Backrooms (2026) Movie Script
1
Standard?
Standard, can you hear me?
This is Darren, and I've
been separated from the others
and I think I'm okay, but
I'm not sure where I am.
I've never been out this far before,
so I don't...
There was this... I didn't get a good look
at it, but there was something...
I think y'all are sitting here.
I need you guys, okay?
I need you guys to get me, please.
Fuck, I need you guys to come out and get
me, please.
Can you come, please, Standard?
Standard?
Oh, fuck.
Fuck!
Fuck!
What the fuck...
Our habits.
Behaviors that keep us walking in circles.
Reaching for the same solutions over and
over again.
Thinking each time they'll take you
somewhere new.
But they don't.
And still, it's the neural pathway of
least resistance.
A path you made.
It's the one that kept you safe when you
were a child.
You learn to push people away.
Before they could hurt you.
And now, as an adult, you're still stuck
right where you started.
Alone.
I mean, I'm not lonely.
I have... employees, customers...
I didn't say lonely. I said alone.
I hurt people.
I don't want to.
It's just the way I'm wired.
So, maybe I deserve to be alone.
Do you think anyone deserves to be alone?
I don't know, but, you know, maybe it's
not such a bad thing.
Being alone feels deeply ingrained.
I understand.
You've had dreams and
a lot of resistance, not
a lot of support in
realizing those dreams.
And when we've experienced hurt again and
again, we start to expect it.
It's like, oh, I know this path.
I know where it goes.
So...
Are you interested in forging a new
path and see where that leads?
Sure.
Why not?
You know, I'm here.
Great.
So, I want to revisit an exercise we've
done before.
The role play.
- Oh, the acting thing?
- Yeah.
- I feel stupid doing that.
- I know.
But we have a few minutes.
Let's, um...
Yeah, let's try.
A little bit.
All right.
Let's hit the scene.
Let's go back to the night that Barbara
left you.
You mean the night she kicked me out of my
own house?
Yeah.
I'm playing myself.
And I'll be Barbara.
It is my house, by the way.
I'm the one paying for it.
I know.
Okay.
So, um...
I'd gotten home late.
I don't know how late.
She was already asleep.
Maybe midnight.
She usually goes to bed bef--
It doesn't matter.
The point is, I was in the
kitchen and, um... The glass.
I broke the glass.
And she comes running down to see what
happened.
And things escalated.
And how do you feel?
Well, I was... I was drunk.
And, um... I felt stupid.
I was angry.
Because I broke the glass.
Can you say that to me?
What?
To Barbara?
Yeah.
I'm sorry that I woke you.
Maybe if you'd come home earlier,
we could have spent the evening together.
No, I was... I was working, you know.
I came straight home after work.
Be honest with me, please.
I can smell it on your breath.
I had a few beers.
Define a few.
Well, it was a hard day.
I needed to wind down.
All we ever do is wind down.
You're always at this door.
You want kids, right?
We both do.
Well, you know, having a family takes
money, which means someone has to work.
Unless being a professional student is
considered a job these days.
That's not fair.
You know I had to take time off.
Well, it's not my fault if you can't keep
up.
How are you gonna be a lawyer if you can't
even handle law school?
Who even pays for everything
while you're gallivanting
around campus like a
30-year-old freshman?
I'll give you a hint.
It's me.
I pay for your school.
I pay for your time off school.
- I pay for the roof over your head.
- Can I talk now?
No. No.
Because I'd like to know, what do you
think happens if you do manage to graduate?
You know, you pop out a kid and then you
leave me with the bill.
Or am I stuck at home
changing diapers because you're
too busy working for
the first time in your life?
- Now you're being cruel.
- I'm being honest.
I thought that's what you always wanted.
Just because you didn't get to be an
architect doesn't mean...
I am a fucking architect!
God damn it.
I'm just stuck selling shit
furniture because someone
won't get off their fat
fucking ass and help me.
How do you feel, Clark?
Who am I talking to?
Me. Here.
Malcolm.
Um...
I'm sorry.
I didn't mean to, uh...
you know, get angry or lose my temper or
whatever.
I know.
That's the purpose of the whole exercise.
This is a good start.
To feel what you feel, and then learn to
identify a new path.
Your reaction was actually quite normal.
Oh, that's me.
Well, ahoy there, mateys!
Tired of spending your hard-earned
doubloons on overpriced furniture?
Looking for deals that'll shiver your
timbers?
Then come on down to Captain Clark's
Ottoman Empire, the Santa Clara Valley's
favorite warehouse and showrooms.
You'll find bedrooms, living rooms,
dinettes, dens, and bathrooms aplenty.
First-time homeowners?
We've got you.
New parents looking for Billy's first
crib?
We've got you.
From the latest in modern design to the
classic styles of yesteryear.
It's all here, and it's all esteemed.
What's that, Polly?
You worried about credit?
Well, Captain Clark says no credit,
no problem.
Sail the high seas of high quality and
leave your money problems at the door.
Walk in today and get your dream sectional
lounger, kitchen table, floor lamp,
and bed frame here at Captain Clark's
Ottoman Empire, located at Capitol and
McKee, just up to 680.
Now, walk in today, kick your feet back,
and enjoy an empire of your own.
For every sultan deserves a throne,
and we've got one with your name on it.
Here at Captain Clark's Ottoman Empire.
No way.
- Mark, you good?
- Turn the camera off.
No, no, it's good.
It's outtake stuff, dude.
Turn the fucking camera off.
Okay.
You, uh, you need help?
No, I got it, I got it.
Um, are we going again, or...?
No.
Kat, you can open the store now.
We've been open.
You know, I still don't get it.
Are you like a pirate?
Or a sultan.
Just be good to establish these things.
Shut up.
This cheap particle board bullshit.
Clear this stuff up, will ya?
Here.
Sorry about that.
How's it looking?
The metering's fine.
If your bill's coming in high,
that's on you.
What about the outages?
That happens after hours.
Don't know.
Fluoresces must be tripping a breaker.
Oh.
I turn the overheads off when the,
when the store closes.
Before the power gets weird.
Anyway, wouldn't that just make the bills
go down?
What's your breaker blocks?
I'm no expert, but I checked earlier and
everything looks okay.
You said the lights flicker.
Yeah, old store does.
It's not at the same time.
One night I lose the power upstairs,
next night it's down here.
There's no rhyme or, uh...
Who the hell installed this thing?
Well, the building came wired.
I mean, it's dated, but it's not that old.
Take a look at this.
I wasn't there before.
What was that?
Maybe I didn't notice.
Like I say, I'm no expert.
Why, why is it, why is it going that way?
Better question.
What is it even connected to?
Huh?
Kat!
How's the power?
What?
Anything happen up there?
What the hell?
The rat's back.
But the power's on.
Yeah, I thought we killed the rat.
We killed a rat.
So is this the problem?
Don't see how.
Power can't even go through this part of
the circuit.
It's just... there.
Like some schmo just stuck it in there.
Yeah.
Do you ever feel like you're living
behind glass watching life happen
but never ready stepping into it?
You can be the author of your own design.
Because we all deserve another chance to
fulfill our dream.
The moment you believe change is possible,
you've already begun.
Order The Window Within and the companion
three-part audio program, Guided Openings,
by Dr. Mary Klein.
Available now for $24.95 plus shipping.
It's never too late to forge a new path.
Why did you do this to yourself?
How did you get here?
Your consciousness is a room full of
memories that is constantly evolving.
But as you walk through life, the
untrained mind can start to build walls,
put up barriers to protect itself from the
outside world.
It's a natural response.
Some things we are often unaware of.
But if gone unchecked, it can leave you
feeling trapped.
You can become convinced that the world
outside is better off without you.
That you never deserve the relationships
you've had.
Resigned to watch your life unfold from
behind a lone window.
I can help you open it now.
Because the window isn't locked.
The latch was never broken.
Are you ready to step through?
So that you can reclaim that which was
once yours.
And take back control of your life.
The life you want to be living.
Unburdened by the traumas of the past.
Free of the confines you had built.
And free to choose the path of your own
designs.
Fucking piece of shit.
Hello?
Hello?
Anyone there?
Sorry, I'm late.
Traffic was hell and I couldn't leave
early.
Let's just use the time we have.
How are you today, Clark?
How do I look?
Fine.
A little tired, maybe.
I look like shit.
Can I ask, and there is no wrong answer
here, you know that...
Are you intoxicated right now?
Why do you say it like that?
Like what?
I haven't had a drink since Friday.
Probably why I look like shit.
Can I ask you something?
Sure.
You ever 5150'd someone?
A few times over the years.
When it was necessary.
What makes it necessary?
If I believe that the person is a danger
to themselves or others.
Or they're gravely disabled.
Okay.
Okay.
I found something in the store.
Okay.
What did you find?
A place.
I found a place.
A place?
It's like...
It's like the store just...
Continues, I guess.
It's like...
You know, like there's a wall.
And on the other side of the wall,
the store just keeps going.
You know, like a...
Like a copy of itself.
I figured they're using mirrors or
something to hide the entrance.
Sorry, I'm not following you.
Is this a room you didn't know about
before?
No.
Okay.
So you go in and at first it just looks
like an office building.
Like a huge office building.
You know, and then...
But then you keep going and then you
realize that none of it makes any sense.
It's...
It's like, um...
Imagine describing a dog
to someone who's never
seen one before and
then asking them to draw it.
They might get some
things right, you know,
but there's no way
they'd get everything right.
All the devils and the details.
So, from a distance,
you look at it, you think
you're seeing a dog,
but then you look close...
Why are you looking at me like that?
I'm just trying to understand.
Oh.
You know, for a shrink, you got a terrible
poker face.
What you're saying might sound fantastic.
But not dangerous.
Are there any people in these offices?
Not that I've seen.
You know, I hear, um...
There's footsteps and then...
And then stuff gets moved around when I'm
not looking.
I know how this sounds, but you gotta
understand, it's massive in there.
Like New York's subway system.
Massive.
You know, for all I know, there's hundreds
of people.
I just haven't seen them.
Hi.
Hi.
Hi.
See?
It's like a...
It's like a maze that just goes on and on
and on.
And sometimes I'm scared I'll get lost.
Why do you think no one else has found
this place?
I don't know.
The entrance is on the sub-floor, so...
The whole structure's probably underground.
You know, it's not an in-city map.
The entrances are hidden, so...
Who'd think to look?
I'm not saying I don't believe you.
You told me yourself.
You haven't had a drink since Friday.
Do you think there's...
Clara, if this is
true... I get it, I get it.
Thank you.
No.
I'm gonna come back here with proof.
And you're gonna owe me a serious fucking
apology.
Kat!
Wait, wait, wait, wait.
Kat!
I'm coming!
Kat!
Okay, I'm coming!
Look... What the fuck?
Yeah, I'm sorry.
What are you guys doing tomorrow?
What are you talking about?
I'll pay you.
Two hours.
Overtime.
Tops.
Okay, pay us for what?
Research.
You got the camera, right?
You can borrow it again.
Right?
Okay, we are rolling.
We got some shit over here.
We got some... Stop
signs and a rope.
What's the rope for?
Supplies.
Great, he's gonna tie us up.
No.
We're gonna tie ourselves up.
Oh, kinky.
You still haven't told us what we're doing
here, man.
I did tell you.
Research.
These are supplies and we're using them
for research.
It's not that hard to understand.
Okay, research for what?
You gotta be more specific, dude.
I'm gonna go through the door.
What door?
The door.
That's the door.
I taped an outline on the other side too
just to help us find our way back.
Bobby...
What?
Look, I know it sounds crazy, but follow
my lead.
Okay?
I want to be back before sun up.
Dude, it's like 9 p.m.
What the fuck?
Fuck!
What the fuck?
How did you do that?
Did you just fucking see that?
How?
How did he... You're right here.
Come see for yourself.
Did you just fucking... What?
How the... Bobby, stop.
What the fuck?
Clark, where are you?
Did you see that?
Where the fuck did he go?
Yes, Bobby, I saw it.
Just step through the door.
You'll be fine.
What?
No.
Tell us what is going on.
You know what?
Just... No, Bobby, wait.
Bobby, wait.
What are you doing?
What the fuck?
Damn it.
Damn it.
How is this possible?
Bobby?
Okay.
Clark, where are you?
No, no, no, Kat.
It's good.
It's good.
Just... You gotta come see this.
I mean...
Right.
See, see, see.
It's, um...
It's fine.
Where are we?
Well, that's what I'm trying to figure
out.
Who's, um...
Who the shit is this?
Is it part of your store?
If it belongs to someone, I haven't met
him yet.
Okay.
I've been here every
night since I found the
place, and I still barely
scratch the surface.
Come on.
I'll show you.
It only gets better.
What the fuck?
Hey, you don't think he, like,
toast us or something, do you?
No, no, no.
We're not on drugs.
I think I'll be able to tell if I'm high.
You are high.
The pot doesn't count.
So, um, it's like...
What, like an empty office building?
In here?
Sure.
But it's like it was made by a bunch of
construction workers on acid.
I mean, there's even a pool.
There's a pool?
Yeah.
I mean, kinda.
Keep up.
Pots.
What the fuck?
Yeah.
No, no.
That's the way out.
The only thing I found
so far is that it's out there.
We'll be out in a minute.
Okay.
It's
not completely empty.
Okay.
Okay.
All right, you filming?
Yeah.
I don't see why Bobby has to be the one to
go.
I want to.
He's the one with the camera.
Well, it's not like it's attached.
Yeah, well, I mean, to my student ID,
yeah, it kinda is.
Any trouble, you just give a tug.
No, no, no.
What's the problem, okay?
Bobby Clark went fucking wrong.
There's not gonna be any trouble.
Hey, hey, hey, baby, it's good.
It's good.
I'm good.
Baby, you don't have to do this.
No, it's cool.
I just wanna see what's down there.
You're not curious?
This is stupid.
Go as far as you can, okay?
Look, look, look.
You can basically walk down without a
rope.
It's fine.
It's not even steep.
Okay, just tell him just one thing.
If I don't come back, he'll tell my mom I
love her, right?
Okay.
All right, okay.
All right, just take this slow.
Okay.
Oh, that is actually kinda steep.
You good?
Yep.
Just, uh, try not to drop me.
All right.
Tell him what you need.
Whoa.
Careful!
What the f-Whoa, whoa, whoa.
What the f-What the f-are you guys doing
up there?
Sorry.
Sorry.
I was stuck around the back of the bed.
Are you okay?
Yeah.
Yeah, I'm fine.
Jesus fucking Christ.
Just keep letting me down.
All right.
Here we go.
Okay.
I'm in.
See anything?
Yeah, it's just a-it's a bunch of laundry
and shit.
What do you mean, come on?
Yeah, just fucking stay down here.
Is there anything else?
Yeah, just give me a minute.
Okay.
Bobby?
Yeah?
Yeah, I'm fine, just um...
Okay.
Bobby?
Hey, uh, let some more line out.
I can't!
Where are we going?
Come on, fuck, come on, fuck!
Pull me up, pull me up, pull me up!
Hey, slow down, just breathe, just
breathe.
It's okay, it's okay, it's okay.
What did you say?
Dude, what kind of fucking knot is this?
Let me get it, let me get it.
What the hell are you doing?
Hold on.
Huh?
Stay back, get away from me!
Please, let me in.
I don't understand.
Where are you?
Look, can you see anything on your side?
Can you see a handle?
A door? Is there a hatch?
Anything?
Mary!
I never, ever, ever said you could go
outside.
It's no good.
They're all over the place.
Hello?
Hello?
Hello?
Clark, can you hear me?
Clark?
Clark?
Clark?
You found it.
Where are we?
It's...
Every place that ever was.
How long have you been here?
What was that?
Stay calm.
It's only me.
You know me.
I know what I'm doing.
I'll give you the power to change.
It's me.
It's me.
I'm afraid.
It's me.
I'm afraid.
No, it's not me.
It's me.
We are looking for the same solutions over
and over again.
Still, it's the neural pathway of least
resistance.
The one I made.
The one that kept me safe when I was a
child.
You know, I learned to push people away
before they could hurt me.
And now, as an adult, I'm still stuck
right where I started.
Alone.
What is this?
It's a real mess.
Am I right?
Clark, let me help you.
Before you do anything you can't take
back.
Answer the question.
Yes.
It's a real mess.
But also beautiful.
In a way.
No?
Who are these people?
This place builds them.
Or, actually, more like it remembers them.
And the more times it remembers something,
the less it does.
Somewhere out there is a guy in a...
striped shirt, but in here, he's...
remembered.
Just slightly wrong.
Somewhere out there is a man in a...
wheelchair and a lamp.
I'm pretty sure that's how you get all of
this.
You know, all these places and...
rooms and buildings...
misremembering themselves.
Clark.
Let's talk this through.
In some ways, they're an improvement on
the originals.
For starters, they can't feel anything.
Can you imagine how good that must feel?
I mean, there's no thoughts, no pain,
no ego.
No fear.
They simply...
exist.
like...
like furniture.
Yeah.
Look at this.
Look at this.
Best part.
We both feel something.
You can eat them.
Do you want to have another bite?
Ah.
Hermitible flesh.
Thicken.
Deserted.
Oh, that's my assistant manager,
I tried to help her, but she just,
Clark, if you untie me, we can talk this
through, get you feeling better,
what if I did untie you, you know,
what then, you'd run around here like a
chicken with its head cut off looking for
a way out, you know, you'd end up in the
same place you are now, like the path
thing you're always talking about.
Clark, I just want to help you,
just tell me what you need, I'll do it.
Yeah.
Yeah, yes, please.
Okay.
Well, I want you to tell me that I didn't
do anything wrong, you know, that...
That you were wrong about me.
I was wrong about you, I was, I was wrong
about you.
No, no, no, not like that, not,
not so fast, okay?
I mean, I want to, I want to set the scene
first.
Let's start, um, on the night that,
uh, that I got kicked out of my own house.
It was, um, it was late.
A lot darker.
Lights, please.
I tried this exercise with her before,
it doesn't go anywhere.
Fine.
I'll do it myself.
It's still my house, after all.
Yeah.
Thank you.
It's better.
But there's...
still...
still... Something off.
Yeah...
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry, I broke the glass and woke you
up.
I know how you like to sleep early.
I was at the store late.
I guess I lost track of the time.
I was checking inventory, but I stopped
off for a few beers.
Clark.
Barbara!
I was checking inventory, then I stopped
off for a few beers.
Define a few.
As many as I wanted.
Because this is my house.
I pay for it.
I pay for everything.
I pay for you to go to school.
I pay for your time off school.
I pay for the roof over your head.
You want kids, right?
Well, that takes money.
So someone has to work around here.
I said someone has to get off her fat ass
and work around here.
Just because you didn't get to be
an architect... I am a fucking architect.
I'm just stuck selling shit
furniture because someone
won't get off her fat
fucking ass and help me.
I'm not your wife.
Stank her.
Stank her.
I've never even met her.
Stank her!
Fuck you!
What did you say?
You want to know the real reason your wife
left you?
It wasn't the drinking, or the stumbling
home at all hours, or the rage.
It was the whining.
Nothing's ever your fault, is it?
You drink too much.
Blame your job.
You hate your job?
Blame the world.
You get kicked out of the house?
Blame your wife!
You attack me and tie me up?
Blame your brain?!
You are your fucking brain, you dipshit!
You say it's my fault?
Yes!
But it's just the way you're wired,
isn't it?!
Isn't it?!
How do I stop doing that?
Honestly.
I have no fing idea.
I can't help you, Clark.
As much as I tried.
It's just not up to me.
I can't save anyone.
I don't think I want to change.
Then don't.
I like it in here.
For the first time in a long time,
I feel like I'm...
But let me go.
I'm sorry.
For what?
This is Mary.
She's our therapist.
She was just leaving.
You don't have to worry.
She says we don't need to change.
It's okay.
It's just the way we're wired.
A
new world is beginning.
I'll be back soon.
I'm going to Dr. F.
I'll be there soon.
Dr.
F.
And this is another moment.
And
now, I'm going to Dr. F.
I'll go.
And you're married, yeah?
I was hoping to ask you a few questions
for some clarification on our end,
if that's okay.
First thing, could you establish how you
got in here?
I walked through a wall.
In the basement of a furniture store.
Can you confirm that this is the location
in question?
Okay, good.
So you were shopping, or...
I was looking for someone.
Were you looking for this man?
Right here?
Where am I right now?
Could you just confirm for me?
Is this man right here?
Here, the man you were looking for.
Please.
Sorry, what was your name?
Phil.
Please, Phil.
Where am I?
I'm not...
I make, um...
Sorry, my... our company...
We make MRI machines.
Or, I should say, um...
We used to make MRI machines.
Not anymore.
That was before we...
Before we found...
You've been there?
Yes, I have.
And now, it's my job.
Every day, I go in there.
And I just try to...
Try to find out even a little bit more.
I map out areas to the best of my ability.
And more and more, I'm convinced...
That nothing in our lifetime...
Mary... Nothing in maybe
all of recorded history...
Means more... Than this.
But I don't understand it.
I don't...
I can't even describe it.
It...
It's like describing a dog to someone
Who's never seen a dog.
And then asking them to try it.
Now you want me to...
Describe it.
And then...
You'll write it down, and then what?
Mary... You'll let me go?
We all want the same thing here.
We do.
We just...
Want to find out even a little bit...
More.
What's gonna happen to me, Phil?
That decision's not up to me.
So...
If we could just...
Talk.
Just you and me.
You know?
Just like...
Just like two regular people.
We could unpack... Some of this.
We've both been in there.
And... And... And...
And get on the same page.
There are...
Doors... Opening... Everywhere.
We don't know why... Or...
What's connected.
But... But... If you don't get it...
We're look at right in the... The...
There's the.
No.
Oh.
Oh.
I...
Oh. Oh.
Standard?
Standard, can you hear me?
This is Darren, and I've
been separated from the others
and I think I'm okay, but
I'm not sure where I am.
I've never been out this far before,
so I don't...
There was this... I didn't get a good look
at it, but there was something...
I think y'all are sitting here.
I need you guys, okay?
I need you guys to get me, please.
Fuck, I need you guys to come out and get
me, please.
Can you come, please, Standard?
Standard?
Oh, fuck.
Fuck!
Fuck!
What the fuck...
Our habits.
Behaviors that keep us walking in circles.
Reaching for the same solutions over and
over again.
Thinking each time they'll take you
somewhere new.
But they don't.
And still, it's the neural pathway of
least resistance.
A path you made.
It's the one that kept you safe when you
were a child.
You learn to push people away.
Before they could hurt you.
And now, as an adult, you're still stuck
right where you started.
Alone.
I mean, I'm not lonely.
I have... employees, customers...
I didn't say lonely. I said alone.
I hurt people.
I don't want to.
It's just the way I'm wired.
So, maybe I deserve to be alone.
Do you think anyone deserves to be alone?
I don't know, but, you know, maybe it's
not such a bad thing.
Being alone feels deeply ingrained.
I understand.
You've had dreams and
a lot of resistance, not
a lot of support in
realizing those dreams.
And when we've experienced hurt again and
again, we start to expect it.
It's like, oh, I know this path.
I know where it goes.
So...
Are you interested in forging a new
path and see where that leads?
Sure.
Why not?
You know, I'm here.
Great.
So, I want to revisit an exercise we've
done before.
The role play.
- Oh, the acting thing?
- Yeah.
- I feel stupid doing that.
- I know.
But we have a few minutes.
Let's, um...
Yeah, let's try.
A little bit.
All right.
Let's hit the scene.
Let's go back to the night that Barbara
left you.
You mean the night she kicked me out of my
own house?
Yeah.
I'm playing myself.
And I'll be Barbara.
It is my house, by the way.
I'm the one paying for it.
I know.
Okay.
So, um...
I'd gotten home late.
I don't know how late.
She was already asleep.
Maybe midnight.
She usually goes to bed bef--
It doesn't matter.
The point is, I was in the
kitchen and, um... The glass.
I broke the glass.
And she comes running down to see what
happened.
And things escalated.
And how do you feel?
Well, I was... I was drunk.
And, um... I felt stupid.
I was angry.
Because I broke the glass.
Can you say that to me?
What?
To Barbara?
Yeah.
I'm sorry that I woke you.
Maybe if you'd come home earlier,
we could have spent the evening together.
No, I was... I was working, you know.
I came straight home after work.
Be honest with me, please.
I can smell it on your breath.
I had a few beers.
Define a few.
Well, it was a hard day.
I needed to wind down.
All we ever do is wind down.
You're always at this door.
You want kids, right?
We both do.
Well, you know, having a family takes
money, which means someone has to work.
Unless being a professional student is
considered a job these days.
That's not fair.
You know I had to take time off.
Well, it's not my fault if you can't keep
up.
How are you gonna be a lawyer if you can't
even handle law school?
Who even pays for everything
while you're gallivanting
around campus like a
30-year-old freshman?
I'll give you a hint.
It's me.
I pay for your school.
I pay for your time off school.
- I pay for the roof over your head.
- Can I talk now?
No. No.
Because I'd like to know, what do you
think happens if you do manage to graduate?
You know, you pop out a kid and then you
leave me with the bill.
Or am I stuck at home
changing diapers because you're
too busy working for
the first time in your life?
- Now you're being cruel.
- I'm being honest.
I thought that's what you always wanted.
Just because you didn't get to be an
architect doesn't mean...
I am a fucking architect!
God damn it.
I'm just stuck selling shit
furniture because someone
won't get off their fat
fucking ass and help me.
How do you feel, Clark?
Who am I talking to?
Me. Here.
Malcolm.
Um...
I'm sorry.
I didn't mean to, uh...
you know, get angry or lose my temper or
whatever.
I know.
That's the purpose of the whole exercise.
This is a good start.
To feel what you feel, and then learn to
identify a new path.
Your reaction was actually quite normal.
Oh, that's me.
Well, ahoy there, mateys!
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What's that, Polly?
You worried about credit?
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No way.
- Mark, you good?
- Turn the camera off.
No, no, it's good.
It's outtake stuff, dude.
Turn the fucking camera off.
Okay.
You, uh, you need help?
No, I got it, I got it.
Um, are we going again, or...?
No.
Kat, you can open the store now.
We've been open.
You know, I still don't get it.
Are you like a pirate?
Or a sultan.
Just be good to establish these things.
Shut up.
This cheap particle board bullshit.
Clear this stuff up, will ya?
Here.
Sorry about that.
How's it looking?
The metering's fine.
If your bill's coming in high,
that's on you.
What about the outages?
That happens after hours.
Don't know.
Fluoresces must be tripping a breaker.
Oh.
I turn the overheads off when the,
when the store closes.
Before the power gets weird.
Anyway, wouldn't that just make the bills
go down?
What's your breaker blocks?
I'm no expert, but I checked earlier and
everything looks okay.
You said the lights flicker.
Yeah, old store does.
It's not at the same time.
One night I lose the power upstairs,
next night it's down here.
There's no rhyme or, uh...
Who the hell installed this thing?
Well, the building came wired.
I mean, it's dated, but it's not that old.
Take a look at this.
I wasn't there before.
What was that?
Maybe I didn't notice.
Like I say, I'm no expert.
Why, why is it, why is it going that way?
Better question.
What is it even connected to?
Huh?
Kat!
How's the power?
What?
Anything happen up there?
What the hell?
The rat's back.
But the power's on.
Yeah, I thought we killed the rat.
We killed a rat.
So is this the problem?
Don't see how.
Power can't even go through this part of
the circuit.
It's just... there.
Like some schmo just stuck it in there.
Yeah.
Do you ever feel like you're living
behind glass watching life happen
but never ready stepping into it?
You can be the author of your own design.
Because we all deserve another chance to
fulfill our dream.
The moment you believe change is possible,
you've already begun.
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It's never too late to forge a new path.
Why did you do this to yourself?
How did you get here?
Your consciousness is a room full of
memories that is constantly evolving.
But as you walk through life, the
untrained mind can start to build walls,
put up barriers to protect itself from the
outside world.
It's a natural response.
Some things we are often unaware of.
But if gone unchecked, it can leave you
feeling trapped.
You can become convinced that the world
outside is better off without you.
That you never deserve the relationships
you've had.
Resigned to watch your life unfold from
behind a lone window.
I can help you open it now.
Because the window isn't locked.
The latch was never broken.
Are you ready to step through?
So that you can reclaim that which was
once yours.
And take back control of your life.
The life you want to be living.
Unburdened by the traumas of the past.
Free of the confines you had built.
And free to choose the path of your own
designs.
Fucking piece of shit.
Hello?
Hello?
Anyone there?
Sorry, I'm late.
Traffic was hell and I couldn't leave
early.
Let's just use the time we have.
How are you today, Clark?
How do I look?
Fine.
A little tired, maybe.
I look like shit.
Can I ask, and there is no wrong answer
here, you know that...
Are you intoxicated right now?
Why do you say it like that?
Like what?
I haven't had a drink since Friday.
Probably why I look like shit.
Can I ask you something?
Sure.
You ever 5150'd someone?
A few times over the years.
When it was necessary.
What makes it necessary?
If I believe that the person is a danger
to themselves or others.
Or they're gravely disabled.
Okay.
Okay.
I found something in the store.
Okay.
What did you find?
A place.
I found a place.
A place?
It's like...
It's like the store just...
Continues, I guess.
It's like...
You know, like there's a wall.
And on the other side of the wall,
the store just keeps going.
You know, like a...
Like a copy of itself.
I figured they're using mirrors or
something to hide the entrance.
Sorry, I'm not following you.
Is this a room you didn't know about
before?
No.
Okay.
So you go in and at first it just looks
like an office building.
Like a huge office building.
You know, and then...
But then you keep going and then you
realize that none of it makes any sense.
It's...
It's like, um...
Imagine describing a dog
to someone who's never
seen one before and
then asking them to draw it.
They might get some
things right, you know,
but there's no way
they'd get everything right.
All the devils and the details.
So, from a distance,
you look at it, you think
you're seeing a dog,
but then you look close...
Why are you looking at me like that?
I'm just trying to understand.
Oh.
You know, for a shrink, you got a terrible
poker face.
What you're saying might sound fantastic.
But not dangerous.
Are there any people in these offices?
Not that I've seen.
You know, I hear, um...
There's footsteps and then...
And then stuff gets moved around when I'm
not looking.
I know how this sounds, but you gotta
understand, it's massive in there.
Like New York's subway system.
Massive.
You know, for all I know, there's hundreds
of people.
I just haven't seen them.
Hi.
Hi.
Hi.
See?
It's like a...
It's like a maze that just goes on and on
and on.
And sometimes I'm scared I'll get lost.
Why do you think no one else has found
this place?
I don't know.
The entrance is on the sub-floor, so...
The whole structure's probably underground.
You know, it's not an in-city map.
The entrances are hidden, so...
Who'd think to look?
I'm not saying I don't believe you.
You told me yourself.
You haven't had a drink since Friday.
Do you think there's...
Clara, if this is
true... I get it, I get it.
Thank you.
No.
I'm gonna come back here with proof.
And you're gonna owe me a serious fucking
apology.
Kat!
Wait, wait, wait, wait.
Kat!
I'm coming!
Kat!
Okay, I'm coming!
Look... What the fuck?
Yeah, I'm sorry.
What are you guys doing tomorrow?
What are you talking about?
I'll pay you.
Two hours.
Overtime.
Tops.
Okay, pay us for what?
Research.
You got the camera, right?
You can borrow it again.
Right?
Okay, we are rolling.
We got some shit over here.
We got some... Stop
signs and a rope.
What's the rope for?
Supplies.
Great, he's gonna tie us up.
No.
We're gonna tie ourselves up.
Oh, kinky.
You still haven't told us what we're doing
here, man.
I did tell you.
Research.
These are supplies and we're using them
for research.
It's not that hard to understand.
Okay, research for what?
You gotta be more specific, dude.
I'm gonna go through the door.
What door?
The door.
That's the door.
I taped an outline on the other side too
just to help us find our way back.
Bobby...
What?
Look, I know it sounds crazy, but follow
my lead.
Okay?
I want to be back before sun up.
Dude, it's like 9 p.m.
What the fuck?
Fuck!
What the fuck?
How did you do that?
Did you just fucking see that?
How?
How did he... You're right here.
Come see for yourself.
Did you just fucking... What?
How the... Bobby, stop.
What the fuck?
Clark, where are you?
Did you see that?
Where the fuck did he go?
Yes, Bobby, I saw it.
Just step through the door.
You'll be fine.
What?
No.
Tell us what is going on.
You know what?
Just... No, Bobby, wait.
Bobby, wait.
What are you doing?
What the fuck?
Damn it.
Damn it.
How is this possible?
Bobby?
Okay.
Clark, where are you?
No, no, no, Kat.
It's good.
It's good.
Just... You gotta come see this.
I mean...
Right.
See, see, see.
It's, um...
It's fine.
Where are we?
Well, that's what I'm trying to figure
out.
Who's, um...
Who the shit is this?
Is it part of your store?
If it belongs to someone, I haven't met
him yet.
Okay.
I've been here every
night since I found the
place, and I still barely
scratch the surface.
Come on.
I'll show you.
It only gets better.
What the fuck?
Hey, you don't think he, like,
toast us or something, do you?
No, no, no.
We're not on drugs.
I think I'll be able to tell if I'm high.
You are high.
The pot doesn't count.
So, um, it's like...
What, like an empty office building?
In here?
Sure.
But it's like it was made by a bunch of
construction workers on acid.
I mean, there's even a pool.
There's a pool?
Yeah.
I mean, kinda.
Keep up.
Pots.
What the fuck?
Yeah.
No, no.
That's the way out.
The only thing I found
so far is that it's out there.
We'll be out in a minute.
Okay.
It's
not completely empty.
Okay.
Okay.
All right, you filming?
Yeah.
I don't see why Bobby has to be the one to
go.
I want to.
He's the one with the camera.
Well, it's not like it's attached.
Yeah, well, I mean, to my student ID,
yeah, it kinda is.
Any trouble, you just give a tug.
No, no, no.
What's the problem, okay?
Bobby Clark went fucking wrong.
There's not gonna be any trouble.
Hey, hey, hey, baby, it's good.
It's good.
I'm good.
Baby, you don't have to do this.
No, it's cool.
I just wanna see what's down there.
You're not curious?
This is stupid.
Go as far as you can, okay?
Look, look, look.
You can basically walk down without a
rope.
It's fine.
It's not even steep.
Okay, just tell him just one thing.
If I don't come back, he'll tell my mom I
love her, right?
Okay.
All right, okay.
All right, just take this slow.
Okay.
Oh, that is actually kinda steep.
You good?
Yep.
Just, uh, try not to drop me.
All right.
Tell him what you need.
Whoa.
Careful!
What the f-Whoa, whoa, whoa.
What the f-What the f-are you guys doing
up there?
Sorry.
Sorry.
I was stuck around the back of the bed.
Are you okay?
Yeah.
Yeah, I'm fine.
Jesus fucking Christ.
Just keep letting me down.
All right.
Here we go.
Okay.
I'm in.
See anything?
Yeah, it's just a-it's a bunch of laundry
and shit.
What do you mean, come on?
Yeah, just fucking stay down here.
Is there anything else?
Yeah, just give me a minute.
Okay.
Bobby?
Yeah?
Yeah, I'm fine, just um...
Okay.
Bobby?
Hey, uh, let some more line out.
I can't!
Where are we going?
Come on, fuck, come on, fuck!
Pull me up, pull me up, pull me up!
Hey, slow down, just breathe, just
breathe.
It's okay, it's okay, it's okay.
What did you say?
Dude, what kind of fucking knot is this?
Let me get it, let me get it.
What the hell are you doing?
Hold on.
Huh?
Stay back, get away from me!
Please, let me in.
I don't understand.
Where are you?
Look, can you see anything on your side?
Can you see a handle?
A door? Is there a hatch?
Anything?
Mary!
I never, ever, ever said you could go
outside.
It's no good.
They're all over the place.
Hello?
Hello?
Hello?
Clark, can you hear me?
Clark?
Clark?
Clark?
You found it.
Where are we?
It's...
Every place that ever was.
How long have you been here?
What was that?
Stay calm.
It's only me.
You know me.
I know what I'm doing.
I'll give you the power to change.
It's me.
It's me.
I'm afraid.
It's me.
I'm afraid.
No, it's not me.
It's me.
We are looking for the same solutions over
and over again.
Still, it's the neural pathway of least
resistance.
The one I made.
The one that kept me safe when I was a
child.
You know, I learned to push people away
before they could hurt me.
And now, as an adult, I'm still stuck
right where I started.
Alone.
What is this?
It's a real mess.
Am I right?
Clark, let me help you.
Before you do anything you can't take
back.
Answer the question.
Yes.
It's a real mess.
But also beautiful.
In a way.
No?
Who are these people?
This place builds them.
Or, actually, more like it remembers them.
And the more times it remembers something,
the less it does.
Somewhere out there is a guy in a...
striped shirt, but in here, he's...
remembered.
Just slightly wrong.
Somewhere out there is a man in a...
wheelchair and a lamp.
I'm pretty sure that's how you get all of
this.
You know, all these places and...
rooms and buildings...
misremembering themselves.
Clark.
Let's talk this through.
In some ways, they're an improvement on
the originals.
For starters, they can't feel anything.
Can you imagine how good that must feel?
I mean, there's no thoughts, no pain,
no ego.
No fear.
They simply...
exist.
like...
like furniture.
Yeah.
Look at this.
Look at this.
Best part.
We both feel something.
You can eat them.
Do you want to have another bite?
Ah.
Hermitible flesh.
Thicken.
Deserted.
Oh, that's my assistant manager,
I tried to help her, but she just,
Clark, if you untie me, we can talk this
through, get you feeling better,
what if I did untie you, you know,
what then, you'd run around here like a
chicken with its head cut off looking for
a way out, you know, you'd end up in the
same place you are now, like the path
thing you're always talking about.
Clark, I just want to help you,
just tell me what you need, I'll do it.
Yeah.
Yeah, yes, please.
Okay.
Well, I want you to tell me that I didn't
do anything wrong, you know, that...
That you were wrong about me.
I was wrong about you, I was, I was wrong
about you.
No, no, no, not like that, not,
not so fast, okay?
I mean, I want to, I want to set the scene
first.
Let's start, um, on the night that,
uh, that I got kicked out of my own house.
It was, um, it was late.
A lot darker.
Lights, please.
I tried this exercise with her before,
it doesn't go anywhere.
Fine.
I'll do it myself.
It's still my house, after all.
Yeah.
Thank you.
It's better.
But there's...
still...
still... Something off.
Yeah...
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry, I broke the glass and woke you
up.
I know how you like to sleep early.
I was at the store late.
I guess I lost track of the time.
I was checking inventory, but I stopped
off for a few beers.
Clark.
Barbara!
I was checking inventory, then I stopped
off for a few beers.
Define a few.
As many as I wanted.
Because this is my house.
I pay for it.
I pay for everything.
I pay for you to go to school.
I pay for your time off school.
I pay for the roof over your head.
You want kids, right?
Well, that takes money.
So someone has to work around here.
I said someone has to get off her fat ass
and work around here.
Just because you didn't get to be
an architect... I am a fucking architect.
I'm just stuck selling shit
furniture because someone
won't get off her fat
fucking ass and help me.
I'm not your wife.
Stank her.
Stank her.
I've never even met her.
Stank her!
Fuck you!
What did you say?
You want to know the real reason your wife
left you?
It wasn't the drinking, or the stumbling
home at all hours, or the rage.
It was the whining.
Nothing's ever your fault, is it?
You drink too much.
Blame your job.
You hate your job?
Blame the world.
You get kicked out of the house?
Blame your wife!
You attack me and tie me up?
Blame your brain?!
You are your fucking brain, you dipshit!
You say it's my fault?
Yes!
But it's just the way you're wired,
isn't it?!
Isn't it?!
How do I stop doing that?
Honestly.
I have no fing idea.
I can't help you, Clark.
As much as I tried.
It's just not up to me.
I can't save anyone.
I don't think I want to change.
Then don't.
I like it in here.
For the first time in a long time,
I feel like I'm...
But let me go.
I'm sorry.
For what?
This is Mary.
She's our therapist.
She was just leaving.
You don't have to worry.
She says we don't need to change.
It's okay.
It's just the way we're wired.
A
new world is beginning.
I'll be back soon.
I'm going to Dr. F.
I'll be there soon.
Dr.
F.
And this is another moment.
And
now, I'm going to Dr. F.
I'll go.
And you're married, yeah?
I was hoping to ask you a few questions
for some clarification on our end,
if that's okay.
First thing, could you establish how you
got in here?
I walked through a wall.
In the basement of a furniture store.
Can you confirm that this is the location
in question?
Okay, good.
So you were shopping, or...
I was looking for someone.
Were you looking for this man?
Right here?
Where am I right now?
Could you just confirm for me?
Is this man right here?
Here, the man you were looking for.
Please.
Sorry, what was your name?
Phil.
Please, Phil.
Where am I?
I'm not...
I make, um...
Sorry, my... our company...
We make MRI machines.
Or, I should say, um...
We used to make MRI machines.
Not anymore.
That was before we...
Before we found...
You've been there?
Yes, I have.
And now, it's my job.
Every day, I go in there.
And I just try to...
Try to find out even a little bit more.
I map out areas to the best of my ability.
And more and more, I'm convinced...
That nothing in our lifetime...
Mary... Nothing in maybe
all of recorded history...
Means more... Than this.
But I don't understand it.
I don't...
I can't even describe it.
It...
It's like describing a dog to someone
Who's never seen a dog.
And then asking them to try it.
Now you want me to...
Describe it.
And then...
You'll write it down, and then what?
Mary... You'll let me go?
We all want the same thing here.
We do.
We just...
Want to find out even a little bit...
More.
What's gonna happen to me, Phil?
That decision's not up to me.
So...
If we could just...
Talk.
Just you and me.
You know?
Just like...
Just like two regular people.
We could unpack... Some of this.
We've both been in there.
And... And... And...
And get on the same page.
There are...
Doors... Opening... Everywhere.
We don't know why... Or...
What's connected.
But... But... If you don't get it...
We're look at right in the... The...
There's the.
No.
Oh.
Oh.
I...
Oh. Oh.