The Pest

On a remote island a quick witted con artist named Pest Vargas is forced into a brutal game. Owing a sizable debt to a Scottish mob, Pest agrees to a survival challenge that promises a life changing payoff if he can outlast his hunter. Gustav Shank, a cold hearted German executive who treats this chase as sport, will track Pest from dawn to dusk, using the terrain and traps to try to pin him down. The pair spar with words as well as wits, turning every misstep into a narrow escape and every distraction into a possible advantage. The premise fuses high stakes action with a blunt dark humor as time leaks away and threats grow closer.

The Pest hit theaters in 1997 under the direction of Paul Miller, with John Leguizamo leading as Pest Vargas. The film arises from a concept credited to Connell, Leguizamo and David Bar Katz.

Box office receipts total about 3.6 million worldwide against a 17 million budget, making it a modest performer despite its high concept premise.

Critics offered a mixed response, praising the brisk pacing and Leguizamo's energy while noting uneven tonal shifts. The film probes greed and risk under pressure, with Pest improvising his way through danger. It has a small fan following and an audience score of 4.683 out of 10 from 161 votes.