Ashes (2026) Movie Script
1
[SAD VIOLIN MUSIC PLAYS]
[SAD VIOLIN MUSIC FADES]
[FOREBODING CELLO PLAYS]
[NERVOUS PIANO JOINS CELLO]
[UNNERVING MUSIC PLAYS]
[UNNERVING MUSIC CONTINUES]
[BIRDS CHIP]
[BUZZ SAW WHIRS]
[UNNERVING MUSIC CONTINUES]
[UNNERVING MUSIC CONTINUES]
[BUZZ SAW POWERS DOWN]
[CHAINSAW WHIRS]
[UNNERVING MUSIC CONTINUES]
[CHAINSAW POWERS OFF]
[UNNERVING MUSIC GOES ON]
[UNDERWATER BUBBLING]
[HELICOPTER WHIRS OVERHEAD]
BROTHER-IN-LAW (V.O.): The fuck
is wrong with you Matt?
Matt.
Come on, get up.
Come on.
What did I tell you
about drinking
in front of my fucking son?
[MATT GROANS]
Come on. Get the fuck up, Matt.
[BROTHER-IN-LAW INDISTINCANGRY MUMBLING]
Yeah, get up.
SISTER:
What's going on?
It's your fucking brother.
He's totally wasted again.
No, you got to go screw.
Come on.
SISTER: Where's
he supposed to go?
BROTHER-IN-LAW: I don't fucking
know. He's a grown man.
He's going to have some money
saved up or something.
We can't have this shit
going on here anymore.
Matt. Matt.
Why'd you have to go and
do this again?
[WIND BLOWING]
Here's your bag, man.
[BIRDS CHIRPING]
[WIND BLOWING]
[DISTANT SLICING]
[CARS RUMBLING]
MATT (V.O.): It's weird to think
that just two months ago,
I was fighting the Taliban
high in the mountains
of Afghanistan.
Two months ago,
I'd close my eyes at night,
fearful I may never open
them again.
[TRAIN BELLS RINGING]
It's weird to think
that just two months ago,
I came home.
[A PLANE FLIES OVERHEAD]
[PLANE CUTS OFF]
MATT (V.O.):
Home to my sister,
to my baby nephew,
to quiet Sunday mornings.
I'm not myself yet.
[WATER DRIPPING]
So here I am in a motel.
God knows where.
Trying to find my way.
[WATER BUBBLING]
[MELANCHOLY PIANO MUSIC
PLAYS]
[WATER SPLASHES]
[CICADAS CHIRPING]
[HEAVY WIND BLOWING]
[HELICOPTER WHIRS]
[RAPID GUNFIRE]
[ROARING WIND]
[HIGH PITCHED WHISTLING]
[HELICOPTER WHIRS]
[RAPID GUNFIRE]
[SHEETS RUSTLING]
[TRAIN DRIVING BY]
MATT (V.O.): It's 2 a.m..
Usually the booze and the pills
knock me out just right.
But not tonight.
Tonight,
the nightmares are back.
It's always the same.
Ramirez
pinned down,
screaming for my help.
There's nothing I can do.
[SOMBER MUSIC PLAYS]
[CARS PASSING]
MATT (V.O.):
It's 2010.
I'm home to a wrecked economy.
What few jobs there once were
have vanished.
Least for me.
I mean, I'm
a guy who spent his last
few years a nomad, a savage
living in the mountains,
killing for survival.
All they see in my eyes is rage.
I mean,
how do you ask a guy like that
to bag your groceries,
to take your lunch order?
[SOMBER MUSIC CONTINUES]
[CRICKETS CHIRP]
They don't see a hero.
They see a guy
they wouldn't trust to drive
their children to school.
[CRICKETS CHIRP]
[SOFT COUNTRY MUSIC PLAYS]
[INDISTINGUISHABLE BAR CHATTER]
Loitering at the doorstep
[POOL BALLS CLICKING]
For I, I count to win her
back
Oh I don't deserve to live
alone
[CRICKETS CHIRPING]
[HEELS APPROACHING]
BRANDI:
Hey, handsome.
[INDISTINCT COUNTRY SINGING]
Hey.
I'm Brandi.
[MATT LAUGHS]
MATT: Brandy, huh?
-Mhm.
Like the booze?
It's with an 'I' at the end.
MATT:
Oh, all right.
You got a smoke?
No. Uh, sorry.
I just, uh.
Just killed the last one
on the way over here.
'Kay... I probably have one
in here,
it's just such a fucking mess.
MATT: Looks like a fucking
black hole.
[MATT LAUGHS]
Oh! Mhmm.
[COUNTRY MUSIC CONTINUES]
So what's a nice guy like you
doing in a shithole like this?
MATT: I'm new in town thought
I'd meet some new people.
Lucky you,
you met me.
[CRICKETS CHIRPING]
So, why'd you pick this dump?
MATT: Uh, I was in Afghanistan,
and...
Crashed at my sister's for
a little bit,
but her boyfriend's
not a big fan of me, so...
Kicked your ass to the curb?
MATT:
Yeah, something like that.
- You were in Afghanistan?
- Mm hmm.
Like shooting guns and shit?
MATT: Yeah.
- Oh...
A real American hero.
[MATT LAUGHS]
Yeah.
I can't even get a job right
now, Brandi.
So I guess I'm not much of
anything, am I?
So, what's your name?
I'm Matt.
With an 'M.'
[BRANDI LAUGHING]
Brandi with an 'I."
[SOFT PIANO MUSIC PLAYS]
Well, Matt with an 'M,'
you seem like a nice guy.
I bet I can get you a job.
Really?
I know some people here.
You're shitting me.
[BRANDI HUMS]
[SOFT PIANO MUSIC CONTINUES]
Why don't you take down my
number?
Alright.
Give me a call tomorrow...
You want to just give it
to me, or?
No, I got a piece of paper in
here.
Okay.
Mm hmm!
Alright...
[CRICKETS CHIRPING]
[SOFT PIANO MUSIC CONTINUES]
[PAPER CRINKLING]
Give me a call tomorrow.
Okay.
- Nice meeting you.
- Yeah, you too.
[HEELS DEPARTING]
[SOFT PIANO MUSIC CONTINUES]
[INDISTINGUISHABLE TV
CHATTER]
[SOFT PIANO MUSIC STOPS]
[BIRDS CHIRPING]
Hey, what's up, Brandi,
it's Matt, uhh.
Just calling about that job
you mentioned last night.
Hey, Brandi, it's Matt.
It's about 3:30. I'm just,
uh, just checking in again.
[FUNKY MUSIC PLAYS]
Hey, it's Matt.
Uhh, we met last night, bar
parking lot.
[DOGS BARKING]
[JOYFUL MUSIC PLAYS ON TV]
I called, you didn't answer.
Really?
Yeah, no problem. I'll see you
in a little bit.
[ROMANTIC RADIO MUSIC PLAYS]
BRANDI: Hi Bill.
BILL: Hey, darlin.
MATT: Matt Benning.
- Bill.
MATT:
Nice to meet you.
Yeah. Yeah, yeah.
How are you around firearms?
Uh, I spent the last four years
in the Army, sir.
[INDISTINGUISHABLE MUMBLING] I'm
going to offer you a job.
The easiest job in America.
Look at-- All you've got to do
is if anything weird
happens in here,
you call me on my cell phone.
A hobo outside is takin' a
shower in his own urine,
you call me. Or if...
If the cops come in
here. You call me.
You got that? Now, here's a,
here's a scenario. A purple
and blue giraffe walks in
and starts
scratching his butt
on the doorframe.
What do you do?
[INDISTINGUISHABLE RADIO
SINGING]
MATT: I'm not sure I follow
you on that.
BILL: You call me on- you
call me on my cell phone.
I'm here with you.
It's, it's real simple, uhh...
Show me your index finger.
All right.
- That, is your trigger finger?
- Yes sir.
And also, you use it,
if anything out of the average
or out of the normal happens
around here,
you use it to...
Call you on your cell phone,
sir.
Absolutely.
- I got it.
- Okay.
He's a smart guy.
Yeah, you did good.
You got the job, son.
You start tomorrow night.
- How's that?
- Thank you, sir.
- All right.
- Thank you.
I got to go in the back room
and go over some receipts.
[DISTANTLY] I'll see you
tomorrow night, son!
MATT:
He's cool.
BRANDI:
He's the best.
I dunno how to run this thing. I
never use one of these before.
Don't worry about it. You'll get
the hang of it, and
nobody comes around here the day
shift.
[RADIO MUSIC STOPS]
MATT (V.O.): Monotony.
If you didn't know
the definition of that word,
working at this place
sure would have
been a great way to find out.
[COUNTRY ROCK MUSIC
PLAYS]
The highlight, of course, was
when Brandi would stop in
to check in on me.
[COUNTRY ROCK MUSIC
CONTINUES]
Matt!
MATT (V.O.): Technically, she
was my supervisor.
[CAR HORN HONKING REPEATEDLY]
MATT: Where did you get this
thing?
Uncle Bill left for a week,
so I let myself borrow his car.
Close up.
Let's go for a joy ride.
Uh, Brandi. Uncle Bill's not
paying me to go on, joyrides.
[COUNTRY ROCK MUSIC
CONTINUES]
First of all, he's
not going to find out.
And if he did? He wouldn't
give a fuck.
[MATT GROANS]
MATT: I guess technically
you're my boss a little bit.
Would you say that?
Fuck, yes, I'm your boss.
Get in the car. You.
[COUNTRY MUSIC GROWS LOUDER]
[CRICKETS CHIRP]
[COUNTRY ROCK MUSIC STOPS]
MATT: I just wish you remembered
the tense things.
If it's windy, this thing's
gonna blow around everywhere.
BRANDI:
Like this?
[BOTH LAUGHING]
MATT: Brandi!
[LAUGHING CONTINUES]
Hey, what's up?
MATT: I was looking for you
everywhere.
Sorry. I guess I thought I'd
make it back before you woke up.
Nah, it's all good.
BRANDI:
See those rocks,
up there? It's where I scattered
my mom's ashes.
I was all by myself.
Didn't even have a funeral.
Had to pick up her ashes
from the county coroner's.
I thought that's
where she would wanna be.
MATT: You've uh... picked a
really beautiful spot.
I really wish we could've
had that
normal mother-daughter
relationship.
Yeah, I wonder where my buddy,
Ramirez is buried at.
El Paso, probably, near his
family.
Who was that?
Friend from the war.
[CRICKETS CHIRPING]
One day he's just gone.
Yeah, I know how that goes.
[LOW BUZZING]
OPERATOR 1: Victor Hollow's EA
calling, how may I help you?
Wow, finally, I've been on hold
for like 45 minutes.
OPERATOR 1: Sir, how can I help
you?
I need to talk to somebody
about changing my meds.
They aren't working right.
OPERATOR 1: Sir, what kind of
medications are you taking?
MATT: Certalene, uh,
Trezadone...
OPERATOR 1:
Oh, okay, uh no.
You gotta call a behavioral
medicine
service provider for that.
This is not the right place.
BRANDI:
How are you doing?
I'm about to bash
my head through the wall.
Been listening to that hold
music for almost an hour.
Oh, you finally decided
to call them?
Are you gonna pay for that?
It's been expired for a week.
You should be paying me
to get rid of it.
OPERATOR 2: You've reached the
behavioral medicine
service providers.
No one's available
to take your call.
If this is a psychiatric
emergency.
Please hang up immediately
and dial 911--
Why don't you just stop taking
the medication
so that you don't have to drive
all the way over
to see, a bunch of doctors that
don't
- give a shit?
- Hey check this thing out.
It's sick, no?
Let's go look at it.
[METAL CREAKING]
MATT:
Hey, oh. What's up?
- Are you Matt?
- Yes, sir--
- Hey what's going on? I'm Mike.
- Nice to meet you.
- It's my wife.
- Hey.
- How's it going?
- This is the culprit, brother.
- Right here.
MATT: Yeah?
- Yeah.
- Looks good, man.
- Brother she's indestructible.
LINDA: Listen honey in 30 years
you're gonna hear the same old
B.S. all day.
MIKE: Yeah. This is way before
GPS. I thought
I was totally fucked.
Yeah, but I, you know what?
I-I remembered about a place
called
Holston Wells. Abandoned
ranch out the middle of desert.
A huge water tank still stands
there.
- Really?
- Yeah.
Always filled with water, man.
Maybe the rain fills
that up or something...
- Do you want a beer?
- Yes.
Got the tags for it?
Registration and everything?
Yeah. Linda! Linda,
honey, you got the tags?
LINDA: [DISTANTLY] Yeah, yeah.
I'm coming!
[DOG BARKING]
MIKE: Thank you, ma'am.
I'll give it to you for 900.
Bargaining is supposed to be the
other way around.
MIKE:
Oh, is that how it works?
LINDA: Yeah, yeah. He's supposed
to be the one
- bringing the price down.
MIKE: Oh, is that our deal?
Well, she's the boss...
I'm getting paid in a couple
days.
MIKE:
You know what?
What do you think? Yes?
No? Maybe? She's... the boss
says yes,
- bud, you've got a deal.
- Alright, alright.
[ROCK MUSIC PLAYS ON THE RADIO]
[CICADAS CHIRPING]
[SILENCE]
[UNDERWATER RUMBLE]
[SOMBER PIANO MUSIC PLAYS]
[SOMBER PIANO MUSIC
CONTINUES]
[INAUDIBLE]
[SOMBER PIANO MUSIC
FADES]
[FOG HORN BLOWS THREE TIMES]
[KEYS CLATTER]
RAMIREZ: This is age 40. For the
past two weeks.
MATT: Ey, you know, her uncle
Bill's out here?
He's out of town
don't worry about it.
MATT: Where's Brandi, for that
matter?
I been calling and calling her
and she's nowhere to be found.
Just so we get this dirt
bike with her.
Uh, [SCOFFS] she does that
sometimes. Get used to it.
[CHUCKLING]
Get yourself out of it, man.
[CELL PHONE RINGING]
[INDISTINGUISHABLE TV CHATTER]
Hello? Oh, hey, Mike.
What's up, man?
How are you doing?
I'm good. I'm good. So you.
You-uh...
You still want get this bike?
Oh, yeah, for sure. Hey, I'm
sorry I didn't call you back
sooner.
My, uh, girlfriend sort of
disappeared on me
for a couple of days.
She, uh. She's going to be
right down there.
Bro, listen,
I just got home from work.
I can come pick you up my truck.
[MOTOR RUMBLING]
[DOG BARKING]
Thank you.
I'll take good care of it.
[ENGINE REVS]
[FUNKY MUSIC PLAYS]
Oh, look, who came back from
the dead.
Yeah, I left you a
bunch of messages.
[INDISTINGUISHABLE TV
CHATTER]
You had a lot of work to do.
Okay.
[FUNKY MUSIC CONTINUES]
[GENERAL CITY BUSTLE]
Yeah, yeah, sure.
I'll head over.
[FUNK MUSIC FADES]
[DOG BARKING]
[CELL PHONE RINGING]
Hello?
You've got to be fucking
kidding me.
I got to wait two months
to see a doctor.
that's nearly 3 hours from here?
Okay, I guess I'll see you in
a couple months.
[CRICKETS CHIRPING]
BRANDI:
Who was that?
Clinic finally called back.
Why do you take those pills?
[TV TURNS ON]
[LAUGHTER AND CHEERING]
Every time I ask you this,
You either change the subject
or turn the television on.
Why're you always pestering
about that shit, huh?
Why are you always evading
the question?
Why're you always trying to bore
into my mind
like some kind of termite?
Maybe I don't tell you,
because it's
none of your goddamn business.
Matt, Matt. That's not what I
was trying to do. Like,
how long have you known me? You
don't trust me? [MATT MUMBLING]
I'll tell you what I
think it is.
You want to feel like you're
rescuing some wounded
little puppy.
- I ain't your fucking puppy.
- No!
Alright?
MATT:
I'll take a shower myself.
[DOOR OPENING]
[INDISTINGUISHABLE AD]
[VENTS BLOWING AIR]
[CRICKETS CHIRPING]
MAN ON TV: Adults suffering
from kidney disease.
Please ask your doctor-
REPORTER: Emily is mourning the
loss of
25 year old Gary
Jensen from apparent suicide.
He was a Calvary
Scout in the first Armored
Brigade, recently
returned from Afghanistan.
FORECASTER: It looks like sunny
ahead for the rest of the week.
Tommy Rains has our forecast.
Look who came crawling back.
[ZIPPER PULLING]
[DOGS BARKING]
I'm sorry for prying earlier.
I just, I see you hurting
and I want to know
if there's something I can do.
I get it.
You've been through a lot and
you don't like to talk about it.
It's just when you wake up
in the middle of the night
from those nightmares...
All I'm saying is, if you
talk about it,
maybe you won't have
to take that shit that the VA
Doctors give you.
[WIND CHIMES CLANKING]
[DOGS BARKING]
MATT: The second before I open
my eyes...
It's like I'm right there again.
I just can't shake the terror
I saw in his eyes.
He didn't wanna die in those
dusty mountains.
Bullets smashing to dust
that hit the rocks all around
me.
I watched as his life bled
out of him.
So I can let what happened
paralyze me.
Or I can numb myself.
God knows what these pills
will do to me long term.
And I know for sure the booze
ain't no vitamin drink.
But for now, it's what works.
What are you hoping
for at the V.A. clinic?
I'm hoping for a miracle,
Brandi. I'm hoping
I walk in there, one day
and the doctor sees
straight through me.
And just like that,
all my problems are gone,
nothing but blue skies ahead.
I won't be some hollowed out
shell, floating.
You gotta stare that shit
straight in the face.
You gotta get through the side,
you keep taking-
You know, sometimes it really
pisses me off
when you talk about shit
you don't understand, Brandi.
You know, there's mornings
I feel like taking a machine
gun and blowing this
entire neighborhood to shit.
Other mornings, I can't
even get out of the bed.
You've been through
what I've been through.
You wouldn't
think it was so easy.
BRANDI: You think that
you have it rough
because your mom died
when you were deployed?
You ever been locked in a room
and your mother's
boyfriend is insistently
tapping on the door?
Your mom, she's so fucking high,
she doesn't
even know where she is.
You know he's going to get in.
He has before.
I might as well just have
the fucking door unlocked.
He smells like cigarettes,
booze.
[OMINOUS MUSIC PLAYS]
You know what's because it's
happened before
and it's going to happen again
and again and again.
Mom never stood up to him.
It's like a fucking circus
animal. Anything for her
little treats.
[PHONE RINGING]
I didn't know, I'm sorry.
BRANDI:
Who's calling you?
Oh, I don't know.
[PHONE RINGING]
It's Uncle Bill.
I got to go.
Yeah, go.
[OMINOUS MUSIC CONTINUES]
BILL: How many times
do I got to tell you? Huh?
Don't come around here.
Don't you ever come around here.
[BILLY SOBS]
I don't need your goddamn
business.
Need your help, Uncle Bill! Come
on, man I know I got no money.
I know. Didn't mean to piss you
off, or anything.
BILL: Took you long enough.
Who's that? Is that the cops?
BILL: No, it's better. It's
the US Goddamn Army.
Put your hands all the way
high. Put them up!
I didn't hurt nobody, man!
Raise your hands and come over
real slow. Yeah.
We don't want to do anything
stupid or I'll fucking
- blow your brains out.
- Come on man.
Listen to me. Put your hands up
or I will shoot!
MAN: I didn't do anything!
- Hey! Watch it.
Hey, put your fucking hands up!
Put them up!
Let's see how he does without a
shoulder, huh?
Like that! How about the
other shoulder?
- Yeah?
- Stop, stop, stop.
You know,
he was a pretty good guy
before the meth rotted out
his brain.
Some people just can't handle
the fun, hey?
Here,
clean up the mess.
[SOMBER PIANO MUSIC
PLAYS]
[SOMBER PIANO MUSIC
CONTINUES]
[SCANNER BEEPS]
[INDISTINGUISHABLE CHATTER]
[BRANDI AND MAN LAUGHING]
MAN: Yeah.
- Hey.
- Hey.
MATT:
Who was that guy?
We worked together.
[CRICKETS CHIRPING]
[DOGS BARKING]
BRANDI: Because
what if we go to the bar?
MATT: Yeah, I'm down.
- Yeah?
MATT: Yeah.
BRANDI: Perfect.
[MATT BURPS]
You're so fucking gross.
[LAUGHING]
[PHONE NOTIFICATION RINGS]
You uh, you know, actually?
It kind of seemed
like it was going to rain.
So what if I give you a ride
back to your place?
MATT:
What's going on, Brandi?
When you get a text, you
disappear for a couple
of days sometimes.
What's going on?
It's Uncle Bill.
Yeah, Uncle Bill.
Uncle Bill, Uncle Bill, I keep
hearing that.
No, he just wants me to do
somethi--
How do, how do I know--
How do I know it's not the guy
from the grocery
store you meet up with?
[CRICKETS CHIRPING]
[DOG BARKING]
Fuck you, Matt.
You know how hard it is
to keep a job around here?
If I get a text message,
I've got to go.
Do you get that?
MATT: Yeah.
Yeah, I got it loud and clear.
I got it.
Matt...
Look.
[WOODEN CLATTERING]
[MOTORCYCLE REVS]
[MOTORCYCLE IDLES]
[MOTORCYCLE ENGINE GETS LOUDER]
[DOG BARKING]
[MELANCHOLY PIANO MUSIC PLAYS]
[MOTORCYCLE SPEEDS OFF]
[MELANCHOLY PIANO MUSIC
CONTINUES]
[DISHES CLATTER]
[MELANCHOLY PIANO MUSIC
CONTINUES]
[PHONE RINGS]
[PHONE RINGS]
[PHONE RINGS]
MAN: Hey, what's up?
Hey, you got rid of that guy?
What the fuck is it to you,
you asshole?
MAN: So are you coming up
for some fun?
I got the money.
I'll be right there.
[MELANCHOLY PIANO MUSIC
CONTINUES]
[CRICKETS CHIRPING]
Hey...
What's up?
Your wife around?
No, no, she left. She's gone.
We had a fight. She took the
kids to their grandparents.
Serves you right.
Hey, Brandi.
Uh, this is probably like the
fourth message I'm leaving you.
I'm sorry about what
I said... a few days ago.
I'm going to go to the bar.
If you, uh. If you want
to meet up.
[BIKE ENGINE REVS]
[MATT SNIFFS]
I'll give you $5.
If you give me a ride.
Why don't you ask somebody here
with a car?
It might be a little bit easier.
GIRL:
They're all creeps.
Plus, riding
your bike looks cool.
MATT: You don't have to pay me
anything.
I, uh, where are you're trying
to go?
A couple of miles out of town.
Gonna catch
up with some friends.
Have you ever been
on one of these before?
GIRL:
Wouldn't be my first.
[GIRL CHUCKLING]
That's a yes?
Yeah, hop on.
[ROCK MUSIC PLAYS]
[GUN SHOOTS]
[WOMAN EXCLAIM]
MATT: Matt Benning.
MAN: Hey, Matt Benning.
Nice to meet you.
You uh, you care to shoot?
- Sure.
MAN: See those six plates
down there?
Lock them down.
[GUN SHOTS AND CERAMIC SHATTERS]
MAN:
You a veteran, Matt Benning?
- Oh, man.
- Huh? Come on!
If I was, I wouldn't have any
money to pay you with if I lost.
Oh, brother, you don't need any
money out here, loser has to
wear the fox only.
[MAN WHISTLING]
Todd! Do a little dance!
So what do you say,
Matt Benning? You game?
Huh, I am.
[GUNSHOTS]
[ROCK MUSIC CONTINUES]
Oh, you pulled that last
one again!
[MORE GUNSHOTS]
[CERAMIC SHATTERING]
That looks like...
you're wearing the fucking fox!
MAN:
Give us a fucking show.
Shake that fox tail!
You got some smooth moves,
brother.
- Shit.
MAN: I got some, uh...
Some other friends.
Very uh...
[CALM COUNTRY MUSIC
PLAYS]
What do I say?
Eccentric bunch.
And yeah, and I think you'd be
very interested in meeting them.
One of them especially.
[CHEERFUL BONGOS PLAYING]
[CHEERFUL BONGOS CONTINUE]
MAN:
Kit Kat!
KAT:
Oh man.
MAN: This is a good friend
of mine, Matt Benning.
- Well, hello, Matt Benning.
MAN: Uh huh.
You wanna go for a walk?
I'll show you around.
MAN: Matt Benning, Release
Theater Caveman.
[BONGOS BECOME DISTANT]
You ever seen stars like this?
Nerve standing province...
Winter high in the mountains.
Shit.
What's so funny?
It's just that... line usually
works on city folk.
You known Jason a long time?
He was in the military, huh?
Yeah.
He joined the Navy
when he was 17.
Did some special ops shit.
Real badass stuff,
he never talks about it.
Yeah, those guys get into it.
Yeah.
And then he got out
and did some deep
water, oil
welding on the oil rigs.
He's always pushing himself
to the edge of death.
And then he came out here.
Well, if we're going
to hang out here for a bit,
we might as well get comfortable
right?
[KAT CHUCKLES]
[CRICKETS CHIRPING]
[BONGO MUSIC AND UNINTELLIGIBLE
SINGING CONTINUE]
I'm sorry,
I can't be doing this.
I- I'm, I'm seeing somebody.
She disappears on me
all the time, but she's--
she's my girlfriend. So...
She disappears on you?
Yeah.
Yeah, she's a-- she does.
All the time.
So who's your girl
you're seeing?
Girlfriend?
Her name's Brandi.
Brandi Wells, you... you know
her, or something?
[DIRT BIKE SLOWING]
[BONGOS STOP]
KAT:
Just go up to the window.
Look inside, take a look.
[MATT HUMMING]
Just do it, It's my uncle's
house.
You're not going to get shot.
[LOUD CHATTER]
[CRICKETS CHIRPING]
[BRANDI LAUGHING]
[CHATTER STOPS]
[STEPS APPROACHING]
I just want you to see it
for yourself.
How long has this been going on?
Always.
Her mom's boyfriend got her
into it when she was in high
school.
Look, I'm not saying
give up on her.
I just want you to know
what you're dealing with here.
[MATT EXHALING]
[MOTORCYCLE STARTS]
[WATER SPLASHING]
[PHONE RINGS]
[WATER DRIPPING]
Hey.
Oh, you need a ride again?
[SIGHING] Where's you end up
this time?
Yeah. Yeah, I'll head over
there.
Right.
[MOTORCYCLE RUMBLING]
[ENGINE IDLING]
[BRANDI GRUNTING]
Beautiful view, isn't it?
I swear, you act like you've
never seen
a pile of rocks before, Matt.
I dunno, I can stay out here all
night. Watch the stars come out.
Oh, I couldn't.
I got to get back to town.
I have things I've gotta do.
We've been riding that dirt bike
of yours for hours.
Really?
What kind of things?
- Just--
- Yeah, What if...
I told you, for instance,
I lost the keys to the bike?
- Huh?
- Don't!
[KEYS JINGLE]
What the fuck, Matt?
[FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING]
Swear to God if there are
rattlesnakes in here, Matt, I'm
gonna kill you.
No, Matt!
Matt, give me the fucking keys.
No, Brandi.
Why are you being such a bitch?
Why are you in such a hurry
to get back into town?
I dunno what kind of weird
caveman rape fantasy
you're trying to work out but
it's not
going to fucking happen.
Give me the keys!
Brandi, no. Why are you in
such a hurry
to get back to town?
None of your fucking business.
You know, secrets are like
spiderwebs Brandi.
- What?
- The invisible threads
are everywhere. But you don't
realize they're there
until you run straight
into one of them.
- Are you fucking high?
- But once you run into
that first thread, the entire
spider web becomes apparent to
you, all interconnected.
Why are you so
desperate to get back into town?
Fuck you, I'll start the bike
myself.
[WIND HOWLING]
[BRANDI PANTING]
I don't know how to work
this thing.
Oh my God, why are you doing
this, Matt?
Why are you in such a hurry
to get back into town, Brandi?
Huh?
I'll just fucking walk home.
You're just going to ignore me?
You know, you're like, 2 hours
from anywhere out here.
Hey, hey, Turn around.
Look at me.
I know you're a fucking
drug addict!
[WIND HOWLING]
[IMPERSONATING] You're a drug
addict. You're a drug addict.
What's that quart of whiskey
you drink every day, Matt?
Or those pills that you take
one after another,
like fucking pez?
Just because you have a doctor's
note doesn't
mean you're not a junkie.
So why don't you get off your
high horse
and tell me the truth?
Oh, cat's got your tongue?
I know the truth.
You're
too big of a fucking pussy
to handle What happened to you
in Afghanistan?
That's the fucking truth.
I'm a drug addict.
Who the fuck are you
to judge me?
[TENSE MUSIC PLAYS]
I brought you out here because I
wanted to help you Brandi!
What the fuck is
wrong with you? Huh?
What's wrong with you?
[TENSE MUSIC CONTINUES]
[CRICKETS CHIRPING]
[CAR PASSING]
[MOTORCYCLE DRIVES BY]
[MOTORCYCLE SLOWS]
[MOTORCYCLE DEPARTS]
[TENSE MUSIC CONTINUES]
[WATER DRIPPING]
[CREAKING]
[BRANDI GASPING]
Oh... it's amazing.
It's like being dead
for 10 seconds.
I swear. You have to try it.
Brandi, you got to stop. Your
mom died from this shit.
You got to stop.
Hey...
Don't listen to me when I get
like that, okay?
[TENSE MUSIC PLAYS]
Hey, at least I feel things,
Matt. Not like you
some overmedicated
fucking zombie.
Mm-mm.
That's not me.
I'm burning.
Burning my way through life.
I'm going to come out
the other end,
either a whole new
person or nothing but ashes.
[TENSE MUSIC CONTINUES]
[BRANDI LAUGHING]
But you?
Sweetheart, you're never going
to feel a goddamn thing
taking all those fucking pills.
[BRANDI EXHALES]
[BRANDI LAUGHS]
[TENSE MUSIC CONTINUES]
[BRANDI EXHALES]
Come here.
Come here, I wanna feel you
next to me.
[BRANDI CHUCKLING]
[CREAKING]
[BRANDI BREATHING HEAVILY]
So good.
Bye, Brandi.
Goodbye.
[TENSE MUSIC GROWS]
Pathetic.
[TENSE MUSIC CONTINUES]
[TRAFFIC PASSING]
[REGISTER RINGS]
[TENSE MUSIC CONTINUES]
[TENSE MUSIC ENDS]
Hi, Matt.
What are you thinking?
MAN:
Pack of smokes?
A pack of smokes, please.
MATT:
Here you go.
BRANDI:
How you been?
- Oh, I'm good.
- Going to the party tonight?
- Can we take your car?
- Yeah.
Oh, good.
Let's go. Bye, Matt.
[METAL CLANKING]
BRANDI: [DISTANTLY] Matt!
BRANDI: [DISTANTLY] Matt!
[MATT SIGHING]
[HOLLOW KNOCKING]
BRANDI: Matt!
MATT: What?
BRANDI: I need to talk to you.
MATT: What do you need, Brandi?
[BRANDI SOBBING]
Brandi, I don't have time
for this,
shit right now.
Matt.
[BRANDI SOBBING]
[FRANTIC PIANO MUSIC PLAYS]
MATT: Brandi, what's going on?
Brandi, Brandi, Brandi,
Brandi...
BRANDI:
I tried to go to Chad's
to get money, he said he owes
me. [SOBBING]
Who? Who?
Brandi, what is going on?
Look at me.
Chad... Chad tried to rape me.
[FRANTIC PIANO MUSIC
CONTINUES]
He tried to rape me, Matt.
MATT:
Come on, come on.
[MOTORCYCLE REVING]
MATT: Brandi, I said, isn't he
fucking weak?
What the hell's wrong with you?
[METAL CLANKING]
[PUNCHING AND GRUNTING]
BRANDI: Hey, hey! Matt!
That's enough.
[MOTORCYCLE REVVING]
MATT:
What is this?
BRANDI: Don't worry about it. I
know this place really well.
[FRANTIC PIANO MUSIC
CONTINUES]
Sit down.
MATT: No.
Sit down.
[FRANTIC PIANO MUSIC
TURNS CALM]
You have to try it.
Come on.
[FRANTIC PIANO MUSIC
AMPLIFIES]
Sex is so much better
when you're on meth.
It's so much better.
Come on.
[MATT COUGHING]
It's good.
[FRANTIC PIANO MUSIC
CONTINUES]
[BOTH EXHALING]
[CLATTERING]
It's good, right?
[FRANTIC PIANO MUSIC FADES]
MATT (V.O.): After I started
using meth...
things finally started to make
sense.
How you doing?
MATT (V.O.): Uncle Bill's
irrationally
overconfident personality.
I got a little treat here
for you.
MATT (V.O.): Brandi's
disappearing acts.
But first you got to do a little
favor for Uncle Bill.
MATT (V.O.): By now, I was
totally hooked.
It was their plan all along.
Find a wounded soul they could
make their puppet.
I've got a package.
That I need delivered
across the desert mountains to a
very dear friend of mine.
MATT:
How much?
30 K.
It's deposited, that lying
piece of shit, now--
MATT (V.O.): But I didn't care.
It's all the same to me.
BILL: -- The inconsistency of
the product.
MATT (V.O.): I wasn't cut out
for a normal life.
It turned out.
BILL: I don't want you to buy
into any of that shit.
I want you
to get the money in your hands
or get the hell out of there.
- You understand?
- Yes, sir. Yeah.
All right, now,
you get back here unscathed.
There's a grand in it for you.
The grand and the product.
Same deal we got going.
[BILL LAUGHS]
Oh. Oh, my
entrepreneurial little junkie.
All right, I'll tell you what.
If you take the whole deal
in product,
I'm on.
You got it.
All right.
Look, it's getting late.
Like we said. No roads.
All desert.
Yes, sir.
[WRAPPER CRINKLING]
[INTENSE HEART BEATING]
[GLASS BREAKING]
[LAUGHTER]
[MATT INHALING]
Alright!
[TENSE MUSIC PLAYING]
Let's shoot guns.
[TENSE MUSIC CONTINUES]
[GIGGLING]
BRANDI: [BRITISH ACCENT] Polish
your guns, bend over!
[BRANDI MUMBLING]
MATT:
I love that little thing.
But yeah, you know what
you're doing.
[GUNSHOTS]
[TENSE MUSIC CONTINUES]
[CRICKETS CHIRP]
[DOGS BARKING DISTANTLY]
[LAUGHTER]
[KISS]
BRANDI: I don't understand how
we don't have
any fucking money,
when Uncle Bill
gave you something to sell?
Because I took- I took it all in
product. You got to sell it.
Who the fuck am I going
to sell it to?
I don't fucking know--
You do-- Daniel. I can. I can. I
can call uh, Daniel. Uhh...
MATT:
Sell it to Ryan.
He was buys a lot. Sell it
to Ryan.
- Shit doesn't even fuckin--
- That's why we need to sell it!
I can't do everything around
here. Okay?
That's what we got to sell.
Some of it.
You can't do everything around
here?
Are you fucking kidding me?
Get the fucking phone to work
so that
I can sell it.
[RUSTLING]
What the fuck are you
doing, Matt?
Why are you making
so much noise?
I'm trying to clean
this fucking mess, Brandi.
I found an ad for a rehab place,
I'm fucking calling them.
Where are you gonna get money
for rehab?
You... [MATT SIGHS]
You want to live your life
like this, huh?
[BRANDI SIGHS]
People like you and me,
we don't belong
in cookie cutter houses.
[HEAVY KNOCKING]
BILL: Wake up, you little
lovebirds.
I'm coming in...
[BRANDI INDISTINCT WHISPERING]
Wake up in there.
[UNCLE BILL LAUGHS]
BILL: Brandi...
[DOOR SHUTS]
I brought you a little
present. Here you go.
Oh, Kilo...
[MATT AND BRANDI LAUGHING]
[RUMBLING LAUGHTER]
You know?
[BRANDI YELPS AND LAUGHS]
BRANDI:
Uncle Bill...
[THUMPING AND GROANING]
[HEAVY BREATHING AND
GRUNTING]
You know what?
Target practice.
[GUNSHOTS]
[GUNSHOTS]
[GUNSHOTS]
- Yeah...
BRANDI: When do I get to play?
Well, honey, this is a little
too much gun for you.
But look, I got something
perfect for a young lady.
[BRANDI AND BILL GIGGLE]
BILL: Now, look. You line those
two up and squeeze it...
Sque-- [GUNSHOT]
There you go!
[GUNSHOT]
That's it.
Here, here, now.
Left arm darling, here. Here
you go...
Squeeze it.
Squeeze it. Real gentle.
Yeah, that's it.
Real gentle...
[BRANDI LAUGHS]
[FOUR GUNSHOTS]
[TRIGGER CLICKS]
[TRIGGER CLICKS REPEATEDLY]
Where is she, in the John?
I'unno.
I think it's time we
had some fun.
Brandi, get your ass out
here!
[STEPS APPROACHING]
[INDISTINGUISHABLE SPEECH]
[BILL INDECIPHERABLE
SENSUAL WHISPERS]
[THUMP]
[BILL CHUCKLING]
MATT: Hey!
BILL: Stay down.
Stay the fuck down!
Piece of shit!
[BILL YELLS AND LAUGHS]
[DOG BARKING]
That was fun.
[DOG BARKING CONTINUES]
Y'all have a nice afternoon.
[DOOR SLAMS]
Fuck you, Matt.
[CASH REGISTER OPENING]
[SQUEAKING AND SLAMMING]
You still upset about
the other night? Hm?
It was a test.
Test of your loyalty
to our family.
[REGISTER SHUTS]
I'm turning 60 something
in a couple of days.
I got to get out of this
fucking place tonight.
There's a place about five
and a half hours from here.
The most beautiful strippers
in the whole Western Hemisphere.
I'm going to get me some.
[OMINOUS MUSIC PLAYS]
I'd like to take you with me...
[BEEPING]
But I need you to do me a favor.
I need you to go to the plaza.
Make a delivery, take the cash,
and then you slit his throat.
You kill that son of a bitch.
Huh?
That son of a bitch?
He's been buying
from the Mexicans.
Now, you do that for me,
and you'll be my favorite.
[DOOR CLICKS]
[OMINOUS MUSIC CONTINUES]
[DOOR SHUTTING]
[CHANGE CLATTERING]
[OMINOUS MUSIC CONTINUES]
[RUSTLING PAPER]
[LIQUID SPLASHING]
[OMINOUS MUSIC CONTINUES]
[LIGHTER CLICKING]
[MUSIC GROWS]
[ENGINE REVVING]
[CRINKLING AND BURNING]
[OMINOUS MUSIC CONTINUES]
[SIZZLING]
[SIZZLING]
[MUSIC FADES]
[CRICKETS CHIRPING]
[SIRENS WAIL]
[SILENCE]
[WOOD RATTLING]
[SQUEAKING]
BILL:
Where is he?
Hmm?
Is he here?
[CLICKING]
[BILL SIGHS]
Where is he? Hm?
Where'd he go?
Where is he?
[THUMP]
[OMINOUS MUSIC RETURNS]
[LIGHTER CLICKING]
MATT: Hey, I'm calling to report
a methamphetamine manufacturer
and dealer.
His name is Steven James Osmond.
He goes by Uncle Bill.
He's got an abandoned trailer
out in the Dead Horse Salt Flat.
The place should be covered
in his fingerprints.
No, there's nobody else I can
think of.
[LIGHTER CLICKING]
[OMINOUS MUSIC FADES]
[BRANDI BREATHING HEAVILY]
[WIND HOWLING]
[GENERAL RUSTLING]
[SLAMMING]
[BRANDI HUMS]
[CRICKETS CHIRPING]
[CARS SPEEDING BY]
[METAL SQUEAKING]
[CELL PHONE RINGING]
Call fucking Ambulance you
fucking moron!
Oh, you're at Brandi's house?
[TENSE MUSIC PLAYS]
Start breathing. Come on,
sweetie. Come on!
Brandi, come on! Brandi!
Brady, wake up. Shit, Shit.
MATT: Call the fucki-- I
told you to fucking ambula-
MAN: Dude, I can't! I can't
go back to jail, dude!
[TENSE MUSIC CONTINUES]
- Call a fucking ambulance!
MAN: I can't!
MATT: I told you to call an
ambulance!
MAN: I can't go back to jail!
I told you, man.
[TENSE MUSIC CONTINUES]
MAN: We're torn up, man!
MATT: Alright, hi.
Uh, I'm at 1128
Willowbrook Lane.
I'm-I'm reporting a drug
overdose. Yes.
Send an ambulance as soon as
possible.
She's not breathing. Yeah.
[MAN INDISTINCT RAMBLE]
Send an ambulance. Alright.
[HYPERVENTILATING]
[SOBBING]
[GENTLE SHUSHING]
[DEEP BREATHS AND CRYING]
[APPROACHING SIRENS]
[TENSE MUSIC CONTINUES]
[HEAVY BREATHING]
NURSE: Jump... Get out of my
way, real quick.
Let us, let us get in there!
Let us get in there.
Pinpoint.
[BEEP]
[RUSTLING]
NURSE: Still no pulse.
[TENSE MUSIC CONTINUES]
Alright, we can start loading
her up
and getting her out of here.
NURSE 1: I got the backboard.
NURSE 2: Yep.
[CLICKING AND ZIPPING]
[ENGINE RUMBLING]
Hey, you get in the back, with
us, okay?
[TENSE MUSIC CONTINUES]
[SIRENS WAILING]
[TENSE MUSIC FADES]
[SIRENS FADE]
[WIND BLOWING]
[WIND BLOWING]
[SAD PIANO MUSIC PLAYS]
[WIND FADES]
[CRICKETS CHIRP]
[SAD PIANO MUSIC CONTINUES]
[QUIET INDISTINGUISHABLE
MUMBLING]
[ENGINE RUMBLING]
[CLICKING]
MATT:
That's good stuff.
[SAD PIANO MUSIC CONTINUES]
MAN:
Just- just the usual, man.
MATT: Cool
MAN: Thank you.
[SAD PIANO MUSIC CONTINUES]
[DISTANT SIRENS]
[DOGS BARKING]
[SAD PIANO MUSIC STOPS]
[CARS RUMBLING]
[DOGS BARKING]
MAN: Hey, man!
MATT: Yeah...
MAN: So I heard you got ice?
I don't know what you're
talking about.
Yeah, well, a spark?
No.
I'm a friend of Ryan's.
How do you know Ryan?
Good boys. We grew up 1990.
Back in the day.
[DOG BARKING]
MAN: Yo, I'm looking for the
sponch.
You got the sponch?
MAN 2: This can be as painless
as you want it to be!
[DOGS BARKING]
I'll hurt you. Hit this
mother fucker! Hit this!
[HIGH PITCHED RINGING]
[HIGH PITCHED RINGING CONTINUES]
[MATT GROANING]
[MATT GROANING]
[SHIP HORN BLOWING]
[SHIP HORN ECHOES]
[MATT SCREAMING]
[SHIP HORN CONTINUES]
Fuck.
[SHIP HORNS LAYER OVER
EACH OTHER]
[SAD PIANO MUSIC BEGINS]
[HORNS FADE]
[CLICKING]
[HORNS RETURN]
[SAD PIANO MUSIC CONTINUES]
[HORNS CONTINUE]
[SAD PIANO MUSIC CONTINUES]
[GLASS SHATTERING]
[DISSONANT WHISPERS]
[HORNS GO ON]
[SAD PIANO MUSIC CONTINUES]
[HORNS CONTINUE]
[SAD PIANO MUSIC CONTINUES]
[METAL SCRATCHES]
[FIRE WHOOSHING]
[SAD PIANO MUSIC AND
HORNS FADE]
Your demons finally caught up
to you, Brandi...
I have to say goodbye here.
With only your mother's ashes as
our witness.
[WIND BLOWING]
Who knows where life would have
taken us.
If I don't do
something, Brandi...
soon I'll have a funeral
lonelier than this.
I'm going to get rid
of all that shit
I have Brandi.
Gonna go deep, deep into this
desert until I run outta gas.
The desert's either going to
kill me or cure me.
It's the only choice I have.
[WIND WHOOSHING]
[MATT SIGHS]
You know I'll always love you.
[WOODEN CHEST RUSTLING]
[CRICKETS CHIRPING]
[WIND WHOOSHING DROPS]
[CRICKETS CHIRPING]
[LIGHT WIND BLOWING]
[WOOD CLICKING]
[CRICKETS CHIRPING]
[WIND BLOWING]
[METAL CLATTERING]
[MOURNFUL MUSIC BEGINS]
[ENGINE STARTS]
[MOURNFUL MUSIC CONTINUES]
[WIND BLOWING]
[MOURNFUL MUSIC CONTINUES]
[MOURNFUL MUSIC CONTINUES]
[MOURNFUL MUSIC CONTINUES]
[CHITTERING]
[CHITTERING]
[FIRE CRACKLING]
[CHITTERING]
[CICADAS CHIRPING]
[MOURNFUL MUSIC FADES]
[MATT GROANING]
[STRUGGLING AND COUGHING]
[DRAGGING SOUNDS]
[MATT GROANING]
[GROANS OF PAIN]
[WIND HOWLING]
[SOFT PANTING]
[METALLIC RUSTLING]
[TENSE PIANO MUSIC PLAYS]
[CICADAS CHIRPING]
[TENSE PIANO MUSIC CONTINUES]
[TENSE PIANO MUSIC CONTINUES]
[TENSE PIANO MUSIC FADES]
[SILENCE]
[HOWLING WIND]
[HOWLING WIND CONTINUES]
[DEEP DRONING]
[MATT YELLING]
[FLAMES WHOOSHING]
[PANTING AND GROANING]
[CONTINUED PANTING]
[WHIMPERING]
[MATT SCREAMS]
[GUN CLICKING EMPTY]
[HEAVY PANTING]
Fuck.
[SOBBING]
Fuck!
Fuck!
[SHAKY BREATHING]
[SILENCE]
[WIND BLOWING]
[CHITTERING]
[QUIET WIND]
[METALLIC TAPPING]
[ECHOING THUMP]
[ECHOING THUMP]
[HOWLING WIND]
[BREATHLESS GASPING]
[PANTING]
[METALLIC CRINKLING]
[ECHOING THUMP]
[GASPING]
[CLATTERING]
[WIND BLOWING]
MATT (V.O.): These may be my
last few days.
I'm hallucinating.
Withdrawals are hell.
I can't find water where
I thought it'd be.
I'll try and gain altitude.
Might have better luck there.
They may find my body here.
This note pinned to it.
Know that there's dignity
to that.
Don't feel sad
thinking of your little brother
lost alone in this vast
wilderness.
Know that I'm fighting
with the last of my strength
to see you again.
To see my little nephew.
There is no surrender.
This fight is my only
and last chance.
I can already feel the demons
getting quieter.
[WIND FADES]
[CHITTERING]
[BREATHLESS GASPING AND
SLURPING]
Mm hmm.
[SLURPING]
[SLURPING AND GRUNTING]
[GASPING]
[BIRD CROWS]
[BIRD CROWS]
[FLIES BUZZING]
[BIRDS CHIRPING]
[BIRDS CHIRPING]
[WATER FLOWING]
[BIRDS CHIRPING]
[LEAVES CRUNCHING]
[WATER FLOWING SLIGHTLY LOUDER]
[WATER FLOWING AMPLIFIES]
[MATT PANTING]
[MATT GROANS]
[MATT LAUGHS]
[BIRDS CHIRPING]
[WIND BLOWING]
[WATER FLOWS]
[WATER FLOWS LOUDER]
[WATER FLOWS LOUDER]
[BIRDS CHIRPING]
[BIRDS CHIRPING]
[WATER FLOWS]
[WATER FLOWS]
[WOODEN RATTLING]
[WATER FLOWS]
[BIRDS CHIRP]
[WATERFALL ROARS]
[WATERFALL ROARS]
[WATERFALL ROARS]
[WATERFALL QUIETS]
[WATERFALL ROARS]
[FIRE CRACKLING]
[CRICKETS CHIRPING]
[COYOTE HOWLS]
[FIRE CRACKING]
[WATER FLOWS]
[BIRDS CHIRPING]
[WATER FLOWS]
[WATER FLOWS]
[WATER FLOWS]
[LOW WIND BLOWING]
[INDISTINGUISHABLE RADIO
CHATTER]
COP: Victor Howl Station, you by
an Altec?
[RADIO RUSTLING]
I literally have Moses
coming down
the fucking mountain.
It looks like a lost hiker.
Going to need now to our...
state road
51 mile marker 41,
about a half mile east.
COP 2: Alright, sheriff, stand
by for fire.
Looks like a 25 year old male.
Possible heat exhaustion.
[CAR STARTING]
[WIND BLOWING]
What's your name?
Uh, Matt Benning.
Matt, go ahead and take off
that blanket for me.
You do you guys... could I just
have some of that water, please?
Absolutely.
Go, go ahead and take off
that blanket.
Yeah, and-and that backpack.
[MATT SIGHS]
[MATT SIGHS]
That's alright. Just leave
it. Come on over here.
You don't have any weapons
on you, do you?
- No, sir?
- Come on over here.
I've got, uh, just got a pocket
knife right here.
Okay. All right. Just gonna
check you real quick.
All right.
You know, get your fingers
together, like you're praying.
Okay.
[HANDCUFFS CLICK]
MATT: Man, what
are you doing?
Just detaining you.
I don't know who you are.
[PANTING]
[HANDCUFFS CLICK]
Okay, come on over here.
Have a seat inside.
It's nice and cool.
Just relax.
[DOOR SHUTS]
[RUSTLING]
Why didn't you tell me
about this?
Is it registered to you?
Yes, sir. Yeah,
it-it should be.
No bullets in there,
I used them all.
COP: It should be, or it is
registered?
Uh, should be--
COP: Am I gonna find a Meth that
goes with this?
Is this your ID?
Yes, sir. That's me.
[RUSTLING AND CREAKING]
COP: Looks like there's a
missing persons report on you.
An Ashley Sullivan filed it.
You know her?
Yeah, she's my sister.
The guns registered.
You have no warrants. Good.
Before we call your sister,
can you tell me one thing?
MATT: Sure.
How did you end up out here?
Because I just can't
put the 2 and 2 toge--
MATT: Sometimes, man, you just
got to
take matters into your own
hands.
Filled up my dirt bike's
gas tank and headed straight
for the desert.
Without a couple of gallons of
water, you know,
I was high as fuck.
Didn't seem crazy at all.
I was flirting with death,
hoping for it.
Maybe. I don't know.
Figure I had a 50/50 chance
of getting out of here alive.
Why would you purposely
strain yourself out here?
Cold turkey wasn't for me, man.
I-I-I knew I'd always find a way
to get more drugs.
You know?
Afghanistan taught me
about the desert.
At least out here I'd have
a chance.
Withdrawals, maybe they wouldn't
get the better of me, you know?
Well, you are one lucky
son of a bitch.
Your sister is gonna be happy
to hear from me.
Yeah, she probably will be.
[INDISTINGUISHABLE WOMAN
SPEAKING]
Yeah. Sheriff Cooper here.
We found your brother.
Yeah, he's fine.
A little dehydrated.
Looks like he was doing
some detox thing out here.
Yeah, well, there's a lot
we don't know
about our family members.
Yeah. Now, how far are you
from here?
5 hours?
Yeah, we can keep him here
for a bit.
Okay. Just relax, have
some water.
Victor Howell Station.
You got a E.T.A. on fire?
COP 2: About 25 minutes out,
over.
10-4, thanks.
[DOG BARKING]
[FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING]
[METAL CLANKING]
Billy. Billy, it's me, man.
Open the door.
Open the fucking door, Billy.
I know you're in there.
Open the door.
Billy!
[SQUEAKING AND CLANKING]
[BIRDS CHIRPING]
Billy.
[CREAKING]
[CLICKING]
[HEAVY BREATHING]
Hey, this is Matt from Veterans
Outreach Center.
I'm over at 1476 Horatio Street.
I've got an opioid overdose,
just administered
naloxone, left nostril.
Yeah-yeah, it's Billy.
That kid just came back from
deployment seven months ago.
[SAD PIANO MUSIC PLAYS]
Yeah, I'll see you in 9 minutes.
[SAD PIANO MUSIC CONTINUES]
[SAD PIANO MUSIC CONTINUES]
[SAD PIANO MUSIC FADES]
[DRAMATIC PIANO MUSIC PLAYS]
[DRAMATIC PIANO MUSIC
CONTINUES]
[DRAMATIC PIANO MUSIC
CONTINUES]
[DRAMATIC PIANO MUSIC
CONTINUES]
[DRAMATIC PIANO MUSIC
CONTINUES]
[DRAMATIC PIANO MUSIC
CONTINUES]
[DRAMATIC PIANO MUSIC
FADES]
[SILENCE]
[SAD VIOLIN MUSIC PLAYS]
[SAD VIOLIN MUSIC FADES]
[FOREBODING CELLO PLAYS]
[NERVOUS PIANO JOINS CELLO]
[UNNERVING MUSIC PLAYS]
[UNNERVING MUSIC CONTINUES]
[BIRDS CHIP]
[BUZZ SAW WHIRS]
[UNNERVING MUSIC CONTINUES]
[UNNERVING MUSIC CONTINUES]
[BUZZ SAW POWERS DOWN]
[CHAINSAW WHIRS]
[UNNERVING MUSIC CONTINUES]
[CHAINSAW POWERS OFF]
[UNNERVING MUSIC GOES ON]
[UNDERWATER BUBBLING]
[HELICOPTER WHIRS OVERHEAD]
BROTHER-IN-LAW (V.O.): The fuck
is wrong with you Matt?
Matt.
Come on, get up.
Come on.
What did I tell you
about drinking
in front of my fucking son?
[MATT GROANS]
Come on. Get the fuck up, Matt.
[BROTHER-IN-LAW INDISTINCANGRY MUMBLING]
Yeah, get up.
SISTER:
What's going on?
It's your fucking brother.
He's totally wasted again.
No, you got to go screw.
Come on.
SISTER: Where's
he supposed to go?
BROTHER-IN-LAW: I don't fucking
know. He's a grown man.
He's going to have some money
saved up or something.
We can't have this shit
going on here anymore.
Matt. Matt.
Why'd you have to go and
do this again?
[WIND BLOWING]
Here's your bag, man.
[BIRDS CHIRPING]
[WIND BLOWING]
[DISTANT SLICING]
[CARS RUMBLING]
MATT (V.O.): It's weird to think
that just two months ago,
I was fighting the Taliban
high in the mountains
of Afghanistan.
Two months ago,
I'd close my eyes at night,
fearful I may never open
them again.
[TRAIN BELLS RINGING]
It's weird to think
that just two months ago,
I came home.
[A PLANE FLIES OVERHEAD]
[PLANE CUTS OFF]
MATT (V.O.):
Home to my sister,
to my baby nephew,
to quiet Sunday mornings.
I'm not myself yet.
[WATER DRIPPING]
So here I am in a motel.
God knows where.
Trying to find my way.
[WATER BUBBLING]
[MELANCHOLY PIANO MUSIC
PLAYS]
[WATER SPLASHES]
[CICADAS CHIRPING]
[HEAVY WIND BLOWING]
[HELICOPTER WHIRS]
[RAPID GUNFIRE]
[ROARING WIND]
[HIGH PITCHED WHISTLING]
[HELICOPTER WHIRS]
[RAPID GUNFIRE]
[SHEETS RUSTLING]
[TRAIN DRIVING BY]
MATT (V.O.): It's 2 a.m..
Usually the booze and the pills
knock me out just right.
But not tonight.
Tonight,
the nightmares are back.
It's always the same.
Ramirez
pinned down,
screaming for my help.
There's nothing I can do.
[SOMBER MUSIC PLAYS]
[CARS PASSING]
MATT (V.O.):
It's 2010.
I'm home to a wrecked economy.
What few jobs there once were
have vanished.
Least for me.
I mean, I'm
a guy who spent his last
few years a nomad, a savage
living in the mountains,
killing for survival.
All they see in my eyes is rage.
I mean,
how do you ask a guy like that
to bag your groceries,
to take your lunch order?
[SOMBER MUSIC CONTINUES]
[CRICKETS CHIRP]
They don't see a hero.
They see a guy
they wouldn't trust to drive
their children to school.
[CRICKETS CHIRP]
[SOFT COUNTRY MUSIC PLAYS]
[INDISTINGUISHABLE BAR CHATTER]
Loitering at the doorstep
[POOL BALLS CLICKING]
For I, I count to win her
back
Oh I don't deserve to live
alone
[CRICKETS CHIRPING]
[HEELS APPROACHING]
BRANDI:
Hey, handsome.
[INDISTINCT COUNTRY SINGING]
Hey.
I'm Brandi.
[MATT LAUGHS]
MATT: Brandy, huh?
-Mhm.
Like the booze?
It's with an 'I' at the end.
MATT:
Oh, all right.
You got a smoke?
No. Uh, sorry.
I just, uh.
Just killed the last one
on the way over here.
'Kay... I probably have one
in here,
it's just such a fucking mess.
MATT: Looks like a fucking
black hole.
[MATT LAUGHS]
Oh! Mhmm.
[COUNTRY MUSIC CONTINUES]
So what's a nice guy like you
doing in a shithole like this?
MATT: I'm new in town thought
I'd meet some new people.
Lucky you,
you met me.
[CRICKETS CHIRPING]
So, why'd you pick this dump?
MATT: Uh, I was in Afghanistan,
and...
Crashed at my sister's for
a little bit,
but her boyfriend's
not a big fan of me, so...
Kicked your ass to the curb?
MATT:
Yeah, something like that.
- You were in Afghanistan?
- Mm hmm.
Like shooting guns and shit?
MATT: Yeah.
- Oh...
A real American hero.
[MATT LAUGHS]
Yeah.
I can't even get a job right
now, Brandi.
So I guess I'm not much of
anything, am I?
So, what's your name?
I'm Matt.
With an 'M.'
[BRANDI LAUGHING]
Brandi with an 'I."
[SOFT PIANO MUSIC PLAYS]
Well, Matt with an 'M,'
you seem like a nice guy.
I bet I can get you a job.
Really?
I know some people here.
You're shitting me.
[BRANDI HUMS]
[SOFT PIANO MUSIC CONTINUES]
Why don't you take down my
number?
Alright.
Give me a call tomorrow...
You want to just give it
to me, or?
No, I got a piece of paper in
here.
Okay.
Mm hmm!
Alright...
[CRICKETS CHIRPING]
[SOFT PIANO MUSIC CONTINUES]
[PAPER CRINKLING]
Give me a call tomorrow.
Okay.
- Nice meeting you.
- Yeah, you too.
[HEELS DEPARTING]
[SOFT PIANO MUSIC CONTINUES]
[INDISTINGUISHABLE TV
CHATTER]
[SOFT PIANO MUSIC STOPS]
[BIRDS CHIRPING]
Hey, what's up, Brandi,
it's Matt, uhh.
Just calling about that job
you mentioned last night.
Hey, Brandi, it's Matt.
It's about 3:30. I'm just,
uh, just checking in again.
[FUNKY MUSIC PLAYS]
Hey, it's Matt.
Uhh, we met last night, bar
parking lot.
[DOGS BARKING]
[JOYFUL MUSIC PLAYS ON TV]
I called, you didn't answer.
Really?
Yeah, no problem. I'll see you
in a little bit.
[ROMANTIC RADIO MUSIC PLAYS]
BRANDI: Hi Bill.
BILL: Hey, darlin.
MATT: Matt Benning.
- Bill.
MATT:
Nice to meet you.
Yeah. Yeah, yeah.
How are you around firearms?
Uh, I spent the last four years
in the Army, sir.
[INDISTINGUISHABLE MUMBLING] I'm
going to offer you a job.
The easiest job in America.
Look at-- All you've got to do
is if anything weird
happens in here,
you call me on my cell phone.
A hobo outside is takin' a
shower in his own urine,
you call me. Or if...
If the cops come in
here. You call me.
You got that? Now, here's a,
here's a scenario. A purple
and blue giraffe walks in
and starts
scratching his butt
on the doorframe.
What do you do?
[INDISTINGUISHABLE RADIO
SINGING]
MATT: I'm not sure I follow
you on that.
BILL: You call me on- you
call me on my cell phone.
I'm here with you.
It's, it's real simple, uhh...
Show me your index finger.
All right.
- That, is your trigger finger?
- Yes sir.
And also, you use it,
if anything out of the average
or out of the normal happens
around here,
you use it to...
Call you on your cell phone,
sir.
Absolutely.
- I got it.
- Okay.
He's a smart guy.
Yeah, you did good.
You got the job, son.
You start tomorrow night.
- How's that?
- Thank you, sir.
- All right.
- Thank you.
I got to go in the back room
and go over some receipts.
[DISTANTLY] I'll see you
tomorrow night, son!
MATT:
He's cool.
BRANDI:
He's the best.
I dunno how to run this thing. I
never use one of these before.
Don't worry about it. You'll get
the hang of it, and
nobody comes around here the day
shift.
[RADIO MUSIC STOPS]
MATT (V.O.): Monotony.
If you didn't know
the definition of that word,
working at this place
sure would have
been a great way to find out.
[COUNTRY ROCK MUSIC
PLAYS]
The highlight, of course, was
when Brandi would stop in
to check in on me.
[COUNTRY ROCK MUSIC
CONTINUES]
Matt!
MATT (V.O.): Technically, she
was my supervisor.
[CAR HORN HONKING REPEATEDLY]
MATT: Where did you get this
thing?
Uncle Bill left for a week,
so I let myself borrow his car.
Close up.
Let's go for a joy ride.
Uh, Brandi. Uncle Bill's not
paying me to go on, joyrides.
[COUNTRY ROCK MUSIC
CONTINUES]
First of all, he's
not going to find out.
And if he did? He wouldn't
give a fuck.
[MATT GROANS]
MATT: I guess technically
you're my boss a little bit.
Would you say that?
Fuck, yes, I'm your boss.
Get in the car. You.
[COUNTRY MUSIC GROWS LOUDER]
[CRICKETS CHIRP]
[COUNTRY ROCK MUSIC STOPS]
MATT: I just wish you remembered
the tense things.
If it's windy, this thing's
gonna blow around everywhere.
BRANDI:
Like this?
[BOTH LAUGHING]
MATT: Brandi!
[LAUGHING CONTINUES]
Hey, what's up?
MATT: I was looking for you
everywhere.
Sorry. I guess I thought I'd
make it back before you woke up.
Nah, it's all good.
BRANDI:
See those rocks,
up there? It's where I scattered
my mom's ashes.
I was all by myself.
Didn't even have a funeral.
Had to pick up her ashes
from the county coroner's.
I thought that's
where she would wanna be.
MATT: You've uh... picked a
really beautiful spot.
I really wish we could've
had that
normal mother-daughter
relationship.
Yeah, I wonder where my buddy,
Ramirez is buried at.
El Paso, probably, near his
family.
Who was that?
Friend from the war.
[CRICKETS CHIRPING]
One day he's just gone.
Yeah, I know how that goes.
[LOW BUZZING]
OPERATOR 1: Victor Hollow's EA
calling, how may I help you?
Wow, finally, I've been on hold
for like 45 minutes.
OPERATOR 1: Sir, how can I help
you?
I need to talk to somebody
about changing my meds.
They aren't working right.
OPERATOR 1: Sir, what kind of
medications are you taking?
MATT: Certalene, uh,
Trezadone...
OPERATOR 1:
Oh, okay, uh no.
You gotta call a behavioral
medicine
service provider for that.
This is not the right place.
BRANDI:
How are you doing?
I'm about to bash
my head through the wall.
Been listening to that hold
music for almost an hour.
Oh, you finally decided
to call them?
Are you gonna pay for that?
It's been expired for a week.
You should be paying me
to get rid of it.
OPERATOR 2: You've reached the
behavioral medicine
service providers.
No one's available
to take your call.
If this is a psychiatric
emergency.
Please hang up immediately
and dial 911--
Why don't you just stop taking
the medication
so that you don't have to drive
all the way over
to see, a bunch of doctors that
don't
- give a shit?
- Hey check this thing out.
It's sick, no?
Let's go look at it.
[METAL CREAKING]
MATT:
Hey, oh. What's up?
- Are you Matt?
- Yes, sir--
- Hey what's going on? I'm Mike.
- Nice to meet you.
- It's my wife.
- Hey.
- How's it going?
- This is the culprit, brother.
- Right here.
MATT: Yeah?
- Yeah.
- Looks good, man.
- Brother she's indestructible.
LINDA: Listen honey in 30 years
you're gonna hear the same old
B.S. all day.
MIKE: Yeah. This is way before
GPS. I thought
I was totally fucked.
Yeah, but I, you know what?
I-I remembered about a place
called
Holston Wells. Abandoned
ranch out the middle of desert.
A huge water tank still stands
there.
- Really?
- Yeah.
Always filled with water, man.
Maybe the rain fills
that up or something...
- Do you want a beer?
- Yes.
Got the tags for it?
Registration and everything?
Yeah. Linda! Linda,
honey, you got the tags?
LINDA: [DISTANTLY] Yeah, yeah.
I'm coming!
[DOG BARKING]
MIKE: Thank you, ma'am.
I'll give it to you for 900.
Bargaining is supposed to be the
other way around.
MIKE:
Oh, is that how it works?
LINDA: Yeah, yeah. He's supposed
to be the one
- bringing the price down.
MIKE: Oh, is that our deal?
Well, she's the boss...
I'm getting paid in a couple
days.
MIKE:
You know what?
What do you think? Yes?
No? Maybe? She's... the boss
says yes,
- bud, you've got a deal.
- Alright, alright.
[ROCK MUSIC PLAYS ON THE RADIO]
[CICADAS CHIRPING]
[SILENCE]
[UNDERWATER RUMBLE]
[SOMBER PIANO MUSIC PLAYS]
[SOMBER PIANO MUSIC
CONTINUES]
[INAUDIBLE]
[SOMBER PIANO MUSIC
FADES]
[FOG HORN BLOWS THREE TIMES]
[KEYS CLATTER]
RAMIREZ: This is age 40. For the
past two weeks.
MATT: Ey, you know, her uncle
Bill's out here?
He's out of town
don't worry about it.
MATT: Where's Brandi, for that
matter?
I been calling and calling her
and she's nowhere to be found.
Just so we get this dirt
bike with her.
Uh, [SCOFFS] she does that
sometimes. Get used to it.
[CHUCKLING]
Get yourself out of it, man.
[CELL PHONE RINGING]
[INDISTINGUISHABLE TV CHATTER]
Hello? Oh, hey, Mike.
What's up, man?
How are you doing?
I'm good. I'm good. So you.
You-uh...
You still want get this bike?
Oh, yeah, for sure. Hey, I'm
sorry I didn't call you back
sooner.
My, uh, girlfriend sort of
disappeared on me
for a couple of days.
She, uh. She's going to be
right down there.
Bro, listen,
I just got home from work.
I can come pick you up my truck.
[MOTOR RUMBLING]
[DOG BARKING]
Thank you.
I'll take good care of it.
[ENGINE REVS]
[FUNKY MUSIC PLAYS]
Oh, look, who came back from
the dead.
Yeah, I left you a
bunch of messages.
[INDISTINGUISHABLE TV
CHATTER]
You had a lot of work to do.
Okay.
[FUNKY MUSIC CONTINUES]
[GENERAL CITY BUSTLE]
Yeah, yeah, sure.
I'll head over.
[FUNK MUSIC FADES]
[DOG BARKING]
[CELL PHONE RINGING]
Hello?
You've got to be fucking
kidding me.
I got to wait two months
to see a doctor.
that's nearly 3 hours from here?
Okay, I guess I'll see you in
a couple months.
[CRICKETS CHIRPING]
BRANDI:
Who was that?
Clinic finally called back.
Why do you take those pills?
[TV TURNS ON]
[LAUGHTER AND CHEERING]
Every time I ask you this,
You either change the subject
or turn the television on.
Why're you always pestering
about that shit, huh?
Why are you always evading
the question?
Why're you always trying to bore
into my mind
like some kind of termite?
Maybe I don't tell you,
because it's
none of your goddamn business.
Matt, Matt. That's not what I
was trying to do. Like,
how long have you known me? You
don't trust me? [MATT MUMBLING]
I'll tell you what I
think it is.
You want to feel like you're
rescuing some wounded
little puppy.
- I ain't your fucking puppy.
- No!
Alright?
MATT:
I'll take a shower myself.
[DOOR OPENING]
[INDISTINGUISHABLE AD]
[VENTS BLOWING AIR]
[CRICKETS CHIRPING]
MAN ON TV: Adults suffering
from kidney disease.
Please ask your doctor-
REPORTER: Emily is mourning the
loss of
25 year old Gary
Jensen from apparent suicide.
He was a Calvary
Scout in the first Armored
Brigade, recently
returned from Afghanistan.
FORECASTER: It looks like sunny
ahead for the rest of the week.
Tommy Rains has our forecast.
Look who came crawling back.
[ZIPPER PULLING]
[DOGS BARKING]
I'm sorry for prying earlier.
I just, I see you hurting
and I want to know
if there's something I can do.
I get it.
You've been through a lot and
you don't like to talk about it.
It's just when you wake up
in the middle of the night
from those nightmares...
All I'm saying is, if you
talk about it,
maybe you won't have
to take that shit that the VA
Doctors give you.
[WIND CHIMES CLANKING]
[DOGS BARKING]
MATT: The second before I open
my eyes...
It's like I'm right there again.
I just can't shake the terror
I saw in his eyes.
He didn't wanna die in those
dusty mountains.
Bullets smashing to dust
that hit the rocks all around
me.
I watched as his life bled
out of him.
So I can let what happened
paralyze me.
Or I can numb myself.
God knows what these pills
will do to me long term.
And I know for sure the booze
ain't no vitamin drink.
But for now, it's what works.
What are you hoping
for at the V.A. clinic?
I'm hoping for a miracle,
Brandi. I'm hoping
I walk in there, one day
and the doctor sees
straight through me.
And just like that,
all my problems are gone,
nothing but blue skies ahead.
I won't be some hollowed out
shell, floating.
You gotta stare that shit
straight in the face.
You gotta get through the side,
you keep taking-
You know, sometimes it really
pisses me off
when you talk about shit
you don't understand, Brandi.
You know, there's mornings
I feel like taking a machine
gun and blowing this
entire neighborhood to shit.
Other mornings, I can't
even get out of the bed.
You've been through
what I've been through.
You wouldn't
think it was so easy.
BRANDI: You think that
you have it rough
because your mom died
when you were deployed?
You ever been locked in a room
and your mother's
boyfriend is insistently
tapping on the door?
Your mom, she's so fucking high,
she doesn't
even know where she is.
You know he's going to get in.
He has before.
I might as well just have
the fucking door unlocked.
He smells like cigarettes,
booze.
[OMINOUS MUSIC PLAYS]
You know what's because it's
happened before
and it's going to happen again
and again and again.
Mom never stood up to him.
It's like a fucking circus
animal. Anything for her
little treats.
[PHONE RINGING]
I didn't know, I'm sorry.
BRANDI:
Who's calling you?
Oh, I don't know.
[PHONE RINGING]
It's Uncle Bill.
I got to go.
Yeah, go.
[OMINOUS MUSIC CONTINUES]
BILL: How many times
do I got to tell you? Huh?
Don't come around here.
Don't you ever come around here.
[BILLY SOBS]
I don't need your goddamn
business.
Need your help, Uncle Bill! Come
on, man I know I got no money.
I know. Didn't mean to piss you
off, or anything.
BILL: Took you long enough.
Who's that? Is that the cops?
BILL: No, it's better. It's
the US Goddamn Army.
Put your hands all the way
high. Put them up!
I didn't hurt nobody, man!
Raise your hands and come over
real slow. Yeah.
We don't want to do anything
stupid or I'll fucking
- blow your brains out.
- Come on man.
Listen to me. Put your hands up
or I will shoot!
MAN: I didn't do anything!
- Hey! Watch it.
Hey, put your fucking hands up!
Put them up!
Let's see how he does without a
shoulder, huh?
Like that! How about the
other shoulder?
- Yeah?
- Stop, stop, stop.
You know,
he was a pretty good guy
before the meth rotted out
his brain.
Some people just can't handle
the fun, hey?
Here,
clean up the mess.
[SOMBER PIANO MUSIC
PLAYS]
[SOMBER PIANO MUSIC
CONTINUES]
[SCANNER BEEPS]
[INDISTINGUISHABLE CHATTER]
[BRANDI AND MAN LAUGHING]
MAN: Yeah.
- Hey.
- Hey.
MATT:
Who was that guy?
We worked together.
[CRICKETS CHIRPING]
[DOGS BARKING]
BRANDI: Because
what if we go to the bar?
MATT: Yeah, I'm down.
- Yeah?
MATT: Yeah.
BRANDI: Perfect.
[MATT BURPS]
You're so fucking gross.
[LAUGHING]
[PHONE NOTIFICATION RINGS]
You uh, you know, actually?
It kind of seemed
like it was going to rain.
So what if I give you a ride
back to your place?
MATT:
What's going on, Brandi?
When you get a text, you
disappear for a couple
of days sometimes.
What's going on?
It's Uncle Bill.
Yeah, Uncle Bill.
Uncle Bill, Uncle Bill, I keep
hearing that.
No, he just wants me to do
somethi--
How do, how do I know--
How do I know it's not the guy
from the grocery
store you meet up with?
[CRICKETS CHIRPING]
[DOG BARKING]
Fuck you, Matt.
You know how hard it is
to keep a job around here?
If I get a text message,
I've got to go.
Do you get that?
MATT: Yeah.
Yeah, I got it loud and clear.
I got it.
Matt...
Look.
[WOODEN CLATTERING]
[MOTORCYCLE REVS]
[MOTORCYCLE IDLES]
[MOTORCYCLE ENGINE GETS LOUDER]
[DOG BARKING]
[MELANCHOLY PIANO MUSIC PLAYS]
[MOTORCYCLE SPEEDS OFF]
[MELANCHOLY PIANO MUSIC
CONTINUES]
[DISHES CLATTER]
[MELANCHOLY PIANO MUSIC
CONTINUES]
[PHONE RINGS]
[PHONE RINGS]
[PHONE RINGS]
MAN: Hey, what's up?
Hey, you got rid of that guy?
What the fuck is it to you,
you asshole?
MAN: So are you coming up
for some fun?
I got the money.
I'll be right there.
[MELANCHOLY PIANO MUSIC
CONTINUES]
[CRICKETS CHIRPING]
Hey...
What's up?
Your wife around?
No, no, she left. She's gone.
We had a fight. She took the
kids to their grandparents.
Serves you right.
Hey, Brandi.
Uh, this is probably like the
fourth message I'm leaving you.
I'm sorry about what
I said... a few days ago.
I'm going to go to the bar.
If you, uh. If you want
to meet up.
[BIKE ENGINE REVS]
[MATT SNIFFS]
I'll give you $5.
If you give me a ride.
Why don't you ask somebody here
with a car?
It might be a little bit easier.
GIRL:
They're all creeps.
Plus, riding
your bike looks cool.
MATT: You don't have to pay me
anything.
I, uh, where are you're trying
to go?
A couple of miles out of town.
Gonna catch
up with some friends.
Have you ever been
on one of these before?
GIRL:
Wouldn't be my first.
[GIRL CHUCKLING]
That's a yes?
Yeah, hop on.
[ROCK MUSIC PLAYS]
[GUN SHOOTS]
[WOMAN EXCLAIM]
MATT: Matt Benning.
MAN: Hey, Matt Benning.
Nice to meet you.
You uh, you care to shoot?
- Sure.
MAN: See those six plates
down there?
Lock them down.
[GUN SHOTS AND CERAMIC SHATTERS]
MAN:
You a veteran, Matt Benning?
- Oh, man.
- Huh? Come on!
If I was, I wouldn't have any
money to pay you with if I lost.
Oh, brother, you don't need any
money out here, loser has to
wear the fox only.
[MAN WHISTLING]
Todd! Do a little dance!
So what do you say,
Matt Benning? You game?
Huh, I am.
[GUNSHOTS]
[ROCK MUSIC CONTINUES]
Oh, you pulled that last
one again!
[MORE GUNSHOTS]
[CERAMIC SHATTERING]
That looks like...
you're wearing the fucking fox!
MAN:
Give us a fucking show.
Shake that fox tail!
You got some smooth moves,
brother.
- Shit.
MAN: I got some, uh...
Some other friends.
Very uh...
[CALM COUNTRY MUSIC
PLAYS]
What do I say?
Eccentric bunch.
And yeah, and I think you'd be
very interested in meeting them.
One of them especially.
[CHEERFUL BONGOS PLAYING]
[CHEERFUL BONGOS CONTINUE]
MAN:
Kit Kat!
KAT:
Oh man.
MAN: This is a good friend
of mine, Matt Benning.
- Well, hello, Matt Benning.
MAN: Uh huh.
You wanna go for a walk?
I'll show you around.
MAN: Matt Benning, Release
Theater Caveman.
[BONGOS BECOME DISTANT]
You ever seen stars like this?
Nerve standing province...
Winter high in the mountains.
Shit.
What's so funny?
It's just that... line usually
works on city folk.
You known Jason a long time?
He was in the military, huh?
Yeah.
He joined the Navy
when he was 17.
Did some special ops shit.
Real badass stuff,
he never talks about it.
Yeah, those guys get into it.
Yeah.
And then he got out
and did some deep
water, oil
welding on the oil rigs.
He's always pushing himself
to the edge of death.
And then he came out here.
Well, if we're going
to hang out here for a bit,
we might as well get comfortable
right?
[KAT CHUCKLES]
[CRICKETS CHIRPING]
[BONGO MUSIC AND UNINTELLIGIBLE
SINGING CONTINUE]
I'm sorry,
I can't be doing this.
I- I'm, I'm seeing somebody.
She disappears on me
all the time, but she's--
she's my girlfriend. So...
She disappears on you?
Yeah.
Yeah, she's a-- she does.
All the time.
So who's your girl
you're seeing?
Girlfriend?
Her name's Brandi.
Brandi Wells, you... you know
her, or something?
[DIRT BIKE SLOWING]
[BONGOS STOP]
KAT:
Just go up to the window.
Look inside, take a look.
[MATT HUMMING]
Just do it, It's my uncle's
house.
You're not going to get shot.
[LOUD CHATTER]
[CRICKETS CHIRPING]
[BRANDI LAUGHING]
[CHATTER STOPS]
[STEPS APPROACHING]
I just want you to see it
for yourself.
How long has this been going on?
Always.
Her mom's boyfriend got her
into it when she was in high
school.
Look, I'm not saying
give up on her.
I just want you to know
what you're dealing with here.
[MATT EXHALING]
[MOTORCYCLE STARTS]
[WATER SPLASHING]
[PHONE RINGS]
[WATER DRIPPING]
Hey.
Oh, you need a ride again?
[SIGHING] Where's you end up
this time?
Yeah. Yeah, I'll head over
there.
Right.
[MOTORCYCLE RUMBLING]
[ENGINE IDLING]
[BRANDI GRUNTING]
Beautiful view, isn't it?
I swear, you act like you've
never seen
a pile of rocks before, Matt.
I dunno, I can stay out here all
night. Watch the stars come out.
Oh, I couldn't.
I got to get back to town.
I have things I've gotta do.
We've been riding that dirt bike
of yours for hours.
Really?
What kind of things?
- Just--
- Yeah, What if...
I told you, for instance,
I lost the keys to the bike?
- Huh?
- Don't!
[KEYS JINGLE]
What the fuck, Matt?
[FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING]
Swear to God if there are
rattlesnakes in here, Matt, I'm
gonna kill you.
No, Matt!
Matt, give me the fucking keys.
No, Brandi.
Why are you being such a bitch?
Why are you in such a hurry
to get back into town?
I dunno what kind of weird
caveman rape fantasy
you're trying to work out but
it's not
going to fucking happen.
Give me the keys!
Brandi, no. Why are you in
such a hurry
to get back to town?
None of your fucking business.
You know, secrets are like
spiderwebs Brandi.
- What?
- The invisible threads
are everywhere. But you don't
realize they're there
until you run straight
into one of them.
- Are you fucking high?
- But once you run into
that first thread, the entire
spider web becomes apparent to
you, all interconnected.
Why are you so
desperate to get back into town?
Fuck you, I'll start the bike
myself.
[WIND HOWLING]
[BRANDI PANTING]
I don't know how to work
this thing.
Oh my God, why are you doing
this, Matt?
Why are you in such a hurry
to get back into town, Brandi?
Huh?
I'll just fucking walk home.
You're just going to ignore me?
You know, you're like, 2 hours
from anywhere out here.
Hey, hey, Turn around.
Look at me.
I know you're a fucking
drug addict!
[WIND HOWLING]
[IMPERSONATING] You're a drug
addict. You're a drug addict.
What's that quart of whiskey
you drink every day, Matt?
Or those pills that you take
one after another,
like fucking pez?
Just because you have a doctor's
note doesn't
mean you're not a junkie.
So why don't you get off your
high horse
and tell me the truth?
Oh, cat's got your tongue?
I know the truth.
You're
too big of a fucking pussy
to handle What happened to you
in Afghanistan?
That's the fucking truth.
I'm a drug addict.
Who the fuck are you
to judge me?
[TENSE MUSIC PLAYS]
I brought you out here because I
wanted to help you Brandi!
What the fuck is
wrong with you? Huh?
What's wrong with you?
[TENSE MUSIC CONTINUES]
[CRICKETS CHIRPING]
[CAR PASSING]
[MOTORCYCLE DRIVES BY]
[MOTORCYCLE SLOWS]
[MOTORCYCLE DEPARTS]
[TENSE MUSIC CONTINUES]
[WATER DRIPPING]
[CREAKING]
[BRANDI GASPING]
Oh... it's amazing.
It's like being dead
for 10 seconds.
I swear. You have to try it.
Brandi, you got to stop. Your
mom died from this shit.
You got to stop.
Hey...
Don't listen to me when I get
like that, okay?
[TENSE MUSIC PLAYS]
Hey, at least I feel things,
Matt. Not like you
some overmedicated
fucking zombie.
Mm-mm.
That's not me.
I'm burning.
Burning my way through life.
I'm going to come out
the other end,
either a whole new
person or nothing but ashes.
[TENSE MUSIC CONTINUES]
[BRANDI LAUGHING]
But you?
Sweetheart, you're never going
to feel a goddamn thing
taking all those fucking pills.
[BRANDI EXHALES]
[BRANDI LAUGHS]
[TENSE MUSIC CONTINUES]
[BRANDI EXHALES]
Come here.
Come here, I wanna feel you
next to me.
[BRANDI CHUCKLING]
[CREAKING]
[BRANDI BREATHING HEAVILY]
So good.
Bye, Brandi.
Goodbye.
[TENSE MUSIC GROWS]
Pathetic.
[TENSE MUSIC CONTINUES]
[TRAFFIC PASSING]
[REGISTER RINGS]
[TENSE MUSIC CONTINUES]
[TENSE MUSIC ENDS]
Hi, Matt.
What are you thinking?
MAN:
Pack of smokes?
A pack of smokes, please.
MATT:
Here you go.
BRANDI:
How you been?
- Oh, I'm good.
- Going to the party tonight?
- Can we take your car?
- Yeah.
Oh, good.
Let's go. Bye, Matt.
[METAL CLANKING]
BRANDI: [DISTANTLY] Matt!
BRANDI: [DISTANTLY] Matt!
[MATT SIGHING]
[HOLLOW KNOCKING]
BRANDI: Matt!
MATT: What?
BRANDI: I need to talk to you.
MATT: What do you need, Brandi?
[BRANDI SOBBING]
Brandi, I don't have time
for this,
shit right now.
Matt.
[BRANDI SOBBING]
[FRANTIC PIANO MUSIC PLAYS]
MATT: Brandi, what's going on?
Brandi, Brandi, Brandi,
Brandi...
BRANDI:
I tried to go to Chad's
to get money, he said he owes
me. [SOBBING]
Who? Who?
Brandi, what is going on?
Look at me.
Chad... Chad tried to rape me.
[FRANTIC PIANO MUSIC
CONTINUES]
He tried to rape me, Matt.
MATT:
Come on, come on.
[MOTORCYCLE REVING]
MATT: Brandi, I said, isn't he
fucking weak?
What the hell's wrong with you?
[METAL CLANKING]
[PUNCHING AND GRUNTING]
BRANDI: Hey, hey! Matt!
That's enough.
[MOTORCYCLE REVVING]
MATT:
What is this?
BRANDI: Don't worry about it. I
know this place really well.
[FRANTIC PIANO MUSIC
CONTINUES]
Sit down.
MATT: No.
Sit down.
[FRANTIC PIANO MUSIC
TURNS CALM]
You have to try it.
Come on.
[FRANTIC PIANO MUSIC
AMPLIFIES]
Sex is so much better
when you're on meth.
It's so much better.
Come on.
[MATT COUGHING]
It's good.
[FRANTIC PIANO MUSIC
CONTINUES]
[BOTH EXHALING]
[CLATTERING]
It's good, right?
[FRANTIC PIANO MUSIC FADES]
MATT (V.O.): After I started
using meth...
things finally started to make
sense.
How you doing?
MATT (V.O.): Uncle Bill's
irrationally
overconfident personality.
I got a little treat here
for you.
MATT (V.O.): Brandi's
disappearing acts.
But first you got to do a little
favor for Uncle Bill.
MATT (V.O.): By now, I was
totally hooked.
It was their plan all along.
Find a wounded soul they could
make their puppet.
I've got a package.
That I need delivered
across the desert mountains to a
very dear friend of mine.
MATT:
How much?
30 K.
It's deposited, that lying
piece of shit, now--
MATT (V.O.): But I didn't care.
It's all the same to me.
BILL: -- The inconsistency of
the product.
MATT (V.O.): I wasn't cut out
for a normal life.
It turned out.
BILL: I don't want you to buy
into any of that shit.
I want you
to get the money in your hands
or get the hell out of there.
- You understand?
- Yes, sir. Yeah.
All right, now,
you get back here unscathed.
There's a grand in it for you.
The grand and the product.
Same deal we got going.
[BILL LAUGHS]
Oh. Oh, my
entrepreneurial little junkie.
All right, I'll tell you what.
If you take the whole deal
in product,
I'm on.
You got it.
All right.
Look, it's getting late.
Like we said. No roads.
All desert.
Yes, sir.
[WRAPPER CRINKLING]
[INTENSE HEART BEATING]
[GLASS BREAKING]
[LAUGHTER]
[MATT INHALING]
Alright!
[TENSE MUSIC PLAYING]
Let's shoot guns.
[TENSE MUSIC CONTINUES]
[GIGGLING]
BRANDI: [BRITISH ACCENT] Polish
your guns, bend over!
[BRANDI MUMBLING]
MATT:
I love that little thing.
But yeah, you know what
you're doing.
[GUNSHOTS]
[TENSE MUSIC CONTINUES]
[CRICKETS CHIRP]
[DOGS BARKING DISTANTLY]
[LAUGHTER]
[KISS]
BRANDI: I don't understand how
we don't have
any fucking money,
when Uncle Bill
gave you something to sell?
Because I took- I took it all in
product. You got to sell it.
Who the fuck am I going
to sell it to?
I don't fucking know--
You do-- Daniel. I can. I can. I
can call uh, Daniel. Uhh...
MATT:
Sell it to Ryan.
He was buys a lot. Sell it
to Ryan.
- Shit doesn't even fuckin--
- That's why we need to sell it!
I can't do everything around
here. Okay?
That's what we got to sell.
Some of it.
You can't do everything around
here?
Are you fucking kidding me?
Get the fucking phone to work
so that
I can sell it.
[RUSTLING]
What the fuck are you
doing, Matt?
Why are you making
so much noise?
I'm trying to clean
this fucking mess, Brandi.
I found an ad for a rehab place,
I'm fucking calling them.
Where are you gonna get money
for rehab?
You... [MATT SIGHS]
You want to live your life
like this, huh?
[BRANDI SIGHS]
People like you and me,
we don't belong
in cookie cutter houses.
[HEAVY KNOCKING]
BILL: Wake up, you little
lovebirds.
I'm coming in...
[BRANDI INDISTINCT WHISPERING]
Wake up in there.
[UNCLE BILL LAUGHS]
BILL: Brandi...
[DOOR SHUTS]
I brought you a little
present. Here you go.
Oh, Kilo...
[MATT AND BRANDI LAUGHING]
[RUMBLING LAUGHTER]
You know?
[BRANDI YELPS AND LAUGHS]
BRANDI:
Uncle Bill...
[THUMPING AND GROANING]
[HEAVY BREATHING AND
GRUNTING]
You know what?
Target practice.
[GUNSHOTS]
[GUNSHOTS]
[GUNSHOTS]
- Yeah...
BRANDI: When do I get to play?
Well, honey, this is a little
too much gun for you.
But look, I got something
perfect for a young lady.
[BRANDI AND BILL GIGGLE]
BILL: Now, look. You line those
two up and squeeze it...
Sque-- [GUNSHOT]
There you go!
[GUNSHOT]
That's it.
Here, here, now.
Left arm darling, here. Here
you go...
Squeeze it.
Squeeze it. Real gentle.
Yeah, that's it.
Real gentle...
[BRANDI LAUGHS]
[FOUR GUNSHOTS]
[TRIGGER CLICKS]
[TRIGGER CLICKS REPEATEDLY]
Where is she, in the John?
I'unno.
I think it's time we
had some fun.
Brandi, get your ass out
here!
[STEPS APPROACHING]
[INDISTINGUISHABLE SPEECH]
[BILL INDECIPHERABLE
SENSUAL WHISPERS]
[THUMP]
[BILL CHUCKLING]
MATT: Hey!
BILL: Stay down.
Stay the fuck down!
Piece of shit!
[BILL YELLS AND LAUGHS]
[DOG BARKING]
That was fun.
[DOG BARKING CONTINUES]
Y'all have a nice afternoon.
[DOOR SLAMS]
Fuck you, Matt.
[CASH REGISTER OPENING]
[SQUEAKING AND SLAMMING]
You still upset about
the other night? Hm?
It was a test.
Test of your loyalty
to our family.
[REGISTER SHUTS]
I'm turning 60 something
in a couple of days.
I got to get out of this
fucking place tonight.
There's a place about five
and a half hours from here.
The most beautiful strippers
in the whole Western Hemisphere.
I'm going to get me some.
[OMINOUS MUSIC PLAYS]
I'd like to take you with me...
[BEEPING]
But I need you to do me a favor.
I need you to go to the plaza.
Make a delivery, take the cash,
and then you slit his throat.
You kill that son of a bitch.
Huh?
That son of a bitch?
He's been buying
from the Mexicans.
Now, you do that for me,
and you'll be my favorite.
[DOOR CLICKS]
[OMINOUS MUSIC CONTINUES]
[DOOR SHUTTING]
[CHANGE CLATTERING]
[OMINOUS MUSIC CONTINUES]
[RUSTLING PAPER]
[LIQUID SPLASHING]
[OMINOUS MUSIC CONTINUES]
[LIGHTER CLICKING]
[MUSIC GROWS]
[ENGINE REVVING]
[CRINKLING AND BURNING]
[OMINOUS MUSIC CONTINUES]
[SIZZLING]
[SIZZLING]
[MUSIC FADES]
[CRICKETS CHIRPING]
[SIRENS WAIL]
[SILENCE]
[WOOD RATTLING]
[SQUEAKING]
BILL:
Where is he?
Hmm?
Is he here?
[CLICKING]
[BILL SIGHS]
Where is he? Hm?
Where'd he go?
Where is he?
[THUMP]
[OMINOUS MUSIC RETURNS]
[LIGHTER CLICKING]
MATT: Hey, I'm calling to report
a methamphetamine manufacturer
and dealer.
His name is Steven James Osmond.
He goes by Uncle Bill.
He's got an abandoned trailer
out in the Dead Horse Salt Flat.
The place should be covered
in his fingerprints.
No, there's nobody else I can
think of.
[LIGHTER CLICKING]
[OMINOUS MUSIC FADES]
[BRANDI BREATHING HEAVILY]
[WIND HOWLING]
[GENERAL RUSTLING]
[SLAMMING]
[BRANDI HUMS]
[CRICKETS CHIRPING]
[CARS SPEEDING BY]
[METAL SQUEAKING]
[CELL PHONE RINGING]
Call fucking Ambulance you
fucking moron!
Oh, you're at Brandi's house?
[TENSE MUSIC PLAYS]
Start breathing. Come on,
sweetie. Come on!
Brandi, come on! Brandi!
Brady, wake up. Shit, Shit.
MATT: Call the fucki-- I
told you to fucking ambula-
MAN: Dude, I can't! I can't
go back to jail, dude!
[TENSE MUSIC CONTINUES]
- Call a fucking ambulance!
MAN: I can't!
MATT: I told you to call an
ambulance!
MAN: I can't go back to jail!
I told you, man.
[TENSE MUSIC CONTINUES]
MAN: We're torn up, man!
MATT: Alright, hi.
Uh, I'm at 1128
Willowbrook Lane.
I'm-I'm reporting a drug
overdose. Yes.
Send an ambulance as soon as
possible.
She's not breathing. Yeah.
[MAN INDISTINCT RAMBLE]
Send an ambulance. Alright.
[HYPERVENTILATING]
[SOBBING]
[GENTLE SHUSHING]
[DEEP BREATHS AND CRYING]
[APPROACHING SIRENS]
[TENSE MUSIC CONTINUES]
[HEAVY BREATHING]
NURSE: Jump... Get out of my
way, real quick.
Let us, let us get in there!
Let us get in there.
Pinpoint.
[BEEP]
[RUSTLING]
NURSE: Still no pulse.
[TENSE MUSIC CONTINUES]
Alright, we can start loading
her up
and getting her out of here.
NURSE 1: I got the backboard.
NURSE 2: Yep.
[CLICKING AND ZIPPING]
[ENGINE RUMBLING]
Hey, you get in the back, with
us, okay?
[TENSE MUSIC CONTINUES]
[SIRENS WAILING]
[TENSE MUSIC FADES]
[SIRENS FADE]
[WIND BLOWING]
[WIND BLOWING]
[SAD PIANO MUSIC PLAYS]
[WIND FADES]
[CRICKETS CHIRP]
[SAD PIANO MUSIC CONTINUES]
[QUIET INDISTINGUISHABLE
MUMBLING]
[ENGINE RUMBLING]
[CLICKING]
MATT:
That's good stuff.
[SAD PIANO MUSIC CONTINUES]
MAN:
Just- just the usual, man.
MATT: Cool
MAN: Thank you.
[SAD PIANO MUSIC CONTINUES]
[DISTANT SIRENS]
[DOGS BARKING]
[SAD PIANO MUSIC STOPS]
[CARS RUMBLING]
[DOGS BARKING]
MAN: Hey, man!
MATT: Yeah...
MAN: So I heard you got ice?
I don't know what you're
talking about.
Yeah, well, a spark?
No.
I'm a friend of Ryan's.
How do you know Ryan?
Good boys. We grew up 1990.
Back in the day.
[DOG BARKING]
MAN: Yo, I'm looking for the
sponch.
You got the sponch?
MAN 2: This can be as painless
as you want it to be!
[DOGS BARKING]
I'll hurt you. Hit this
mother fucker! Hit this!
[HIGH PITCHED RINGING]
[HIGH PITCHED RINGING CONTINUES]
[MATT GROANING]
[MATT GROANING]
[SHIP HORN BLOWING]
[SHIP HORN ECHOES]
[MATT SCREAMING]
[SHIP HORN CONTINUES]
Fuck.
[SHIP HORNS LAYER OVER
EACH OTHER]
[SAD PIANO MUSIC BEGINS]
[HORNS FADE]
[CLICKING]
[HORNS RETURN]
[SAD PIANO MUSIC CONTINUES]
[HORNS CONTINUE]
[SAD PIANO MUSIC CONTINUES]
[GLASS SHATTERING]
[DISSONANT WHISPERS]
[HORNS GO ON]
[SAD PIANO MUSIC CONTINUES]
[HORNS CONTINUE]
[SAD PIANO MUSIC CONTINUES]
[METAL SCRATCHES]
[FIRE WHOOSHING]
[SAD PIANO MUSIC AND
HORNS FADE]
Your demons finally caught up
to you, Brandi...
I have to say goodbye here.
With only your mother's ashes as
our witness.
[WIND BLOWING]
Who knows where life would have
taken us.
If I don't do
something, Brandi...
soon I'll have a funeral
lonelier than this.
I'm going to get rid
of all that shit
I have Brandi.
Gonna go deep, deep into this
desert until I run outta gas.
The desert's either going to
kill me or cure me.
It's the only choice I have.
[WIND WHOOSHING]
[MATT SIGHS]
You know I'll always love you.
[WOODEN CHEST RUSTLING]
[CRICKETS CHIRPING]
[WIND WHOOSHING DROPS]
[CRICKETS CHIRPING]
[LIGHT WIND BLOWING]
[WOOD CLICKING]
[CRICKETS CHIRPING]
[WIND BLOWING]
[METAL CLATTERING]
[MOURNFUL MUSIC BEGINS]
[ENGINE STARTS]
[MOURNFUL MUSIC CONTINUES]
[WIND BLOWING]
[MOURNFUL MUSIC CONTINUES]
[MOURNFUL MUSIC CONTINUES]
[MOURNFUL MUSIC CONTINUES]
[CHITTERING]
[CHITTERING]
[FIRE CRACKLING]
[CHITTERING]
[CICADAS CHIRPING]
[MOURNFUL MUSIC FADES]
[MATT GROANING]
[STRUGGLING AND COUGHING]
[DRAGGING SOUNDS]
[MATT GROANING]
[GROANS OF PAIN]
[WIND HOWLING]
[SOFT PANTING]
[METALLIC RUSTLING]
[TENSE PIANO MUSIC PLAYS]
[CICADAS CHIRPING]
[TENSE PIANO MUSIC CONTINUES]
[TENSE PIANO MUSIC CONTINUES]
[TENSE PIANO MUSIC FADES]
[SILENCE]
[HOWLING WIND]
[HOWLING WIND CONTINUES]
[DEEP DRONING]
[MATT YELLING]
[FLAMES WHOOSHING]
[PANTING AND GROANING]
[CONTINUED PANTING]
[WHIMPERING]
[MATT SCREAMS]
[GUN CLICKING EMPTY]
[HEAVY PANTING]
Fuck.
[SOBBING]
Fuck!
Fuck!
[SHAKY BREATHING]
[SILENCE]
[WIND BLOWING]
[CHITTERING]
[QUIET WIND]
[METALLIC TAPPING]
[ECHOING THUMP]
[ECHOING THUMP]
[HOWLING WIND]
[BREATHLESS GASPING]
[PANTING]
[METALLIC CRINKLING]
[ECHOING THUMP]
[GASPING]
[CLATTERING]
[WIND BLOWING]
MATT (V.O.): These may be my
last few days.
I'm hallucinating.
Withdrawals are hell.
I can't find water where
I thought it'd be.
I'll try and gain altitude.
Might have better luck there.
They may find my body here.
This note pinned to it.
Know that there's dignity
to that.
Don't feel sad
thinking of your little brother
lost alone in this vast
wilderness.
Know that I'm fighting
with the last of my strength
to see you again.
To see my little nephew.
There is no surrender.
This fight is my only
and last chance.
I can already feel the demons
getting quieter.
[WIND FADES]
[CHITTERING]
[BREATHLESS GASPING AND
SLURPING]
Mm hmm.
[SLURPING]
[SLURPING AND GRUNTING]
[GASPING]
[BIRD CROWS]
[BIRD CROWS]
[FLIES BUZZING]
[BIRDS CHIRPING]
[BIRDS CHIRPING]
[WATER FLOWING]
[BIRDS CHIRPING]
[LEAVES CRUNCHING]
[WATER FLOWING SLIGHTLY LOUDER]
[WATER FLOWING AMPLIFIES]
[MATT PANTING]
[MATT GROANS]
[MATT LAUGHS]
[BIRDS CHIRPING]
[WIND BLOWING]
[WATER FLOWS]
[WATER FLOWS LOUDER]
[WATER FLOWS LOUDER]
[BIRDS CHIRPING]
[BIRDS CHIRPING]
[WATER FLOWS]
[WATER FLOWS]
[WOODEN RATTLING]
[WATER FLOWS]
[BIRDS CHIRP]
[WATERFALL ROARS]
[WATERFALL ROARS]
[WATERFALL ROARS]
[WATERFALL QUIETS]
[WATERFALL ROARS]
[FIRE CRACKLING]
[CRICKETS CHIRPING]
[COYOTE HOWLS]
[FIRE CRACKING]
[WATER FLOWS]
[BIRDS CHIRPING]
[WATER FLOWS]
[WATER FLOWS]
[WATER FLOWS]
[LOW WIND BLOWING]
[INDISTINGUISHABLE RADIO
CHATTER]
COP: Victor Howl Station, you by
an Altec?
[RADIO RUSTLING]
I literally have Moses
coming down
the fucking mountain.
It looks like a lost hiker.
Going to need now to our...
state road
51 mile marker 41,
about a half mile east.
COP 2: Alright, sheriff, stand
by for fire.
Looks like a 25 year old male.
Possible heat exhaustion.
[CAR STARTING]
[WIND BLOWING]
What's your name?
Uh, Matt Benning.
Matt, go ahead and take off
that blanket for me.
You do you guys... could I just
have some of that water, please?
Absolutely.
Go, go ahead and take off
that blanket.
Yeah, and-and that backpack.
[MATT SIGHS]
[MATT SIGHS]
That's alright. Just leave
it. Come on over here.
You don't have any weapons
on you, do you?
- No, sir?
- Come on over here.
I've got, uh, just got a pocket
knife right here.
Okay. All right. Just gonna
check you real quick.
All right.
You know, get your fingers
together, like you're praying.
Okay.
[HANDCUFFS CLICK]
MATT: Man, what
are you doing?
Just detaining you.
I don't know who you are.
[PANTING]
[HANDCUFFS CLICK]
Okay, come on over here.
Have a seat inside.
It's nice and cool.
Just relax.
[DOOR SHUTS]
[RUSTLING]
Why didn't you tell me
about this?
Is it registered to you?
Yes, sir. Yeah,
it-it should be.
No bullets in there,
I used them all.
COP: It should be, or it is
registered?
Uh, should be--
COP: Am I gonna find a Meth that
goes with this?
Is this your ID?
Yes, sir. That's me.
[RUSTLING AND CREAKING]
COP: Looks like there's a
missing persons report on you.
An Ashley Sullivan filed it.
You know her?
Yeah, she's my sister.
The guns registered.
You have no warrants. Good.
Before we call your sister,
can you tell me one thing?
MATT: Sure.
How did you end up out here?
Because I just can't
put the 2 and 2 toge--
MATT: Sometimes, man, you just
got to
take matters into your own
hands.
Filled up my dirt bike's
gas tank and headed straight
for the desert.
Without a couple of gallons of
water, you know,
I was high as fuck.
Didn't seem crazy at all.
I was flirting with death,
hoping for it.
Maybe. I don't know.
Figure I had a 50/50 chance
of getting out of here alive.
Why would you purposely
strain yourself out here?
Cold turkey wasn't for me, man.
I-I-I knew I'd always find a way
to get more drugs.
You know?
Afghanistan taught me
about the desert.
At least out here I'd have
a chance.
Withdrawals, maybe they wouldn't
get the better of me, you know?
Well, you are one lucky
son of a bitch.
Your sister is gonna be happy
to hear from me.
Yeah, she probably will be.
[INDISTINGUISHABLE WOMAN
SPEAKING]
Yeah. Sheriff Cooper here.
We found your brother.
Yeah, he's fine.
A little dehydrated.
Looks like he was doing
some detox thing out here.
Yeah, well, there's a lot
we don't know
about our family members.
Yeah. Now, how far are you
from here?
5 hours?
Yeah, we can keep him here
for a bit.
Okay. Just relax, have
some water.
Victor Howell Station.
You got a E.T.A. on fire?
COP 2: About 25 minutes out,
over.
10-4, thanks.
[DOG BARKING]
[FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING]
[METAL CLANKING]
Billy. Billy, it's me, man.
Open the door.
Open the fucking door, Billy.
I know you're in there.
Open the door.
Billy!
[SQUEAKING AND CLANKING]
[BIRDS CHIRPING]
Billy.
[CREAKING]
[CLICKING]
[HEAVY BREATHING]
Hey, this is Matt from Veterans
Outreach Center.
I'm over at 1476 Horatio Street.
I've got an opioid overdose,
just administered
naloxone, left nostril.
Yeah-yeah, it's Billy.
That kid just came back from
deployment seven months ago.
[SAD PIANO MUSIC PLAYS]
Yeah, I'll see you in 9 minutes.
[SAD PIANO MUSIC CONTINUES]
[SAD PIANO MUSIC CONTINUES]
[SAD PIANO MUSIC FADES]
[DRAMATIC PIANO MUSIC PLAYS]
[DRAMATIC PIANO MUSIC
CONTINUES]
[DRAMATIC PIANO MUSIC
CONTINUES]
[DRAMATIC PIANO MUSIC
CONTINUES]
[DRAMATIC PIANO MUSIC
CONTINUES]
[DRAMATIC PIANO MUSIC
CONTINUES]
[DRAMATIC PIANO MUSIC
FADES]
[SILENCE]