kills two men and sets out on a mission to find Moss. Meanwhile, Sheriff Bell, being aware of Moss's situation, takes it upon himself to ensure their safety. Despite Moss's attempts to evade Chigurh using a transponder hidden in the money case, he gets injured in a shootout and narrowly escapes to Mexico, where he meets another hitman, Carson Wells. Wells proposes to help Moss in exchange for the money, but Moss declines his offer.

In the aftermath of the shootout, Chigurh, who has also sustained injuries, finds the transponder but not the money in Moss's hotel room. He then ambushes and kills Wells. Moss, having reconsidered Wells's offer, calls him but ends up talking to Chigurh who demands the money in exchange for sparing Carla Jean. Refusing to relent, Moss vows to hunt down Chigurh. Meanwhile, Chigurh begins tracking Carla Jean while Moss is killed by two other hitmen. Chigurh manages to retrieve the money and returns it to an undisclosed businessman. Upon returning home, Carla Jean is confronted and killed by Chigurh, who insists on fulfilling his promise to Moss. A guilt-ridden Sheriff Bell, who had previously abandoned his squad during World War II, decides to retire after being unable to identify Chigurh or stop the cycle of violence and death.