Cormac McCarthy’s "The Counselor" Summary Automatic translate

Cormac McCarthy’s 2013 novel was written as an original screenplay. The text is characterized by its grim realism and detailed descriptions of the workings of Mexican drug cartels. The screenplay was adapted for film that same year by director Ridley Scott. The film boasted a stellar cast but received mixed reviews from critics due to its excessive violence and complex philosophical dialogue.

Deal and warnings

A nameless lawyer, known to everyone as the Counselor, is enjoying a romance with his beloved Laura. He travels to Amsterdam, where he buys a rare-cut diamond from a Sephardic dealer. The dealer discusses the imperfections of stones and the fate of the Jewish people. Upon his return, the lawyer proposes to Laura at a fine restaurant, and she accepts.

Wanting to improve his financial situation, the Counselor decides to participate in a major drug smuggling deal. His partners are the eccentric nightclub owner Reiner and the pragmatic middleman Westray. Reiner lives with the cruel and calculating Malkina. She keeps pet cheetahs and frightens Reiner with her aberrations.

Westray warns the lawyer about the extreme dangers of Mexican cartels. He talks about the brutal murders of young women in Ciudad Juárez and the production of snuff films. Reiner describes the "bolito" mechanical garrote — a device with an electric motor and strong wire that inexorably severs the victim’s head.

Fatal mistake

An advisor visits his client, Ruth, in prison. She asks him to get her son out of jail after he was arrested for speeding on a motorcycle. Twelve thousand dollars were found on him. The lawyer agrees to help, unaware that the young man is working as a cartel courier.

A truck carrying a tanker filled with cocaine and sewage crosses the border. Ruth’s son speeds down the highway at night on a motorcycle at over 300 km/h. Unknown assailants stretch a steel cable across the road. The motorcyclist is decapitated, and the assailants steal his helmet containing important documents.

Assailants hijack a drug truck, killing the escorts. Westray delivers catastrophic news to the Counselor. The cartel has lost twenty million dollars’ worth of merchandise. Since the lawyer posted bail for the murdered courier, the drug lords believe him to be the mastermind behind the theft. Ruth also blames the lawyer for her son’s death and vows revenge.

Collapse and rescue attempts

The situation quickly spirals out of control. On a nighttime street, armed men block Reiner’s car. They drag him out and shoot him point-blank. The cheetahs are left to fend for themselves, roaming the suburban areas.

The advisor begs Laura to hide in another city, but she is kidnapped by cartel agents in an international airport parking lot. The lawyer flees to Mexico. He turns to a local lawyer for help, but the chances of finding the girl are slim.

In desperation, the Counselor calls a high-ranking cartel member named Jefe. He refuses to negotiate. Jefe philosophically declares that the choice was made long ago. Now the lawyer can only accept his fate and live with grief, as the world he knew has been destroyed.

Triumph of the Predator

It turns out that Malkina was behind the cargo theft. Now her target is the bank accounts of the fugitive Westray. She hires hacker Lee to crack passwords and bypass security systems. Meanwhile, a hired killer catches Westray on the streets of a European city.

The killer places a bolito noose around Westray’s neck. The device detonates, severing his carotid artery in full view of bystanders. Malkina takes the victim’s bag containing his laptop and documents, gaining access to millions of dollars.

The cartel reclaims its truck. Inside the tanker, workers find the body of a courier sent there as a prank. The drugs are successfully extracted from the barrels and packaged.

Hiding in a cheap Mexican hotel, the Counselor receives a package. Inside is a DVD. Realizing it’s a recording of Laura’s execution, the lawyer breaks down and sobs. The decapitated body of the girl in the red dress is dumped in a garbage dump in Juarez.

In the finale, a pregnant Malkina dines at an expensive restaurant with her new boyfriend. She plans to convert the stolen money into diamonds and flee to China. Malkina coldly reflects on the predator’s purity of heart and her complete lack of remorse.