Shell of Fear (2024) Movie Script
1
-Laura.
-Samuel.
What time is it?
08:30.
I fell asleep three hours ago.
-Let me sleep.
-Get up, lazybones!
I brought you some chips.
You're early. Is that on purpose?
Why would I do that?
I wanted to call you yesterday
to tell you to come early, but I forgot.
Why did you want me to come early?
We need to look at your pictures.
That's gross, it's so early.
-Want some?
-No.
No, thank you.
-For the groceries.
-Thank you.
No, thank you. As always.
After five years
you still thank me every time.
And after five years you still
buy me food and clean my house.
Listen, why don't you come with me
next Saturday?
I... I don't think that...
It's just a supermarket, Samuel.
I'm not ready yet.
-I'll be with you.
-Laura!
I can't.
Fine.
See you Saturday, then.
You want me to come on time,
or be early like today?
Whatever you like.
Fine.
Bye.
Always on time.
Being on time is what reliable people do.
-Are you sure you're comfortable?
-Yes, don't worry.
How do you feel today?
-Relaxed.
-Liar.
I can see when you're lying.
After five years of daily therapy
you still think you can fool me?
What's bothering you?
Laura.
Your maid makes you nervous?
She's a friend.
If she's a friend
then why are you nervous?
I think she fell in love with me.
She was weird today.
And yesterday.
The day before, too.
The way she looks at me,
the way she speaks to me...
Today she showed up early
and brought me some chips I love.
But I hadn't even asked for them.
What about you?
How do you feel about this?
I'm confused.
I long to see her
but then I always try to push her away.
What do you feel for her?
I care for her.
If she decided to stop seeing you,
how would you feel?
I think I'd be sad.
You think?
Yeah, I mean, I like her,
both physically and as a person.
But I don't think that's enough to...
She asked you to leave this house.
-How do you know that?
-Logic.
Your agoraphobia
has trapped you here for five years.
And even if our therapy helped you
to overcome the fear of people,
you still can't accept that
real life is outside this house.
You're still too scared that the trauma
you suffered could happen again.
Hey. I know you better than you do.
Trust me.
Your doubts aren't your feelings,
you know very well what you feel.
They're about the fact that, in order to
get what you want and stay with Laura,
you need to get out of here.
What should I do?
We're in an advanced phase
of your systematic desensitization.
We already found the nature of your fear.
We've done all the physical
and pharmaceutical procedures.
You're surrounded by people again.
Right now, I think the only thing to do
is to follow your instinct.
Embrace your feelings.
Love can be a way to overcome your fear.
-Hi, handsome.
-Daphne.
Are you turned on already
or do you need some help?
I forgot to call you.
You can stay home tonight.
I had to come. I need your money.
That's not news.
I know. It's my job.
What, you're paying me before?
Come on, get out of here.
What's up?
Something's wrong.
I'm not in the mood.
Let me calm you down.
You said you wanted your money.
Here it is. Now leave.
You've changed.
You know nothing.
You're thinking about a woman.
Maybe. So what?
You need to let her go.
What if I don't want to?
You'll lose me.
Why didn't you just take the money?
Clients in love are the worst.
They won't be clients for long.
And you pay me 200 every time.
I can't afford to respect your feelings.
Will you call her?
Yes, I will.
Why?
I'm attracted to her.
I like her body.
She pleases me sexually.
So it's just physical pleasure.
She's very good at it.
I don't doubt it.
You don't seem convinced, though.
I'm not convinced by your answers.
Come on, then. Why do I do that?
You're not in my head.
We could talk about this.
However, you read a lot.
So I think you know who Oedipus is.
-I do.
-So don't play dumb.
Your mother was a prostitute
and your father her rich and violent pimp.
With the money you inherited, you can
live without a job for the next 40 years.
Sure, the moral misery you grew up into,
the choices you made without a guide,
-the accident, the agoraphobia...
-Get to the point.
You blame your parents
for everything in your life.
Daphne may be a sex machine, but
that's not why you can't do without her.
She's a prostitute like your mother,
and you pay her with your father's money.
And this makes you a real Oedipus.
Plus, your affection for Daphne forbids
you from having a story with Laura,
the same story that could lead you
to overcome your fear.
Comfort zone, huh?
And we're back to the start.
Nice analysis.
I'm here to help you, not comfort you.
I do what's right for you,
not what you think is right.
Soon things will have to change, Samuel.
Don't let the ghosts of the past
influence you.
You must make this change.
When will this happen?
When will I do it?
Soon, I hope. For everybody's sake.
Thank you.
You're welcome.
Better than those chips.
Maybe.
I need to apologize.
For what?
For the other day.
For asking you to leave here.
I thought you...
Well, that maybe with me you could...
Forget it.
Don't apologize.
You did what was right for you. It's okay.
No, it's not okay.
I will do it, sooner or later. Believe me.
That's the point, though, Samuel.
Sooner or later but when?
I'm working on it.
You know it can't work like this.
What do you mean?
Don't play dumb, Samuel.
I see how you look at me
and you're not stupid.
We've been more than friends for a while.
Wait, wait, wait.
What do you mean?
You want me to say it? Fine.
I'm in love with you, Samuel.
I love you like a teenager,
and even a blind person
could see it's the same for you.
But how can we stay together?
How can we have a story?
Even if we say let's do it,
how can we make this work
if you can't even step outside that door?
"Sooner or later I'll do it," you say.
But when?
You gave me a set of your keys,
but it's not enough
to make me part of your life.
This house is my life, Laura.
And if you love me like you say,
you should understand that.
I suffer for you, Samuel.
But I can't be your nurse,
I can't be the nanny of the man I love!
I can't become a prisoner myself!
What are you trying to say?
I can't come here anymore.
Are you abandoning me?
I'm sorry.
Tony, you're early.
Hey! Stop!
Stop!
Who the fuck are you? Why are you here?
Calm down, Mancini.
We'll be quick and painless.
-Get out of my house!
-Stop!
We're not here to hurt him.
-What do you want from me?
-Shut up and listen.
Our boss had an idea.
He told me you never leave this house,
is it true?
-It's none of your business.
-I'll take that as a yes.
Well...
If you got out of here, you'd know no one
cares about anyone anymore.
Governments do their shit
and people praise them.
Same shit every day.
That's why the boss had this idea.
We'll eradicate the problem.
We'll strike a blow
against this shitty world.
A god without believers
isn't a real god, is it?
Bombs are already in place.
We'll hit soon.
The problem is we have enemies.
And the police too.
Those bastards
have files on almost all of us.
But they've no proof to arrest us
and they don't know where the bombs are.
But soon they'll know.
This is where you come in.
-What do you mean?
-You'll push the button.
A man with no criminal record
who never leaves the house.
The police will never get you.
And they'll need a warrant
to come inside this house.
This is why we'll give you
a remote control in two days.
At 9a.m. on the third day from now,
you'll push the button.
You'll be on the other side this time,
Samuel.
You think the boss didn't tell me
what happened to you?
This time you'll blow up the bomb
and we'll hit this shitty world.
-I won't...
-You won't do it, of course.
We knew you'd play the hero.
That's why we're
keeping an eye on her, too.
She looked pretty sad this morning
when she left here.
You shouldn't treat nice girls this way.
See? You'll cooperate.
See you in 48 hours.
Who's sent you? Because the man I know
would do more than this.
That's why they call him The Snake.
Is something wrong?
-Did you see anyone on the stairs?
-What?
Forget it.
Can I come in or are we
going to stay at the door today?
Yes, sorry. It's a bad time.
Tell me everything.
Have you seen Laura today?
-Yes.
-What happened?
She left her keys. She won't come anymore.
How do you feel?
How do I feel? How do you think?
It sucks!
But you chose to suffer instead of facing
your fear and following your desire.
-I didn't know what to do.
-She cornered you, huh?
She gave you an ultimatum
and you weren't ready.
-I told you I didn't know what to do!
-That's not true. You knew and you did it.
You're not suffering because you miss her,
nor because she's hurting at your refusal.
You're suffering because she was
your only chance to get out of here,
to overcome your fear.
You were defeated once again.
-You suffer because you failed.
-You're not helping me at all!
You make me miserable.
You enjoy my failures.
Don't be stupid, Samuel.
I show you how things are.
I encouraged you to get close to her.
I failed. It doesn't matter.
I'll find another method to help you.
Your methods are pure crap!
You're shaken by something else,
evidently.
Don't change the subject.
Who should I have met on the stairs,
Samuel?
It's none of your business.
Who did you meet today besides Laura?
You know what?
Get out.
Get the fuck out,
I don't want to see you anymore.
See you on Monday.
Laura! What are you doing here?
It's your fault.
What?
It's your fault.
-I didn't...
-They found me.
-No, I didn't want them to...
-I'm dead because of you.
No!
Shit...
Damn.
Who's there?
Don't hurt me!
What's your name? What do you want?
-Sonia Petrucci.
-What the hell are you doing here?
I need a place to stay, please.
I don't want to hurt you.
Put those scissors away.
Thanks.
Speak.
May I know your name?
I'm Samuel. Now talk.
I need a place to spend the night.
I'll leave at dawn, I swear.
Why my house?
The window was open.
What are you running away from?
I don't want to involve you
in my problems.
You snuck into my house.
I'm already involved.
And I have my own problems.
-So speak to me or I'll kick you out.
-I'm running away from the police.
Great. What did you do?
Do you know Leverpharma?
-The pharmaceutical company?.
-That one.
They make drugs for the nervous system.
Antidepressants, tranquilizers.
I took their stuff for years.
Do you have any boxes left?
No, my therapist threw them all out
when I was done.
Maybe there's some trash here.
Can I see it?
Why are you interested in my drugs?
You want to know my story or not?
You're lucky.
This was from the C26N series.
So what?
You weren't part of the experiment.
What are you talking about?
Can I have a shower?
You're out of your mind.
I'm not going to keep
these sweaty clothes on.
Do you have any spare clothes for me?
No I don't have any spare clothes for you.
-Not even your girlfriend's?
-I don't have...
Okay, have your shower.
I'll take care of the rest.
Thank you.
Thanks, Daphne.
This isn't what I meant
when I said I'd be waiting for your call.
For you.
I hope my clothes look good on her.
And I hope they're
a little more restrained than usual.
I loved chemistry since I was a child.
I studied hard,
but my parents were against it
because they wanted me to be a lawyer.
But I never cared about authority.
I've always done my own thing.
Six months ago, the dream.
A permanent contract with Leverpharma.
And like every dream, it didn't last.
Why? What happened?
I was nobody.
Still no PhD, manual labor,
zero responsibility.
My team was just a small part of
an entire branch on cancer treatments.
That sounds like a good thing, doesn't it?
Not if you create
your own guinea pigs to work on.
What did you just say?
My team creates drugs
that give patients cancer.
They falsify drug facts,
giving wrong information.
All the drugs of the C19N series
given to patients for various diseases,
from depression to panic attacks,
are actually harmful.
And the crazy thing is that there's
an entire branch that creates antidotes.
Double money.
Impossible.
Sending a man into a black hole
and hoping he'll come back is impossible.
But not this.
This is why I wanted
to check your medications.
That's bullshit. You want me to believe
that a nobody with no responsibility
discovers the criminal scam
of the century in just a few days?
I was seeing a researcher
from another team.
People talk in bed. I heard it from him.
Of course, that explains it.
Well, what about your escape?
I felt betrayed.
I'm not a criminal
and don't want to be one.
I could never be part of such atrocity.
I found the evidence
and put it on a hard drive.
I caught them.
Do you think I'm stupid?
Tell me honestly.
You want me to believe
that these super-secret files
were at the disposal
of the first idiot with a hard drive?
I was helped, okay?
-Your special researcher?
-The IT engineer.
You've certainly
done a lot for your company.
I didn't sleep with him.
I'll pretend to believe that.
So the managers found out about you
and reported you to the police?
No. The police can't know anything.
They're looking for me because I broke
into a supermarket during my escape.
You didn't think about the cameras?
I had no time. I was running for my life.
For your life?
Leverpharma hired two hitmen to kill me.
They already killed everyone
who helped me.
I'm the last.
-You said hitmen?
-Yes.
You said two?
Yes.
One with a beard and one with long hair?
Yes. You've seen them?
Maybe this house isn't
the safest place for you.
Five years ago
I was part of an anarchist group.
Bloodthirsty madmen, out of their minds.
Don't ask me why I was there. I just was.
We wanted to scare
the shit out of this country.
I hated everything that was authority.
Our leader called himself The Snake.
I think you may have met many bad guys,
but The Snake is the worst
the world has seen.
He's ruthless.
And Machiavellian.
But most of all, patient.
He wanted to be on the front page.
Detonating a bomb
in the central square on carnival day...
that was the plan.
Targeting politicians and businessmen
was one thing, but...
killing children, families...
It was too much.
So I decided to quit.
But of course,
The Snake didn't like that.
Then a few days later,
while I was having breakfast in a caf,
I heard a couple
having a fight in the square.
He was beating her.
So I decided to go out and stop him.
Their fight saved my life.
A few moments after I left,
a bomb exploded in the caf.
It was for me.
And so it's been five years
since I set foot outside this apartment.
Agoraphobia, my therapist says.
I kept myself alive in here
to watch my life dying out there.
I'm scared to live in the present
because of my past.
But the truth is I'm just alone.
I...
I end up losing everyone I love.
I've had enough.
I have to make a change in my life.
You know...
Your story is full of holes.
I think you probably lied
to me about everything.
My instincts tell me to kick you out.
But of this I'm sure:
you're scared.
I can see it in your eyes.
And I, more than anyone,
know what it means to live in fear.
That's why I'm going to help you.
We'll fight our fears together.
So I'll pretend to believe you
and I'll help you...
if you'll help me
get out of this damned house.
What do you think?
How did they find you?
The Snake has resources.
I'm surprised it took five years to do it.
Those goons...
I don't know them, they must be new.
What does he want from you?
-He wants to use me.
-For what?
I don't know if I can tell you.
I thought we should help each other.
He wants me to detonate a bomb
by remote control.
A bomb? And where's the remote control?
They're bringing it tomorrow night.
I have to press the button
on Tuesday morning.
-Where are the bombs?
-I don't know. I've no idea.
What happens if you don't do it?
-She'll be dead.
-Who?
Laura. The woman I think I love.
Okay.
What if it's a bluff?
A bluff?
You haven't left the house
for five years, Samuel.
How can you tell
if what they say is true or not?
The Snake never lies. I know him well.
You said he's not stupid. He knows
you've been stuck in here for five years.
How can't you think
that he's maybe playing with you?
He wants to be clean,
no matter what he does.
He wants to make me do
the thing that made me quit.
What if he just wants you to believe this?
You're not going out to see if
the bomb actually did blow, huh?
Maybe he has another goal.
Which is?
To get to me.
What?
You're right,
I didn't tell you everything.
What do you have to do with The Snake?
You're a fucking liar!
-He sent you, didn't he?
-No.
-You came here to kill me in my sleep.
-You're wrong.
And stop bullshitting me.
-Who the fuck are you really?
-I can't breathe.
Tell me the truth!
He's a partner of Leverpharma!
Roberto Leccia.
That's his real name, isn't it?
Yes.
Born in 1976 in Brescia,
eight years in youth anarchist groups,
married to Barbara Levi.
How do you know these things?
It was in the information
that I got on the hard drive.
How long has he been
a partner of Leverpharma?
Five years. Probably since you quit.
Shit, it's impossible.
That's why it's the same hitmen.
But The Snake couldn't possibly have
known that you'd break into my house.
Unless... you're his accomplice.
I swear it's not like that.
-How can I believe you?
-You can't, Samuel.
You're not just a prisoner of these walls,
you're a prisoner of other people's words.
You're forced to trust words. And mine
are as good as those of the hitmen.
Just like they told you
about bombs and anarchy,
I'm telling you that the bombs
are a bluff and they want me!
So they managed to make me
run to your house,
where you'd keep me
because you're scared of the bombs.
The Snake wants to kill
two birds with one stone.
Listen, both versions
are crazy and full of holes,
but you have no proof
to decide who to believe.
It's up to you!
But you said you wanted to help me.
We need a plan.
Do you think it will work?
I don't know. All we can do now is hope.
-Let's go through it one more time. Okay?
-Okay.
At 4:45 p.m. tomorrow
they'll bring me the remote control.
-But I'll be gone by 2 p.m.
-Correct.
When the goons come, they won't find you.
So if they really only want you,
they'll be forced to continue
the bomb bluff with me.
In the meantime
I'll call the police anonymously
and tell them the killers
are in your house.
Okay, I'll hold them,
and I'll tell the cops the killers
stole the Leverpharma hard drive.
And evil will be punished.
Sounds good.
It's shit, but it's our only option.
And then we'll wait.
For what?
For The Snake to show up.
No, he'll never do that, believe me.
Yes, he will. He wants his revenge.
And when he's here...
I'll kill him.
Expecting someone?
-Who's there?
-Samuel, it's me.
What are you doing here at this time?
I'll be frank with you, Samuel.
I've stuck with you for five years now,
and even though it's a bit unprofessional,
I care about you as a friend.
But also, I've been doing this job
for 15 years and nobody,
and I mean nobody, has ever
treated me the way you did.
I don't make a habit of getting angry,
you know that.
But I kept thinking about it tonight.
And you hurt me.
Are you here for an apology?
I'm here to finish our last session.
I don't think you're busy.
Or maybe you're waiting for someone?
No, not at all. Why?
You must really hate sleeping
if you make yourself two cups of coffee.
Oh, no, no, no. This...
This one is cold.
You're still acting quite strange.
Laura's goodbye shocked me.
If I wasn't as sure as I am that you're
incapable of hiding something from me,
I would say that you're
hiding something from me.
You're right.
I haven't told you everything.
I called Daphne again.
Was she the one I should've met
yesterday on the stairs?
That's right.
Then why all this difficulty telling me?
You've always been at ease
speaking about Daphne.
I was afraid you'd blame me.
For what?
For not choosing Laura.
For calling Daphne again
and choosing not to overcome my fear.
Don't be silly, Samuel. I'm not here
to scold you, but to help you.
By the way, I have to thank you.
For what?
I saw a documentary on TV last night.
They were talking about harmful drugs.
It seems a pharmaceutical company
is in trouble.
Nothing new.
But...
they said the name of the drug. C19N.
And I thought about the pills
you gave me for my panic attacks.
C26N.
Good ones.
I always do my homework.
I knew that C19N
was a little too aggressive.
I opted for something milder.
I just thought to say thank you.
When did you get so interested in drugs?
I sleep with a prostitute
on a daily basis.
I need to know things,
it may be dangerous.
I'm glad you opened up.
-It's good for you.
-And I'm sorry I lied.
Don't worry.
See you tomorrow at 5?
Speaking of that, you wouldn't be able to
come a little later, like around 8 p.m.?
Daphne was only free at 5.
I'll do my best, but I can't promise.
I already made an exception today.
At least let me find a clean apartment.
Heard everything?
-Yes.
-I'll make some coffee.
Don't, it's almost dinner time.
There's not much food in the house.
Since Laura's gone, I...
You could ask this Daphne.
She satisfies other kinds of appetites.
Is it true?
That I regularly see a prostitute?
No, I mean that you miss this Laura.
That you're shaken.
Let's see what food we've got.
Are you worried about the plan?
No.
Like you said, we just have to hope.
You've told me almost nothing about you.
Tell me more.
There's not much to say,
except that I always manage
to end up in the wrong situations.
But there must be something you like.
Sci-fi movies, rap music.
Are you in touch with your family?
Not as much as I'd like.
I'm still afraid that
I disappointed them with my choices.
They gave me everything
when I was a child.
I think I didn't give back enough.
I wish I could have been
a better daughter.
Are you alone now?
The only person I was seeing
is dead because of me.
If I'd minded my own business,
he'd still be alive
and we wouldn't be in this situation.
Well, if it's any consolation,
I'm not perfect either.
First, I lied to my therapist.
Laura's goodbye didn't shock me.
Yes, maybe I had feelings for her.
Maybe it was love, but it wasn't enough.
I only miss the cleaning lady.
It's horrible to say, but it's true.
Don't you feel bad for her pain?
No. Frankly, I couldn't care less.
My therapist said
I could have changed my life with her.
The problem is that I would have
moved from one house to another,
from one prison to another.
I'm not made for love.
It doesn't belong to me.
I'm sorry.
I'm not.
Why did you choose to believe me?
Well, if The Snake
had wanted me dead or in jail,
he would've done it long ago.
And the coincidences between his threat,
your arrival, and your story.
are definitely a lot.
In fact, there are so many things
that I still can't explain.
You finally got there!
This is not to say
that I still trust you totally.
But at least you didn't try
to break my nose.
I was hoping for something nicer.
I'm agoraphobic.
I don't know how to be nice.
No, we shouldn't.
It's true, we shouldn't.
Sonia! Sonia, it's late. You have to go.
Okay, I'll get ready.
-Who is it?
-It's me, Samuel.
Laura...
-Can I come in?
-Yes. Yes, of course.
-How are you?
-Fine, thank you.
I see no one is cleaning for you anymore.
Nope, no one.
What about groceries? How do you eat?
Why are you here?
I want to apologize.
I made a mistake.
I still think everything I told you,
but...
I love you, Samuel.
I miss you.
I can't live without you.
I'll wait for you, I promise.
I'll respect your time.
And as for the future, my expectations...
I don't care.
I only care about you.
Well, this isn't the reaction
I was hoping for.
No, Laura, it's just a bad time.
Is something wrong?
No, nothing.
You're still seeing that whore,
aren't you?
-Daphne has nothing to do with this.
-Unbelievable.
-I'm so stupid.
-Come back in a few days...
I always do the wrong thing.
-Laura, please...
-No! Don't try.
You deserve your loneliness.
-Where are you going?
-To the bathroom.
No, you can't use it.
-Why?
-It's broken.
-Sure, how do you do it? Let me pass.
-Laura, you can't.
Samuel, who's in that bathroom?
That whore is hiding in there, isn't she?
Let me pass!
What did you do?
What's your plan?
I help you. You help me.
You want to cut her up?
Yes.
What then?
We throw her in the garbage.
Yes, but then what are you going to do?
We'll wait for the killers
and kill them too.
You want to kill everyone?
If they were really following her,
they'll be here any minute.
We can't wait until 4:45 anymore.
We tear Laura apart,
kill the killers and call the police.
You'll say that you were running away from
me when you broke into the supermarket.
I'll say I stole all the Leverpharma data.
I'll confess everything
regarding The Snake.
I'll be imprisoned, you'll be free.
Why would you do that?
They'll have to take me out of this
fucking house to take me to prison.
Somehow we'll both have what we want.
You want to get out of here
to end up in another cell?
From one prison to another?
You're not thinking!
I just killed the woman who loved me most
in the last five years.
Yes, I'm not thinking
And your therapist?
What do you mean?
When they arrest you and try to figure
out whether you're lying or not,
they'll ask you a lot of questions
and he'll say that you made it all up,
that it was all a lie.
You haven't been outside in five years.
He still has his notes
in his briefcase, right?
Then we'll steal the case.
How?
By any means necessary.
They're sticking to the plan,
even though Laura's dead.
Why?
Because I was right.
They weren't keeping
an eye on your friend.
It was a lie.
The bombs, the blackmail...
-They want me.
-Then why are you still here?
If I run away, the police will find me.
And after what I did, I'm screwed anyway
I won't ever be able to sleep again.
It's better if they kill me now.
I won't let them hurt you.
Why didn't you let her in?
Sorry, what?
The girl. Why didn't you let her
come into the bathroom?
She would've found me. So what?
I could have been another one
of your whores. Why did you kill her?
She didn't have to know about you.
Nor about the bomb, nor anything else.
She could have left, but he didn't.
She had to die.
You're crazy.
-She would've talked to my therapist.
-So what?
He would've started to say things like,
"You don't hide anything."
I'm tired of being told what to do!
I just want to get out of
this fucking house and change my life.
And killing Laura helped with that.
No, no, no.
You don't understand.
If my therapist had come to know about
you, he would have wanted to meet you.
He wants to help me.
But he actually wants me
to stay locked up in this fucking house.
He constantly mortifies me,
he always gets in the way,
he's always one step ahead.
It's as if he's in my head.
Getting rid of my fear
isn't the real problem.
The real problem is getting rid of him.
You're raving.
You distort reality at your own will.
I think you're so scared that you can
no longer decide what's right for you.
You think everyone's plotting against you,
even the ones who want to help you.
Shit, you're crazy.
You're out of control!
You only think about yourself!
You asked me for help,
you got me into this,
and now a woman is dead,
and soon we will be too.
It's you who doesn't want
to get out of here,
not Tony forcing you to stay.
Tony?
You said Tony.
How do you know his name?
I never told you.
I don't... please...
What the fuck are you really?
Well, well, Mancini,
always ready for action.
Typical of you.
I hope I didn't interrupt something.
Stop right there. Otherwise...
Such a hurry!
Won't you even offer me a coffee?
Enough games. I know everything.
Would you be so kind as to update me?
I'm missing some pieces.
Your theatrics are over.
If The Snake wants her,
he has to kill me first.
Interesting.
Your life must be worthless if you're
willing to sacrifice it for someone else.
Or maybe you fell in love.
Stop. Don't you dare touch her.
Nice female. Interesting.
Calm down, Mancini, I have no reason
to hurt your girlfriend. I'm here for you.
Don't bullshit me.
She found out everything
about The Snake and Leverpharma.
That's why you're here from the beginning.
This is good, Mancini, really good.
I don't know who the fuck this bitch is
and I'm sick of this chit-chat.
No. No, things aren't like that.
Your bombs were a bluff.
You're looking for her
to take her to The Snake.
Leverpharma hired you so that
The Snake could make more money
from the harmful drugs and the antidote.
You came here
because you knew I would've kept her here.
Your imagination has no limits.
I give you credit for that, Mancini.
Now listen to me like you've never
listened to anyone before in your life.
I don't know who this girl is
and I don't know what she wants from you.
She's surely filled your head with
bullshit by exploiting your weaknesses,
maybe with some numbers in bed,
to get more credibility.
You think the bombs aren't real?
I want to remind you that
five years ago they almost killed you.
You don't believe me?
Fuses, fertilizer, bags, balaclavas,
even a van to put them in place.
Look here.
Are you ready to do your duty?
Or shall we kill your beloved friend?
You're too late.
I already did it.
It's not possible.
Yes, it is.
Now you have nothing against me.
So tell The Snake to fuck off.
I'll never detonate those bombs.
Kill me. You're only doing me a favor.
I pity you, Mancini.
It must be hard
to make one mistake after another.
Oh, God.
She's the one we were keeping an eye on.
So she definitely can't be
the person in that room.
I'll give you one last chance.
Are you ready to do your job, or not?
I'm ready.
Who are you?
There's no Leverpharma plot, is there?
You didn't run away.
You've not been chased by any hitmen.
Tony.
He sent you, didn't he?
Otherwise how could you know
all those things about me?
Tell me who you are.
I can't tell you the truth.
Why?
To protect you.
From whom?
From yourself.
I don't need it.
You know what I want to know.
"You can't learn the truth about
a man's intentions by asking for it."
Marcel Proust.
In the Shadow of
Young Girls in Flower, 1919.
I'm not asking for it.
I demand it.
Wow! The tension is a bit high,
don't you think?
We've been friends for a long time.
I'm on your side.
The truth, Tony.
Alright.
Let's do this. I'll tell you everything.
And in return, you stop
treating me like a criminal.
Deal?
It depends on what you're going to say.
I'll take that as a yes.
Stop!
I'm not running anyway.
Stay seated.
Speak.
There are two kinds of truths.
Simple truths,
whose opposite is clearly absurd,
and profound truths, the opposite of which
has in turn a profound truth.
Niels Bohr in his biography, 1967.
What is it?
Quote mania today? What does it mean?
That if you want to become a real
truth-seeker at least once in your life,
you have to doubt everything
as deeply as possible.
Descartes, Discourse on the Method, 1637.
Stop playing!
Tell me who you really are.
What do you want from me?
Why did you become my therapist?
Why did you send Sonia?
I'll answer all your questions.
But please make yourself comfortable.
It won't be easy for you
to accept what I'm going to say.
Please.
What's the price
you're willing to pay for the truth?
Any price.
Including with your life?
Because that's what's at stake. Your life.
Yes.
Even with your life, Samuel?
Shit, you can bet on it.
Let's start from the beginning, then.
I never met Sonia Petrucci before.
Bullshit.
Are you going to do this the whole time
or will you shut your mouth and listen?
I never met her but I know her well.
Character, habits, peculiarities,
attitudes, purposes, motivations.
I know who she is
and where she comes from.
Sonia works for you.
She lied to me from the beginning.
Se didn't lie to you,
she never worked for me.
You were the one who was incapable
of seeing her true nature.
And yet it's all been so clear,
right in front of your eyes.
I don't understand.
Tell me, Samuel, when did
Sonia Petrucci enter your apartment?
Two days ago, after...
After Daphne had left your room, bitter,
after Laura had left you,
after two goons had entered your apartment
to get you stuck in a terror plot.
How do you know these things?
And after we had a fight
and you kicked me out.
A collapse on all sides.
A very heavy weight
for a single man in a single day.
It all happened so quickly
in those few hours.
The stress must have
been tremendous, no doubt.
And you sent Sonia to distract me,
to ease my suffering.
I didn't send Sonia here.
You did it all by yourself.
Sonia Petrucci never existed, Samuel.
She entered my apartment.
She used my fucking bathroom.
We slept,
ate and fucked together.
I didn't make it up.
Samuel, try to think lucidly.
No, I...
Please, think about it. Focus on it.
Did you see her talk to
anyone else besides you?
Daphne gave her some clothes.
Did Daphne give them to her directly?
No. Sonia was in the shower.
And when I came here last night,
you kept looking at the bathroom door.
Was she hiding in there, for you?
Yes, she was hidden.
And Laura?
Did Laura ever see her?
When Laura came here to tell you
she loved you, and you killed her,
was Sonia there?
How do you know that I killed Laura?
Was Sonia there?
No, she was... No.
The killers,
when they came in, they talked to her.
Especially the one with the goatee.
These two are a case in point.
What does that mean?
It means you created Sonia, Samuel.
You made up a woman that's just like you.
A woman who possesses all the features you
like the most, both physical and mental.
She completes you. She doesn't judge you.
She runs away from authorities,
living in fear.
You even share your enemy.
The story she told you was full of holes,
because they're the holes
that your brain can't fill,
just like it happens in dreams.
The whole Big Pharma story
is a figment of your imagination.
Do you really believe it's so easy to
steal secret data from a super-computer?
That all the secrets of
a multinational corporation
are kept on a single hard drive?
You had doubts about that, too.
It's your mind simplifying things
because it can't provide answers.
You built causes and consequences.
She was all your projection,
which came from your mind.
And you knew it.
You had the truth in front of your eyes.
Part of you had doubts about her.
But you ignored it.
She knew about my past.
She knew about your past
because you know about your past.
She knew everything you knew.
Your brain created the situation
and you lived it in third person.
No. No!
You want your fucking proof?
Fine, I have proof.
There were bodies here. I...
I killed them all. They were...
It's impossible.
Samuel.
None of them were real.
I... I don't.
You've been living here alone
for five years now.
You've never seen anyone.
Nobody has ever come in here except me.
You wanted Laura to arrive early,
and she was early. Remember?
I remember their voices,
their steps, their smell.
"The more abstract
the truth you want to teach,
the more you have to seduce
the senses to it as well."
Nietzsche, Beyond Good and Evil, 1886.
I indulged you. I played your game.
For five years I supported your
projections, both positive and negative,
to use them in your favor,
to help you see the truth.
I put my hopes on Laura,
considering how you described her
and your fictional relationship.
I really believed there was
a chance for you to heal.
But it's been so hard.
Then you got confused, things got messy...
Your projections started
to interact with each other,
starting with Sonia's arrival.
And for your mind it became unbearable.
That's why you dreamed
of killing them all.
Tabula rasa.
Or did you really think you can handle
two armed men on your own?
You're good, Tony.
Shit, you're really good at this.
But you forgot some details.
Meaning?
If they were all my projections,
how could you know everything every time?
How could you be one step ahead?
Our talks about Laura, Daphne...
You knew everything
even before I told you.
They spoke to you, huh?
It's time, Samuel.
We've come to the point where I ask
you the same question again.
Would you pay the price for the truth
with your own life?
Without hesitation.
Open my briefcase, then.
What's inside?
The truth about you.
What does that mean?
It's so obvious.
It means that...
You too don't exist, Samuel.
I made you up.
You're a figment of my imagination.
Your experiences, your memories,
your dreams, they're all mine.
Your past is my past.
I'm the one who's stuck in this house.
I bet you can't remember how you
entered this house five years ago.
I'm not the therapist, I'm the patient.
And my therapist suggested
that I push you,
my mental projection, out of this house.
If I did it, I would've been free now...
and you would be dead.
But you slipped out of my hands
and started to believe.
that I was your therapist.
-It's not like that...
-Stop being a problem, accept the truth!
How can you possibly not realize
that we're the same person?
You almost succeeded when you
thought I was behind everything.
You got rid of all our projections!
Speaking of them, didn't you realize
that they were perfect for our situation?
Daphne, the most Freudian sexual impulse,
turned into flesh and bone.
You paid her with the money
of an infinite inheritance.
Do you really believe this crap?
And Laura, sweet Laura.
The desire for a stable relationship,
for true love,
the one I'm not able to stand!
The projection of the desire to heal,
to get out of this house.
Sure, you see the house like this,
but it's not like this.
I'm in a shitty hospital room.
That's where The Snake comes from.
He's the representation of our illness,
of what keeps us imprisoned.
Never seen in person, like every illness,
we can only see its effects.
Sonia's been the most explosive effect,
a projection created directly by you.
But you and I share the same mind.
You can't do anything without my
knowledge, because you are my product.
That's why Sonia wanted to protect you
before you killed her.
She didn't want you to find this out.
We met every day at 5 p.m. Weird, huh?
It's the time they give me my drugs,
the ones that allow me
to be disassociated from you.
The same ones which you thought were
dangerous with that Leverpharma shit,
to save yourself.
I only made two exceptions
last night and today.
Remember?
You don't know how much
they tormented me before allowing me.
But I felt that I was close
to the solution.
You're not real, Samuel.
And now that I've told you,
I beg you to get out of here.
I want to get better. And I'm sorry,
but for that to happen,
you have to die.
Come in!
I told you they were something else.
Good evening, doctor.
Good evening, Tony. Dinner time.
Please, be patient. I'm almost done here.
I'm proud of you, Tony.
What's for dinner tonight?
The chef was inspired today.
Fish.
Nice.
We have to celebrate.
We have a guest tonight.
-Laura.
-Samuel.
What time is it?
08:30.
I fell asleep three hours ago.
-Let me sleep.
-Get up, lazybones!
I brought you some chips.
You're early. Is that on purpose?
Why would I do that?
I wanted to call you yesterday
to tell you to come early, but I forgot.
Why did you want me to come early?
We need to look at your pictures.
That's gross, it's so early.
-Want some?
-No.
No, thank you.
-For the groceries.
-Thank you.
No, thank you. As always.
After five years
you still thank me every time.
And after five years you still
buy me food and clean my house.
Listen, why don't you come with me
next Saturday?
I... I don't think that...
It's just a supermarket, Samuel.
I'm not ready yet.
-I'll be with you.
-Laura!
I can't.
Fine.
See you Saturday, then.
You want me to come on time,
or be early like today?
Whatever you like.
Fine.
Bye.
Always on time.
Being on time is what reliable people do.
-Are you sure you're comfortable?
-Yes, don't worry.
How do you feel today?
-Relaxed.
-Liar.
I can see when you're lying.
After five years of daily therapy
you still think you can fool me?
What's bothering you?
Laura.
Your maid makes you nervous?
She's a friend.
If she's a friend
then why are you nervous?
I think she fell in love with me.
She was weird today.
And yesterday.
The day before, too.
The way she looks at me,
the way she speaks to me...
Today she showed up early
and brought me some chips I love.
But I hadn't even asked for them.
What about you?
How do you feel about this?
I'm confused.
I long to see her
but then I always try to push her away.
What do you feel for her?
I care for her.
If she decided to stop seeing you,
how would you feel?
I think I'd be sad.
You think?
Yeah, I mean, I like her,
both physically and as a person.
But I don't think that's enough to...
She asked you to leave this house.
-How do you know that?
-Logic.
Your agoraphobia
has trapped you here for five years.
And even if our therapy helped you
to overcome the fear of people,
you still can't accept that
real life is outside this house.
You're still too scared that the trauma
you suffered could happen again.
Hey. I know you better than you do.
Trust me.
Your doubts aren't your feelings,
you know very well what you feel.
They're about the fact that, in order to
get what you want and stay with Laura,
you need to get out of here.
What should I do?
We're in an advanced phase
of your systematic desensitization.
We already found the nature of your fear.
We've done all the physical
and pharmaceutical procedures.
You're surrounded by people again.
Right now, I think the only thing to do
is to follow your instinct.
Embrace your feelings.
Love can be a way to overcome your fear.
-Hi, handsome.
-Daphne.
Are you turned on already
or do you need some help?
I forgot to call you.
You can stay home tonight.
I had to come. I need your money.
That's not news.
I know. It's my job.
What, you're paying me before?
Come on, get out of here.
What's up?
Something's wrong.
I'm not in the mood.
Let me calm you down.
You said you wanted your money.
Here it is. Now leave.
You've changed.
You know nothing.
You're thinking about a woman.
Maybe. So what?
You need to let her go.
What if I don't want to?
You'll lose me.
Why didn't you just take the money?
Clients in love are the worst.
They won't be clients for long.
And you pay me 200 every time.
I can't afford to respect your feelings.
Will you call her?
Yes, I will.
Why?
I'm attracted to her.
I like her body.
She pleases me sexually.
So it's just physical pleasure.
She's very good at it.
I don't doubt it.
You don't seem convinced, though.
I'm not convinced by your answers.
Come on, then. Why do I do that?
You're not in my head.
We could talk about this.
However, you read a lot.
So I think you know who Oedipus is.
-I do.
-So don't play dumb.
Your mother was a prostitute
and your father her rich and violent pimp.
With the money you inherited, you can
live without a job for the next 40 years.
Sure, the moral misery you grew up into,
the choices you made without a guide,
-the accident, the agoraphobia...
-Get to the point.
You blame your parents
for everything in your life.
Daphne may be a sex machine, but
that's not why you can't do without her.
She's a prostitute like your mother,
and you pay her with your father's money.
And this makes you a real Oedipus.
Plus, your affection for Daphne forbids
you from having a story with Laura,
the same story that could lead you
to overcome your fear.
Comfort zone, huh?
And we're back to the start.
Nice analysis.
I'm here to help you, not comfort you.
I do what's right for you,
not what you think is right.
Soon things will have to change, Samuel.
Don't let the ghosts of the past
influence you.
You must make this change.
When will this happen?
When will I do it?
Soon, I hope. For everybody's sake.
Thank you.
You're welcome.
Better than those chips.
Maybe.
I need to apologize.
For what?
For the other day.
For asking you to leave here.
I thought you...
Well, that maybe with me you could...
Forget it.
Don't apologize.
You did what was right for you. It's okay.
No, it's not okay.
I will do it, sooner or later. Believe me.
That's the point, though, Samuel.
Sooner or later but when?
I'm working on it.
You know it can't work like this.
What do you mean?
Don't play dumb, Samuel.
I see how you look at me
and you're not stupid.
We've been more than friends for a while.
Wait, wait, wait.
What do you mean?
You want me to say it? Fine.
I'm in love with you, Samuel.
I love you like a teenager,
and even a blind person
could see it's the same for you.
But how can we stay together?
How can we have a story?
Even if we say let's do it,
how can we make this work
if you can't even step outside that door?
"Sooner or later I'll do it," you say.
But when?
You gave me a set of your keys,
but it's not enough
to make me part of your life.
This house is my life, Laura.
And if you love me like you say,
you should understand that.
I suffer for you, Samuel.
But I can't be your nurse,
I can't be the nanny of the man I love!
I can't become a prisoner myself!
What are you trying to say?
I can't come here anymore.
Are you abandoning me?
I'm sorry.
Tony, you're early.
Hey! Stop!
Stop!
Who the fuck are you? Why are you here?
Calm down, Mancini.
We'll be quick and painless.
-Get out of my house!
-Stop!
We're not here to hurt him.
-What do you want from me?
-Shut up and listen.
Our boss had an idea.
He told me you never leave this house,
is it true?
-It's none of your business.
-I'll take that as a yes.
Well...
If you got out of here, you'd know no one
cares about anyone anymore.
Governments do their shit
and people praise them.
Same shit every day.
That's why the boss had this idea.
We'll eradicate the problem.
We'll strike a blow
against this shitty world.
A god without believers
isn't a real god, is it?
Bombs are already in place.
We'll hit soon.
The problem is we have enemies.
And the police too.
Those bastards
have files on almost all of us.
But they've no proof to arrest us
and they don't know where the bombs are.
But soon they'll know.
This is where you come in.
-What do you mean?
-You'll push the button.
A man with no criminal record
who never leaves the house.
The police will never get you.
And they'll need a warrant
to come inside this house.
This is why we'll give you
a remote control in two days.
At 9a.m. on the third day from now,
you'll push the button.
You'll be on the other side this time,
Samuel.
You think the boss didn't tell me
what happened to you?
This time you'll blow up the bomb
and we'll hit this shitty world.
-I won't...
-You won't do it, of course.
We knew you'd play the hero.
That's why we're
keeping an eye on her, too.
She looked pretty sad this morning
when she left here.
You shouldn't treat nice girls this way.
See? You'll cooperate.
See you in 48 hours.
Who's sent you? Because the man I know
would do more than this.
That's why they call him The Snake.
Is something wrong?
-Did you see anyone on the stairs?
-What?
Forget it.
Can I come in or are we
going to stay at the door today?
Yes, sorry. It's a bad time.
Tell me everything.
Have you seen Laura today?
-Yes.
-What happened?
She left her keys. She won't come anymore.
How do you feel?
How do I feel? How do you think?
It sucks!
But you chose to suffer instead of facing
your fear and following your desire.
-I didn't know what to do.
-She cornered you, huh?
She gave you an ultimatum
and you weren't ready.
-I told you I didn't know what to do!
-That's not true. You knew and you did it.
You're not suffering because you miss her,
nor because she's hurting at your refusal.
You're suffering because she was
your only chance to get out of here,
to overcome your fear.
You were defeated once again.
-You suffer because you failed.
-You're not helping me at all!
You make me miserable.
You enjoy my failures.
Don't be stupid, Samuel.
I show you how things are.
I encouraged you to get close to her.
I failed. It doesn't matter.
I'll find another method to help you.
Your methods are pure crap!
You're shaken by something else,
evidently.
Don't change the subject.
Who should I have met on the stairs,
Samuel?
It's none of your business.
Who did you meet today besides Laura?
You know what?
Get out.
Get the fuck out,
I don't want to see you anymore.
See you on Monday.
Laura! What are you doing here?
It's your fault.
What?
It's your fault.
-I didn't...
-They found me.
-No, I didn't want them to...
-I'm dead because of you.
No!
Shit...
Damn.
Who's there?
Don't hurt me!
What's your name? What do you want?
-Sonia Petrucci.
-What the hell are you doing here?
I need a place to stay, please.
I don't want to hurt you.
Put those scissors away.
Thanks.
Speak.
May I know your name?
I'm Samuel. Now talk.
I need a place to spend the night.
I'll leave at dawn, I swear.
Why my house?
The window was open.
What are you running away from?
I don't want to involve you
in my problems.
You snuck into my house.
I'm already involved.
And I have my own problems.
-So speak to me or I'll kick you out.
-I'm running away from the police.
Great. What did you do?
Do you know Leverpharma?
-The pharmaceutical company?.
-That one.
They make drugs for the nervous system.
Antidepressants, tranquilizers.
I took their stuff for years.
Do you have any boxes left?
No, my therapist threw them all out
when I was done.
Maybe there's some trash here.
Can I see it?
Why are you interested in my drugs?
You want to know my story or not?
You're lucky.
This was from the C26N series.
So what?
You weren't part of the experiment.
What are you talking about?
Can I have a shower?
You're out of your mind.
I'm not going to keep
these sweaty clothes on.
Do you have any spare clothes for me?
No I don't have any spare clothes for you.
-Not even your girlfriend's?
-I don't have...
Okay, have your shower.
I'll take care of the rest.
Thank you.
Thanks, Daphne.
This isn't what I meant
when I said I'd be waiting for your call.
For you.
I hope my clothes look good on her.
And I hope they're
a little more restrained than usual.
I loved chemistry since I was a child.
I studied hard,
but my parents were against it
because they wanted me to be a lawyer.
But I never cared about authority.
I've always done my own thing.
Six months ago, the dream.
A permanent contract with Leverpharma.
And like every dream, it didn't last.
Why? What happened?
I was nobody.
Still no PhD, manual labor,
zero responsibility.
My team was just a small part of
an entire branch on cancer treatments.
That sounds like a good thing, doesn't it?
Not if you create
your own guinea pigs to work on.
What did you just say?
My team creates drugs
that give patients cancer.
They falsify drug facts,
giving wrong information.
All the drugs of the C19N series
given to patients for various diseases,
from depression to panic attacks,
are actually harmful.
And the crazy thing is that there's
an entire branch that creates antidotes.
Double money.
Impossible.
Sending a man into a black hole
and hoping he'll come back is impossible.
But not this.
This is why I wanted
to check your medications.
That's bullshit. You want me to believe
that a nobody with no responsibility
discovers the criminal scam
of the century in just a few days?
I was seeing a researcher
from another team.
People talk in bed. I heard it from him.
Of course, that explains it.
Well, what about your escape?
I felt betrayed.
I'm not a criminal
and don't want to be one.
I could never be part of such atrocity.
I found the evidence
and put it on a hard drive.
I caught them.
Do you think I'm stupid?
Tell me honestly.
You want me to believe
that these super-secret files
were at the disposal
of the first idiot with a hard drive?
I was helped, okay?
-Your special researcher?
-The IT engineer.
You've certainly
done a lot for your company.
I didn't sleep with him.
I'll pretend to believe that.
So the managers found out about you
and reported you to the police?
No. The police can't know anything.
They're looking for me because I broke
into a supermarket during my escape.
You didn't think about the cameras?
I had no time. I was running for my life.
For your life?
Leverpharma hired two hitmen to kill me.
They already killed everyone
who helped me.
I'm the last.
-You said hitmen?
-Yes.
You said two?
Yes.
One with a beard and one with long hair?
Yes. You've seen them?
Maybe this house isn't
the safest place for you.
Five years ago
I was part of an anarchist group.
Bloodthirsty madmen, out of their minds.
Don't ask me why I was there. I just was.
We wanted to scare
the shit out of this country.
I hated everything that was authority.
Our leader called himself The Snake.
I think you may have met many bad guys,
but The Snake is the worst
the world has seen.
He's ruthless.
And Machiavellian.
But most of all, patient.
He wanted to be on the front page.
Detonating a bomb
in the central square on carnival day...
that was the plan.
Targeting politicians and businessmen
was one thing, but...
killing children, families...
It was too much.
So I decided to quit.
But of course,
The Snake didn't like that.
Then a few days later,
while I was having breakfast in a caf,
I heard a couple
having a fight in the square.
He was beating her.
So I decided to go out and stop him.
Their fight saved my life.
A few moments after I left,
a bomb exploded in the caf.
It was for me.
And so it's been five years
since I set foot outside this apartment.
Agoraphobia, my therapist says.
I kept myself alive in here
to watch my life dying out there.
I'm scared to live in the present
because of my past.
But the truth is I'm just alone.
I...
I end up losing everyone I love.
I've had enough.
I have to make a change in my life.
You know...
Your story is full of holes.
I think you probably lied
to me about everything.
My instincts tell me to kick you out.
But of this I'm sure:
you're scared.
I can see it in your eyes.
And I, more than anyone,
know what it means to live in fear.
That's why I'm going to help you.
We'll fight our fears together.
So I'll pretend to believe you
and I'll help you...
if you'll help me
get out of this damned house.
What do you think?
How did they find you?
The Snake has resources.
I'm surprised it took five years to do it.
Those goons...
I don't know them, they must be new.
What does he want from you?
-He wants to use me.
-For what?
I don't know if I can tell you.
I thought we should help each other.
He wants me to detonate a bomb
by remote control.
A bomb? And where's the remote control?
They're bringing it tomorrow night.
I have to press the button
on Tuesday morning.
-Where are the bombs?
-I don't know. I've no idea.
What happens if you don't do it?
-She'll be dead.
-Who?
Laura. The woman I think I love.
Okay.
What if it's a bluff?
A bluff?
You haven't left the house
for five years, Samuel.
How can you tell
if what they say is true or not?
The Snake never lies. I know him well.
You said he's not stupid. He knows
you've been stuck in here for five years.
How can't you think
that he's maybe playing with you?
He wants to be clean,
no matter what he does.
He wants to make me do
the thing that made me quit.
What if he just wants you to believe this?
You're not going out to see if
the bomb actually did blow, huh?
Maybe he has another goal.
Which is?
To get to me.
What?
You're right,
I didn't tell you everything.
What do you have to do with The Snake?
You're a fucking liar!
-He sent you, didn't he?
-No.
-You came here to kill me in my sleep.
-You're wrong.
And stop bullshitting me.
-Who the fuck are you really?
-I can't breathe.
Tell me the truth!
He's a partner of Leverpharma!
Roberto Leccia.
That's his real name, isn't it?
Yes.
Born in 1976 in Brescia,
eight years in youth anarchist groups,
married to Barbara Levi.
How do you know these things?
It was in the information
that I got on the hard drive.
How long has he been
a partner of Leverpharma?
Five years. Probably since you quit.
Shit, it's impossible.
That's why it's the same hitmen.
But The Snake couldn't possibly have
known that you'd break into my house.
Unless... you're his accomplice.
I swear it's not like that.
-How can I believe you?
-You can't, Samuel.
You're not just a prisoner of these walls,
you're a prisoner of other people's words.
You're forced to trust words. And mine
are as good as those of the hitmen.
Just like they told you
about bombs and anarchy,
I'm telling you that the bombs
are a bluff and they want me!
So they managed to make me
run to your house,
where you'd keep me
because you're scared of the bombs.
The Snake wants to kill
two birds with one stone.
Listen, both versions
are crazy and full of holes,
but you have no proof
to decide who to believe.
It's up to you!
But you said you wanted to help me.
We need a plan.
Do you think it will work?
I don't know. All we can do now is hope.
-Let's go through it one more time. Okay?
-Okay.
At 4:45 p.m. tomorrow
they'll bring me the remote control.
-But I'll be gone by 2 p.m.
-Correct.
When the goons come, they won't find you.
So if they really only want you,
they'll be forced to continue
the bomb bluff with me.
In the meantime
I'll call the police anonymously
and tell them the killers
are in your house.
Okay, I'll hold them,
and I'll tell the cops the killers
stole the Leverpharma hard drive.
And evil will be punished.
Sounds good.
It's shit, but it's our only option.
And then we'll wait.
For what?
For The Snake to show up.
No, he'll never do that, believe me.
Yes, he will. He wants his revenge.
And when he's here...
I'll kill him.
Expecting someone?
-Who's there?
-Samuel, it's me.
What are you doing here at this time?
I'll be frank with you, Samuel.
I've stuck with you for five years now,
and even though it's a bit unprofessional,
I care about you as a friend.
But also, I've been doing this job
for 15 years and nobody,
and I mean nobody, has ever
treated me the way you did.
I don't make a habit of getting angry,
you know that.
But I kept thinking about it tonight.
And you hurt me.
Are you here for an apology?
I'm here to finish our last session.
I don't think you're busy.
Or maybe you're waiting for someone?
No, not at all. Why?
You must really hate sleeping
if you make yourself two cups of coffee.
Oh, no, no, no. This...
This one is cold.
You're still acting quite strange.
Laura's goodbye shocked me.
If I wasn't as sure as I am that you're
incapable of hiding something from me,
I would say that you're
hiding something from me.
You're right.
I haven't told you everything.
I called Daphne again.
Was she the one I should've met
yesterday on the stairs?
That's right.
Then why all this difficulty telling me?
You've always been at ease
speaking about Daphne.
I was afraid you'd blame me.
For what?
For not choosing Laura.
For calling Daphne again
and choosing not to overcome my fear.
Don't be silly, Samuel. I'm not here
to scold you, but to help you.
By the way, I have to thank you.
For what?
I saw a documentary on TV last night.
They were talking about harmful drugs.
It seems a pharmaceutical company
is in trouble.
Nothing new.
But...
they said the name of the drug. C19N.
And I thought about the pills
you gave me for my panic attacks.
C26N.
Good ones.
I always do my homework.
I knew that C19N
was a little too aggressive.
I opted for something milder.
I just thought to say thank you.
When did you get so interested in drugs?
I sleep with a prostitute
on a daily basis.
I need to know things,
it may be dangerous.
I'm glad you opened up.
-It's good for you.
-And I'm sorry I lied.
Don't worry.
See you tomorrow at 5?
Speaking of that, you wouldn't be able to
come a little later, like around 8 p.m.?
Daphne was only free at 5.
I'll do my best, but I can't promise.
I already made an exception today.
At least let me find a clean apartment.
Heard everything?
-Yes.
-I'll make some coffee.
Don't, it's almost dinner time.
There's not much food in the house.
Since Laura's gone, I...
You could ask this Daphne.
She satisfies other kinds of appetites.
Is it true?
That I regularly see a prostitute?
No, I mean that you miss this Laura.
That you're shaken.
Let's see what food we've got.
Are you worried about the plan?
No.
Like you said, we just have to hope.
You've told me almost nothing about you.
Tell me more.
There's not much to say,
except that I always manage
to end up in the wrong situations.
But there must be something you like.
Sci-fi movies, rap music.
Are you in touch with your family?
Not as much as I'd like.
I'm still afraid that
I disappointed them with my choices.
They gave me everything
when I was a child.
I think I didn't give back enough.
I wish I could have been
a better daughter.
Are you alone now?
The only person I was seeing
is dead because of me.
If I'd minded my own business,
he'd still be alive
and we wouldn't be in this situation.
Well, if it's any consolation,
I'm not perfect either.
First, I lied to my therapist.
Laura's goodbye didn't shock me.
Yes, maybe I had feelings for her.
Maybe it was love, but it wasn't enough.
I only miss the cleaning lady.
It's horrible to say, but it's true.
Don't you feel bad for her pain?
No. Frankly, I couldn't care less.
My therapist said
I could have changed my life with her.
The problem is that I would have
moved from one house to another,
from one prison to another.
I'm not made for love.
It doesn't belong to me.
I'm sorry.
I'm not.
Why did you choose to believe me?
Well, if The Snake
had wanted me dead or in jail,
he would've done it long ago.
And the coincidences between his threat,
your arrival, and your story.
are definitely a lot.
In fact, there are so many things
that I still can't explain.
You finally got there!
This is not to say
that I still trust you totally.
But at least you didn't try
to break my nose.
I was hoping for something nicer.
I'm agoraphobic.
I don't know how to be nice.
No, we shouldn't.
It's true, we shouldn't.
Sonia! Sonia, it's late. You have to go.
Okay, I'll get ready.
-Who is it?
-It's me, Samuel.
Laura...
-Can I come in?
-Yes. Yes, of course.
-How are you?
-Fine, thank you.
I see no one is cleaning for you anymore.
Nope, no one.
What about groceries? How do you eat?
Why are you here?
I want to apologize.
I made a mistake.
I still think everything I told you,
but...
I love you, Samuel.
I miss you.
I can't live without you.
I'll wait for you, I promise.
I'll respect your time.
And as for the future, my expectations...
I don't care.
I only care about you.
Well, this isn't the reaction
I was hoping for.
No, Laura, it's just a bad time.
Is something wrong?
No, nothing.
You're still seeing that whore,
aren't you?
-Daphne has nothing to do with this.
-Unbelievable.
-I'm so stupid.
-Come back in a few days...
I always do the wrong thing.
-Laura, please...
-No! Don't try.
You deserve your loneliness.
-Where are you going?
-To the bathroom.
No, you can't use it.
-Why?
-It's broken.
-Sure, how do you do it? Let me pass.
-Laura, you can't.
Samuel, who's in that bathroom?
That whore is hiding in there, isn't she?
Let me pass!
What did you do?
What's your plan?
I help you. You help me.
You want to cut her up?
Yes.
What then?
We throw her in the garbage.
Yes, but then what are you going to do?
We'll wait for the killers
and kill them too.
You want to kill everyone?
If they were really following her,
they'll be here any minute.
We can't wait until 4:45 anymore.
We tear Laura apart,
kill the killers and call the police.
You'll say that you were running away from
me when you broke into the supermarket.
I'll say I stole all the Leverpharma data.
I'll confess everything
regarding The Snake.
I'll be imprisoned, you'll be free.
Why would you do that?
They'll have to take me out of this
fucking house to take me to prison.
Somehow we'll both have what we want.
You want to get out of here
to end up in another cell?
From one prison to another?
You're not thinking!
I just killed the woman who loved me most
in the last five years.
Yes, I'm not thinking
And your therapist?
What do you mean?
When they arrest you and try to figure
out whether you're lying or not,
they'll ask you a lot of questions
and he'll say that you made it all up,
that it was all a lie.
You haven't been outside in five years.
He still has his notes
in his briefcase, right?
Then we'll steal the case.
How?
By any means necessary.
They're sticking to the plan,
even though Laura's dead.
Why?
Because I was right.
They weren't keeping
an eye on your friend.
It was a lie.
The bombs, the blackmail...
-They want me.
-Then why are you still here?
If I run away, the police will find me.
And after what I did, I'm screwed anyway
I won't ever be able to sleep again.
It's better if they kill me now.
I won't let them hurt you.
Why didn't you let her in?
Sorry, what?
The girl. Why didn't you let her
come into the bathroom?
She would've found me. So what?
I could have been another one
of your whores. Why did you kill her?
She didn't have to know about you.
Nor about the bomb, nor anything else.
She could have left, but he didn't.
She had to die.
You're crazy.
-She would've talked to my therapist.
-So what?
He would've started to say things like,
"You don't hide anything."
I'm tired of being told what to do!
I just want to get out of
this fucking house and change my life.
And killing Laura helped with that.
No, no, no.
You don't understand.
If my therapist had come to know about
you, he would have wanted to meet you.
He wants to help me.
But he actually wants me
to stay locked up in this fucking house.
He constantly mortifies me,
he always gets in the way,
he's always one step ahead.
It's as if he's in my head.
Getting rid of my fear
isn't the real problem.
The real problem is getting rid of him.
You're raving.
You distort reality at your own will.
I think you're so scared that you can
no longer decide what's right for you.
You think everyone's plotting against you,
even the ones who want to help you.
Shit, you're crazy.
You're out of control!
You only think about yourself!
You asked me for help,
you got me into this,
and now a woman is dead,
and soon we will be too.
It's you who doesn't want
to get out of here,
not Tony forcing you to stay.
Tony?
You said Tony.
How do you know his name?
I never told you.
I don't... please...
What the fuck are you really?
Well, well, Mancini,
always ready for action.
Typical of you.
I hope I didn't interrupt something.
Stop right there. Otherwise...
Such a hurry!
Won't you even offer me a coffee?
Enough games. I know everything.
Would you be so kind as to update me?
I'm missing some pieces.
Your theatrics are over.
If The Snake wants her,
he has to kill me first.
Interesting.
Your life must be worthless if you're
willing to sacrifice it for someone else.
Or maybe you fell in love.
Stop. Don't you dare touch her.
Nice female. Interesting.
Calm down, Mancini, I have no reason
to hurt your girlfriend. I'm here for you.
Don't bullshit me.
She found out everything
about The Snake and Leverpharma.
That's why you're here from the beginning.
This is good, Mancini, really good.
I don't know who the fuck this bitch is
and I'm sick of this chit-chat.
No. No, things aren't like that.
Your bombs were a bluff.
You're looking for her
to take her to The Snake.
Leverpharma hired you so that
The Snake could make more money
from the harmful drugs and the antidote.
You came here
because you knew I would've kept her here.
Your imagination has no limits.
I give you credit for that, Mancini.
Now listen to me like you've never
listened to anyone before in your life.
I don't know who this girl is
and I don't know what she wants from you.
She's surely filled your head with
bullshit by exploiting your weaknesses,
maybe with some numbers in bed,
to get more credibility.
You think the bombs aren't real?
I want to remind you that
five years ago they almost killed you.
You don't believe me?
Fuses, fertilizer, bags, balaclavas,
even a van to put them in place.
Look here.
Are you ready to do your duty?
Or shall we kill your beloved friend?
You're too late.
I already did it.
It's not possible.
Yes, it is.
Now you have nothing against me.
So tell The Snake to fuck off.
I'll never detonate those bombs.
Kill me. You're only doing me a favor.
I pity you, Mancini.
It must be hard
to make one mistake after another.
Oh, God.
She's the one we were keeping an eye on.
So she definitely can't be
the person in that room.
I'll give you one last chance.
Are you ready to do your job, or not?
I'm ready.
Who are you?
There's no Leverpharma plot, is there?
You didn't run away.
You've not been chased by any hitmen.
Tony.
He sent you, didn't he?
Otherwise how could you know
all those things about me?
Tell me who you are.
I can't tell you the truth.
Why?
To protect you.
From whom?
From yourself.
I don't need it.
You know what I want to know.
"You can't learn the truth about
a man's intentions by asking for it."
Marcel Proust.
In the Shadow of
Young Girls in Flower, 1919.
I'm not asking for it.
I demand it.
Wow! The tension is a bit high,
don't you think?
We've been friends for a long time.
I'm on your side.
The truth, Tony.
Alright.
Let's do this. I'll tell you everything.
And in return, you stop
treating me like a criminal.
Deal?
It depends on what you're going to say.
I'll take that as a yes.
Stop!
I'm not running anyway.
Stay seated.
Speak.
There are two kinds of truths.
Simple truths,
whose opposite is clearly absurd,
and profound truths, the opposite of which
has in turn a profound truth.
Niels Bohr in his biography, 1967.
What is it?
Quote mania today? What does it mean?
That if you want to become a real
truth-seeker at least once in your life,
you have to doubt everything
as deeply as possible.
Descartes, Discourse on the Method, 1637.
Stop playing!
Tell me who you really are.
What do you want from me?
Why did you become my therapist?
Why did you send Sonia?
I'll answer all your questions.
But please make yourself comfortable.
It won't be easy for you
to accept what I'm going to say.
Please.
What's the price
you're willing to pay for the truth?
Any price.
Including with your life?
Because that's what's at stake. Your life.
Yes.
Even with your life, Samuel?
Shit, you can bet on it.
Let's start from the beginning, then.
I never met Sonia Petrucci before.
Bullshit.
Are you going to do this the whole time
or will you shut your mouth and listen?
I never met her but I know her well.
Character, habits, peculiarities,
attitudes, purposes, motivations.
I know who she is
and where she comes from.
Sonia works for you.
She lied to me from the beginning.
Se didn't lie to you,
she never worked for me.
You were the one who was incapable
of seeing her true nature.
And yet it's all been so clear,
right in front of your eyes.
I don't understand.
Tell me, Samuel, when did
Sonia Petrucci enter your apartment?
Two days ago, after...
After Daphne had left your room, bitter,
after Laura had left you,
after two goons had entered your apartment
to get you stuck in a terror plot.
How do you know these things?
And after we had a fight
and you kicked me out.
A collapse on all sides.
A very heavy weight
for a single man in a single day.
It all happened so quickly
in those few hours.
The stress must have
been tremendous, no doubt.
And you sent Sonia to distract me,
to ease my suffering.
I didn't send Sonia here.
You did it all by yourself.
Sonia Petrucci never existed, Samuel.
She entered my apartment.
She used my fucking bathroom.
We slept,
ate and fucked together.
I didn't make it up.
Samuel, try to think lucidly.
No, I...
Please, think about it. Focus on it.
Did you see her talk to
anyone else besides you?
Daphne gave her some clothes.
Did Daphne give them to her directly?
No. Sonia was in the shower.
And when I came here last night,
you kept looking at the bathroom door.
Was she hiding in there, for you?
Yes, she was hidden.
And Laura?
Did Laura ever see her?
When Laura came here to tell you
she loved you, and you killed her,
was Sonia there?
How do you know that I killed Laura?
Was Sonia there?
No, she was... No.
The killers,
when they came in, they talked to her.
Especially the one with the goatee.
These two are a case in point.
What does that mean?
It means you created Sonia, Samuel.
You made up a woman that's just like you.
A woman who possesses all the features you
like the most, both physical and mental.
She completes you. She doesn't judge you.
She runs away from authorities,
living in fear.
You even share your enemy.
The story she told you was full of holes,
because they're the holes
that your brain can't fill,
just like it happens in dreams.
The whole Big Pharma story
is a figment of your imagination.
Do you really believe it's so easy to
steal secret data from a super-computer?
That all the secrets of
a multinational corporation
are kept on a single hard drive?
You had doubts about that, too.
It's your mind simplifying things
because it can't provide answers.
You built causes and consequences.
She was all your projection,
which came from your mind.
And you knew it.
You had the truth in front of your eyes.
Part of you had doubts about her.
But you ignored it.
She knew about my past.
She knew about your past
because you know about your past.
She knew everything you knew.
Your brain created the situation
and you lived it in third person.
No. No!
You want your fucking proof?
Fine, I have proof.
There were bodies here. I...
I killed them all. They were...
It's impossible.
Samuel.
None of them were real.
I... I don't.
You've been living here alone
for five years now.
You've never seen anyone.
Nobody has ever come in here except me.
You wanted Laura to arrive early,
and she was early. Remember?
I remember their voices,
their steps, their smell.
"The more abstract
the truth you want to teach,
the more you have to seduce
the senses to it as well."
Nietzsche, Beyond Good and Evil, 1886.
I indulged you. I played your game.
For five years I supported your
projections, both positive and negative,
to use them in your favor,
to help you see the truth.
I put my hopes on Laura,
considering how you described her
and your fictional relationship.
I really believed there was
a chance for you to heal.
But it's been so hard.
Then you got confused, things got messy...
Your projections started
to interact with each other,
starting with Sonia's arrival.
And for your mind it became unbearable.
That's why you dreamed
of killing them all.
Tabula rasa.
Or did you really think you can handle
two armed men on your own?
You're good, Tony.
Shit, you're really good at this.
But you forgot some details.
Meaning?
If they were all my projections,
how could you know everything every time?
How could you be one step ahead?
Our talks about Laura, Daphne...
You knew everything
even before I told you.
They spoke to you, huh?
It's time, Samuel.
We've come to the point where I ask
you the same question again.
Would you pay the price for the truth
with your own life?
Without hesitation.
Open my briefcase, then.
What's inside?
The truth about you.
What does that mean?
It's so obvious.
It means that...
You too don't exist, Samuel.
I made you up.
You're a figment of my imagination.
Your experiences, your memories,
your dreams, they're all mine.
Your past is my past.
I'm the one who's stuck in this house.
I bet you can't remember how you
entered this house five years ago.
I'm not the therapist, I'm the patient.
And my therapist suggested
that I push you,
my mental projection, out of this house.
If I did it, I would've been free now...
and you would be dead.
But you slipped out of my hands
and started to believe.
that I was your therapist.
-It's not like that...
-Stop being a problem, accept the truth!
How can you possibly not realize
that we're the same person?
You almost succeeded when you
thought I was behind everything.
You got rid of all our projections!
Speaking of them, didn't you realize
that they were perfect for our situation?
Daphne, the most Freudian sexual impulse,
turned into flesh and bone.
You paid her with the money
of an infinite inheritance.
Do you really believe this crap?
And Laura, sweet Laura.
The desire for a stable relationship,
for true love,
the one I'm not able to stand!
The projection of the desire to heal,
to get out of this house.
Sure, you see the house like this,
but it's not like this.
I'm in a shitty hospital room.
That's where The Snake comes from.
He's the representation of our illness,
of what keeps us imprisoned.
Never seen in person, like every illness,
we can only see its effects.
Sonia's been the most explosive effect,
a projection created directly by you.
But you and I share the same mind.
You can't do anything without my
knowledge, because you are my product.
That's why Sonia wanted to protect you
before you killed her.
She didn't want you to find this out.
We met every day at 5 p.m. Weird, huh?
It's the time they give me my drugs,
the ones that allow me
to be disassociated from you.
The same ones which you thought were
dangerous with that Leverpharma shit,
to save yourself.
I only made two exceptions
last night and today.
Remember?
You don't know how much
they tormented me before allowing me.
But I felt that I was close
to the solution.
You're not real, Samuel.
And now that I've told you,
I beg you to get out of here.
I want to get better. And I'm sorry,
but for that to happen,
you have to die.
Come in!
I told you they were something else.
Good evening, doctor.
Good evening, Tony. Dinner time.
Please, be patient. I'm almost done here.
I'm proud of you, Tony.
What's for dinner tonight?
The chef was inspired today.
Fish.
Nice.
We have to celebrate.
We have a guest tonight.