A Bloody Mess (2025) Movie Script

1
[]
[bells tolling]
[Russ] Well we move about
800, 900 units per week.
It's no Fortune 500 company,
but it's a pretty solid
business.
[]
I like to think of it as
an oasis for customers.
They can come in
here and not be judged.
We get all types of people,
you know, married couples,
divorced couples, people
hugging, people yelling,
people doing a little of both
at the same time, you know?
But mostly it's just
individuals.
Really seems like
nobody has time
for anyone else these days.
[off-screen] Russ, they're out
there again.
[mariachi music]
Hey, hey, come on.
God!
[rude guy] Hey man, fuck you.
God--
there's blood in this one.
[rude guy laughs]
[Russ] All right, who's cleaning
this one up?
I'm not cleaning it up this
time.
[Al Hazan's "Cruel Cruel World"]
My nights are lonely
My days are sad
My baby left me and
I'm feeling bad
I almost died and now
I wish I had
It's a cruel cruel world
I guess I loved her
Too much to see
[Violet] Hi, that's me, Violet
Blank.
I know, a real charmer, right?
Supposedly I get that from my
mom.
This handsome devil in black
is my producer, Paxton.
And forget about that other guy
for now.
I'm a filmmaker
and this is a movie
about a little thing
that happened in a small town
in Texas called Split Springs.
[whip cracks]
A quaint little town that
was flooded with so much shit
that people had to move out.
That's right, shit, literally.
It ruined people's lives.
Now I was originally
sent to Texas to shoot,
quote, unquote, "content"
featuring
some up-and-coming OnlyFans
stars,
but instead, I decided to use
the money
for something a little less
sexy.
But let's zoom out a little
bit.
See, this is the Earth. I live
here.
You probably do too which
means you know about this...
[boos]
and this...
[cheers]
and this...
or [clears throat] actually
that's an original thing
we can talk about later.
The point is from C--
-Corruption.
-Corruption.
Corruption.
Corruption?
Corruption.
[Violet] to shining D,
[popping]
we just can't seem to help
ourselves.
[]
[Violet] So we're just starting
off
with the same question for
everyone.
How would you define
corruption?
Hmm.
Um.
Well it's sort of a
broad question, isn't it?
How would I define corruption?
[both] Corruption.
[both] Um.
How about an ex-husband
who's fishing buddies
with the custody judge?
How'll that do ya?
Yeah.
Corruption is defined
as, you know, dishonest
or, or fraudulent activity
from people in power.
Transactions can include things
like, mm,
I don't know, bribes,
blackmail, collusion,
intimidation, nepotism.
This thing you scarify,
you call it corruption
instead of just-- look,
good help is hard to find.
Heck, you probably think every
day
around here is some
liberal Hollywood eyesore
going around saying
things like that. [laughs]
[record scratch]
[Violet] Actually,
let's come back
around to him later.
[Dr. Greenwood] It's rampant.
So here at the Briar Institute,
we really focus on
weeding out the corruption
that we see in the world.
[Violet] Wow.
-Yeah.
-[Violet] That's amazing.
And how'd you become such
an expert on all of this?
Well, my grandfather
did start the institute
a couple generations ago so...
[Violet] Corruption,
so sad and human and
relatable.
So I'm just supposed to clip
this on?
Is that--
[mic feedback]
wait, okay, I won't do that
again.
Hi, my name's Russ.
I'm the owner and
proprietor of Eden's Garden
Adult Books and Toys in
Split Springs, Texas.
[Violet] And when did you find
out
about what happened
in Split Springs?
Oh, well, I'm not from
around here originally.
I used to have a place in
Arkansas,
but then the rents just got a
little high
and my uncle found this place
and the price was right.
So I picked up shop and
moved here, and...
I love it.
[Violet] Welcome to Split
Springs,
once a quiet beautiful
town in West Texas,
a place where the most crooked
thing you could find was
a bunch of teenagers
outside the Chicken Express
stealing CDs from the Dollar
Store.
Around 20 years ago,
however, that all changed.
Oh my God, Shit Springs?
-Shit Springs.
-Shit Springs.
Look. Look at my shirt.
-Look.
-Shit Springs.
Look at that shitty shirt.
You know, I do not
like using profanity.
Shit Springs, of course,
what else were people
gonna call it?
[laughs]
I'm still pissed I didn't get
one.
I know. Why didn't you?
You can order one on Amazon.
You don't actually have to go.
So basically, there was
this small town in the middle
of who cares nowhere,
uh, and there was an
explosion at a local farm.
Except it wasn't a grain
silo that exploded.
Instead it was this tank
that was, who knows why,
It was filled with uh...
can, can I swear on this?
Shit.
It was filled with shit.
[]
This just in.
This just in.
This just in,
pull out those clothespins.
The small town of Split
Springs, Texas
has just entered the running
as worst-smelling town in
America.
[Rick] Well the tank was built
on a hill overlooking the town
and it was filled with, uh,
some big number,
hundreds of thousands
of gallons of the stuff.
And, uh, [laughs] as luck
would have it that, well,
it just was raining that day.
So you know what happened next?
It flooded the town.
[rain pattering]
[Rick] It was everywhere, in the
streets at the school,
even in the spring, you
know, hence the name.
[sighs]
Still can't smell nothing right,
not for 20 years.
But, you know, little did I know
that this place is built
right on top of, you know,
where the accident happened.
[Violet] And do people come by
often?
Well with a business, you know,
any traffic is good traffic.
That's just the way
that I like to look at it.
[horn blaring]
[Cower] Why you wanna dwell on
all this, huh?
Sure, this town's
seen some things,
but everybody knows that things
is just another word
for blessings.
You know what I think
the real story is?
How mighty dang tough
the good old people
of Split Springs, Texas,
have been.
And you know what you should
cover?
The local football team.
You know, we got a pretty
good shot at state this year.
Turns out it was some
janitor who did it, of course.
Try suing her.
She died in the fire.
She was a lonely woman,
didn't talk much to anyone.
I heard she was drinking
on the job, open and shut.
Now everything I eat
tastes like poop.
[sighs]
Oh.
Seems the people of Split
Springs
can finally breathe easy.
Local woman Anga-- hold on.
Uh, what is, Ann-- Anes?
How do you-- how do you say
this?
Uh-huh?
Ann-- Annisika Sanowski, the
sole casualty
of last week's flood was,
in fact, responsible.
Sources confirm it was a
cigarette
that was lit near a gas pump
that later caused the
explosion.
Well [laughs] that'll
do it, huh, Kellyann?
[laughs] You get it.
She is survived by one
daughter.
This finally brings to a
close the investigation
that had one town asking,
if they were the ones who smelt
it,
who then dealt it?
Coming up, sports, for women?
[]
[Violet] And that's that,
the story of Split Springs,
Texas.
Asked and answered, right?
The janitor did it.
Then again, if you'll indulge
me,
I believe it was T.S. Eliot who
once said:
"At the end of our exploration,
we shall return to where we
started
and know the place
for the first time."
[Violet] You know, this
actually makes me think
maybe we can come around to
talking about Darling.
Oh, I'm sorry, honey, you
gonna have to speak up.
I'm not so good in this ear.
-[Violet] Benjamin Darling.
-Hmm, Benjamin?
[Violet] Darling, yeah, that's
right.
Don't know the fella.
-[Violet] Oh, okay.
-[scoffs]
[Violet] It's just he owned the,
uh, you know, the plant
that blew up, Darling Manure
Plant.
Oh, right, right, right.
I-- I didn't know him
personally.
[Violet] Really?
That's weird 'cause our records
show
that uh-- there was an Edwood
Cower,
E-D-W-O-O-D, that worked
as his personal assistant
for 11 years, so
how many people do you think
were named Edwood in
Split Springs, Texas, in 2002?
[clicks tongue]
Oh.
Oh, oh...
[laughs] Yeah, all right.
Yes, yes, that Darling.
[Violet] Great, so do you
happen to know
where exactly he is?
'Cause we'd love to
interview him.
Oh, you want to interview Benji?
[Violet] Benji? He's Benji now.
Well, he's a tough
man to pin down,
so if you could help us.
Oh, well, ma'am, it's
been a while since I worked
with Benji, but as I recall,
there's a man
that really cherishes his
privacy.
[Violet] Oh, sure, you know
what?
In that case, I'll ask you then.
Do you know what happens to a
person when they ingest feces?
What?
[Violet] 'Scuse me, sorry, poop,
bit of a technical term.
I guess that's confusing.
Uh, see, you can get ringworm,
E. coli,
something called black fungus.
Why are you asking all this?
[Violet] You know, you can
actually get ringworm in your
eye
or all over your eyelids,
but what's the difference
at that point, right?
So tell us, Mr. Cower, you
were in Split Springs that day.
How much shit did you eat?
What the, hey, now.
Now you've gone far too far.
Thank you and no thank you,
ma'am.
Ted Cower is no fool.
[Violet] Just can I say one
thing, please?
No, you have said
enough. I say good day.
-[Violet] Okay.
-[smack]
[Cower groans]
[Violet] Would've reminded you
about your mic cord.
[Cower groans]
-Oh.
-Oh, my Lord.
[Violet] God, you're bleeding.
-Did you get
-Oh, my Lord.
blood on the chair?
Oh, my, you will be hearing
from my attorney about this.
Well, you signed a
liability waiver, but sure.
[Cower groans]
-[Cower] This door is locked.
-[door rattling]
[Violet] That's strange.
Hey, Paxton, could you
come over here a minute?
Look, I don't know what
you're trying to pull here.
[camera person] What is going
on?
You're gonna keep filming.
That's what's going on.
Hey there, you call my name?
Yeah, the door is locked.
Could you make a call or
something?
Oh, what? That's not right.
-No.
-I'll see what I can do.
Thanks.
It shouldn't be
complicated, alright?
It's a door. I should be
able to exit through it.
What if there's a fire?
Oh, well, then we'd probably
burn to death, Edwood.
[]
So seeing as how we're
stuck here and all,
any chance you might
reconsider my question?
About your boss's address?
'Scuse me?
Wait. Is that why
this door isn't opening?
Is that why the door,
no, the door isn't opening
'cause it's locked.
-That's why.
-Okay, you know what?
You're gonna open this door,
or I'm gonna call the police.
I wish you could. I do.
But we had to keep all the
phones outta the studio
because it was too
risky for them to go off
during shooting.
You know, so if even
one of us had some way
we could ask for help, but.
Uh-huh, uh-huh.
Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah,
blah, blah.
Yes, blah, blah, blah,
blah, blah.
That's right.
That's,
blah, blah, blah. [laughs]
What is going on here?
[Paxton] Okay, that was the
building manager, yeah.
They said it's gonna be a while.
Maybe even a couple of hours.
[sound person] Wait, what?
What now?
Well, call the fire department.
Yeah, um, except, uh,
my phone just ran outta battery.
-Oh.
-So.
Well, I mean, what if I
gotta go to, you know,
the little boys' room?
That's what you call it?
Oh, my God.
You're just gonna have to wait.
Wait. Does that mean us, too?
[distant sirens]
[Cower groans]
Have you guys ever
thought about how, like,
penises and vaginas are
basically the same thing?
Elaborate.
Like,
a penis is kind of, like,
a long clitoris, you know?
Yeah, I'm, I'm following.
Yeah, and then, like, a vagina,
and obviously, they come in
all shapes and sizes and stuff,
but some people have a
vagina where the, like,
clitoris gets enlarged,
and that's kinda like a little
penis,
kinda like a little boner at
the top.
-You know?
-Hmm.
Yeah,
not to be controversial.
Oh, my God, please open the
door.
Come on, Ted.
Just help us out and
tell us where he lives.
Please, please,
just open the door.
We just wanna talk to him, okay,
the same way I'm talking to you
now.
Sure, I'll tell you
right at half past never.
Fine.
So you're a tough guy? [laughs]
Okay.
Like to make jokes?
Yeah, that's cool.
I like comedy, too.
-[Cower] What?
-Actually,
I find comedy to
be very, very funny.
For instance, you know,
if someone were to eat
so much shit they were
throwing up for three days,
that's not that funny, right?
But...
if it's a little kid-
-Oh, come on.
-[Violet laughs]
I mean, it's hilarious, right?
Oh, my God, this one,
though, oh, my God, okay.
So I always thought a broken
bone was sad.
But...
if it's sticking out of the skin
-[Cower groans]
-and the wound's infected
with tetanus, I mean, right?
-Please.
-It's hilarious.
[Cower groans]
[Violet] I mean, that's why
we're getting the runaround
about Darling, right?
You're worried he'll die from
laughter?
[Cower groans]
[]
Well, I'm out of ideas.
Yeah, you're just
about out of time, too.
10 more minutes, and this
whole thing becomes, like,
five times as illegal, so.
So?
So we talked about this.
You promised.
-I promised.
-[Paxton laughs]
[Violet grunts]
You know, after what he's done,
we should keep him here for a
week.
Hey, I'm sorry, but isn't this
like,
you know, and I don't mean
to complain or anything,
but are we allowed to keep him
here?
[Violet] Mm.
allowed, allowed,
that's an interesting word,
Eugene.
For instance, um,
it almost seems as if
these people were allowed
to poison an entire city's
water supply, right?
-[Eugene] Well, okay.
-You know.
-No, no, no.
-[Eugene] I don't--
you're a super smart
guy, so just think about it.
Like, do you think someone
should do something about it?
Uh.
[Violet] Yeah, but what, though,
right?
Like, like pass a law making,
getting away with shit,
what, like double illegal?
-[Eugene] Well.
-'Cause I can think
of something someone can do.
We can make this film.
And yeah, making
a film can get nasty.
It can. The truth often does,
you know?
But the thing you have to know
about filmmaking, seriously,
is the second you ask for
permission,
you're asking for the
end of your god damn film.
So just,
why don't you leave
the worrying up to me, okay?
-[Eugene] Okay.
-Okay.
-[Eugene] It's just
-Really.
Can you smell that?
[Paxton sniffs]
Oh, buddy.
Why didn't you open the door?
God damn it.
Fine.
Great news, everybody,
my phone is working.
Uh, the building manager just
said
that the door has been
open the whole time.
[Darling] There's not one thing
I don't value about people.
That's what people don't
understand about somebody like
me.
I see tremendous value
in the human being.
[Len Gahl's "Take Some Love"]
Take some love
Take some love
Take some love
Ooh ooh ooh ooh
[Violet] I get it. You feel
bad for Cower.
Well, it might interest you to
learn that,
at the time of the fire,
what would come to be known
as the Shit Springs facility
was owned by his former boss,
Benjamin Darling.
Businessman, local personality,
and the wealthiest person in
town.
[Fred] Oh, big dog? You
talking about BD?
[exhales]
I mean, he was great. You know?
He, he took care of everybody.
Just a big personality,
you know?
Sure, he had a bit of a temper,
but everybody's got one.
Even the good Lord.
[Violet] And how did he
achieve this status?
Well, through hard work,
ingenuity,
and a genuine passion for his
craft.
[Fred] Ed, Ed Albright.
I mean,
he and Benji were really
good friends, you know,
like, like, real good friends.
[Violet] And can you tell us a
little bit
about Mr. Albright?
Ed? [laughs]
I mean, what do ya?
Ed was Ed.
[Violet] Ed Albright was Split
Springs'
chief of police from
1983 to 2004.
He presided over some of the
worst crime rates in the state
yet won reelection time
and time again without fail
until his death from liver
cancer, sneaky little ghoul.
And this guy was
inseparable from Darling.
Best friends since they were
kids.
Maybe this is obvious, but
when your best friend
is the chief of police,
you find yourself afforded
certain privileges.
Like, and I'm just
plucking this out of a hat,
Darling's failed bid to
have a private state prison
installed in Split Springs.
[Elaine] Whoa. [laughs]
Calm down now.
All right, calm down.
Look, this is a...
this is a completely
impartial survey.
All right?
We're just here to present the
facts.
That's all.
Now, that said,
hold your horses there.
That said, I, I'd just like
to explain to everybody
that though the, the word prison
doesn't always sound appealing.
I'll say one thing that does.
Jobs.
A lot of jobs. [laughs]
-[laughs]
-[crowd murmurs]
All right, yes, you,
you there, uh-huh?
[person speaks indistinctly]
Oh, you're just, okay, I
thought you were press.
[Violet] He convinced the city
council
to bring the measure to a vote
regardless of its lack of
popularity.
Mainly because the
only person who stood
to gain from this bizarre
deal was Darling himself.
His entire parcel of
land was to be purchased
for above asking price, and
even most of the funds reserved
for the local government
would be directed his way.
-Yep.
-[Violet] The upside
of having sleazy friends
at the sleazy company
-making the offer.
-Sorry.
[]
[bleep]
Oh
Lovey tenderly
Ah ah ah
Yeah, well, Benji was
confident he'd get enough votes.
I mean, I thought he was
a damn fool, but...
that man had trouble
giving up something
that he really wanted.
Just couldn't do it.
And, and people owed him
favors all over town, you know?
Didn't matter.
The man got outvoted.
Straight up.
Yep.
That's the way it goes
sometimes.
[Violet] That was two weeks
before the flood.
Oh, it's, it's on?
[Violet] Yeah.
Wait, uh, how do I stand?
And, um...
what, what if I have to fart?
[Violet] What are you doing?
Stop standing like you're
trying to bang a nun.
[laughs] Relax.
Okay, yeah, sorry. I'm
just, I'm, I'm pretty nervous.
Okay, well, you gotta stop.
'Cause, you know, after
the last interview,
I've decided we're all
characters in the movie now,
so I really need to showcase
some behind the scenes.
I wanna introduce everyone,
right?
And I need you to be
fun, and easygoing, and
not, whatever this is.
Stick in the mud, I guess.
-Oh, thank you.
-You're welcome.
No, you know what? It's not
that.
Um, [sighs]
I gotta tell you something.
Okay. [clears throat]
Um, I, I,think we
have to maybe possibly consider
the potential option of...
cutting a day from the schedule.
[laughs] Are you serious?
You know that
after the last interview
we need to shoot more, right?
Yeah, sure, except how
are we gonna pay for that?
Oh, my God, there is no--
[sighs]
My God, god damn it.
Look, I think I hear you
focusing on the you-know-what.
I'm not being negative.
'Cause I'm choosing to
have a positive outlook.
-Mm-hmm.
-For instance,
I would be upset that you're
trying
to take a story decision,
my decision, away from me.
But honestly, you're
just so cute right now.
'K, great, hey, not in
front of everybody. [laughs]
Look. You're my producer, right?
You can figure it out.
It's just money.
So, cheat out to camera.
Talk about yourself, please.
'K.
Uh, I was, I was, um, uh, uh,
ah, there's nothing
interesting about me.
The only interesting thing
I can think about myself is
that I, uh, I don't know,
grew up with this girl
who can be pretty fucking
pushy when she wants to be.
Okay, come on.
[sighs] I mean, what
else do you want from me?
It's not like you were that
open when I ask you about
your family or your mom.
-Fine.
-[sighs] Sorry.
Drew, let's go.
We have a lot of crew
left to interview, 'k?
-[Drew] Wait, what?
-Hey, don't do that.
[Drew] What are you talking
about?
You said this would take five
minutes.
I still haven't eaten.
Oh, my God, Drew,
you're an artist, right?
How many days shooting do you
think
you're gonna get in your life?
You wanna waste one eating?
You heard the guy. We're
on a limited schedule.
So let's just come on.
[Drew] Oh, no, no, no, no, no.
If I wanted to be on my feet
all day,
I'd still be operating for
reality shows.
[Violet] Okay, no,
God damn it.
-Drew.
-Give me some,
give me something worth
shooting if you're gonna
pull a stunt like that, okay?
[Violet] Drew, my wrist is
killing me, okay?
-Just, Paxton, can you take
this?
-Yeah, sure. Wait,
-[cell phone rings]
that's gonna be the Albrights'
lawyer calling.
I, I have to take this if
you wanna talk to them.
[Violet sighs]
[Violet] Just make sure
they're both there, please.
Nice.
Oh, hey, is this,
was I not supposed to eat these?
[Violet] You busy?
What?
[Violet] How much would you
say do you know
about operating a camera?
Oh, really? I mean, lots.
I, I used to basically run
my sister's social accounts.
[Violet] Perfect.
You're a natural to be our
second camera operator.
-Whoa, really?
-[Violet] Oh, yeah.
You can learn in,
like, two minutes.
Believe me, a
monkey could do it.
[Drew] Hey,
that was rude.
[Violet] Do you want
someone else to help with
some filming or what?
Well, yeah, but who's
gonna train him?
Um, and don't I need to do
sound?
[Violet] No, that's fine.
Paxton can do sound.
-Are you sure?
-[Violet] Yes, I'm sure.
I'm the director. The
director's always sure, okay?
Now where's Paxton?
Hey there, somebody say my name?
[Violet] Yeah, I need you to do
sound tomorrow.
Oh, okay, but I don't
know how to do that.
[Eugene] Oh, I can show you.
I mean, I don't mind, I
don't mind showing you
how to do it or anything.
[Violet] Great, now could
someone take this camera for me
please?
-Thank you so much.
-[seat creaks]
I still haven't eaten.
You know that, right?
[Violet] Okay, okay, just tell
us about yourself.
Why?
[Violet] Interesting answer.
Look, I don't know
what you want me to say.
I saw Faces of Death when I was
I've just been sort of, like,
chasing that high ever since.
[Violet] Hmm, actually quite
illuminating.
It's a good movie.
[Violet] I believe you.
[Drew] Dude, be careful with
that.
Sorry, I'm sorry.
[Violet] Okay, Eugene, tell us
about yourself.
Oh, well, you know,
I'm just really grateful
for the opportunity.
Ah, not a lot of chances
for recent grads,
-so, um,
-[lens clanks]
is this where the film goes?
Or wait, no, wait, it's HD, so
no.
[Drew] Goddammit.
[Violet] Don't pay attention to
her, okay?
You're gonna be a director,
right?
So it's good you're getting
this kind of practice.
Yeah, I mean, you know, um,
uh, that'd be really cool.
But I think I want to
be a producer, actually,
like Mr. Paxton.
[Violet] Really?
-Mm-hmm.
-[Violet] That's dumb.
-[lens clatters]
-Oof.
[Drew] Oh, my God, okay, that's
it.
I have to get a sandwich or
something.
[Violet] Drew, uh, who's gonna
shoot my interview?
[crow cawing]
Got it?
[Eugene] Yeah.
Okay, maybe we should
get a tripod or something.
[Eugene] Wait, what?
Why are you moving it?
Just keep me in the
left third at the frame.
[Eugene] Uh, sure, right.
[Paxton] Violet, quit
micromanaging.
We're asking the
questions this time.
Oh, okay, well, fingers
crossed then. [laughs]
[Paxton] Hey, come on.
I've been practicing.
Yeah, I know.
I'm kidding. Relax.
I'm just saying, like, you
have to take it seriously.
Otherwise, I am gonna look
like some kind of zombie,
you know?
And you have to ask me
something you really wanna know.
Like, don't ask the favorite
documentary
of all time question.
[Paxton] Well, yeah, but no, you
told me
to just ask about the movie
stuff.
Yeah, that's what I'm saying.
What are you talking about?
[Paxton] I mean something I
genuinely wanna know is
more about the, where you
lived after you moved.
What was it? What do you call
it?
The group, um...
[wind blowing]
-The group home?
-[Paxton] Yeah, yeah, when we
were kids.
Uh, I...
[Paxton] I begged my parents
to let you stay with us.
But then you were just
gone before I could even--
Why are you asking me this?
[Paxton] Uh, well, you said
we're doing bios.
Yeah, but after,
we talked about this.
[Paxton] I thought it could be
off the cuff, you know?
Like, maybe you'd open up.
Oh, okay, well, how about
a little bedside manner?
You fucking...
[Paxton] Uh, where are you
going?
Violet.
[Violet] I'll say everything
I need to in voiceover.
[Violet] What do you think keeps
society running ultimately?
Mutual respect?
Love of family?
Federal holidays?
[punching and thudding]
It's violence,
threats, coercion,
incarceration.
You can call it law, or order,
or following the rules, but
it's all just violence.
I, on the other hand,
believe in a gentler approach
to controlling people, okay?
Take master of tact,
Paxton, here, for instance.
-It's pretty simple.
-We, you know--
-Can you hear that?
-got intimate one time,
and it was meaningless
to me.
But since then,
I mean, I can get him
to do whatever I want.
You might call it crass, but
it's a lot less messy
than the alternative.
-A human being
-[Violet] Besides, it's a part
-of the process,
-A human being.
[Violet] It's all in service of
the truth.
It sets you free.
It's just sometimes it
needs a little nudge.
[]
Patty, relax.
How is what I did stealing?
If all I was doing was taking
your money
and running off with it,
would I have answered
your phone call, right?
So, Pat, that's really bad
grammar.
Mm-hmm.
No, no, I know. I know.
You trusted me with
your money. I get it.
We're talking eight shoots,
six days, and
more cum than
could fill a bucket.
I, I heard it when you said it
before,
and, and I am hearing it now.
Uh, so, Patty, if I could,
yeah, no, just let me,
I'll say one thing.
In a sense, what I'm
doing here is showcasing that
all modern society
is pornographic.
So Pat, Pat, calm,
Pat, it's tough to understand
you when you're yelling.
What's that?
Will there be nudity?
Oh, no promises. [sighs]
Great, you getting that? Yeah?
Look at that. Isn't that fun?
-Honey.
-That's funny.
What? It's a historical dick
pic.
This one's from 1906.
Yeah, I'm a little
bit of a collector.
Anytime one of these bad
boys comes in the store,
I make sure to
grab it for myself.
-Yeah.
-[Aaron laughs]
-It's nice, dear.
-Yeah.
-Put it away.
-Yeah, but look.
I mean, look at it compared to
mine.
-Look at, I wish.
-No, I know.
-Right?
-Well, me too.
I wish.
[Aaron] Hey, howdy, uh, I'm
Aaron Albright.
[Melissa] Which makes me Melissa
Albright.
[Aaron] And we own and operate
all six Albright A+ pawn,
check-cashing,
and payday loan locations
in the West Texas area.
Uh, you know,
we think of ourselves
as a community service,
-really.
-Mm-hmm, that's right.
Put money in the people's
pockets. That's what I always
say.
We always say.
Right, yeah, of course.
-Remember?
-We both, we both say that.
Yeah.
You know, it's clear as day--
[Violet] Okay, here's where I
let them
kind of just
ramble about their politics.
I know it seems degrading.
Afford to pay less
money to more people.
-[Violet] It is.
It makes perfect sense.
-It's trickle-down math.
-And he's always been
good at math.
[Violet] But everybody just
wants to feel special, seen.
-Take my firearms.
-[Aaron] That's right.
Offer them a camera
and tell them it's for
whatever dumbass
streaming service they use,
and they will open their arms,
they will open their hearts,
and most of all, they
will open their doors.
Give them enough rope, and,
well, you know the expression.
You know, we need to
lower the age of consent.
-Yeah.
-Right?
If you're pregnant, you can't
protest.
-Right.
-You need to--
-Whoa.
-Dad.
Who's this?
[Melissa] Guille, honey, what
did we say?
To be quiet.
[laughs] I'm sorry.
He is supposed to be
in invisible mode.
Isn't that right, buddy?
[Guille] Sorry, Mommy.
[Melissa laughs] It's okay.
Um, honey, Mom
and Dad are still on TV.
So could you wait for us
in the back office, please?
Okay.
Okay.
Oh, look at that sad walk.
[Melissa laughs] Oh.
Yeah, he's a pouter.
Does it all the time.
He gonna be all right?
[Melissa] Oh, he's fine.
He's got a couple
Fruit Roll-Ups and
an iPad back there.
Yeah. [laughs]
You wish you were back there.
I wish I had an iPad. [laughs]
She doesn't trust me with 'em.
No, no.
So, you know, it's this
point of view, right?
Your whole family's point of
view,
that's the reason we
brought you here today.
Damn right.
Honey.
-Sorry.
-In fact, oh, uh, think fast.
[all laugh]
What is this?
So that's a baseball cap, Aaron.
Um, honey, I think--
-Nah.
-I might take a little pause.
I see that. [laughs]
Sure, sure, yeah, we, we can
pause.
Just need to get through this
one thing if you don't mind.
[door opens]
[Violet] Okay, come on.
[sighs]
-Mom, Dad.
-[door clatters]
Guille, buddy. [laughs]
Sweetheart, Mom and Dad
are almost done, okay?
Almost done.
Now how's the way
to be a good boy?
To be quiet.
That's right, back to the
office, buddy.
You know, actually, Guille, is
it?
Would you wanna stay in here
with us?
Really?
Yeah, we're making a movie.
Do you know what that is?
Like on TikTok?
That's your example.
Okay, you, you definitely
need to stay in here with us.
Yeah, so, so why don't you
just stand right behind me,
and you can watch
Mommy and Daddy, okay?
You just have to
promise to be real quiet.
Oh, um, no, I,
[laughs] I, I don't know.
We're kinda talking about
some kinda boring adult stuff.
Oh, no, kids love this stuff.
Trust me. We're happy to do it.
Well...
So back to the visual aid.
Have either of you ever
heard of this place?
No.
No, no, I, I, I have no
knowledge...
um, of any kind
as it pertains to--
You can relax.
So this is the company that
bought most
of the land after the flood.
Uh, sorry, what?
So a lot of people had to
move out in a hurry, right,
because of damages,
illnesses, the smell.
So Litchben been swooped in
to get rock-bottom prices.
Wait, uh, uh, so what
does this have to do with
me or my wife?
That's a really good
question. Thank you, Aaron.
You're welcome. Thank you.
-Aaron, don't be nice.
-[smacks]
She's making fun of you
and trying to hurt the family.
[Aaron] You can't hit me,
remember what Dr. Irving said?
Besides, how's this
hurting our f--
your family?
I don't know anything
about any of this stuff.
-Just give me that.
-[item rustles]
Hey, careful. You know what?
I, I'm just gonna take
that actually, please.
No.
I'll take that back now.
-No.
-Thank you.
No, I'll take it back, God.
[Violet clears throat]
You okay?
No!
Aaron,
I believe this company was run
by
her father under a pseudonym,
okay?
That's what it has to do with
her.
Oh, please, my father
was a man of the law.
He knew nothing about business.
Right, but he wouldn't have to
'cause he would just have
to sign some paperwork.
So, have either of you heard
the term money laundering?
[laughs] Okay, okay, this
is just ridiculous now.
So, Guille, come on.
-Let's go.
-Oh, hold on, Guille.
Hold on. Your mommy just
needs one more minute, okay?
So usually, people think drug
money
when they hear that term.
Yeah, like Scarface.
-[Violet] Exactly.
-Aaron.
What? I love that movie.
But actually, it's just a term
for anyone who wants to
camouflage their money, right?
So, seriously, Melissa,
can you confirm
that the real identity of Ed
Litchben,
CEO of that corporation,
was your dear old daddy?
Mm,
no.
'Cause like I said,
I don't know
what you're talking about.
And obviously, my husband
doesn't either.
-Clearly.
-Hey.
[Violet] You know, that actually
makes me think, Aaron.
I brought a vintage photo
for your collection.
Oh.
Huh.
Wait um,
sorry, I'm confused.
I, I like pictures of old dicks.
-Honey.
-I do.
Well, in a way, it is,
Aaron. In a way, it is.
[Melissa] Wait a minute.
Is this Pappy?
[Violet] Oh, my gosh, you got
it.
Yeah, that's Ed Senior, your
grandfather.
Except that's back when
he was a young man.
Okay. [sighs]
What, what are you trying to do
here?
Um, I'm trying to remind you
that your grandfather used
to go by another name.
You see that there,
Edward Litchben?
He changed it when
he got out of prison.
Now, he died in 1995.
So, was the Ed Litchben who
ran that corporation a ghost?
'Cause I'll take that exclusive.
I mean, that is breaking news.
[laughs]
What does this even prove?
I mean, you, you could
have made this, you know,
on, on, on that computer
thing, you know,
picture shop or whatever.
So [laughs] I'm gonna leave.
-Guille, let's go.
-Okay, hold on.
-Wait.
-Hold on.
Excuse me.
Hey, you can't touch him.
Oh, what are the odds he's
yours anyway, like 50-50?
[Violet] Hey, kid,
you're really getting
in my way, okay?
I need you to just
go stand over there
where you stood before.
Otherwise, I might get mad.
Do we want that?
-No.
-No.
'K, good.
What do you want from us?
I, [clears throat]
it's clear, right? Is it not?
Okay.
Did your father, Ed Albright,
buy all of the land in
Split Springs in 2002
on behalf of his best
friend, Benjamin Darling?
Okay, I'm really tired
of this foolishness.
Guille, come on. Let's go.
-[Aaron] Hey.
-[mic feedback]
Just admit it. It's true, right?
Uh, I--
You think 'cause I
have a camera crew here
I won't do anything to your son?
Just try to get to him before I
do.
Seriously, try.
[]
Don't you threaten me.
[Violet] I'm not threatening
you.
I'm threatening your son.
[car drives]
What the hell was that?
Relax. It's just a
bit of theatrics, okay?
The kid was always safe.
That wasn't a little extreme?
Come on. Look at the footage.
I was barely holding his wrist.
It just looked like I was
pulling it.
See, I was doing like a--
[distant dog barking]
On your arm, it just
looks like I'm trying
-to jerk you off.
-You're jerking me
off right now.
Okay, well, well, they
thought it was real.
Okay, well, fuck them.
How's that?
Hey, what about the little kid?
He looked really scared.
When they left, he was
just, like, staring at me
with this cold, empty gaze
like he was gonna remember
this for the rest of his life.
Oh, my God, what do you know?
Kids are resilient.
They really are.
I mean, look at you.
Hey, I'm just saying,
uh, you know.
-Brian said that
-[Violet] Wait, who?
-Who's Brian?
-[Eugene] Paxton said
that I could call him--
Aren't they gonna call the cops?
[laughs] Oh, my God, is
it just gang up on me day?
Call the cops on who?
Did you give them
your real name?
No, okay, but--
Listen to me.
I, I had to actually get
some information this time.
Why are you always on and on
with this whine, whine, whine?
We needed her confession in
order to get the next one.
So
we got what
we needed. Am I right?
-I guess.
-Yeah.
Okay, good.
So, I'm standing by
the car for a reason.
And that reason is that
I'm hoping we can exit.
-[Paxton] Right.
-[Eugene] Sorry, sorry.
'K.
[Darling] I got two rules that
I live by.
I don't know why all the
transitions with this crew are
difficult.
I'll say that.
Rule number one, work hard.
Ain't nobody gonna give
you something for nothing.
And rule number two, if you
can't beat 'em,
beat 'em.
[Lee Talboys' "Big Mac"]
[]
[Violet] So why the Litchben
thing?
Well,
this is a prison.
Or it was gonna be until the
project
was abandoned mid-construction.
Even though Darling's dream of
profiting
off of the US prisoner
crisis had been voted down,
a year after the flood,
construction began
on CivicCare's
compassionately designed
recovery housing structure
anyway,
which must have been a
coincidence.
Otherwise, Darling's
land deal went through,
just minus Darling.
How could that be?
[Claire Childs] You know that
he was cleared of
everything, right?
And that's the
God's honest truth.
But people talk, and
Benji's so sensitive.
After all this mess,
he wanted a fresh start.
Wound up he moved away.
I don't know where he went.
Could be heaven for all I know.
That man was a saint.
[Albert Fisk] Um...
I think it was up north
or probably, uh,
somewhere like that.
But, um,
those damned
CivicCare vultures just
stole his deal right
out from underneath him.
Crying shame.
[Violet] So where's Darling now?
[]
[Violet] So, how exactly did
old Benji
become the sanctified victim?
Well, because the number
of charges brought against
him amounted to zero.
See, remember her?
Touting the economic
benefits of prison?
Well, this is a Elaine Blair,
the assistant DA in Split
Springs
before, during, and after the
flood.
Her earliest hit, apparently,
was getting
all the R-rated movies banned
from the video store in town.
Dork.
It was that, I guess, power
that drew her
into Darling's inner circle.
Or maybe they just liked
each other's personalities.
Either way, it was her
responsibility
to bring a crime against him.
I wonder what happened.
Maybe there's someone we could
ask.
[birds chirping]
[Violet] Uh-huh.
Yeah, I, no, I know.
I, but I told you Patty,
we're on track, okay?
You're gonna be very happy.
Jumping to larceny seems
a little hasty, Patty.
It--
Pat, a movie is a movie is a
movie
as long as it makes money.
Am I right?
I mean, did you get into porn
for the love of the game?
Oh,
wow.
Give me the phone.
[Paxton] You okay?
[Eugene] Oh, uh, yeah, yeah,
I'm all right.
Thanks for asking.
[Drew] Let me talk to him.
-[Violet] What?
-[Drew] Let me talk to him.
I'm really good at this stuff.
Fine.
[bird cawing]
-What are you--
-[phone call ends]
Hey.
We're losing light.
Damn.
Oh,
everybody, look alive.
That's her.
[Elaine Blaire] What do you
think, huh?
Pretty snazzy.
[Violet] Meeting with
prospective buyers.
Okay, I can't really--
-Thank you.
-argue with that.
[Violet] She's been trying to
get rid of this farm for years.
[Elaine] Fair enough, okay, give
it some thought.
-Yeah.
-Sleep on it. [laughs]
Appreciate you coming out.
-[engine starting]
-[Violet] Oh, well.
Let's go.
[]
[Violet] Uh, Ms. Blair.
[clears throat]
Elaine Blair.
Uh, Ms. Blair,
uh, we, we, we just have a
couple questions for you.
-Okay, hello.
-[phone chimes]
-Yeah, this is Blair.
-Ms. Blair?
-Okay.
-Mm-hmm.
She's doing a fake phone call.
Uh-huh.
-Hello, Elaine Blair.
-[laughs] Mm-hmm.
Yeah, [laughs] you're so funny.
-Yep, mm-hmm.
-Okay, this is crazy.
There's clearly an entire film
crew right here behind you.
[sighs] Yeah,
can, I, how can I help you?
Was that really necessary?
[Elaine] I turned around, didn't
I?
You're the ones who
jumped out of a bush and
literally ambushed me, okay?
Just give me a second.
We can do this.
Doesn't have to be [laughs]
painful.
[intense breathing]
[intense breathing]
-[intense breathing continues]
-Whoa, what's this?
Media training,
I'm a little outta practice.
-Oh, okay.
-[intense breathing]
[intense breathing]
Let's go.
Okay, this is, it's honestly,
it's really distracting.
Yes, thank you, thank you,
we had a wonderful team.
Team, okay, I don't
know what that means.
You know, uh, it's
really all about finding
community-focused solutions,
what it boils down to.
Okay, talking points.
You know what? It's like
my grandmammy always said.
I believe in the future,
and the only way to
get there is together.
'K, I appreciate you.
-Thank you.
-Okay.
So, hey, maybe you could run me
through all the gems you
have about Shit Springs.
That?
This is [laughs]
about that thing again?
No, no.
I stopped talking about that
10 years ago, blanket policy.
-[Violet] Really?
-[Elaine] Yes, really.
Because I was made
personally the punchline
to a joke in a Kevin James film.
-Wow, Kevin James, okay.
-Mm-hmm.
Which one? Was it Paul Blart?
It was Here Comes the Boom.
Okay.
It just got to be a
little bit of a headache.
So if you don't mind, I
have a very busy schedule.
Totally a headache, I get that
for you.
Maybe you could just survive
one question, though.
I'm here, ain't I?
Okay.
Where can we find
Benjamin Darling?
What? You wanna talk...
Why would you
wanna talk about, I'm sorry.
You, you said you
wanna know where to find
old Benji Darling?
Yes, with the nicknames, God,
yes.
Well, I mean, he ain't listed.
I thought your question was
gonna be about that '02,
you know, the, the incident?
Yeah, it is. I'm trying
to cut to the chase.
Look, we got little 'Lissa
Albright on tape admitting that
Benjamin Darling was the real
buyer
of all that land after the
flood.
You what?
So he must have intentionally
flooded the town, right?
The, the, the flood?
Listen, we just
wanna interview him.
So if you give us that,
we will walk away.
I mean, otherwise, I could take
this evidence to the police.
Some of the criminal
statutes have expired,
of course, but others.
[]
Okay, what are you thinking?
It's incredibly hard to
tell with this face thing.
-Oh, my God, oh, my God.
-Oh, my God.
-Oh, my God, oh, my God.
-Oh, my God.
-Oh, my God.
-[Eugene] Whoa.
[Elaine] Don't you follow me.
Come on. Stop it.
You're gonna trip.
Come on, guys. Let's go.
[Eugene] This thing's heavy.
-[Elaine] I never cheated--
-Oh, my God, ah.
-[Elaine] anyone in my life.
-[Paxton] Eugene!
-[Eugene groans]
[Eugene groans]
-[Violet] Oh, my God, what the
hell?
-I think,
my ankle, I think I sprained it.
Ugh, Eugene, come on. We gotta
go.
Give him a minute. He's trying
his best.
Oh, my God, we have to go.
Okay, fine, I'll just take this,
which you never turned on, by
the way,
so thank you for that.
Drew, let's go.
[panting]
Oh...
Okay, okay.
I really need to breathe,
breathe a sec.
This is,
I don't really run anymore.
-[Violet] Sure.
-Yeah.
-Sure.
-[Eugene] Oh.
Could you guys possibly hurry
up?
We're coming, damn.
Thank you,
sorry about your leg.
[crew members gasp]
All right, listen.
I'm, uh, I'm afraid I haven't
spoken to Benji in years.
All I can tell y'all is
where he used to live
out on, you know,
uh, Scarborough.
That's all I, that's all I know.
-Really?
-Uh-huh.
You're telling me you
two conspire together
for over a decade and you,
what, you lose touch? [laughs]
No,
you know where
he is at all times.
Oh, [laughs]
stop it with all your
conspiracy theory talk.
[laughs]
I knew it.
I knew y'all were
some of them nut jobs
that like to perform
Satanic rituals and whatnot.
[laughs] I knew it.
What?
Yeah, well, don't
even try it, all right?
'Cause I've been thoroughly
trained in that particular area.
And I'm just warning you is all.
We just wanna talk to Benjamin
Darling face to face, okay?
He owes that to me.
You owe that to me.
Owe you? I don't even know you
from Eve or Adam, miss.
Okay, well, you at
least owe my mother.
Excuse me, um, your mother?
Yeah, we used to live
here when I was little.
Did I make sure to mention that?
In Split Springs?
Yeah,
Agnieszka Szymanski?
She was my mother.
Who?
How do I pronounce her name
again?
Ana Shiski?
I mean, the news will not
stop talking about this girl.
[laughs] How you even say
her name, uh, Manishitski?
Man, I peed?
[bleep] I lost my keys.
I don't know, something like
that.
I don't know.
I can't keep up. [laughs]
So is it Polish?
Well, I feel like I can ask
that.
Apparently, Swarovski crystals
had to change their name
just to get away
from the bad association.
No, did you hear this?
It's unbelievable.
It's true, though. Yeah, no.
From now on, they'll be known
as
tyoilet paper.
[laughter]
They think that's better.
[chuckles]
You get it. You're crazy.
Shit, pee, pee, shit, piss,
shit.
Hey, we got a great
show. Nickelback is here.
We'll be right back
with David Arquette.
Oh...
Yeah.
Oh, okay, okay, I understand
what's happening here.
Uh,
it's, uh, Violet, you said,
right?
-Mm-hmm, that's right.
-Okay, Violet.
Honey, you're still grieving.
That's what's happening right
now.
I understand that.
Sweetie, I just lost
my daddy last year.
Okay, please.
Now look. Alright,
here's the deal.
The last I heard, this is
the God's honest truth.
The last I heard
is that Benji Darling had...
He died.
Mm-hmm, yeah.
Died about
six years back, actually.
Sorry.
What? You're saying he's,
he's dead?
Mm-hmm.
Which you, you what,
you, you just so happened to
remember just, just right now?
Look, now I didn't go to
no funeral or nothing.
I'm just saying that
there was a, a good buddy
of my daddy's, Big Gregg, and
he was real close with Benji.
And he told me when I
saw him last Christmas.
[insects chirping]
Yep.
No.
No.
Fuck you, there's no way.
I'm sorry. I'm just
relaying what I heard.
No, that's bullshit. You're a
liar.
Honey, don't kill the
messenger here, alright?
No.
[light clicks on]
-Tell me where he is.
-Ow, ow.
-Ow, ow.
-Just tell me.
Ah, turn that thing off.
-[Paxton] Violet.
-She had asthma.
She couldn't have been smoking.
-Violet.
-Okay?
You didn't even try.
You didn't even care.
Stop it. Stop it.
Stop talking.
Fuck.
Get back.
That's right.
That's right, get back with him.
You stay right there.
This is my property,
and I still got rights.
I could shoot y'all
dead if I wanted to.
I don't think that's
necessarily true.
You stop talking.
Look, I'm sorry about what
happened to your momma.
I really am,
but this is my property,
and I know my rights.
Don't you move.
'Cause the minute
I get clear of here,
I'm calling the police.
You understand?
Don't you move.
-Fuck, okay, we need to move.
-[Elaine screams]
[gun goes off]
Oh, my God.
[]
Wow.
I know.
That woman, her face was--
-Can't believe it.
-Oh, terrifying.
Oh, my God.
I mean, how could
she do that to us?
I know.
What?
What do you mean 'what'?
How the hell are we
gonna find Darling now?
Are you serious?
Violet, we gotta pack it up.
The--
the movie's over.
The movie's...
The movie isn't over.
There, there's no ending.
It, it can't be over.
Okay, you're still in shock.
That was a human life.
There's more important things
in this world than movies.
Oh, my God,
you're upset.
I, I get it.
That, that makes sense. It does.
But we're, we're right there,
okay?
I, I mean, I need you now.
I even need you, Eugene.
Why are you singling me out?
You just saw someone die.
So take a nap.
I mean,
grab a granola bar.
I, I know we can figure
something out
to turn this thing around.
Violet, this is,
you're slipping.
No, I,
I have a solid place to start.
Did you not hear her?
He's dead already.
Even if we wanted to,
we couldn't find him.
So, what, you, you believed her?
Yes, I did.
-[Violet] No, no, no, no,
no, no, no, no, no,
she was lying, okay?
She was lying,
so I figure we go
to her office tonight
before anyone realizes
she's gone, okay?
'Cause she lives alone.
Believe me, okay?
So, so we have all night.
No, Violet, did you not
hear me? I believed her.
[Violet] Why?
I, I mean, she ran away when
I asked her a single question.
That proves she's guilty.
What, what more do you need?
Uh,
evidence.
Oh, my God, 'Lissa. She
confessed right to us.
Yeah, right, basically
at gunpoint, very airtight.
[Violet sighs]
Wow, so...
you don't believe
anything I've said?
[Paxton sighs] I didn't say
that, okay?
I believe you're hurt.
But right now, it
doesn't really matter
whether or not you're right.
You need to get better,
not some random old guy.
Oh, my God, I'm not sick.
He's sick. He's the sickness.
I, I didn't mean it like that,
okay?
What I'm trying to say is,
[sighs]
look, I get this is personal
for you,
but even for you,
this is too far.
Hmm, I see.
It's interesting 'cause I, I
remember
when you used to like this
about me.
You used to say, I was
passionate.
[Paxton sighs]
Now I'm, what, I'm dangerous?
I didn't say that.
Yeah, good.
So let's just go back to the
farm, okay, grab her keys, and
when I find his
address in her office,
you can apologize later.
-Okay?
-Jesus, robbing a corpse
is how you're gonna convince me?
And aren't the police gonna be
-No.
-all around the sc--
Oh, my God,
you didn't call them?
I, I'm gonna call
them eventually.
Okay, go to the office,
and then what?
How do you know there's anything
worthwhile in that office?
It's all based on stuff you
assume.
It's all,
what's it called?
-Circumstantial.
-Circumstantial.
Thank you, honey.
Wait, what?
-What
-Um.
-What did you just say?
-Uh, uh, I, uh,
Hi.
-Hi.
-Okay, hi.
What's...
-going on with this?
-Um.
Violet, I wanted to
find a way to tell you.
-[birds chirping]
-[exhales]
Thank you for helping, Paxton.
Oh, sure, anything I can do to
help.
No, no, oh, my God, don't
do that. Give that to me.
-Give that to me.
-Oh, I'm sorry.
Sorry.
[Violet] Drew, come quick.
There's a cloud out here
that looks like a butt.
Oh, shit, I gotta go.
[birds chirping]
Maybe I should go check on
Violet.
I'm kind of,
I don't know.
Paxton, you don't have to
take care of everybody.
When was the last time
somebody took care of you?
[Paxton] It just kinda
happened.
He's really sweet,
and he was there for me.
But him?
I mean, he's just some dumb kid.
Why are you so mean to me?
It's okay. Don't listen to
her, Genie.
Go on your pointless search.
I'm not gonna stop you,
but we're not gonna help you.
Not anymore.
I need you.
[Paxton scoffs]
I love you.
I don't wanna believe it,
but I think you'd say that
just to keep me on the movie.
[Paxton scoffs]
I hope you find him.
You two deserve each other.
Goodbye, Violet.
Bye, Violet.
[door opens]
[door closes]
Okay,
[clears throat]
guess it's just us now.
Right?
'Okay, good, 'cause
we should probably go.
I don't know how long we have
before they call the police,
fucking dorks.
[Drew] Call about what? I don't
think you broke any laws.
Oh, yeah, no, we've
been squatting here.
[Drew] What?
Oh, yeah, actually that should
have been really obvious.
Yeah.
[door closes]
[Violet] Maybe lean down a
little.
Okay. I don't know.
[]
[police sirens]
[Violet] Vincent Van Gogh once
said that
If you hear a voice within
you say you cannot paint,
then by all means paint.
That voice will be silenced.
[crickets chirping]
But,
I just don't know anymore.
[]
[item jangling]
Maybe Paxton, that absolutely
unforgivable scrotum sack,
is right.
Maybe I am just hunting a
ghost.
Darling was very unhealthy and,
by all accounts,
a complete rageaholic.
Maybe he did actually
just live out his days
at his own leisure and
have a heart attack
like any other respectable
member of society.
[distant passing traffic]
Maybe he was afforded
that luxury.
The monster.
[]
[Violet] Hey.
Hey, wake up.
We're getting close.
[Drew] What? It's out here?
There's nothing out here.
I know.
He must have some
kind of massive compound
to be all the way out here.
I don't know.
This can't be right.
[Drew] Wait, what?
[Violet sighs]
Can you just get some shots of
us pulling into this
neighborhood?
[car passes]
[birds chirping]
[gravel crunching]
[Drew] Ugh, God, what is that
smell?
[Violet] Yeah.
[Drew] It smells like ass in a
bad way.
Well, we're on the
outskirts of Split Springs, so
[Drew] Ugh.
I don't know,I guess this
wasn't part of the prison deal.
[Drew] Still smells this bad?
Yeah.
[Drew] Ugh.
[footsteps]
Hello?
[Violet sighs]
[footsteps]
I just don't get it. I mean,
he should be right here.
[Drew] You think it was some
kinda
trick or something?
No, how could that be?
I got the address from her
office.
She was already, you know...
[Drew] Dead?
Hello?
I don't know why I'm
screaming into the ether.
[clattering]
[Erik Satie's "Gymnopdie No.
1"]
[]
-[insects chirping]
-[footsteps]
Nothing.
There's nothing.
All I found was a guy
who was too busy
masturbating to say anything.
Goddammit!
All right, well This is,
it doesn't make sense.
Maybe, maybe we should
just get some food, man.
We've been here for, like, two
hours.
I'm tired.
Why would we?
We're right here, right?
I mean, we've been coming
here the whole time.
This is it. I'm not leaving.
I'll tell you that.
Seriously, I'm not leaving.
Okay, I'm just trying to help.
You know what?
Let's go back to the car.
To eat?
No, not to eat.
Oh.
To retrace our steps.
I think we must have missed a
turn somewhere or something.
Okay, fine.
[camera adjusts]
[Violet] Wait.
He's not here, is he?
Something went wrong.
I don't know.
[gravel crunching]
Okay, fine, let's...
You're right, let's just,
let's, let's get outta here.
Let's get some energy,
figure out our next plan.
[Drew] All right, I'm starving.
[Violet] Yeah, I know you're
starving.
[Drew] Hey, wait a second.
You hear that?
What is that?
[faint music plays]
[music plays]
[footsteps]
[man 1 off-screen] See, now she
is in love with him.
No way.
[man 1] But he don't know that.
[man 2] And he's their doctor?
[man 1] Yeah, yeah, that's
right.
So when she was in there
earlier,
was it even a real prescription?
Or was it, like--
Sh, this is where
it's gonna get good.
-Wait, what?
-[TV turns off]
-Hey, hey.
-Oh, Teddy, Teddy,
-I don't mind--
-Dang it, dang it.
-Oh, oh, come on.
-Oh, God.
-You okay?
-Come on.
-Here.
-Hey, hey, get back.
-Get back.
-Okay.
-I'm just trying to help.
-[shushes]
I'm okay, I'm okay.
Don't fuss.
I, I, I'm just saying.
[mumbling]
Come on in.
Hey, hey, what's,
what's this, huh?
How'd y'all find him here?
Oh, well, it certainly wasn't
thanks to any help from you.
Excuse me? Why would I help you?
Because we're supposed to be
friends.
We just met.
Hey, hey, we ain't gotta yell.
I mean, we got the TV time now.
You, you wanna watch the TV
with me?
I can--
-Oh, I think I'm okay.
-Oh, come on now.
Y'all have some decency
and go on, get outta here.
Nah, what? They gotta go?
-Why do they gotta go?
-Sir,
these are the bad people that
I was telling you about today.
Well, I don't want 'em to go.
Okay, you don't have to
paint with that broad a brush.
-No.
-Sir.
-Heck no.
-It's okay.
Don't make 'em go.
-Sir, it's okay.
-No, no, no, no.
-It's okay, sir.
-No, no!
[sobs] No, no, no.
Come on.
Look at the guy.
-Have a heart.
-Geez,
-I just don't get that many--
-We just wanna
-interview him.
-Round here.
They come. They go.
They just--
Would it kill him to
get some attention?
Seriously--
Fine.
[heavy breathing]
Hey,
you got some
stories, don't you, sir?
Stories?
Durn tootin',
yeah, I got stories.
-Yeah.
-Okay, good.
Well, what's the problem?
Bull spit.
[Bach's "Cello Suite No. 1"]
[Darling] Well, I was a farmer
by birth
ever since, um,
you know, I was only just a boy
and, um, [laughs]
had pigs and Collies and,
but down here,
hmm, no, no, sirree.
What happened? I...
And we had this little,..
[sighs] hey, dang it.
Uh, yep, yep, yep, yep,
what, uh, what's it called?
[]
We used to have families,
too, uh, nice ones.
Little ones coming up,
bringing food.
Well, well, they seen
my condition, you know, um
must feel sorry for me.
But it's real, my condition is.
Not put on, that's for sure.
I tell ya.
If I could only get outta here,
I, I tell ya.
[Violet] So, sir, um,
we've been trying to to
find you for quite some time.
Where you been?
What's that, honey? I'm...
you mind coming a little closer
so I can hear you?
-[Violet] Yeah.
-[feet shuffle]
-This close enough?
-Yes'm.
-Okay.
-Uh, uh, uh,
you see, I gotta, um, oh,
people gotta speak up to me
now for my age.
Um, I don't know how I'm
staying alive, truly, you know?
Um,
but go ahead.
Ask me how old I am.
-Oh.
-Go on.
Ain't nobody never
believe me, you know?
'Cause I don't look it.
I already know how old you are.
You do?
How do you know that?
Oh, it's, it's okay.
[Cower] You see, sir?
I knew it had to be true.
She sent you, didn't she?
No, it's fine. Who's she?
-[Cower] Who?
-My wife.
My wife sent you.
Well you tell her
I ain't got her money.
No, no, I'm not here for your
wife.
I, um, I used to live here
when I was a kid.
In...
back before the--
That right?
Yeah.
My mom and I.
[Cower] Excuse me?
You never said that.
[Violet] So?
Phew.
Had me worried there a
minute. I mean
she's trying, my
wife's trying me for $170.
Do you believe this?
I mean, people coming and going,
but I say take what you want,
but...
[Violet] Right, no, I, I was
hoping you might be able
to remember some details
about the accident.
[Darling] Accident?
Uh, uh, uh,
I ain't made no,
not today, no, ma'am.
-No, no, ma'am, no.
-[Violet] No, that's not what I
mean.
I mean, the accident in
Split Springs in 2002.
And I ain't never stood
for none of that
in my business neither. I mean
you cause an accident,
then you don't pay for
next month's rent. [laughs]
-No, no.
-[Cower] You had your fun.
All right?
The man needs some rest.
What? No, heck no.
I mean, I'm as fit as a fire
poker.
I mean, you just
try to come at me, boy.
I, uh...
My wife, I mean,
she'd only better to me, I'd,
uh...
You know, some people,
you know, uh,
sometimes the more
you do for 'em, the...
See how it happens, things?
You know, uh, terrible
if you stop and think about it.
You know, just, you know, every
time,
"Benji, give me this. Give me
that."
I mean, do they, do
they ever pay you back?
You know...
I'm too good, too easy.
That's what everybody tells me.
But I quit now.
I quit.
I...
Okay, I don't know if this is
working.
[Drew] What?
Listen to him.
-It's just not good.
-Okay.
-[Cower] Hey.
-[Violet] Look.
Mr. Darling, it seems like
you've been through a lot.
I've been through some stuff,
too.
That accident that you,
or that happened back then,
it, um,
it hurt me
a lot.
Like, a, a lot a lot.
Oh, my.
Oh, that's all right.
I mean, accidents happen.
You know, uh,
you're gonna be just fine.
Um, you, you still
got your youth.
You got your health.
What's more than that?
Yeah, I know. I know. I'm--
I'm starting to wonder if
you're right, you know?
Accidents do happen.
Plenty, believe me.
I mean, I probably should
just let it go, right?
I mean, you
hurt me, and that sucks.
But,
your mistakes aren't
my mistakes. So, uh,
I don't know, sitting
here, seeing you now
like this, I--
I think I'm gonna do something
I never thought I'd do.
[wind blowing]
I forgive you.
Oh, don't cry. You're
gonna get me going.
-That's, uh, okay.
-[Cower] Oh, bull hockey.
Come on.
That's enough. Get now.
Leave him alone.
You know that man
ain't have nothing to do
with S-H-I-T Springs,
and that's a fact.
Hey, what's that makes you
wanna go and curse in my house?
[Cower] But sir, I didn't.
Oh, manners, boy.
You know all of us
know how to spell.
It's okay.
He's just mad at me for trying
to ask you about the accident.
[sighs] Accident, I,
I already done told you.
I, I, it's been two weeks since
my last--
No, I don't mean that.
I mean the accident back in
Shit Springs, pardon me,
some people called it.
[Cower] Oh, so she can curse?
Wait, wait.
Uh, hold on a minute. I
remember that.
Course, I remember. I,
I, I was just confused.
I, uh, that's all. I, see,
that whole mess,
that wasn't no accident.
-What?
-[Cower] What?
No, no, no, see, see,
oh, I, I just didn't know
what you mean, accident.
I, it, it, it was, uh...
Course, though,
it makes sense, uh.
[laughs] Oh.
You see, you see, I, I'll
confess it all to you right
here.
I mean, I, I, I got no
shame putting my hand up
to God since, heck,
he already know.
Terrible,
it was a terrible day.
I'd, I'd give anything to take
that back.
You know, uh, I tell ya.
A man gets told to make his
name,
but he never gets told the cost.
That should not have happened.
Not right.
How could they let me do that?
I lost all the money anyway.
I, I, I,
slipped right through my
fingers.
I, the,
[sighs]
how could they?
How could they do that,
let a dog off his leash?
It's terrible, terrible.
Well, that, that,
I know, every day,
I know that that was the
biggest mistake I ever made. I,
and I carry that.
And I knew it all, I guess.
I knew everything.
Mr. Big Shot.
Mr. Big. D--
-[gasps]
-[Cower] Oh my God.
No, no, no, don't move, Teddy.
You're gonna make me slip.
Uh, I...
You wanna get in here either,
Drew?
[Drew] Are you kidding? This
looks great.
I'm putting this shit on my
reel.
I don't wanna do this.
-Ok?
-[Darling whimpering]
I don't wanna do this.
-[stabbing sound]
-[Darling screams]
Oh.
-Ah.
-Ow.
Ah,
[]
-Stop making this worse.
-[Darling gasps]
Why are you doing this?
[Darling continues gasping]
[]
[Violet] I wasn't always
Violet.
[Bach's "The Art of the Fugue"]
I was born on Anna Szymanski
on an oddly cold August night.
It was the same weekend that
Sam Raimi's Darkman came out.
-[applause]
-Things were pretty good.
I know it's obvious, but I
think about that time a lot.
Just me, Mom, and Dad.
We were always moving around,
but
but we had each other.
Texas was just supposed
to be a short-term thing.
Dad was sick.
It felt like a small town
would be easier to manage.
I guess eventually it
became hard to escape.
You know, [sighs] honestly,
my mother could be
difficult to get along with.
She did drink. That was true.
And after my father died,
she also cried.
And in those last years,
most of the time she wasn't at
work
Why is he running? I
told him he could leave.
[Violet] she was sleeping.
Okay.
How to dispose of a--, oh wait.
Probably use private mode,
right?
[Violet] But she'd laugh, too.
-She took me to the park.
-[bag rustling]
She cooked me breakfast,
and we loved watching
movies together.
[tarp rustles]
Especially documentaries.
Those were her favorite.
"Real life,
that's what's
beautiful," she would tell me.
I, I wish that, for
her, that had been true.
[sawing]
-[blood spurts]
-[sawing]
Fuck.
[Violet] If there's anything
good that came from the way
I lost my father, it's that
I got to say goodbye to him.
I never got to say
goodbye to my mom.
They never even
recovered a body.
[fire crackling]
It's almost like she's
still out there somewhere.
She just got lost one day.
[]
I just needed to do
something about it.
To make a noise so loud
even she could hear it,
wherever she is.
[fire burns]
Maybe she could finally
find her way home.
Then
just maybe
I could find my way, too.
[birds chirping]
[Gid Tanner's "I Don't Love
Nobody"]
I don't love nobody
Nobody loves me
You're after my money
Don't care for me
I want to be happy
[static]
[Drew] So, um,
yeah, you know,
we, uh,
we got arrested.
The movie was released,
which was good, um
but it didn't get,
you know, like,
uh,
universal support.
[group chattering]
[static]
[typing noise]
[]
[typing continues]
[lawyer] Could you tell us,
then, exactly
how that terrifying footage
looked so much like Elaine
Blair?
[Violet] Anybody can read
about her suicide.
We just used an actor
to recreate it.
Then we deep-faked her
face on top with AI.
[lawyer] Do you really expect
us to believe that?
[male lawyer] Objection,
argumentative.
[judge] Sustained.
[Violet] I don't know, I'd
never have expected your
mother
to have had sex before,
yet here you stand.
[lawyer] Hey, objection, Your
Honor.
-[gavel slamming]
-[judge] Hey, order in
the court there.
[man laughing]
[typing noise]
[Cower] All right, y'all, good
to see you,
good to see you.
Now, I ain't gonna be bullied,
not who I am,
and that's a fact.
Obviously, this footage
of me has been faked
by some of these
new-dangled computers.
And I am gonna take all
legal action necessary
in order to get them
for what they've done.
You can quote me on that.
Alright.
[indistinct chatter]
[reporter] Hey, Melissa,
Melissa, hey.
Care to comment on the trial,
anything you'd like to say?
Oh, fuck off. Talk to my lawyer.
[typing noise]
You're asking me, really?
She's a genius, absolutely.
I mean, we didn't go to jail
Or, not for more than,
like, you know, 24 hours.
Ahh, I had to eat a weird
Sonic breakfast sandwich,
but that's it, and now I'm here.
[loudspeaker] Uh, we need
camera back on set.
Oh, okay, that's me.
Uh, you got everything you need?
[director] Yeah.
Okay.
All's well that ends well, I
guess.
[typing noise]
[]
[typing noise]
Look,
if I could actually
get away with half of the stuff
that I "did" in that movie,
but it's a movie.
I mean, how could you think I
would actually do something like
that
to a person in his condition,
whatever the reason?
It's obviously my character,
and her corruption
over the course of the movie,
that, that's the point.
Like,
if you look at it, I'm,
my character is
obviously the angriest
one in the movie, right?
And, and it's exactly that.
It, it's the corrupting
influence of anger
that allows us to get away
with murder, literally.
I mean, if I'd actually
done the same thing
and then manipulated my
movie to cover my tracks,
that's,
like, we're talking about some
complicated conspiracies that,
you know, again, I wish.
[laughs]
I mean, you think
it'd actually honor my mom,
honor my dad to
kill someone?
That's,
I don't,
I don't think so.
-[Isla Hinck's "If I Go Down"]
-If I go down
Before our victory
All I ask
Is that you avenge me
If I go down
Before our victory
All I ask
Is that you avenge me
If I go down
Before our victory
All I ask
Is that you remember me
If I go down
Before our victory
All I ask
Is that you avenge me
If I go down
Before our victory
All I ask
Is that you avenge me
If I go down
Before our victory
All I ask
Is that you remember me
[Gid Tanner's "I Don't Love
Nobody"]
I don't love nobody
Nobody loves me
You're after my money
Don't care for me
I want to be happy
I wish to be free
I don't love nobody
Nobody loves me
I don't love nobody
Nobody loves me
I want to be happy
I wish to be free
I don't love nobody
Nobody loves me
I don't love nobody
Nobody loves me
[]
[music fades]