Effigy (2024) Movie Script

1
(sigh)
A children's story for Swedish children...
Yeah, a children's story for Swedish children...
(long tired sigh)
So there's trees and... a forest...
some sort of shack...
what looks like boats...
So... ah, maybe a hunter in the woods...
Ahhh! ...and a bitch...
A rich bitch and her suicide son...
(In Swedish) A rich bitch and her suicide son...
(In Swedish) This isn't translating...
It's making shit up!
(ominous music starts)
(ominous music ending)
(faint sighing)
(unsettling music starts)
(unsettling music ending)
(harsh grating music starts)
(harsh grating music ending)
Fuck...
(doorbell ringing)
(intercom buzzing)
(In Japanese) Yes?
(In Japanese) Hi, it's Catherine the translator.
Hi, it's Catherine the translator.
I know I'm late.
Go inside... and wait there.
(muffled coughing)
(distant toilet flushing)
Upstairs please.
(mother groaning)
I don't feel well today.
Come.
(mother groaning)
What did they tell you about this translation job?
The agency?
Nothing really.
Just that it's Japanese to Swedish.
No!
No, no, no!
I told them, it's Swedish to Japanese...
and English too!
I don't usually do anything to Japanese.
Well, usually the agency pays me but...
(zipper zipping)
My son was... a genius.
He used to write in many languages.
He used to write on anything.
Books, scrolls...
Even on the walls.
He was so smart.
Too smart. Too intelligent.
He couldn't take it.
He'd be thirty-five now.
(sipping)
(teacup set down)
The last thing he wrote was Swedish.
He loved Sweden.
He told me it was a children's story
for Swedish children.
It's in his room.
(Mother coughing)
(Mother coughing)
(reverberating drumbeat)
(reverberating drumbeat)
(reverberating drumbeat)
(tense ambiance starts)
(In Swedish) What the hell?
No.
(tense ambiance ending)
(muffled apartment ambiance)
A children's story for Swedish children...
Yeah, a children's story for Swedish children...
(long tired sigh)
So there's trees and... a forest...
some sort of shack...
what looks like boats...
(phone vibrating)
So... ah, maybe a hunter in the woods...
Ahhh! ...and a bitch...
A rich bitch and her suicide son...
(deep breath)
(phone vibrating louder)
(In Swedish) A rich bitch and her suicide son...
(In Swedish) This isn't translating...
It's making shit up!
(tense ambiance starts)
(faint panicked breathing)
(rocks crumbling)
(insect like noises)
(heavy panicked breathing)
(muffled groaning)
(tense ambiance ending)
(train passing by)
(fading sounds of passing train)
(phone dialing)
(phone ringing)
(phone picks up)
(In Japanese) Hello...
It's the translator, Cather...
You can't be finished yet.
...No, It's the writing. It's asemic... What?
It's not Swedish, it's not anything.
Ah! What now?
I paid you to translate!
Get me my son's story in Japanese and English.
I... No more excuses!
I'll send it to you.
(tense music starts quietly)
(In Japanese) Thanks for your support.
It's Catherine.
Yes, I'll take the apartment.
No, not that one, the bigger one.
(tense music growing louder)
(city ambiance)
(faint phone vibrations)
(tense music ending)
(phone vibrating louder)
(ominous music starts)
(phone vibrating)
(scroll tapping against wall)
(phone beeps)
Call me back.
(scroll tapping against wall)
(faucet running)
(scroll tapping against wall)
(muffled footsteps)
(ominous music ending)
(park ambiance)
(crows squawking)
(Phone dialing)
Hello?
Did you read them?!
Uhm yes...
You read my messages quickly...
And yet you're taking forever
to translate my son's story.
I know... it's hard to read...
Not that again, my son had beautiful handwriting.
Yes, it's not that... it's very poetic...
I want to do a good job.
I don't believe you!
Oh ok... but if I rush it... Aaah!
(phone hung up)
Bitch. Bitch. Bitch.
Oh! What now...
(mysterious music starts)
You! I've seen you watching me...
following me around... What do you want?
Nothing.
Nothing?
I...
You are so beautiful.
Pure.
I... want to see you.
Is that a schoolgirl outfit?
Yes.
Is that blood on it?
Yes.
I have to go.
(mysterious music ending)
(city ambiance)
(phone vibrating)
(phone vibrating)
(phone vibrating)
(phone beep)
(breathing and phone static)
It's been a month!
When will you finish the translation?
If you don't answer,
I'll call your agency.
(sound of hanging up)
(atmospheric music starts)
(atmospheric music ending)
Uh so there once was a hunter...
or... or a huntress...
A huntress, yes...
Uh... lived in the woods in a shack
and hunted the forest for... deer...
and... other animals.
One time in the... autumn...
All the deer seemed to go away...
even the rabbits...
The huntress searched and searched
but not even a little field mouse she could find...
and umm...
(exasperated sigh)
She got tired...
So, so fucking tired...
(pencil pressed harder)
From trying and trying to do things
she shouldn't like making up stories...
Just to eat healthier
and maybe move to a nicer shack...
So one day she was resting by the river, and...
Uh, the river which led to the sea and fisher boats...
But that's not important...
And saw a leaf... floating on the water.
And on the leaf was a little spider...
Trapped... running back and forth...
A pretty little spider...
So wait...
It's a hunter then... Yes, not a huntress.
The hunter uses his arrow...
an arrow and...
Puts its point on the leaf,
makes a bridge from the leaf to the land.
And the spider climbs across...
and no, it doesn't bite him!
It just looks at him and then crawls away.
And he says, Farewell little spider.
(muffled footsteps)
Thank you.
(footsteps running on grass)
(footsteps running on concrete)
(footsteps)
Excuse me?
Excuse me?
Somebody just took your bag.
Oh. My food is gone.
So you don't know him.
Who?
The guy... long hair... he looks homeless.
- No, I don't know him.
- So, so he stole it from you.
Just my food.
My important things are still here and...
If he was homeless I'm sure he's hungry.
A-are you sure you don't need any help?
No, I'm fine.
Thanks for letting me know though.
Well you know i-it could be dangerous here.
Here? In the middle of the day?
Yes! Yes, because you know the parks...
The homelesses they live here.
So... they're weird looking...
Dirty hands...
I think that you should be careful...
maybe...
Yeah. Thank you for your concern.
You know, I live close... close to this park so...
We can walk together sometimes like...
Do shopping together or something, right?
How do I know you're not dangerous?
No, no no. That guy...
the guy who stole your bag.
He's a bad guy. He could be dangerous.
But not me. I'm a good guy.
(Catherine laughs)
Actually my name is Nicholas.
Catherine.
Yeah, nice to meet you.
(pencil tapping)
(sniffing and clearing throat)
(tired yawning)
And then...
And then...
And then...
Nicholas...
Ni... cho... las...
(In Swedish) Where am I?
(In Swedish) I want to go home.
(In Swedish) Shall I go this way, shall I go that way.
(In Swedish) I don't know.
(In Swedish) I don't know where I am.
(In Swedish) Shall I go up, shall I go down.
(ominous music starts)
(pencil scribbling)
(pencil scribbling)
(pencil scribbling)
(pencil scribbling)
(pencil scribbling)
(whispery sighing)
(ominous music ending)
(atmospheric tone)
(orchestral music starts softly)
(orchestral music grows louder)
(orchestral music ends)
(city ambiance)
(quiet marketplace ambiance)
(crows squawking)
(unsettling music starts)
(stove lighting)
(unsettling music ending)
(doorbell ringing)
Welcome home.
Hey.
You cook something?
Yes... (unsettling music starts)
Oh...
Nice.
So... how was your day?
Good.
I went shopping...
and then I did some work...
How was yours?
Ah, like always.
Nothing special.
(unsettling music ending)
(clothes rustling)
So the hunter... It was later...
In the middle of a crazy stormy night.
He was trying to sleep...
...but there came a knock
at his little shack door.
He opened the door.
There was the most beautiful maiden there...
Beautiful silky skin and beautiful silky hair...
Uh, beautiful eyes.
And uh, she tells him
she needs a place to stay for the night.
But she doesn't want to explain her situation.
So the hunter says, "Yes,"
And when he... uh...
He woke the next morning.
She made food for him and also gave him a beautiful...
Bolt of cloth.
Silky silky cloth...
And uh, she said if it's okay,
she hopes to stay a bit longer so...
So...
And then he... (Tired sigh)
Fuck...
This is stupid! Stupid! Old bitch!
Fucking... old... bitch!
(In Swedish) Fucking old bitch!
Fuck your dead son who lied to you!
(In Swedish) He couldn't fucking speak Swedish!
(mysterious music starts)
(park ambiance)
(birds chirping)
So that blood is real?
Yes. It is my daughter's.
Did you kill her?
Yes. I killed her.
Car accident.
I was driving. I killed her.
Dog food?
Yes.
For my dog.
(Catherine laughing)
Thank you.
(Catherine laughing)
(mysterious music ending)
Thank you.
And... days turned to weeks
and weeks turned to months...
So this, this beautiful maiden,
the hunter asked her to marry him.
She only had one request...
She said,
"Every day when you go hunting, I will weave us a cloth"
"A silky silky cloth"
"To sell at the market."
"But," she said,
"But when I'm working, making my silky silky cloth,"
"You must never come in the room."
"You must... knock three times on the door
and when I say 'YES', you may enter."
"Of course," he agreed.
And they married
and day-in-and-day-out he went hunting,
And she made beautiful cloths,
And they made good money and...
They had a great life
And loved each other very much.
(kiss)
But one day, he had a bad day hunting
And caught nothing and even hurt his foot...
So tired... (sighing)
He came home and forgot to knock three
times on the door and just went inside...
And so he opened the door... Uh, looked up...
And saw there in the room...
In the beautiful kimono of
his wife was a gigantic spider.
Her eight ugly legs weaving bolts of cloth
Fast as lightning, back and forth like, lightning
Weaving the beautiful...
Bolts of cloth, spinning them from
silky thread from her own body...
and then... uhh... then... umm... and...
then... then...
(muffled thuds)
(phone beep)
(deep breath) (heavy phone static)
I can't believe this.
You're like a snake,
Taking my money...
(coughing)
(frustrated sigh)
(hanging up phone)
(ominous music starts)
(jogging footsteps)
(jogging footsteps) (muffled breathing)
(jogging footsteps) (deep breathing)
(deep breathing)
(muffled thuds) (deep breathing)
(pencil tapping) (deep breathing)
(jogging footsteps) (deep breathing)
(moan and heavy breathing)
(pencil scribbling)
(breathing and mumbling)
(pencil scribbling)
(frantic breathing)
(door creaking and closing)
(frantic breathing)
(music grows tense)
(heavier breathing)
(footsteps echoing)
(panicked breathing)
(jogging footsteps)
(heavy breathing and sighing)
(phone beep)
(breathing sounds and phone static)
Why don't you answer your phone?
I... I don't like this.
At least answer my messa-
(heavy static and distortion)
(distorted scroll tapping against wall)
(city ambiance and insects)
(ominous music ending)
(unnerving music starts)
(ominous music ending)
(crickets and night ambiance)
(stick hitting ground)
(footsteps)
(stick hitting ground)
(footsteps)
(stick hitting ground)
(footsteps)
Good boy. Fetch fetch.
(Catherine laughing)
(footsteps)
(Catherine laughing)
Come back tomorrow?
Why?
I have to see you?
How much do you need to see me?
Very much!
What would you do to see me again?
Do?
You're hungry aren't you?
Yes.
I even pulled the legs off for you.
(gagging)
(squelching and gulping)
Mmmm!
Yummy!
Mmmm!
(Catherine laughing)
(Catherine laughing)
(gulping and swallowing)
Mmm... So delicious, right?
Yes... (Catherine laughing) (foreboding music starts)
(gulping and swallowing)
(faint breathing)
(faint breath)
(foreboding music ends)
(city ambiance)
(phone vibrating)
(uncanny music starts)
(distorted footsteps) (faint moaning)
(moaning and heavy sighing)
(jogging footsteps)
(heavy sighing)
(jogging footsteps)
(moaning and grunting)
(moaning and grunting)
(deep moaning and breathing)
(uncanny music ends)
(distressing music starts)
(faint moaning and breathing)
(Nicholas moaning)
(Nicholas moaning)
(distressing music ending)
(Nicholas moaning)
I have to go.
(door opening and closing)
(muffled) Hey... Sorry...
(tense music starting)
(muffled) Yes I'm just leaving the office now...
(muffled) Where?
Just in front of the elevator so my...
(muffled) so my phone might cut out...
(muffled) Why, did you need me to pick up something?
(muffled) Oh sorry...
(muffled) Yes, I'm starving...
great...
(muffled) Wow, sounds delicious...
(muffled) Yes, I'm still standing
in front of the elevator...
(muffled) Yes... Yes I know.
(muffled) Have to catch the first train tomorrow.
(muffled) Well my phone will cut out
so it'd be rude, right?
(city night ambiance)
(footsteps)
(crickets and night ambiance)
(footsteps)
(door opening and closing)
(tense music continues)
(condescending babbling)
(condescending babbling)
(condescending babbling)
(tense music grows louder)
(kissing noises)
(running footsteps)
(running continues)
(running speeds up)
(running stops)
(tense music ending)
(ominous music starting)
(faint footsteps)
Hey...
Hey, where are you?
Hey... Hey...
Hey, where are you?
There you are.
Do you want me to wear it?
Yes,
Please wear it.
It's filthy.
Do you really want me to wear it?
Yes.
I eat a bug?
No.
I kick a homeless man again?
No.
And you don't have to hurt yourself either.
Not tonight.
Okay.
(ominous music ending)
(birds chirping and crickets)
(door opening)
(crows squawking)
Have a nice day.
(door closing)
(foreboding drumming)
(door creaking)
(foreboding drumming)
(sewing machine running)
Oh... no... no, no, no, no...
No, no, no... (foreboding drumming)
(Catherine sniffles)
(coughing)
(sigh)
And the hunter... He? She?
Hunter? Huntress? Hunter...
And the hunter...
he was shocked to see the huge spider.
He couldn't believe his eyes.
She turns and sees him...
She just shakes her spider head...
And speaks in his beautiful wife's voice.
The beautiful voice coming out
of that horrible creature saying,
Why did you have to look?!
Why did you have to look?!
Oh... no... no, no, no, no...
(sewing machine running)
(foreboding music starts)
...lease... Please do it.
(impact noises continue)
(Nicholas coughing)
(impact noises continue)
(Catherine breathing deeply)
(faintly) Catherine?
(foreboding music growing louder)
(impact and squelching)
(music grows unnerving)
(music dies down)
She runs away... she ran away.
He waited for days and days, sick with his loss.
But days turned to weeks
and weeks turned to months and then...
One dark stormy night there is a knock at his door.
The hunter rushes to it, flings it open...
(coughing)
But it isn't his beautiful wife,
his beautiful spider...
(sigh)
Instead it's, a silhouette...
A statue of himself, woven from silky silky threads...
It stands there, looking just like him, but made...
(coughing)
but made of beautiful silky webs...
It looks so real, he can't help it.
He reaches out and touches it...
The webs part and fall away...
And then... And then... And then...
(gasp)
And then... (foreboding music grows)
(tired sighs)
(distorted sigh)
(heavy breathing and suffocating)
(rapid breathing)
(groaning and suffocating)
(foreboding music ends)
(tense music starts)
(muffled impact)
(faint breathing)
(choking and suffocating)
(faint breath)
(water flowing)
(wall cracking)
(water flowing)
(wall cracking)
(mold growing)
(muffled knocking)
(muffled knocking)
(muffled knocking)
(muffled knocking)
(muffled knocking)
(muffled pounding)
(heavy pounding on metal door)
(muffled pounding)
(muffled pounding)
(heavy pounding on metal door)
(heavy pounding on metal door)
(metallic battering)
(metallic shattering)
(tense music grows louder)
(tense music dies down)
(noises stop)
(ambient static grows louder)
(ambient static continues)