Thelma and Louise are two best friends from Arkansas who decide to take a weekend road trip to escape their monotonous lives. Along the way, they stop at a bar where Thelma is nearly raped by a man named Harlan. Louise intervenes and shoots Harlan in self-defense, thus starting the cross-country chase.
The duo is determined to escape the law and start a new life in Mexico, but their plans keep getting thwarted as they encounter more obstacles on the road. They pick up a hitchhiker named J.D., who turns out to be a thief and steals their money, leaving them stranded.
As they continue to evade the law, Thelma and Louise gradually realize the significance of their friendship and how it has been a source of strength for them throughout their lives. They also discover new aspects of their personalities and self-strengths that they didn't know existed before.
The chase culminates in a dramatic finale, where Thelma and Louise make a bold decision to take control of their own fate and go out on their own terms. The ending of the movie became a cultural touchstone, with Thelma and Louise's iconic car flying off a cliff into the Grand Canyon, symbolizing their final act of defiance against a world that didn't understand them.