M.O.M. Mothers of Monsters (2020) Movie Script
- Where are we gonna find it?
- Jacob, what did you do?
- What?
- Did you mean to hurt it?
- What?
- Did you hurt it on purpose?
- What's "on purpose"?
- Did you mean to kill it
or was it an accident, sweetheart?
Daddy and I want to know.
Look at me.
Jacob.
Just turn the camera off.
Just turn it off.
(keyboard tapping)
- This is the kind of shit I come home to.
Seven pairs.
Seven pairs.
Sounds bother him.
Certain sounds, anyway.
Like high heels on linoleum.
Yeah, well...
I'm keeping track of this shit now, Jacob.
I'm recording it.
(aggressive banging)
- (crying) I hate you, mom!
- You hear that?
That's Jacob blowing a fit
because I told him he had to reimburse me.
(heavy thudding)
You wanna monster out, that's fine.
Monster out.
- Leave me alone.
Fucking psycho.
- Yeah, I'm a fucking psycho.
'Cause I told him, until he reimburses me,
he's not getting his PlayStation back.
(loud bang)
I'm recording this!
Jacob.
It was seven pairs.
- I didn't
touch your stupid shoes.
- What?
- (crying) I didn't
touch your stupid shoes.
- Very funny.
What did you throw?
What smashed?
- Nothing.
You're the one "monstering out", okay?
Just take a bath or something...
(mouse clicking)
Welcome to the worst town in America;
Parma, Ohio.
- Hey.
I am here interviewing the
aloof new boy of the school,
Jacob Bell, everyone!
Save "hi", Jacob.
Stop it!
- My name is Abbey.
I live in Parma, Ohio--
Oh shit!
I'm thirty.
Well, mid 30s.
Mid to late 30s.
Not 40...
Definitely not 40.
My name is Abbey.
I'm 42 years old.
I'm a single mom.
My son, Jacob, he just
turned 16, which is...
Well, that's a handful
for any kind of mom.
The thing is...
Jacob is...
I think he is, anyway...
I think he's going to...
This is stupid.
- Dude, we gotta get outta here.
We're gonna get arrested, bro.
What are you doing?
- Natural selection.
- Oh, don't even
play like that, bro.
You're gonna cause a fucking
accident or something.
Oh fuck!
Shit!
Get the fuck out of here, bro!
Dude go, go, go!
- Look at this.
If this was just for
his geometry assignment,
why would he draw himself, huh?
"To demonstrate scale" my ass.
And here, look at this.
Why would a 14 year old
boy even have this, huh?
What kind of kid wants
to turn his pellet gun
into an automatic weapon?
Bump stocks were not invented
for fucking air guns,
I'll tell you that.
I'm sorry, I just...
I don't understand why there
aren't more resources out there
to deal with this kind of thing.
I reported him two years ago.
And yeah, they launched an investigation,
put Jacob under surveillance.
"Your son provided a rational explanation
"for every offense."
That's what they said.
"Rational explanation."
Now I'm the bad guy
'cause Jacob served time
in a diversion program
and we had to move.
Again.
He's already in therapy,
so couldn't blame me for that one.
My mom spent a shit ton in legal fees
to get all this stuff back, too.
God forbid it goes on his record.
She's like,
"You don't wanna be the boy
who cried 'wolf', do you?"
I'm like, "No, mom.
"I don't."
By the way, the boy who cried wolf
got eaten by the fuckin' wolf.
- We were talking about how
to get more bang for your buck
out of everyone's favorite AR-15.
And with you guys shooting the .223s
or the 5.56s, everyone knows--
(video skipping)
- Sleeping Jacob
is my favorite Jacob.
He had almost a two hour tantrum.
Worked himself into a fit.
Now he's sleeping.
Honey, I don't think
you can climb on that!
- There are all those
babies living in there.
- That's somebody's--
That's a birdhouse.
No, no!
Babies, no!
- There are baby birds in there.
- Let go, now!
- What?
- Let go.
- That's why that bird
is swooping at your head.
- They're very upset.
- Walk away!
(rap music plays through earbuds)
- You know that's illegal, right?
- The light's red.
- What are you recording me for?
- I want to capture
that miraculous transformation you make.
When you're alone in the car with mom
to when you're not alone
in the car with mom.
- For what; for who?
Hey, Detective Kelly, remember me?
Mom's freaking out again.
- Knock it off.
- She came home totally hammered
and she cut up all her shoes.
She's probably gonna say I did it,
but just for the record.
Later.
- You're disgusting.
Look me in the eye and say that again.
- You were drunk.
You cut up your shoes.
Again.
(car horn blares)
Fucking go already.
- Well, he knows I'm recording, so.
Technically, he's still
in the car with mom.
This may be the "other Jacob" emerging.
The fake Jacob.
The thing is, he doesn't
fit the profile of a...
I mean he has friends
and gets good grades.
His teachers like him.
Except from that one
jerky science teacher,
everyone loves the fake Jacob.
(bell rings)
To be honest, every time
they tell me I'm wrong,
that I'm exaggerating his symptoms,
I feel this enormous sense of relief.
I mean, what if it is me?
What if Jacob is okay?
"Psychosomatic projection",
I think they call it.
It's when you experience
this trauma as a kid,
this extreme fucking trauma
and you project that on your husband,
your kid, your parents.
Then I think, "What if it's not me?"
What if it's genetic?
Sometimes when I look in
his eyes I get this replay,
this instant fucking replay of Jerry,
and I imagine him in that
Mustang with his sawed off--
(banging on window)
- Pickup
and drop-off only, ma'am.
- Thank you!
Sorry.
This is his room.
When he's not at school,
this is where he spends most of his time.
All of his time.
This is Adolf.
Hi!
Last one died, so this is Adolf Junior.
Or Adolf Junior Jr., maybe.
As you can see,
he plays a lot of video games.
I think that's pretty normal.
I mean,
is that normal?
Spend five, six hours a day?
I don't know, just...
Shooting people.
People say it's normal.
People.
What's not normal, is this.
(locked door handle rattles)
Are you kidding me?
Jesus.
- Talk American.
- Would you like
me better if I was British?
(Jacob gags)
- No.
- Hey, you've gotta help me
with my science project.
- It's so easy.
- It's
not easy for all of us.
Aren't you supposed to be
really smart or something?
What are you doing?
(Jacob imitates gunshot)
You're such an asshole!
- (Laughing) Whatever.
He's fucking old anyway.
- Why?
You think we should just
kill off all old people?
- Yes!
That is a good idea!
- Oh Whatever.
- See?
You're already halfway done
with your science project.
- Fucking jaw off...
- Say what you just said.
I'm serious.
Say what you just said.
- Stop already.
- Knock it off.
- Chill, mom, seriously.
- Let go.
Ow, you're hurting me.
- I'm not even touching you.
- Jacob!
See, that's exactly
what I'm talking about.
Okay, I got this when he was
around two of wetting the bed
with his diapers on.
I caught him taking them
off, pissing the bed,
and putting his diapers back on again.
Little creep.
Shit, where's the charging thingy?
(straw sipping)
Testing.
All right...
Okay, so it's May 4th, 2018, by the way.
Jacob should be home any minute.
If his PlayStation isn't back in his room,
he's gonna rip my jaw off.
That's what he said,
"I'll rip your fucking jaw off."
Look, I know.
I know I'm not handling
this well; I know that.
He can't keep breaking my shit.
He's not a little kid anymore.
I know, I know...
I'm a mom.
I'm a mom--
(front door opens)
Hey.
- Mom...
What the hell is this?
- Sign it, and I will give
you your PlayStation back.
- Are you fucking joking?
- Lose the attitude, Jacob.
You can pay me back a
little bit at a time.
(phone buzzes)
Why are you calling me?
- Why do you think?
- I'm not recording you.
- Where is it?
- It's not in there, Jacob.
- Where the fuck is my PlayStation?
I told you; I warned you!
- And I told you if you sign
it, you will get it back.
Jacob, don't do that.
God, if you could just not
be a little shit for once...
Okay, you know what?
I'm out.
I'm not doing this with you.
Okay--
Jacob!
Stop it now!
(Jacob yells)
No!
(thrashing comes from Jacob's room)
- I'm sorry.
- I know.
- So, what was the
worst day of your life?
- Jesus...
Probably the day my stepmom moved in.
- Why?
- I don't know.
Because it just meant my
mom wasn't coming home
and it made everything like really final.
And she sucks.
She's the worst.
- Want me to just kill her?
- Yeah, Jacob, fantastic idea.
Thank you.
So, is it true you moved here
because you got kicked out of Riverside?
- Is that your question?
- Yeah.
- You and everybody else.
Ask me something original.
- Okay,
what's with the long sleeves all the time?
- What's with all the
fuckin' push-up bras?
- Whoa, it's truth or dare.
You have to answer.
C'mon--
- Stop it.
It's a stupid game.
- Okay, and this is his Risperidone.
It's kinda like an antidepressant.
Well, actually it's an
antipsychotic but that's a bit much.
He takes that with the Carbamazepine,
which is for seizures.
Well, that's wrong.
I mean, it's not wrong, it's
just not why he takes it.
Adderall, 15 milligrams
of this every morning.
For his, y'know--
His attention deficit.
Can you hear me now?
- I can hear you just fine.
Your face just keeps freezing up.
Why can't we just talk on the telephone?
- You look fine, mom.
- Yeah, look at my hair!
Let me get some lipstick on.
- Listen, mom, Jacob's gonna be home soon.
Could you just--
- I'm listening, honey.
I'm just getting my lipstick thingy.
- He's having the tantrums again.
The other day, he pinned
me up against a wall
and I couldn't get out
from underneath him.
- Well why would you let him do that?
Boys aren't supposed to
wrestle with their mothers.
That's what fathers are for.
- No, don't.
Don't do that.
- What?
What'd I do?
I didn't even say his name.
- We weren't wrestling, mom.
He was angry, okay?
- Well he's a teenager.
Teenagers are moody, especially boys.
All those hormones.
- No, this wasn't hormones, mom.
His eyes, they were blank, detached.
He looked like...
He looked like Jerry.
- I don't wanna do this again, Abbey.
- I know you don't want to do this, mom.
I don't want to do this either,
but what if they were wrong?
I mean, mom, if you could have
done something to stop Jerry,
you would have done it, right?
- You don't even know
what you're talking about!
You were a baby.
- I was twelve.
- I don't wanna talk about this.
- Mom, there must have
been some kind of signs.
You must have noticed something.
- I can't believe this is happening again.
Are you taking your medications?
- Yes, of course I'm taking my medication.
- But they're not helping?
- They're not helping Jacob.
Jesus, mom.
- Okay, what did you find?
Did you find something?
- No, I don't...
He's cutting up my shoes again
and the nicks on his arms.
- New nicks?
- No.
I don't know.
I mean, mom, what if he hurts me?
What if he hurts someone else?
- Abigail, the things you're saying...
What you're implying,
it's very serious.
- I know!
- I don't think you should tell anyone.
- I'm telling you, mom.
- And I believed you the last time,
all the way to the end.
Universities look for that kind of stuff.
I know they say they don't, but they do.
And all those medications you have him on,
they all go on his record.
I warned you about that;
If something bad happens
and Jacob takes the fall.
- No, mom, I'm trying
to prevent something bad
from happening.
- Maybe you should talk to Howard.
(front door opens)
You remember Howard?
Howard's a vault.
- 'Kay, you know what, mom?
I gotta go.
I'll call you later.
- Abigail, you're not sure, are you?
- I'll call you later.
- Call who later?
- Is that Jacob?
Honey, is that you?
- Nana?
What up, Nana?
- Oh my god, you're gigantic!
So handsome!
- Aw, c'mon now, Nana.
You say that to all the boys!
- What a horrible face.
Uncross your eyes!
- Nana, my eyes are stuck!
I'm gonna be cross-eyed forever!
Oh my god!
Nana, no!
(imitates gunshot)
(Nana laughs merrily)
Hey, thanks for the
birthday cash you sent.
That was awesome.
- I wanted to get you a present,
but you're so hard to shop for these days.
- Oh, so get this.
Urban has these killer combat boots.
You can order them online and everything.
- Urban...
Urban what?
- Here, just type in this website, ready?
- Oh no, no, no.
(chuckling) I can't.
Just buy the boots with the
birthday present I sent.
- What if you set me up with a credit card
and I'll hook you up with
a dope-ass Snapchat account
where you can see what I'm
doing like every five minutes.
- Don't listen to him, mom.
- Yeah, you may have gotten bigger
but you haven't changed a bit!
- Is that a yes?
- No, you can get him a
credit card when he's 18.
- Deal.
But I better put a limit on it.
- Did you just hang up on her?
Why would you do that?
- When I'm 18?
Please.
(rap music plays from Jacob's room)
(door squealing)
- Jacob?
Jacob, I know you're down here.
(rustling)
Jacob, honey?
- Ah!
- Oh my god!
Jesus, you scared...
God damn it...
Are you in my robe?
- Shipping
out your Eczema cream,
but we couldn't retail your--
(door squeals)
For the cosmetic moisturizing gloves
because it looks like your
mom's credit card expired.
- He install this himself?
- I don't know, I guess he must have.
- Man, you got a smart kid on your hands.
- Yeah, thanks.
I really appreciate it.
- Yeah.
- God, it smells like crap in here.
Like burnt rubber or something...
His baby pictures.
He was six when he started drawing these.
As you can see, they've been rescued
from the trash a few times.
I asked him if that was me;
if that was Jacob in Mommy's belly.
He said no, it was Nana;
he didn't know who the baby was.
I mean, if that's Nana,
then who's the baby?
I never told him about my brother.
I never told him about Jerry.
Anyway...
Oh, nice, Jacob.
Oh, Jesus...
Shit.
Oh my god!
Shit, shit, shit!
No, c'mon, get back in.
He feeds these to Adolf, that's all.
What the...
Jesus Christ...
Holy shit.
What the fuck did he do to it?
Oh, Jesus...
I suppose you're gonna
find a rational explanation
for this too, huh?
My name is Abbey.
I'm 42 years old.
I'm a single mom.
I think my 16 year old
son is a psychopath.
I'm not trying to prove it anymore.
By the time, I'm sure it'll be too late.
I'm not doing this for
the authorities, either.
No, I'm...
I'm making these videos for you.
For all you other moms out there
who know deep down that
your kid is a bad kid.
But you still love him.
Because he's your son.
We're gonna look for signs.
We're gonna look for patterns, you and me,
and together, we're gonna figure out
if you are "that" mom
and if your kid is "that" kid.
I mean, let's face it.
If I'm wrong,
if these videos never
see the light of day...
But if I'm right, if you're watching this,
(laughs) I'm already dead.
(speculative piano plays)
I'm not saying therapists can't help,
but do your own research.
And not just on the internet either;
there are books, interviews,
published studies.
Okay, so there's the usual stuff;
the lack of empathy, antisocial behavior,
pathological lying.
That's a big one.
But then there are the more subtle signs
like chronic conspiracy
theories or racism.
That's a big one.
NPV, Narcissistic Personality Disorder.
I hope you're writing this down.
I guess you could always just rewind.
(off key piano notes)
By the way,
if you're not a mom with a troubled kid
and you're watching this,
you're a psychopath too.
Have some fucking respect.
- You're crazy.
I don't know, man.
- This is Jacob Bell
coming to you live with the
electro shock challenge.
We got a electric dog collar
that I stole from my stupid neighbor
and this should pack a pretty
heavy punch to my jugular.
So let's try some levels.
Let's start with...
Eight.
- An eight?
Oh shit, man.
You are out of your mind!
- Pussy.
(laughing)
Three--
- I don't know about this, man.
- Two, one.
(electric collar buzzing)
- Oh shit!
(Jacob breathing heavily)
Bro, are you all right?
- That was fucking awesome!
- What kind of supplies.
- Well, the science lab is missing
some specimen pins,
closures, sodium hydroxide,
a container of formaldehyde.
- Great, so if I hadn't stopped by today
I'd just have to guess
why my son got detention?
- We sent the letter.
- I told you that's not my signature.
- Listen, is this gonna go on his record.
- His record?
No, this stays in his
file until he graduates.
- I don't know why
you guys are still
teaching dissection anyway.
It was banned in the Riverside
district two years ago.
- It's not about dissection, really.
It's more about electric
muscle stimulation;
teaching the students
about the human body.
- Great.
- Look, Jacob is a very gifted student.
I wouldn't worry so much
about what's in his file,
just put it into conversation with him.
Transparency is key
with this sort of thing.
- Of course.
I'm so sorry to have barged in.
- Which parking lot are you in?
- Where are you going?
Well, he's not going to
Greg's house, that's obvious.
What is he doing over here?
What?
Oh no...
No, no.
I mean, it's not like he can get a gun.
Right?
All right, well, it's on.
I can't figure out how to
do the "record" thingy.
Spy camera number one; kitchen cam.
Okay, so kitchen cam is
housed in this nifty little
electrical outlet thingy.
Kitchen cam, meet living room cam.
Looks like a normal digital
picture frame, right?
Except, see that little
pinhole right there?
That's actually a camera.
The best part?
It's motion activated.
Same deal with the one I'm
putting in Jacob's room.
Jacob cam.
So these new cameras will let me see
what Jacob's up to when I'm not home.
Okay, here we go.
(Skype call on laptop rings)
Hi Dr. Arden.
I'm sorry, I completely
lost track of time.
- No worries.
You remember me?
- Of course, yeah!
- I watched that clip you
sent; that video from Jacob.
When did this start?
This behavior?
- When he was a baby.
An infant.
He didn't like to be touched
so he'd just lay there screaming at me.
I mean, I was always his mom, you know?
His hero, his protector,
but by the time he was 14 I
didn't know who he was anymore.
- I understand he received
counseling at the time.
- He's been in counseling
since he was seven years old.
He was drawing these disturbing pictures
with this baby with this knife
and, I don't know, some kind of bloodbath.
- Your mother mentioned that, yeah...
Do you remember the
pictures you used to draw
when you were a young girl, Abbey?
- No.
- Yeah, your mother, she
didn't want them in the house.
- I'm sorry...
- What's that?
- I was kinda hoping we
could just talk about Jacob.
- Of course, of course.
Was he ever diagnosed as CU?
Callous and unemotional traits?
- No.
- Has he ever been hospitalized.
- No, he's pretty much outsmarted
every therapist he's ever had.
- Do you think Jacob
is really capable of harming you, Abbey?
- I don't know.
I mean, I keep having this crazy dream
where I'm standing on a stool
in the middle of the living room
and there's something around my neck.
Like a rope, but not a rope.
Smoother than a rope.
I've wet myself, I know that sounds crazy,
but my pajama bottoms are wet.
They're itchy.
- How did you get up on that stool?
- I don't know.
All I know is that something has happened.
He's done something really really bad.
- Who?
- Jacob.
And he's giggling,
laughing like he's
proud of what he's done;
he's won, somehow.
Like the joke's on me.
I just kinda wanna step off the stool.
- Do you?
- What?
Oh, no.
No.
- I'd like you to consider, for a moment,
that it's not Jacob who
put you up on that stool.
- What?
I put myself up there?
I wrapped a cord around my own neck
and strung myself from the ceiling?
- Is there any chance that in this dream
it was Jerry who put you up on that stool?
- Seriously?
- I don't want to rule out
any possibilities, that's all.
- I can't believe this is happening.
Of course this is happening.
- The fact that Jacob just
turned 16 is significant, Abbey.
That's the same age
that Jerry was when he--
- Yeah, you know what, I get it.
The last thing I need right now
is someone else telling
me that I'm the problem.
Fucking asshole.
Fuck.
(chip bag crinkling)
(loud chewing)
Look at the rest.
Not bad.
It looks like a smoke detector, right?
Safety first.
Okay, so it's Monday, 3:30-ish.
It's smaller than his, I know,
but when we moved it was his
turn to get the big closet.
Hey, take a look at this.
Eh?
That, my friends, is a live feed.
I couldn't figure out how to get you,
mister nanny cam, to hook up.
You're too old.
You're incompatible or something.
Don't take it personally.
Yeah, see, look.
That one went off 'cause
no one's in the living room
or the kitchen.
Now I think Jacob cam is
still recording, because,
do you see that in there?
That, my friends, is a
birthday present from dad.
Belated, FYI.
It is an aquarium with a couple of rats.
I'm not joking, that's what he wanted.
(child crying)
We're supposed to be
getting him gym shorts
and a 200 watt transformer,
whatever the hell that is.
We've been at this store
all of five minutes
and Jacob is already MIA.
Surprise.
Just show me the cover.
- Greg's mom let him get
this when he was, like, 12.
- Well I'm not Greg's mom.
- What's with the drives?
- Oh, um...
For my photos.
- What photos?
- You know, for work.
Real estate listings, open houses.
This says 18 and over, Jacob.
- What listings?
You haven't sold a
property in like a year.
- I can't let you get this.
Get something else.
- Like a PlayStation?
- Actually, I was thinking
maybe instead of paying me back
we could work out a
different kind of deal.
- Like what?
- I don't know.
Maybe we could talk, have a conversation.
- About what?
- I don't know, anything.
Whatever comes up.
You know, 15 minutes a day
for like, I don't know,
a week.
- Five days?
- Seven.
- Four.
- Fine, five.
- How 'bout we have a
conversation right now
for an hour and 15 minutes
and I get it back today?
- Starting tomorrow, Jacob.
Hey, honey, turn right.
Your transformer thingy
should be in aisle four.
What do you need it for anyway?
Hey, can you slow down?
- Conversation starts tomorrow, mom.
- Oh c'mon, Jacob.
- So you moved
here with your mom, right?
- Yup.
- Well, where's your dad?
- That's enough.
Your turn.
- C'mon.
- How do you like being filmed?
- Oh, come on.
- How do you like it?
Yo, I'm in the street, Jacob.
(car horn blaring)
That's dangerous.
Stop, I'm serious.
Fucking dick.
- No, I already uploaded all the footage
on an external drive and I can't view it
because I keep getting this
error message that says,
"operation not allowed".
I need what program?
(laptop notification dings)
You guys are real crooks, you know that?
- Hi.
- Jacob?
- What's that?
- I didn't say anything.
- Your face keeps freezing.
Can you hear me?
- Yeah, I can hear you.
Can you hear me?
- What's that?
- I said I can hear you fine.
- Mom.
- What?
Why can't you hear me?
- Gotcha.
You thought this is a live feed, right?
Here's a little tip.
If you don't see your image in
the bottom right hand corner,
it's not live.
It's prerecorded.
So even though it seems
like we're having a
conversation right now,
we're really not.
Sike!
I'm totally kidding.
I'm using this new program Greg has.
What's it called, dude?
- What's what called?
- This new program they're beta testing
that's better than Google
Hangout or whatever.
He said it's called "Smart
Chat for Idiots", I guess.
Mom--
- That's not funny.
- Mom.
- What?
- Do you know why it's called that?
- No, I don't.
It's probably a spinoff
from the whole "For Dummies" franchise.
- Oh and guess what I'm doing right now.
- I don't know.
You're talking to me, sort of.
- Eh, wrong, try again.
- You're fucking with her, right?
- The "F" word is not okay, Greg.
Right mom?
- Who are you messing with?
Are you messing with me?
- Jacob!
- Jesus Christ!
Fuck off.
- I'm hanging up right now.
- Topic number one.
How many idiots can there
really be in this world?
- And this does not count as
one of our conversations, FYI.
- I mean, we've got Greg here.
He's clearly an idiot.
And then there's...
Well, there's you.
You're an ever bigger idiot than he is.
Because even though I actually
told you this wasn't live,
that it couldn't be unless
you saw your own image
in the bottom right hand corner,
you're still talking back
to this prerecorded video,
aren't you?
Sorry to break it to you, mom,
but the only part of "Smart
Chat for Idiots" that's real
is the idiot part.
And that would be...
I bet there's a little part of you
that still wants to believe this is live.
Am I right?
"Jacob is live."
"Snapchat me."
"I'm one of the cool moms."
Well guess what.
You'll never be one of the cool moms
because you're a fucking idiot.
One convo down, only four to go.
So why don't we meet back here tomorrow?
(Abbey pauses and resumes the video)
Same time, same--
(Abbey pauses and resumes the video)
Place.
You still there?
You better be.
Because I'm holding up
my end of the bargain.
Because that was our deal
and I want my fucking PlayStation back.
Mom!
- One sec!
- You got another package!
- What?
What did you say?
Oh, probably just my Eczema cream.
- You should really be wearing your mitts.
So what'd you think?
- On what?
- The video.
- I thought it was mean.
(Jacob laughs)
- I totally got you.
- It's not funny, Jacob.
You called me an idiot
in front of your friend.
- He's not my friend.
- What do you mean?
What happened?
Jacob?
- How many minutes left?
- Don't be like that.
Fine,
fifteen starting now.
- Cheater.
Volt 100, meet mom.
Or maybe this is Volt 200.
- So what happened
with you and Greg?
- Nothing.
- Can we just talk for a minute?
- We are talking.
What's that thing?
Um, I just thought I'd
put some pictures up.
So what happened with you and Greg?
- Is that on a digital loop or something?
- Digital what?
Can you stop doing that?
Stop pivoting.
Just talk to me.
What happened with you and Greg?
Did you guys have a fight or something?
- Doesn't matter.
- Of course it matters,
he's your best friend.
- No, he's not.
He's a lowlife circumcised douche bag.
- What?
- How many photos are in this thing?
- I don't know, twelve, maybe?
- Who took this one at the beach?
Dad?
- Probably.
Jacob, what do you mean by circumcised?
- He's even a shitty photographer.
- Jacob!
- I don't know, mom.
Circumcised, like they cut
the tip of his dick off.
- So?
- So he's a fucking Jew.
- So?
- I totally remember those gay pajamas.
- Jacob, what do you
care if Greg is Jewish?
- Why do you get to ask all the questions?
So how come my inheritance is contingent
on me going to college?
Doesn't Nana know by now
that college is a total waste of time?
What did you major in, again?
Psychology?
- What's your point, Jacob?
- Hasn't it ever occurred to
you that college is just a scam
perpetuated by none other
than, well, dumbfuck parents?
- Jacob...
- Isn't it a little strange
that right before a kid turns 18,
right when their parents
still have legal authority over them
happens to coincide with the exact age
of your average would-be freshman?
Right in that unbelievably
little convenient pocket of time,
kids get coerced by their own
parents into a nationwide,
bonafide, institutionalized Ponzi scheme.
Wow, you look shit faced in that one.
- Wanna know why I
think you should go to college?
'Cause I think you're really smart.
- So what do I need college for?
- Because it's a great place to, you know,
figure out what you're good at,
what you want to do in life.
- Total propaganda.
I already know what I'm good at.
- Yeah?
What are you good at, Jacob?
- You don't know?
- I think you're
good at a lot of things.
- Name one.
- Well I think
your good at science.
- Not according to Mr. Fuckner.
- Yeah, can we talk
about that for a minute?
Why you got detention from Mr. Buckner?
- You want a hint?
- No, Jacob.
I don't want a hint,
I want you to tell me.
- Ow, fuck!
It fucking bit me!
- Oh my god, honey.
Let me see!
- Ow, ow, ow!
My finger, it's bleeding everywhere.
- I can't see.
Which finger?
- Gotcha.
See mom.
I'm good at psychology.
I don't need a fucking degree.
- What is wrong with you?
(timer beeping)
- Mom, your alarm.
- For your information,
Nana's mother was Jewish.
So technically, you're a Jew too.
- Seriously, can you shut it off?
It's really fucking annoying.
(phone ringing)
- Hello?
Hi.
Yes, I heard.
What?
Oh my god.
Is Greg okay?
Well, if he's too afraid
to admit Jacob did it,
how am I supposed to talk to him about it?
Well, no, I understand, but
maybe we should file a police--
No, of course, I understand.
Hey, maybe I could come by.
No, sure.
Look, I'm so sorry.
The boys were playing with a gas mask.
Someone put formaldehyde
in the air canister.
Boys.
Boys, boys, boys, stop!
Jacob!
You're not in trouble, sweetheart.
She just doesn't want
you to throw it at her.
Jacob, don't throw that at her.
- No!
- Don't throw it!
Jacob--
Hey.
- What's on your face?
You look like a freak.
- So where you going?
- Stalker.
Listen, I think you should spend
this weekend with your dad.
I bought you a bus ticket.
- Fuck, mom, I'm 16.
- 3:00 p.m. tomorrow,
you're on a bus to see dad.
- Mom?
- Launched a joint air strike
with the United States
and France against Syria.
White Power marched through
the streets of Charlottesville
without hoods and without shame.
This is the largest national
rally in over two decades.
There's a lot more of us
than this country realizes
and we're done hiding.
Did you see that?
They maced me.
This is war!
We'll kill these people if we have to.
(screaming on TV)
Perfect storm of easy access
to guns, ongoing cuts and--
- Yes, yes, I am spying on my son.
I never told him about my brother.
I never told him about Jerry.
(imitates gunshot)
- Weirdo.
- Standing on a stool in the
middle of the living room
and there's something around my neck.
What the fuck did he do to it?
Jacob!
Stop it now!
What if it's genetic?
- (screaming) No!
- The boy who cried wolf got
eaten by the fucking wolf.
- Dude, go, go!
(imitating gunshot)
- Jacob cam.
- Remember me?
- Jerry.
My name is Abbey.
I think my 16 year old son
is a psychopath.
- Well, actually, he's at his dad's.
I told you, Frank was fine with it.
He's not missing any school.
It's Friday.
That's him on the other
line, I gotta call you back.
No, Frank.
Mom, I didn't dump him on anyone, okay?
Can you give me a fucking break?
Hello?
Shit...
(rumbling)
Hello?
Hello?
(phone ringing)
Hey, Frank, sorry about that.
I was just--
What do you mean?
No, I dropped him off
at the station at 2:45.
Fairview.
Well did you actually
go down and pick him up
or did you just--
(loud bang and screaming)
Hold on.
Jacob!
- See, if I was surrounded
by six or eight of these things,
would I stand a chance with them?
Well there's no problem.
If you have a gun,
shoot them in the head--
- No, I don't know, it's just...
The television just went
off for some reason.
Just bear with me, Frank.
Don't hang up.
Jacob!
(loud rap music plays)
Yeah, he's here.
Turn it down.
- What?
- Your stereo, turn it down.
He's supposed to be with you...
Frank.
- Hello?
Obviously.
Oh really?
On a scale of 1 to 10, what's scarier?
Me not calling or mom
standing in front of me
with a butcher knife?
- It's not a butcher knife.
It's not a butcher knife!
I was making a salad; it's a salad knife.
- Jesus...
Can we have some privacy, please?
Dad?
- Shit.
Define "privacy".
Butcher knife.
Please.
- I don't know.
- Shit.
- Oh my god, yes.
I know, but, y'know, she's my mom.
- Unbelievable.
Jacob's saying he didn't
want to leave me alone.
That he was worried I might "freak out".
Oh shit.
Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit...
No...
Look, I know I shouldn't
have pawned him off
on his dad for the weekend,
but I just needed to clear
my fucking head, okay?
It's not like I can turn him in.
He'd probably say the
lizards were already dead
and he was just doing
a science experiment.
You know Greg is never gonna rat him out.
Pun intended.
So what does that leave me?
I just wish I could talk to him.
But he doesn't know how to talk.
He never really learned.
If you can still talk
to your son, talk to him
before he hates you for
allowing him not to.
I mean, let's face it.
Even if I could turn him
in, I probably wouldn't.
For the same millions
of reasons you can't.
Y'know?
One more school, one more
semester, one more doctor.
One more chance.
Jacob?
Can we talk?
I wanna talk.
I wanna listen.
Jacob...
Sweetheart, you still have my phone.
(Abbey snoring)
Jacob?
Jacob?
Jacob.
Unlock the door!
Jacob!
You think this is funny?
Unlock the fucking door.
Oh no, no, no...
Oh fuck...
Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck...
Okay.
Jacob, honey.
Okay, I understand you're
upset about the, you know,
about the cameras, but I
didn't show anything to anyone.
I promise, okay?
So just unlock the door, okay?
I'm not mad.
I won't be mad.
Damn it!
Damn it!
You think your mother's stupid?
You think I'm stupid?
Fuck you...
All right.
Let's see if we just--
(electric zap)
(heavy metal plays outside of room)
Jacob!
Jacob!
Jacob!
Jacob!
- Sorry about the whole chair thing.
It's for your own protection.
Volt 100 tried to escape too.
Three times, to be exact.
I haven't figured out
the exact voltage yet.
Didn't wanna risk it
for your sake.
I like your movie!
I'm not crazy about where you were going
with the ending, though.
I mean, where were you going with it?
Did you really think
I'd shoot up my school?
So lame.
We can do better than that.
So here's the deal, mom.
Mom!
Mom.
Good.
I've cloned your screen, FYI.
And everything in your room is hot
so I wouldn't try anything stupid, okay?
Nod or something.
Good.
So this might be very
hard for you to believe
but I'm actually not a psychopath.
I mean, if I was, don't you
think you'd be dead by now?
And for your information,
I legally can't be
diagnosed with anything more
than sociopathic tendencies.
Under 18.
Brain's...
Still developing.
Of course, Jerry was 16 too,
so technically he wasn't
a psychopath either.
But seven kids...
That's jacked up.
The internet doesn't keep secrets, mom.
So here's what's going to happen next;
I'm going to come in there.
I'm going to remove your gag,
you're not going to say anything.
You're not even gonna open your mouth.
Got it?
Then I'm going to untie your hands
and you're going to use this
to record a new ending to the movie.
Part one.
"My name is Abbey.
"I'm 42 years old.
"I'm a single mom and my
son is not a psychopath."
You have to really mean it, mom.
"I'm the one with problems".
Pause; you have to pause after that part.
You have to really reflect for a minute.
"I'm the one who needs help."
Pause again.
I mean if you could
get a little teary-eyed
for this next part, that would
totally, totally sell it.
"I'm the one who told Jerry to do it.
"I'm the psychopath."
Think you can do that?
- Somebody help!
- Sorry, but that's the deal, mom.
Non-negotiable.
Then you turn the camera off,
I tie your hands back up,
I go into the other room and
I play back the recording,
and if I like it, if you do a really
really good job with it,
then I upload the footage
to a protected cloud server and you,
you get to come out of your room!
I'm gonna delete the other footage.
Or most of it, anyway.
And if you ever mess with me again
you'll be the one in a
fucking diversion program.
Cool?
Memorize it.
(floor creaking)
(door handle rattling)
(Jacob breathing heavily)
- Jacob.
Jacob, please.
My name is Abbey.
I'm 42 years old.
I'm a single mom and my son...
My son is not a psychopath.
I'm the one who needs help.
I'm the one who told him...
Who told Jerry to do it.
I'm the psychopath.
- Out-fucking-standing.
Arms.
- Jacob, please.
- Arms.
- You have what you want.
I'm not gonna tell anybody,
just let me sit here
until you come back, okay?
- Final warning.
- Jacob, you said that was part one.
What's part two?
No!
No!
No!
Stop it!
What is that?
Jacob, stop it right now!
(Jacob breathing heavily)
- I didn't wanna do that.
Why did you make me do that?
Shit.
I didn't wanna do that.
I didn't...
I didn't.
Shot Cobain for the test
To be slain by your hand
To be blessed
God damn it all
Lean on your bitch
Fuck all yo' shit
Fuck on your shit
I am your father
I run with the shit
I'm gon' fuck on your daughter
Got blood on my lips
I need a stake in my heart
I got a eighth in my car
Never seen an eye look
this blind in the night
Rappers euthanized 'cause they strike
Dog bite
Blood fade
Percocet
Eyes in the night
Gloved up game with the Gucci on sight
No soul
Let it drain from my body like a pipe
Take yours for the price of us all
All right
Bitches steady fucking
with me hard for a fight
Bitches steady fucking
with me hard for a knife
Homies OD off the shit I pipe
Strapped to the mic with a fight light
Coming for your life
on the fight night
Coming for your life
on the fight night
I'll pick a knife for a knife fight
What the fuck did I mean
When I said--
(heavy breathing)
Break my neck
I'm a mage on the track
Better men have come for respect
Left dead in a bin
No check
No breath
Enough pain in my chest
'cause my head bust brains
From the bang to the track
Never seen the gays do it best
Shot Cobain for the--
(Abbey crying)
- Jacob.
Jacob.
I'm pretty sure you can
see me through this.
When I turn it on, anyway.
I don't see any other
cameras around here, so...
Listen, I just...
I just wanted to tell you
that I know what I did
was a really really shitty thing to do.
And I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I made a mistake.
Moms screw up sometimes.
And I screwed up.
And I know I should have told you.
I should have told you about Jerry.
He was 16.
Papa bought him this car,
this old beat up Mustang.
Jerry used to take me out in it for rides
with the windows down,
and the engine was so loud
it used to just drown out the whole world.
Nobody else existed.
Just him and me.
We all knew he was hurting.
He was keeping to himself a lot
and his eyes changed.
It's like they stopped looking.
They stopped seeing.
But you know, if you need
help, you ask for it.
That's how it worked in my
family and he didn't ask.
He didn't ask...
Then one day he took a
shotgun down to Bridge Creek
where all the kids would
be making out in their cars
and no one knows why he did it.
But all of a sudden he just
came flying out of that Mustang
and started shooting.
Kids.
Classmates.
Everybody; anybody.
No reason.
No reason.
Just because he could.
Seven kids.
Seven.
None of them survived.
He blew them to pieces.
And the thing is...
I didn't hate him so much
for killing those kids
as I did for putting a gun to his own head
before I had a chance to say goodbye...
Before I got one last
ride in that Mustang.
Well...
I was just a kid...
Barely 12.
But the thing is, honey,
sweetheart,
you are nothing like him.
You are nothing like Jerry.
You couldn't kill anybody, Jacob.
I know that; I know you can't.
You're not capable of it.
I don't believe that you are.
I don't believe that you are.
(Abbey crying)
I love you, honey.
Your mommy loves you.
I do.
I'm so sorry...
I'm so sorry.
Okay...
Jacob.
Jacob, honey, I'm thirsty.
Your mother needs some water.
I'll, um...
I'll turn my back to the door.
(electrical zap)
(hysterical laughing)
Please don't take my sunshine away.
(screaming)
What do you want from me?
- Hey, Nana!
Yeah, yeah, mom's just taking a nap.
I'm sorry, I gotta run.
- Help!
Help!
Somebody help me!
He's gonna kill me!
He's gonna fucking kill me!
Help me!
Help!
Help, please, help me!
Help me!
Mom!
- That was really stupid, mom.
- Jacob.
Jacob.
Jacob, you have to stop this right now.
How long have I been in here?
How long have I fucking
been in here, god damn it?
- Part two.
- I'm not gonna say that.
I'm not gonna say that.
- I'm warning you.
- No!
I'm warning you!
Is this what you want?
Is this how you want your movie to end?
- That's gonna hurt, mom.
Go ahead.
It's not gonna kill you.
It'll just, you know...
(imitates buzzing)
You're making this a lot more
difficult than it has to be.
Turn the camera off,
turn the camera back on,
say your lines, turn the
camera back off again.
That's it.
Ta-da!
No more closet.
- I don't believe you.
- You're mumbling.
Talk into the camera.
- I don't believe you.
- Don't you get it?
I'm trying to fucking help you.
You were never supposed to
be in the closet this long.
That wasn't part of the plan!
That was not part of the plan!
Fuck...
- Oh!
No!
Oh, baby...
Sweetheart, you're sick.
You're sick...
You need help; it's not your fault.
It's not your fault.
I can help you.
Mommy can help you.
- You sure about that, mom?
- (muffled) Somebody help me.
Please...
Help...
Help!
Somebody help me...
Help me?
Somebody?
Somebody help me.
Jacob...
Jacob.
Jacob.
Let me out.
Let me out...
(distorted music)
Jacob?
Jacob?
- Mom?
- Look at my hands.
Look at them.
Why are they getting better?
Why are they healing?
What were you putting in my meds?
Listen, I have to ask you.
If I do this, if I say the lines,
you gonna kill me?
- I'm not gonna kill you, Mom.
I'm not gonna kill anyone.
You are.
Part two.
"Jacob's not going to kill me.
"He's not going to kill anyone.
"I am."
- Jacob's not gonna kill me.
Jacob's not gonna kill anyone.
I am.
- Pretty pathetic, mom.
Might even be worse than
your bullshit melodramatic
"Jerry never said goodbye" monologue.
Follow the directions.
Power off, power on, say
your lines, power off again.
And sit up already,
you look like a zombie.
- And then what?
- Then I transfer the
footage and I set an alarm.
When you hear the alarm,
that means you can come out of the closet.
- And then what?
- I don't know, mom.
I'll be at school by then.
I mean, the most obvious choice
would be to get up on
the stool and y'know.
- Jacob.
This movie is not gonna
end the way you want it to.
- Oh really?
How's it going to end?
- Jacob is going to let his
mother out of the closet.
He thinks it's too late
for that, but it's not.
And together, they are
going to erase the footage,
all of it.
- "They" are?
Hm...
What a snooze fest.
Okay, how 'bout this?
How about Jacob threatens to do
exactly what his mother
always feared he would do,
sort of like a
self-fulfilling prophecy or,
what did you call it?
A psychosomatic projection!
Dude, that's good, write that down.
Okay, so Jacob says something like,
"Hey, mom.
"Record your lines or I'm
gonna take a gun to school
"and mow down the entire freshman class."
C'mon, mom.
You don't want those kids
to end up like Jerry's pals,
do 'ya?
I'm totally kidding.
Look, there's nothing
really to negotiate here.
I mean we both know you're
gonna climb up on that stool.
I mean, how could you not?
"I'm the one who told Jerry to do it.
"I'm the psychopath."
Of course, if you don't have
the balls to go through with it
you could always watch this
little video I made for you.
Oh, and I'll have the drives
with me so don't even bother.
Say your lines.
Say your lines!
Mom, just say your lines.
Say your fucking lines!
- Jacob...
Jacob?
- Mom?
You scared me.
I thought you...
I don't know, I thought
something happened or...
Are you okay?
Your camera is faced the wrong way.
- I'm not gonna do it.
I'm not gonna say the lines.
I'm sorry.
- What the fuck?
- I can't let you get away with this.
- What are you doing?
Mom, stop.
Don't!
- Goodbye, Jacob.
- Mom, don't--
(electric zap)
Mom?
Mom?
Fuck!
Mom?
Mom, mom, mom...
Please, please, please...
Mom?
(crying) Why did you do that?
Okay, okay...
Fuck!
Fuck...
Okay, okay, okay.
Come on...
(video call rings on laptop)
Shit, shit...
Think, think, think...
Think!
Nana!
Nana...
Nana, uh...
Nana.
Na-na...
Something's wrong with mom.
She, uh...
She's...
She's covered in wires
and something happened.
Her body is...
What the fuck is happening?
What the fuck is happening to me?
What the fuck is happening to me?
What the fuck is happening to me?
What the fuck is happening?
(door squeals open)
Mom?
- Ah!
(Jacob laughs)
What's so fucking funny?
- (gurgling) You're
the baby in the pictures!
You're the baby with the knife!
- No I'm not.
I'm not!
I'm not the baby!
You're the fucking baby!
(Jacob suffocating in blood)
- 911,
what's your emergency?
911?
Is anyone there?
Hello?
Hello?
- My name is Abbey.
I'm a single mom,
and my son is a psychopath.
- Are you in
any danger right now, Abbey?
- No.
- Is your son in danger?
- I killed him.
I killed my son.
- Is this a prank?
- No.
- All right.
You said you killed your--
- Check the videos.
It's all there.
- Okay, all right.
You're on East Wilcock, is that right?
Ma'am?
Ma'am, stay on the phone with me.
Stay on the phone.
Help is on the way, ma'am.
Stay on the phone with
me, help is on the way.
Ma'am?
Are you there?
Stay on the phone with me, ma'am.
Help is on the way.
- Sike.
You didn't think I actually
wanted you to kill yourself,
did you?
Look, I saw that footage
and I freaked out.
Okay, I didn't know what to do
and I guess I just wanted
you to feel the way I felt.
Okay?
I know things went a little too far
and I didn't mean to hurt you and I'm...
I'm so--
This a new disease
They don't know the cure
I ain't got got a law
All I do is hurt
Mom I'm so sorry that I hurt you
I really wish they caught
me before I hurt you
I'm not fucked up
I'm just impatient
- You better take your pills
- What's more fucked
up than this nation
Who the fuck taught these
doctors communication
I know they scared when I
tell them about this hatred
But told you to move me
Do these pills abuse me
Stop watching violent movies
But that be all that the news be
What the fuck should I do
When this red starts to seduce me
What do I fucking do?
Fuck you just better shoot me
The blood selling like rubies
Mothers scared of their sons
A number one song about
running this thing
And gun down pumped up kicks
Better run now kid
I'm a fucked up kid
We all fucked now kid
This ain't gon' stop
No this ain't the last one
This ain't gon' stop
When the teacher get a gun
This ain't gon' stop
When they took me outta school
This ain't gon' stop
When they put me on the news
What a shame
I'm ashamed of the human race
I'll blow 'em right in their face
To show 'em something
To say something
All y'all mothers
You better say something
Something to get that change coming
If only I'd checked his room out
Read some of his books now
Something we could have done now
There's nothing you
could have done now
Just tell Trump
"Get all them guns out"
You would think they wanna
stop kids from killing kids
But isn't it just obvious
their interest is business
Everyone can't win this shit
Especially if a kid is dead
Killed by a kid you tried to fix
Just by giving meds
Look at Australia
They got a gun ban
Stopped everything
Did it with one plan
Looking at Parkland
kids like they be aliens
They the best therapists
And they survived a terrorist
Y'all be fucking arrogant
This ain't what the parents did
These kids are American
They're raised on our heritage
And something that we did
Made them take their right to carry it
Right into the school
With something they had to prove
Damn
Damn
When is this all gonna stop
This ain't gon' stop
No this ain't the last one
This ain't gon' stop
When the teacher get a gun
This ain't gon' stop
When they took me out of school
- I'm making these videos for you.
For all you other moms out there
who know deep down that
your kid is a bad kid.
But you still love him
because he's your son.
- Hey, honey.
- We're gonna look for signs.
We're gonna look for patterns, you and me,
and together, we're gonna
figure out if you are "that" mom
and if your kid is "that" kid.
- What are you watching, mom?
- Nothing.
- Jacob, what did you do?
- What?
- Did you mean to hurt it?
- What?
- Did you hurt it on purpose?
- What's "on purpose"?
- Did you mean to kill it
or was it an accident, sweetheart?
Daddy and I want to know.
Look at me.
Jacob.
Just turn the camera off.
Just turn it off.
(keyboard tapping)
- This is the kind of shit I come home to.
Seven pairs.
Seven pairs.
Sounds bother him.
Certain sounds, anyway.
Like high heels on linoleum.
Yeah, well...
I'm keeping track of this shit now, Jacob.
I'm recording it.
(aggressive banging)
- (crying) I hate you, mom!
- You hear that?
That's Jacob blowing a fit
because I told him he had to reimburse me.
(heavy thudding)
You wanna monster out, that's fine.
Monster out.
- Leave me alone.
Fucking psycho.
- Yeah, I'm a fucking psycho.
'Cause I told him, until he reimburses me,
he's not getting his PlayStation back.
(loud bang)
I'm recording this!
Jacob.
It was seven pairs.
- I didn't
touch your stupid shoes.
- What?
- (crying) I didn't
touch your stupid shoes.
- Very funny.
What did you throw?
What smashed?
- Nothing.
You're the one "monstering out", okay?
Just take a bath or something...
(mouse clicking)
Welcome to the worst town in America;
Parma, Ohio.
- Hey.
I am here interviewing the
aloof new boy of the school,
Jacob Bell, everyone!
Save "hi", Jacob.
Stop it!
- My name is Abbey.
I live in Parma, Ohio--
Oh shit!
I'm thirty.
Well, mid 30s.
Mid to late 30s.
Not 40...
Definitely not 40.
My name is Abbey.
I'm 42 years old.
I'm a single mom.
My son, Jacob, he just
turned 16, which is...
Well, that's a handful
for any kind of mom.
The thing is...
Jacob is...
I think he is, anyway...
I think he's going to...
This is stupid.
- Dude, we gotta get outta here.
We're gonna get arrested, bro.
What are you doing?
- Natural selection.
- Oh, don't even
play like that, bro.
You're gonna cause a fucking
accident or something.
Oh fuck!
Shit!
Get the fuck out of here, bro!
Dude go, go, go!
- Look at this.
If this was just for
his geometry assignment,
why would he draw himself, huh?
"To demonstrate scale" my ass.
And here, look at this.
Why would a 14 year old
boy even have this, huh?
What kind of kid wants
to turn his pellet gun
into an automatic weapon?
Bump stocks were not invented
for fucking air guns,
I'll tell you that.
I'm sorry, I just...
I don't understand why there
aren't more resources out there
to deal with this kind of thing.
I reported him two years ago.
And yeah, they launched an investigation,
put Jacob under surveillance.
"Your son provided a rational explanation
"for every offense."
That's what they said.
"Rational explanation."
Now I'm the bad guy
'cause Jacob served time
in a diversion program
and we had to move.
Again.
He's already in therapy,
so couldn't blame me for that one.
My mom spent a shit ton in legal fees
to get all this stuff back, too.
God forbid it goes on his record.
She's like,
"You don't wanna be the boy
who cried 'wolf', do you?"
I'm like, "No, mom.
"I don't."
By the way, the boy who cried wolf
got eaten by the fuckin' wolf.
- We were talking about how
to get more bang for your buck
out of everyone's favorite AR-15.
And with you guys shooting the .223s
or the 5.56s, everyone knows--
(video skipping)
- Sleeping Jacob
is my favorite Jacob.
He had almost a two hour tantrum.
Worked himself into a fit.
Now he's sleeping.
Honey, I don't think
you can climb on that!
- There are all those
babies living in there.
- That's somebody's--
That's a birdhouse.
No, no!
Babies, no!
- There are baby birds in there.
- Let go, now!
- What?
- Let go.
- That's why that bird
is swooping at your head.
- They're very upset.
- Walk away!
(rap music plays through earbuds)
- You know that's illegal, right?
- The light's red.
- What are you recording me for?
- I want to capture
that miraculous transformation you make.
When you're alone in the car with mom
to when you're not alone
in the car with mom.
- For what; for who?
Hey, Detective Kelly, remember me?
Mom's freaking out again.
- Knock it off.
- She came home totally hammered
and she cut up all her shoes.
She's probably gonna say I did it,
but just for the record.
Later.
- You're disgusting.
Look me in the eye and say that again.
- You were drunk.
You cut up your shoes.
Again.
(car horn blares)
Fucking go already.
- Well, he knows I'm recording, so.
Technically, he's still
in the car with mom.
This may be the "other Jacob" emerging.
The fake Jacob.
The thing is, he doesn't
fit the profile of a...
I mean he has friends
and gets good grades.
His teachers like him.
Except from that one
jerky science teacher,
everyone loves the fake Jacob.
(bell rings)
To be honest, every time
they tell me I'm wrong,
that I'm exaggerating his symptoms,
I feel this enormous sense of relief.
I mean, what if it is me?
What if Jacob is okay?
"Psychosomatic projection",
I think they call it.
It's when you experience
this trauma as a kid,
this extreme fucking trauma
and you project that on your husband,
your kid, your parents.
Then I think, "What if it's not me?"
What if it's genetic?
Sometimes when I look in
his eyes I get this replay,
this instant fucking replay of Jerry,
and I imagine him in that
Mustang with his sawed off--
(banging on window)
- Pickup
and drop-off only, ma'am.
- Thank you!
Sorry.
This is his room.
When he's not at school,
this is where he spends most of his time.
All of his time.
This is Adolf.
Hi!
Last one died, so this is Adolf Junior.
Or Adolf Junior Jr., maybe.
As you can see,
he plays a lot of video games.
I think that's pretty normal.
I mean,
is that normal?
Spend five, six hours a day?
I don't know, just...
Shooting people.
People say it's normal.
People.
What's not normal, is this.
(locked door handle rattles)
Are you kidding me?
Jesus.
- Talk American.
- Would you like
me better if I was British?
(Jacob gags)
- No.
- Hey, you've gotta help me
with my science project.
- It's so easy.
- It's
not easy for all of us.
Aren't you supposed to be
really smart or something?
What are you doing?
(Jacob imitates gunshot)
You're such an asshole!
- (Laughing) Whatever.
He's fucking old anyway.
- Why?
You think we should just
kill off all old people?
- Yes!
That is a good idea!
- Oh Whatever.
- See?
You're already halfway done
with your science project.
- Fucking jaw off...
- Say what you just said.
I'm serious.
Say what you just said.
- Stop already.
- Knock it off.
- Chill, mom, seriously.
- Let go.
Ow, you're hurting me.
- I'm not even touching you.
- Jacob!
See, that's exactly
what I'm talking about.
Okay, I got this when he was
around two of wetting the bed
with his diapers on.
I caught him taking them
off, pissing the bed,
and putting his diapers back on again.
Little creep.
Shit, where's the charging thingy?
(straw sipping)
Testing.
All right...
Okay, so it's May 4th, 2018, by the way.
Jacob should be home any minute.
If his PlayStation isn't back in his room,
he's gonna rip my jaw off.
That's what he said,
"I'll rip your fucking jaw off."
Look, I know.
I know I'm not handling
this well; I know that.
He can't keep breaking my shit.
He's not a little kid anymore.
I know, I know...
I'm a mom.
I'm a mom--
(front door opens)
Hey.
- Mom...
What the hell is this?
- Sign it, and I will give
you your PlayStation back.
- Are you fucking joking?
- Lose the attitude, Jacob.
You can pay me back a
little bit at a time.
(phone buzzes)
Why are you calling me?
- Why do you think?
- I'm not recording you.
- Where is it?
- It's not in there, Jacob.
- Where the fuck is my PlayStation?
I told you; I warned you!
- And I told you if you sign
it, you will get it back.
Jacob, don't do that.
God, if you could just not
be a little shit for once...
Okay, you know what?
I'm out.
I'm not doing this with you.
Okay--
Jacob!
Stop it now!
(Jacob yells)
No!
(thrashing comes from Jacob's room)
- I'm sorry.
- I know.
- So, what was the
worst day of your life?
- Jesus...
Probably the day my stepmom moved in.
- Why?
- I don't know.
Because it just meant my
mom wasn't coming home
and it made everything like really final.
And she sucks.
She's the worst.
- Want me to just kill her?
- Yeah, Jacob, fantastic idea.
Thank you.
So, is it true you moved here
because you got kicked out of Riverside?
- Is that your question?
- Yeah.
- You and everybody else.
Ask me something original.
- Okay,
what's with the long sleeves all the time?
- What's with all the
fuckin' push-up bras?
- Whoa, it's truth or dare.
You have to answer.
C'mon--
- Stop it.
It's a stupid game.
- Okay, and this is his Risperidone.
It's kinda like an antidepressant.
Well, actually it's an
antipsychotic but that's a bit much.
He takes that with the Carbamazepine,
which is for seizures.
Well, that's wrong.
I mean, it's not wrong, it's
just not why he takes it.
Adderall, 15 milligrams
of this every morning.
For his, y'know--
His attention deficit.
Can you hear me now?
- I can hear you just fine.
Your face just keeps freezing up.
Why can't we just talk on the telephone?
- You look fine, mom.
- Yeah, look at my hair!
Let me get some lipstick on.
- Listen, mom, Jacob's gonna be home soon.
Could you just--
- I'm listening, honey.
I'm just getting my lipstick thingy.
- He's having the tantrums again.
The other day, he pinned
me up against a wall
and I couldn't get out
from underneath him.
- Well why would you let him do that?
Boys aren't supposed to
wrestle with their mothers.
That's what fathers are for.
- No, don't.
Don't do that.
- What?
What'd I do?
I didn't even say his name.
- We weren't wrestling, mom.
He was angry, okay?
- Well he's a teenager.
Teenagers are moody, especially boys.
All those hormones.
- No, this wasn't hormones, mom.
His eyes, they were blank, detached.
He looked like...
He looked like Jerry.
- I don't wanna do this again, Abbey.
- I know you don't want to do this, mom.
I don't want to do this either,
but what if they were wrong?
I mean, mom, if you could have
done something to stop Jerry,
you would have done it, right?
- You don't even know
what you're talking about!
You were a baby.
- I was twelve.
- I don't wanna talk about this.
- Mom, there must have
been some kind of signs.
You must have noticed something.
- I can't believe this is happening again.
Are you taking your medications?
- Yes, of course I'm taking my medication.
- But they're not helping?
- They're not helping Jacob.
Jesus, mom.
- Okay, what did you find?
Did you find something?
- No, I don't...
He's cutting up my shoes again
and the nicks on his arms.
- New nicks?
- No.
I don't know.
I mean, mom, what if he hurts me?
What if he hurts someone else?
- Abigail, the things you're saying...
What you're implying,
it's very serious.
- I know!
- I don't think you should tell anyone.
- I'm telling you, mom.
- And I believed you the last time,
all the way to the end.
Universities look for that kind of stuff.
I know they say they don't, but they do.
And all those medications you have him on,
they all go on his record.
I warned you about that;
If something bad happens
and Jacob takes the fall.
- No, mom, I'm trying
to prevent something bad
from happening.
- Maybe you should talk to Howard.
(front door opens)
You remember Howard?
Howard's a vault.
- 'Kay, you know what, mom?
I gotta go.
I'll call you later.
- Abigail, you're not sure, are you?
- I'll call you later.
- Call who later?
- Is that Jacob?
Honey, is that you?
- Nana?
What up, Nana?
- Oh my god, you're gigantic!
So handsome!
- Aw, c'mon now, Nana.
You say that to all the boys!
- What a horrible face.
Uncross your eyes!
- Nana, my eyes are stuck!
I'm gonna be cross-eyed forever!
Oh my god!
Nana, no!
(imitates gunshot)
(Nana laughs merrily)
Hey, thanks for the
birthday cash you sent.
That was awesome.
- I wanted to get you a present,
but you're so hard to shop for these days.
- Oh, so get this.
Urban has these killer combat boots.
You can order them online and everything.
- Urban...
Urban what?
- Here, just type in this website, ready?
- Oh no, no, no.
(chuckling) I can't.
Just buy the boots with the
birthday present I sent.
- What if you set me up with a credit card
and I'll hook you up with
a dope-ass Snapchat account
where you can see what I'm
doing like every five minutes.
- Don't listen to him, mom.
- Yeah, you may have gotten bigger
but you haven't changed a bit!
- Is that a yes?
- No, you can get him a
credit card when he's 18.
- Deal.
But I better put a limit on it.
- Did you just hang up on her?
Why would you do that?
- When I'm 18?
Please.
(rap music plays from Jacob's room)
(door squealing)
- Jacob?
Jacob, I know you're down here.
(rustling)
Jacob, honey?
- Ah!
- Oh my god!
Jesus, you scared...
God damn it...
Are you in my robe?
- Shipping
out your Eczema cream,
but we couldn't retail your--
(door squeals)
For the cosmetic moisturizing gloves
because it looks like your
mom's credit card expired.
- He install this himself?
- I don't know, I guess he must have.
- Man, you got a smart kid on your hands.
- Yeah, thanks.
I really appreciate it.
- Yeah.
- God, it smells like crap in here.
Like burnt rubber or something...
His baby pictures.
He was six when he started drawing these.
As you can see, they've been rescued
from the trash a few times.
I asked him if that was me;
if that was Jacob in Mommy's belly.
He said no, it was Nana;
he didn't know who the baby was.
I mean, if that's Nana,
then who's the baby?
I never told him about my brother.
I never told him about Jerry.
Anyway...
Oh, nice, Jacob.
Oh, Jesus...
Shit.
Oh my god!
Shit, shit, shit!
No, c'mon, get back in.
He feeds these to Adolf, that's all.
What the...
Jesus Christ...
Holy shit.
What the fuck did he do to it?
Oh, Jesus...
I suppose you're gonna
find a rational explanation
for this too, huh?
My name is Abbey.
I'm 42 years old.
I'm a single mom.
I think my 16 year old
son is a psychopath.
I'm not trying to prove it anymore.
By the time, I'm sure it'll be too late.
I'm not doing this for
the authorities, either.
No, I'm...
I'm making these videos for you.
For all you other moms out there
who know deep down that
your kid is a bad kid.
But you still love him.
Because he's your son.
We're gonna look for signs.
We're gonna look for patterns, you and me,
and together, we're gonna figure out
if you are "that" mom
and if your kid is "that" kid.
I mean, let's face it.
If I'm wrong,
if these videos never
see the light of day...
But if I'm right, if you're watching this,
(laughs) I'm already dead.
(speculative piano plays)
I'm not saying therapists can't help,
but do your own research.
And not just on the internet either;
there are books, interviews,
published studies.
Okay, so there's the usual stuff;
the lack of empathy, antisocial behavior,
pathological lying.
That's a big one.
But then there are the more subtle signs
like chronic conspiracy
theories or racism.
That's a big one.
NPV, Narcissistic Personality Disorder.
I hope you're writing this down.
I guess you could always just rewind.
(off key piano notes)
By the way,
if you're not a mom with a troubled kid
and you're watching this,
you're a psychopath too.
Have some fucking respect.
- You're crazy.
I don't know, man.
- This is Jacob Bell
coming to you live with the
electro shock challenge.
We got a electric dog collar
that I stole from my stupid neighbor
and this should pack a pretty
heavy punch to my jugular.
So let's try some levels.
Let's start with...
Eight.
- An eight?
Oh shit, man.
You are out of your mind!
- Pussy.
(laughing)
Three--
- I don't know about this, man.
- Two, one.
(electric collar buzzing)
- Oh shit!
(Jacob breathing heavily)
Bro, are you all right?
- That was fucking awesome!
- What kind of supplies.
- Well, the science lab is missing
some specimen pins,
closures, sodium hydroxide,
a container of formaldehyde.
- Great, so if I hadn't stopped by today
I'd just have to guess
why my son got detention?
- We sent the letter.
- I told you that's not my signature.
- Listen, is this gonna go on his record.
- His record?
No, this stays in his
file until he graduates.
- I don't know why
you guys are still
teaching dissection anyway.
It was banned in the Riverside
district two years ago.
- It's not about dissection, really.
It's more about electric
muscle stimulation;
teaching the students
about the human body.
- Great.
- Look, Jacob is a very gifted student.
I wouldn't worry so much
about what's in his file,
just put it into conversation with him.
Transparency is key
with this sort of thing.
- Of course.
I'm so sorry to have barged in.
- Which parking lot are you in?
- Where are you going?
Well, he's not going to
Greg's house, that's obvious.
What is he doing over here?
What?
Oh no...
No, no.
I mean, it's not like he can get a gun.
Right?
All right, well, it's on.
I can't figure out how to
do the "record" thingy.
Spy camera number one; kitchen cam.
Okay, so kitchen cam is
housed in this nifty little
electrical outlet thingy.
Kitchen cam, meet living room cam.
Looks like a normal digital
picture frame, right?
Except, see that little
pinhole right there?
That's actually a camera.
The best part?
It's motion activated.
Same deal with the one I'm
putting in Jacob's room.
Jacob cam.
So these new cameras will let me see
what Jacob's up to when I'm not home.
Okay, here we go.
(Skype call on laptop rings)
Hi Dr. Arden.
I'm sorry, I completely
lost track of time.
- No worries.
You remember me?
- Of course, yeah!
- I watched that clip you
sent; that video from Jacob.
When did this start?
This behavior?
- When he was a baby.
An infant.
He didn't like to be touched
so he'd just lay there screaming at me.
I mean, I was always his mom, you know?
His hero, his protector,
but by the time he was 14 I
didn't know who he was anymore.
- I understand he received
counseling at the time.
- He's been in counseling
since he was seven years old.
He was drawing these disturbing pictures
with this baby with this knife
and, I don't know, some kind of bloodbath.
- Your mother mentioned that, yeah...
Do you remember the
pictures you used to draw
when you were a young girl, Abbey?
- No.
- Yeah, your mother, she
didn't want them in the house.
- I'm sorry...
- What's that?
- I was kinda hoping we
could just talk about Jacob.
- Of course, of course.
Was he ever diagnosed as CU?
Callous and unemotional traits?
- No.
- Has he ever been hospitalized.
- No, he's pretty much outsmarted
every therapist he's ever had.
- Do you think Jacob
is really capable of harming you, Abbey?
- I don't know.
I mean, I keep having this crazy dream
where I'm standing on a stool
in the middle of the living room
and there's something around my neck.
Like a rope, but not a rope.
Smoother than a rope.
I've wet myself, I know that sounds crazy,
but my pajama bottoms are wet.
They're itchy.
- How did you get up on that stool?
- I don't know.
All I know is that something has happened.
He's done something really really bad.
- Who?
- Jacob.
And he's giggling,
laughing like he's
proud of what he's done;
he's won, somehow.
Like the joke's on me.
I just kinda wanna step off the stool.
- Do you?
- What?
Oh, no.
No.
- I'd like you to consider, for a moment,
that it's not Jacob who
put you up on that stool.
- What?
I put myself up there?
I wrapped a cord around my own neck
and strung myself from the ceiling?
- Is there any chance that in this dream
it was Jerry who put you up on that stool?
- Seriously?
- I don't want to rule out
any possibilities, that's all.
- I can't believe this is happening.
Of course this is happening.
- The fact that Jacob just
turned 16 is significant, Abbey.
That's the same age
that Jerry was when he--
- Yeah, you know what, I get it.
The last thing I need right now
is someone else telling
me that I'm the problem.
Fucking asshole.
Fuck.
(chip bag crinkling)
(loud chewing)
Look at the rest.
Not bad.
It looks like a smoke detector, right?
Safety first.
Okay, so it's Monday, 3:30-ish.
It's smaller than his, I know,
but when we moved it was his
turn to get the big closet.
Hey, take a look at this.
Eh?
That, my friends, is a live feed.
I couldn't figure out how to get you,
mister nanny cam, to hook up.
You're too old.
You're incompatible or something.
Don't take it personally.
Yeah, see, look.
That one went off 'cause
no one's in the living room
or the kitchen.
Now I think Jacob cam is
still recording, because,
do you see that in there?
That, my friends, is a
birthday present from dad.
Belated, FYI.
It is an aquarium with a couple of rats.
I'm not joking, that's what he wanted.
(child crying)
We're supposed to be
getting him gym shorts
and a 200 watt transformer,
whatever the hell that is.
We've been at this store
all of five minutes
and Jacob is already MIA.
Surprise.
Just show me the cover.
- Greg's mom let him get
this when he was, like, 12.
- Well I'm not Greg's mom.
- What's with the drives?
- Oh, um...
For my photos.
- What photos?
- You know, for work.
Real estate listings, open houses.
This says 18 and over, Jacob.
- What listings?
You haven't sold a
property in like a year.
- I can't let you get this.
Get something else.
- Like a PlayStation?
- Actually, I was thinking
maybe instead of paying me back
we could work out a
different kind of deal.
- Like what?
- I don't know.
Maybe we could talk, have a conversation.
- About what?
- I don't know, anything.
Whatever comes up.
You know, 15 minutes a day
for like, I don't know,
a week.
- Five days?
- Seven.
- Four.
- Fine, five.
- How 'bout we have a
conversation right now
for an hour and 15 minutes
and I get it back today?
- Starting tomorrow, Jacob.
Hey, honey, turn right.
Your transformer thingy
should be in aisle four.
What do you need it for anyway?
Hey, can you slow down?
- Conversation starts tomorrow, mom.
- Oh c'mon, Jacob.
- So you moved
here with your mom, right?
- Yup.
- Well, where's your dad?
- That's enough.
Your turn.
- C'mon.
- How do you like being filmed?
- Oh, come on.
- How do you like it?
Yo, I'm in the street, Jacob.
(car horn blaring)
That's dangerous.
Stop, I'm serious.
Fucking dick.
- No, I already uploaded all the footage
on an external drive and I can't view it
because I keep getting this
error message that says,
"operation not allowed".
I need what program?
(laptop notification dings)
You guys are real crooks, you know that?
- Hi.
- Jacob?
- What's that?
- I didn't say anything.
- Your face keeps freezing.
Can you hear me?
- Yeah, I can hear you.
Can you hear me?
- What's that?
- I said I can hear you fine.
- Mom.
- What?
Why can't you hear me?
- Gotcha.
You thought this is a live feed, right?
Here's a little tip.
If you don't see your image in
the bottom right hand corner,
it's not live.
It's prerecorded.
So even though it seems
like we're having a
conversation right now,
we're really not.
Sike!
I'm totally kidding.
I'm using this new program Greg has.
What's it called, dude?
- What's what called?
- This new program they're beta testing
that's better than Google
Hangout or whatever.
He said it's called "Smart
Chat for Idiots", I guess.
Mom--
- That's not funny.
- Mom.
- What?
- Do you know why it's called that?
- No, I don't.
It's probably a spinoff
from the whole "For Dummies" franchise.
- Oh and guess what I'm doing right now.
- I don't know.
You're talking to me, sort of.
- Eh, wrong, try again.
- You're fucking with her, right?
- The "F" word is not okay, Greg.
Right mom?
- Who are you messing with?
Are you messing with me?
- Jacob!
- Jesus Christ!
Fuck off.
- I'm hanging up right now.
- Topic number one.
How many idiots can there
really be in this world?
- And this does not count as
one of our conversations, FYI.
- I mean, we've got Greg here.
He's clearly an idiot.
And then there's...
Well, there's you.
You're an ever bigger idiot than he is.
Because even though I actually
told you this wasn't live,
that it couldn't be unless
you saw your own image
in the bottom right hand corner,
you're still talking back
to this prerecorded video,
aren't you?
Sorry to break it to you, mom,
but the only part of "Smart
Chat for Idiots" that's real
is the idiot part.
And that would be...
I bet there's a little part of you
that still wants to believe this is live.
Am I right?
"Jacob is live."
"Snapchat me."
"I'm one of the cool moms."
Well guess what.
You'll never be one of the cool moms
because you're a fucking idiot.
One convo down, only four to go.
So why don't we meet back here tomorrow?
(Abbey pauses and resumes the video)
Same time, same--
(Abbey pauses and resumes the video)
Place.
You still there?
You better be.
Because I'm holding up
my end of the bargain.
Because that was our deal
and I want my fucking PlayStation back.
Mom!
- One sec!
- You got another package!
- What?
What did you say?
Oh, probably just my Eczema cream.
- You should really be wearing your mitts.
So what'd you think?
- On what?
- The video.
- I thought it was mean.
(Jacob laughs)
- I totally got you.
- It's not funny, Jacob.
You called me an idiot
in front of your friend.
- He's not my friend.
- What do you mean?
What happened?
Jacob?
- How many minutes left?
- Don't be like that.
Fine,
fifteen starting now.
- Cheater.
Volt 100, meet mom.
Or maybe this is Volt 200.
- So what happened
with you and Greg?
- Nothing.
- Can we just talk for a minute?
- We are talking.
What's that thing?
Um, I just thought I'd
put some pictures up.
So what happened with you and Greg?
- Is that on a digital loop or something?
- Digital what?
Can you stop doing that?
Stop pivoting.
Just talk to me.
What happened with you and Greg?
Did you guys have a fight or something?
- Doesn't matter.
- Of course it matters,
he's your best friend.
- No, he's not.
He's a lowlife circumcised douche bag.
- What?
- How many photos are in this thing?
- I don't know, twelve, maybe?
- Who took this one at the beach?
Dad?
- Probably.
Jacob, what do you mean by circumcised?
- He's even a shitty photographer.
- Jacob!
- I don't know, mom.
Circumcised, like they cut
the tip of his dick off.
- So?
- So he's a fucking Jew.
- So?
- I totally remember those gay pajamas.
- Jacob, what do you
care if Greg is Jewish?
- Why do you get to ask all the questions?
So how come my inheritance is contingent
on me going to college?
Doesn't Nana know by now
that college is a total waste of time?
What did you major in, again?
Psychology?
- What's your point, Jacob?
- Hasn't it ever occurred to
you that college is just a scam
perpetuated by none other
than, well, dumbfuck parents?
- Jacob...
- Isn't it a little strange
that right before a kid turns 18,
right when their parents
still have legal authority over them
happens to coincide with the exact age
of your average would-be freshman?
Right in that unbelievably
little convenient pocket of time,
kids get coerced by their own
parents into a nationwide,
bonafide, institutionalized Ponzi scheme.
Wow, you look shit faced in that one.
- Wanna know why I
think you should go to college?
'Cause I think you're really smart.
- So what do I need college for?
- Because it's a great place to, you know,
figure out what you're good at,
what you want to do in life.
- Total propaganda.
I already know what I'm good at.
- Yeah?
What are you good at, Jacob?
- You don't know?
- I think you're
good at a lot of things.
- Name one.
- Well I think
your good at science.
- Not according to Mr. Fuckner.
- Yeah, can we talk
about that for a minute?
Why you got detention from Mr. Buckner?
- You want a hint?
- No, Jacob.
I don't want a hint,
I want you to tell me.
- Ow, fuck!
It fucking bit me!
- Oh my god, honey.
Let me see!
- Ow, ow, ow!
My finger, it's bleeding everywhere.
- I can't see.
Which finger?
- Gotcha.
See mom.
I'm good at psychology.
I don't need a fucking degree.
- What is wrong with you?
(timer beeping)
- Mom, your alarm.
- For your information,
Nana's mother was Jewish.
So technically, you're a Jew too.
- Seriously, can you shut it off?
It's really fucking annoying.
(phone ringing)
- Hello?
Hi.
Yes, I heard.
What?
Oh my god.
Is Greg okay?
Well, if he's too afraid
to admit Jacob did it,
how am I supposed to talk to him about it?
Well, no, I understand, but
maybe we should file a police--
No, of course, I understand.
Hey, maybe I could come by.
No, sure.
Look, I'm so sorry.
The boys were playing with a gas mask.
Someone put formaldehyde
in the air canister.
Boys.
Boys, boys, boys, stop!
Jacob!
You're not in trouble, sweetheart.
She just doesn't want
you to throw it at her.
Jacob, don't throw that at her.
- No!
- Don't throw it!
Jacob--
Hey.
- What's on your face?
You look like a freak.
- So where you going?
- Stalker.
Listen, I think you should spend
this weekend with your dad.
I bought you a bus ticket.
- Fuck, mom, I'm 16.
- 3:00 p.m. tomorrow,
you're on a bus to see dad.
- Mom?
- Launched a joint air strike
with the United States
and France against Syria.
White Power marched through
the streets of Charlottesville
without hoods and without shame.
This is the largest national
rally in over two decades.
There's a lot more of us
than this country realizes
and we're done hiding.
Did you see that?
They maced me.
This is war!
We'll kill these people if we have to.
(screaming on TV)
Perfect storm of easy access
to guns, ongoing cuts and--
- Yes, yes, I am spying on my son.
I never told him about my brother.
I never told him about Jerry.
(imitates gunshot)
- Weirdo.
- Standing on a stool in the
middle of the living room
and there's something around my neck.
What the fuck did he do to it?
Jacob!
Stop it now!
What if it's genetic?
- (screaming) No!
- The boy who cried wolf got
eaten by the fucking wolf.
- Dude, go, go!
(imitating gunshot)
- Jacob cam.
- Remember me?
- Jerry.
My name is Abbey.
I think my 16 year old son
is a psychopath.
- Well, actually, he's at his dad's.
I told you, Frank was fine with it.
He's not missing any school.
It's Friday.
That's him on the other
line, I gotta call you back.
No, Frank.
Mom, I didn't dump him on anyone, okay?
Can you give me a fucking break?
Hello?
Shit...
(rumbling)
Hello?
Hello?
(phone ringing)
Hey, Frank, sorry about that.
I was just--
What do you mean?
No, I dropped him off
at the station at 2:45.
Fairview.
Well did you actually
go down and pick him up
or did you just--
(loud bang and screaming)
Hold on.
Jacob!
- See, if I was surrounded
by six or eight of these things,
would I stand a chance with them?
Well there's no problem.
If you have a gun,
shoot them in the head--
- No, I don't know, it's just...
The television just went
off for some reason.
Just bear with me, Frank.
Don't hang up.
Jacob!
(loud rap music plays)
Yeah, he's here.
Turn it down.
- What?
- Your stereo, turn it down.
He's supposed to be with you...
Frank.
- Hello?
Obviously.
Oh really?
On a scale of 1 to 10, what's scarier?
Me not calling or mom
standing in front of me
with a butcher knife?
- It's not a butcher knife.
It's not a butcher knife!
I was making a salad; it's a salad knife.
- Jesus...
Can we have some privacy, please?
Dad?
- Shit.
Define "privacy".
Butcher knife.
Please.
- I don't know.
- Shit.
- Oh my god, yes.
I know, but, y'know, she's my mom.
- Unbelievable.
Jacob's saying he didn't
want to leave me alone.
That he was worried I might "freak out".
Oh shit.
Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit...
No...
Look, I know I shouldn't
have pawned him off
on his dad for the weekend,
but I just needed to clear
my fucking head, okay?
It's not like I can turn him in.
He'd probably say the
lizards were already dead
and he was just doing
a science experiment.
You know Greg is never gonna rat him out.
Pun intended.
So what does that leave me?
I just wish I could talk to him.
But he doesn't know how to talk.
He never really learned.
If you can still talk
to your son, talk to him
before he hates you for
allowing him not to.
I mean, let's face it.
Even if I could turn him
in, I probably wouldn't.
For the same millions
of reasons you can't.
Y'know?
One more school, one more
semester, one more doctor.
One more chance.
Jacob?
Can we talk?
I wanna talk.
I wanna listen.
Jacob...
Sweetheart, you still have my phone.
(Abbey snoring)
Jacob?
Jacob?
Jacob.
Unlock the door!
Jacob!
You think this is funny?
Unlock the fucking door.
Oh no, no, no...
Oh fuck...
Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck...
Okay.
Jacob, honey.
Okay, I understand you're
upset about the, you know,
about the cameras, but I
didn't show anything to anyone.
I promise, okay?
So just unlock the door, okay?
I'm not mad.
I won't be mad.
Damn it!
Damn it!
You think your mother's stupid?
You think I'm stupid?
Fuck you...
All right.
Let's see if we just--
(electric zap)
(heavy metal plays outside of room)
Jacob!
Jacob!
Jacob!
Jacob!
- Sorry about the whole chair thing.
It's for your own protection.
Volt 100 tried to escape too.
Three times, to be exact.
I haven't figured out
the exact voltage yet.
Didn't wanna risk it
for your sake.
I like your movie!
I'm not crazy about where you were going
with the ending, though.
I mean, where were you going with it?
Did you really think
I'd shoot up my school?
So lame.
We can do better than that.
So here's the deal, mom.
Mom!
Mom.
Good.
I've cloned your screen, FYI.
And everything in your room is hot
so I wouldn't try anything stupid, okay?
Nod or something.
Good.
So this might be very
hard for you to believe
but I'm actually not a psychopath.
I mean, if I was, don't you
think you'd be dead by now?
And for your information,
I legally can't be
diagnosed with anything more
than sociopathic tendencies.
Under 18.
Brain's...
Still developing.
Of course, Jerry was 16 too,
so technically he wasn't
a psychopath either.
But seven kids...
That's jacked up.
The internet doesn't keep secrets, mom.
So here's what's going to happen next;
I'm going to come in there.
I'm going to remove your gag,
you're not going to say anything.
You're not even gonna open your mouth.
Got it?
Then I'm going to untie your hands
and you're going to use this
to record a new ending to the movie.
Part one.
"My name is Abbey.
"I'm 42 years old.
"I'm a single mom and my
son is not a psychopath."
You have to really mean it, mom.
"I'm the one with problems".
Pause; you have to pause after that part.
You have to really reflect for a minute.
"I'm the one who needs help."
Pause again.
I mean if you could
get a little teary-eyed
for this next part, that would
totally, totally sell it.
"I'm the one who told Jerry to do it.
"I'm the psychopath."
Think you can do that?
- Somebody help!
- Sorry, but that's the deal, mom.
Non-negotiable.
Then you turn the camera off,
I tie your hands back up,
I go into the other room and
I play back the recording,
and if I like it, if you do a really
really good job with it,
then I upload the footage
to a protected cloud server and you,
you get to come out of your room!
I'm gonna delete the other footage.
Or most of it, anyway.
And if you ever mess with me again
you'll be the one in a
fucking diversion program.
Cool?
Memorize it.
(floor creaking)
(door handle rattling)
(Jacob breathing heavily)
- Jacob.
Jacob, please.
My name is Abbey.
I'm 42 years old.
I'm a single mom and my son...
My son is not a psychopath.
I'm the one who needs help.
I'm the one who told him...
Who told Jerry to do it.
I'm the psychopath.
- Out-fucking-standing.
Arms.
- Jacob, please.
- Arms.
- You have what you want.
I'm not gonna tell anybody,
just let me sit here
until you come back, okay?
- Final warning.
- Jacob, you said that was part one.
What's part two?
No!
No!
No!
Stop it!
What is that?
Jacob, stop it right now!
(Jacob breathing heavily)
- I didn't wanna do that.
Why did you make me do that?
Shit.
I didn't wanna do that.
I didn't...
I didn't.
Shot Cobain for the test
To be slain by your hand
To be blessed
God damn it all
Lean on your bitch
Fuck all yo' shit
Fuck on your shit
I am your father
I run with the shit
I'm gon' fuck on your daughter
Got blood on my lips
I need a stake in my heart
I got a eighth in my car
Never seen an eye look
this blind in the night
Rappers euthanized 'cause they strike
Dog bite
Blood fade
Percocet
Eyes in the night
Gloved up game with the Gucci on sight
No soul
Let it drain from my body like a pipe
Take yours for the price of us all
All right
Bitches steady fucking
with me hard for a fight
Bitches steady fucking
with me hard for a knife
Homies OD off the shit I pipe
Strapped to the mic with a fight light
Coming for your life
on the fight night
Coming for your life
on the fight night
I'll pick a knife for a knife fight
What the fuck did I mean
When I said--
(heavy breathing)
Break my neck
I'm a mage on the track
Better men have come for respect
Left dead in a bin
No check
No breath
Enough pain in my chest
'cause my head bust brains
From the bang to the track
Never seen the gays do it best
Shot Cobain for the--
(Abbey crying)
- Jacob.
Jacob.
I'm pretty sure you can
see me through this.
When I turn it on, anyway.
I don't see any other
cameras around here, so...
Listen, I just...
I just wanted to tell you
that I know what I did
was a really really shitty thing to do.
And I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I made a mistake.
Moms screw up sometimes.
And I screwed up.
And I know I should have told you.
I should have told you about Jerry.
He was 16.
Papa bought him this car,
this old beat up Mustang.
Jerry used to take me out in it for rides
with the windows down,
and the engine was so loud
it used to just drown out the whole world.
Nobody else existed.
Just him and me.
We all knew he was hurting.
He was keeping to himself a lot
and his eyes changed.
It's like they stopped looking.
They stopped seeing.
But you know, if you need
help, you ask for it.
That's how it worked in my
family and he didn't ask.
He didn't ask...
Then one day he took a
shotgun down to Bridge Creek
where all the kids would
be making out in their cars
and no one knows why he did it.
But all of a sudden he just
came flying out of that Mustang
and started shooting.
Kids.
Classmates.
Everybody; anybody.
No reason.
No reason.
Just because he could.
Seven kids.
Seven.
None of them survived.
He blew them to pieces.
And the thing is...
I didn't hate him so much
for killing those kids
as I did for putting a gun to his own head
before I had a chance to say goodbye...
Before I got one last
ride in that Mustang.
Well...
I was just a kid...
Barely 12.
But the thing is, honey,
sweetheart,
you are nothing like him.
You are nothing like Jerry.
You couldn't kill anybody, Jacob.
I know that; I know you can't.
You're not capable of it.
I don't believe that you are.
I don't believe that you are.
(Abbey crying)
I love you, honey.
Your mommy loves you.
I do.
I'm so sorry...
I'm so sorry.
Okay...
Jacob.
Jacob, honey, I'm thirsty.
Your mother needs some water.
I'll, um...
I'll turn my back to the door.
(electrical zap)
(hysterical laughing)
Please don't take my sunshine away.
(screaming)
What do you want from me?
- Hey, Nana!
Yeah, yeah, mom's just taking a nap.
I'm sorry, I gotta run.
- Help!
Help!
Somebody help me!
He's gonna kill me!
He's gonna fucking kill me!
Help me!
Help!
Help, please, help me!
Help me!
Mom!
- That was really stupid, mom.
- Jacob.
Jacob.
Jacob, you have to stop this right now.
How long have I been in here?
How long have I fucking
been in here, god damn it?
- Part two.
- I'm not gonna say that.
I'm not gonna say that.
- I'm warning you.
- No!
I'm warning you!
Is this what you want?
Is this how you want your movie to end?
- That's gonna hurt, mom.
Go ahead.
It's not gonna kill you.
It'll just, you know...
(imitates buzzing)
You're making this a lot more
difficult than it has to be.
Turn the camera off,
turn the camera back on,
say your lines, turn the
camera back off again.
That's it.
Ta-da!
No more closet.
- I don't believe you.
- You're mumbling.
Talk into the camera.
- I don't believe you.
- Don't you get it?
I'm trying to fucking help you.
You were never supposed to
be in the closet this long.
That wasn't part of the plan!
That was not part of the plan!
Fuck...
- Oh!
No!
Oh, baby...
Sweetheart, you're sick.
You're sick...
You need help; it's not your fault.
It's not your fault.
I can help you.
Mommy can help you.
- You sure about that, mom?
- (muffled) Somebody help me.
Please...
Help...
Help!
Somebody help me...
Help me?
Somebody?
Somebody help me.
Jacob...
Jacob.
Jacob.
Let me out.
Let me out...
(distorted music)
Jacob?
Jacob?
- Mom?
- Look at my hands.
Look at them.
Why are they getting better?
Why are they healing?
What were you putting in my meds?
Listen, I have to ask you.
If I do this, if I say the lines,
you gonna kill me?
- I'm not gonna kill you, Mom.
I'm not gonna kill anyone.
You are.
Part two.
"Jacob's not going to kill me.
"He's not going to kill anyone.
"I am."
- Jacob's not gonna kill me.
Jacob's not gonna kill anyone.
I am.
- Pretty pathetic, mom.
Might even be worse than
your bullshit melodramatic
"Jerry never said goodbye" monologue.
Follow the directions.
Power off, power on, say
your lines, power off again.
And sit up already,
you look like a zombie.
- And then what?
- Then I transfer the
footage and I set an alarm.
When you hear the alarm,
that means you can come out of the closet.
- And then what?
- I don't know, mom.
I'll be at school by then.
I mean, the most obvious choice
would be to get up on
the stool and y'know.
- Jacob.
This movie is not gonna
end the way you want it to.
- Oh really?
How's it going to end?
- Jacob is going to let his
mother out of the closet.
He thinks it's too late
for that, but it's not.
And together, they are
going to erase the footage,
all of it.
- "They" are?
Hm...
What a snooze fest.
Okay, how 'bout this?
How about Jacob threatens to do
exactly what his mother
always feared he would do,
sort of like a
self-fulfilling prophecy or,
what did you call it?
A psychosomatic projection!
Dude, that's good, write that down.
Okay, so Jacob says something like,
"Hey, mom.
"Record your lines or I'm
gonna take a gun to school
"and mow down the entire freshman class."
C'mon, mom.
You don't want those kids
to end up like Jerry's pals,
do 'ya?
I'm totally kidding.
Look, there's nothing
really to negotiate here.
I mean we both know you're
gonna climb up on that stool.
I mean, how could you not?
"I'm the one who told Jerry to do it.
"I'm the psychopath."
Of course, if you don't have
the balls to go through with it
you could always watch this
little video I made for you.
Oh, and I'll have the drives
with me so don't even bother.
Say your lines.
Say your lines!
Mom, just say your lines.
Say your fucking lines!
- Jacob...
Jacob?
- Mom?
You scared me.
I thought you...
I don't know, I thought
something happened or...
Are you okay?
Your camera is faced the wrong way.
- I'm not gonna do it.
I'm not gonna say the lines.
I'm sorry.
- What the fuck?
- I can't let you get away with this.
- What are you doing?
Mom, stop.
Don't!
- Goodbye, Jacob.
- Mom, don't--
(electric zap)
Mom?
Mom?
Fuck!
Mom?
Mom, mom, mom...
Please, please, please...
Mom?
(crying) Why did you do that?
Okay, okay...
Fuck!
Fuck...
Okay, okay, okay.
Come on...
(video call rings on laptop)
Shit, shit...
Think, think, think...
Think!
Nana!
Nana...
Nana, uh...
Nana.
Na-na...
Something's wrong with mom.
She, uh...
She's...
She's covered in wires
and something happened.
Her body is...
What the fuck is happening?
What the fuck is happening to me?
What the fuck is happening to me?
What the fuck is happening to me?
What the fuck is happening?
(door squeals open)
Mom?
- Ah!
(Jacob laughs)
What's so fucking funny?
- (gurgling) You're
the baby in the pictures!
You're the baby with the knife!
- No I'm not.
I'm not!
I'm not the baby!
You're the fucking baby!
(Jacob suffocating in blood)
- 911,
what's your emergency?
911?
Is anyone there?
Hello?
Hello?
- My name is Abbey.
I'm a single mom,
and my son is a psychopath.
- Are you in
any danger right now, Abbey?
- No.
- Is your son in danger?
- I killed him.
I killed my son.
- Is this a prank?
- No.
- All right.
You said you killed your--
- Check the videos.
It's all there.
- Okay, all right.
You're on East Wilcock, is that right?
Ma'am?
Ma'am, stay on the phone with me.
Stay on the phone.
Help is on the way, ma'am.
Stay on the phone with
me, help is on the way.
Ma'am?
Are you there?
Stay on the phone with me, ma'am.
Help is on the way.
- Sike.
You didn't think I actually
wanted you to kill yourself,
did you?
Look, I saw that footage
and I freaked out.
Okay, I didn't know what to do
and I guess I just wanted
you to feel the way I felt.
Okay?
I know things went a little too far
and I didn't mean to hurt you and I'm...
I'm so--
This a new disease
They don't know the cure
I ain't got got a law
All I do is hurt
Mom I'm so sorry that I hurt you
I really wish they caught
me before I hurt you
I'm not fucked up
I'm just impatient
- You better take your pills
- What's more fucked
up than this nation
Who the fuck taught these
doctors communication
I know they scared when I
tell them about this hatred
But told you to move me
Do these pills abuse me
Stop watching violent movies
But that be all that the news be
What the fuck should I do
When this red starts to seduce me
What do I fucking do?
Fuck you just better shoot me
The blood selling like rubies
Mothers scared of their sons
A number one song about
running this thing
And gun down pumped up kicks
Better run now kid
I'm a fucked up kid
We all fucked now kid
This ain't gon' stop
No this ain't the last one
This ain't gon' stop
When the teacher get a gun
This ain't gon' stop
When they took me outta school
This ain't gon' stop
When they put me on the news
What a shame
I'm ashamed of the human race
I'll blow 'em right in their face
To show 'em something
To say something
All y'all mothers
You better say something
Something to get that change coming
If only I'd checked his room out
Read some of his books now
Something we could have done now
There's nothing you
could have done now
Just tell Trump
"Get all them guns out"
You would think they wanna
stop kids from killing kids
But isn't it just obvious
their interest is business
Everyone can't win this shit
Especially if a kid is dead
Killed by a kid you tried to fix
Just by giving meds
Look at Australia
They got a gun ban
Stopped everything
Did it with one plan
Looking at Parkland
kids like they be aliens
They the best therapists
And they survived a terrorist
Y'all be fucking arrogant
This ain't what the parents did
These kids are American
They're raised on our heritage
And something that we did
Made them take their right to carry it
Right into the school
With something they had to prove
Damn
Damn
When is this all gonna stop
This ain't gon' stop
No this ain't the last one
This ain't gon' stop
When the teacher get a gun
This ain't gon' stop
When they took me out of school
- I'm making these videos for you.
For all you other moms out there
who know deep down that
your kid is a bad kid.
But you still love him
because he's your son.
- Hey, honey.
- We're gonna look for signs.
We're gonna look for patterns, you and me,
and together, we're gonna
figure out if you are "that" mom
and if your kid is "that" kid.
- What are you watching, mom?
- Nothing.