The Disruptors (2024) Movie Script
1
Yeah, yeah.
New passenger ready for pickup.
The Flyers ripped the Sabres 14-3.
The Canadiens got past the Flames 7-6.
Dan Quinn scored three times,
helping the Penguins...
- See that game yesterday, bro?
- Yeah.
That last fucking play was insane.
I thought the kicker was going to die
on the field in front of us.
Dude, there's this fucking podcast
I listen to.
I have a podcast.
Get the fuck out of here.
-You have a podcast? About football?
-I'm serious.
Nutrition, football, and frat.
Dude, put it on right now.
All right, here we go.
It's gonna blow your mind, man.
-It's me and my buddy Jeff.
-Bullshit.
God, you're good.
He is so hot.
And he's one where I don't know
if I wanna, like, top or bottom.
I know. Best case, he's vers.
I know this sounds bad, but I really hope
there's another nude photo leak.
I have to look at them. Right?
I know. It's sad, but, I don't know,
I kind of just wanna see.
Oh, you have to put on one of his songs.
-Here.
-Okay.
You're so fun.
So what are you
like actually trying to do?
Oh, my God, are you an actor?
You're totally giving me actor vibes.
Oh, that's a terrible thing
to say to someone.
How's your day been?
Oh, could be worse. How about yourself?
I got stains where you can't see them.
I need a new job.
I know how that goes.
Ugh, they are rescheduling my 2 p.m.
-Where do you guys work?
-Google.
-Yeah, the Goog.
-Ooh! Look at that.
I would kill to work there.
- Oh.
- You know, good luck.
Peter.
What? About what?
-Did you just--?
-What am I supposed to tell him?
I'm supposed to lie to him?
There's lots of jobs at Google.
You don't know what--
Hey, if you guys need a charger,
I got one right here.
What was your first experience,
if you could take us back
real quick for the listeners,
of, I don't know,
your first experience with level design,
if not creating level design.
I think, like most people,
the classic Super Mario Bros. World 1-1...
...I think taught me everything
there is to know about level design...
Who is it?
-Sonya, what are you doing?
-What's it look like?
Isn't a sheriff supposed to hang that up?
God, you're the worst.
But the good news is, you're done.
You're gone at the end of the month.
-No. What do you mean?
-You know what I mean.
On the bill pay website,
it says that we're paid in full.
No more of that.
I told Will I want cash. Cash money.
-And I've gotten nothing.
-Okay, wait. Here.
-Take these.
-I don't want no coupons.
You can go to Food Hole. You can get
anything you want. It's just like money.
Cash.
Or you start packing.
-Well, is that Sonya?
-Yes.
No more of your bullshit, Will.
I get cash money at the end of the month
or you start packing.
Start packing.
-I got them, Willy. They're gone.
-Are you serious?
What the fuck?
She said she needed cash.
Oh, shit. I thought I could buy us
a couple more months.
Yeah. What are we gonna do?
I can't go out there.
Are you sure? Still?
Yes. Still. People haven't forgotten.
Well, we're gonna have to do something.
We need money and your gift card thing
isn't cutting it anymore.
I told you my idea and you didn't like it.
You know, what, Glenn?
We're not gonna make a video game.
Cat Town could be huge.
We could do it, just the two of us.
You doing design and me coding.
We need money now.
I mean, that's true.
Ooh, baby.
Ugh. God, I will never get used to that.
What? This is basically an energy bar.
You know, I still don't understand why
you can't get a remote job
with one of the tech companies.
No one who Googles me is gonna hire me.
Man, I applied for another design job
at Atlas last week,
and I couldn't even get past
the application process
without getting filtered out.
They do not want
a community college dropout.
I mean,
I could probably get you in their system.
Yeah?
Isn't it too risky?
You said it. We need to make money.
And I mean, it's HR,
not their bank account.
I know my stuff is good,
-if I could just get in the door.
-Consider it done.
I'm gonna fucking nail this.
Get this music off right now.
What kind of person hates music?
Like, all music?
God, he scares the hell out of me.
Will you please keep it together?
I have had it with your excuses.
Just get me access.
Hello.
Bruce. Welcome.
It's always a pleasure to have you in.
Water.
Ah, we have a real spread for you.
Yes. Right this way.
Will?
Yes.
-Hi. Nice to meet you.
-It's very nice to-- Oh!
Okay. Jamie, is that you?
- Jenn? Wilbur brunch crew represent.
- Whoo-whoo!
It's been, what, ten years?
Oh, my God, we are so old.
Damn, you look amazing.
Cut it out.
-You know, Sloane already works here.
-No shit.
Sloane Bone?
-Oh, my God, is she still a cocaine queen?
-Oh! La-la-la...
She did so much cocaine.
I hope it's cool. Like, I'm kind of new
to this whole design thing, so...
Please. Everybody learns on the job.
-This should be quick, so we'll talk soon.
-All right, thanks.
Will, right this way.
Sounds great.
Ah!
Shit.
Sorry for all the craziness in here.
I somehow missed this interview
going on my calendar.
- That's no problem at all.
- Yeah.
-Hmm. These are your samples?
-Yeah.
Okay. So who is Will Kerrigan?
Oh, you went to L.A. City College.
I did. I focused on design.
What year did you graduate?
Well, I actually had to leave
a few credits short of graduation,
-but it's all about the work, right?
-Hmm.
Most of our team
went to four-year schools.
Do you think that might be
a bit of a fit issue for you?
A fit issue?
A culture fit?
Our company culture
is extremely important.
And I wouldn't want you to feel like
you had trouble meshing with the team.
Well, you know,
I get along with most people.
-I'm a pretty personable guy.
-That's great.
That's really, really great.
You help these people realize their worth.
They've been living with no purpose.
They didn't have the tools
to extract their own value.
So you are taking what, until this point,
have been empty lives, worthless lives,
and offering them some value, some worth.
And judging from our current stock price,
I would say that their lives
are worth quite a bit.
Jamie, you dirtbag. Get in here.
- Hey, Mom.
- Oh, hey, hon! How was your day?
- Long.
- Oh...
-For you.
-Fancy.
No English. Thank you, sweetness.
Will, uh, this is Steve.
-Pleasure. Oh!
-Hey. Oh!
How you doing?
Been a bit since someone's
earned the son introduction.
-You must be a keeper.
-Well, I sure hope so.
Oh.
Sue says you were
a big-time designer at Facebook.
-He picked out that shade of blue.
-Oh, really?
I was on the committee
that picked out the blue.
Wow. Very impressive.
I was skeptical.
When he was younger, all that doodling,
his face always in a sketchbook
and not in his homework.
But you have really turned
that artistic eye into a career.
I give you a lot of credit, my love.
I didn't do it alone. You pushed me.
I did, I pushed him.
I pushed him really hard.
Yes, you did.
You must be so proud, Sue.
So you're at the Playa Vista office?
Yeah, by the beach,
which is what "playa" means.
You've been out there for, what?
Like, ten years now, right?
I thought they just opened
that office in 2016.
Wow. You really know
your Facebook trivia?
It's kind of my job.
Steve is a reporter at Wired.
I host a podcast for them too.
It's called Russelling Up Tech.
My last name's Russell.
Oh...
Wow, that is so great.
Steve,
it is wonderful to finally meet you.
-Cheers.
-You too.
You know what? I could have sworn
that they opened that office in 2016.
Oh, well,
it'd be a weird thing for me to lie about.
Oh, no, no, no. Sorry.
It's just hard for me
to turn off the reporter brain sometimes.
What are you working on now?
We got a profile of Bruce Marcus
in the hopper.
He knows all the famous tech guys.
Yeah, Bruce makes a huge investment
in Tech Elite every year.
Word is, this year, it's a home
healthcare startup called Caretaker.
All right, you two, enough. Just go. Go.
I'll just finish up in here. Go ahead.
-You sure?
-Yeah. Go visit.
- Have a seat.
- All right. Come on. Here we go.
So, what is Bruce Marcus like?
He's terrible.
-Really?
-I mean no offense.
I know he had a hand in Facebook,
and you're a company man.
No, I'm just surprised.
I always heard he was this big genius.
Oh, yeah. He spends a lot of energy trying
to give people that impression.
I mean, he's obnoxious,
but he's so successful.
Well, that takes money, not brains.
He made one or two good investments,
created the myth
of himself as a visionary,
and now he has to turn investors away.
He can pick his winners
just by outspending the competition.
-That's it?
-That's it.
And these venture capital guys,
they give money to the people
they'd expect to be successful.
How many founders
that look like me and your mom
do you think get funded?
But if you remind them of your buddy Mark,
out comes the checkbook.
They don't have some special sauce.
All right.
Enough shop talk.
Let's eat.
Speaking of special sauce,
it looks delicious, doll.
-Yo.
-Hey, how'd the interview go?
Fuck that job.
I got a new plan.
That well, huh?
What if we had enough money
to never have to work again?
You mean, like, make money? Like a job?
Why should we debase ourselves like that?
Why should we beg
to get on that demeaning treadmill?
Because we need money
to pay for goods and services, Will.
Who I am isn't who they want, so fuck it.
I'll be who I need to be.
What does that mean?
-What do you know about Bruce Marcus?
-The billionaire?
What, are you gonna ask him
to write you a big check?
Why not? He hands out money
every year at Tech Elite.
He doesn't hand out money.
He invests in a company.
He invests in a person.
The company's beside the point.
Okay. It's a person who started a company.
So I'll make up a company.
So your big plan is to trick Bruce Marcus
into investing in a fake startup?
Why not?
Most of the startups are bullshit anyways.
Mine will simply own it.
I got this all figured out.
Okay, what's your company gonna do?
Yeah, what's the company gonna do?
You're on your own.
-Is the metaverse something?
-Good luck.
The human body
is the most incredible piece
of technology ever invented.
We just weren't given the handbook.
Hmm.
Hi. Bruce Marcus, please.
Hi. Bruce Marcus, please.
Hi, Bruce Marcus, please.
Hi, Bruce Marcus, please.
I don't see how you're gonna do this
without a direct line.
I am going to sweet-talk my way
through the front door.
Hi. First Principles Partners?
Hi. Bruce Marcus, please.
Oh. This isn't a cold call.
I'm following up on an earlier meeting.
Well, I lost
the direct line he gave me, so...
Oh, I can assure you, he knows who I am.
We met on a boat.
There was a champagne toast.
A beautiful woman fell overboard.
Hello?
How'd it go?
-That's not yours.
-It's okay. He's a friend of mine.
He asked me to watch his stuff
while he's in the bathroom.
Don't make this weird.
Kind of seems like
you're the one making it weird.
I hate confrontation.
Please don't put me in this position.
If you mind your business,
we won't be in a confrontation.
He asked me to watch his stuff.
It's my business now.
Come on.
Oh, I'm not coming on anything.
-What is it you're doing? Do that.
-I'm writing a novel.
What is it that you're doing?
I'm...
Hey, Will.
-Steve?
-What are you doing here?
Oh, my gosh, I totally forgot
you said you work here sometimes.
-Yeah. Listen. Thanks so much.
-No problem.
- So not in the office today?
- No.
I had a dentist appointment nearby,
and I thought,
stop in, get a little work done.
So...
Um... Wanna join me?
Sure. That sounds great. Absolutely.
What are you working on?
Research. We're doing
a deep dive into Bruce's tweets.
How is that?
He's a guy who loves hearing people
tell him how smart and successful he is.
You know, that does sound good.
Oh! Whoa!
Oh, jeez. Oh, I am such a klutz idiot.
I'm so sorry.
Here. Let me-- Please.
Listen, you should get yourself
another one that's on me.
And don't worry,
there's gonna be enough
on both of those to cover it.
-Yeah. Thanks so much.
-I'll take care of this. I insist.
Oh, and, Steve?
Could you get me
one of those dirty chais?
-Here you go.
-Ah. Thank you so much.
Hey, I'll try not to spill this one.
Okay.
Okay, I can spoof a call
so that it looks like it's coming
from Elon Musk's cell
because Steve also had that number.
Thank you, Steve.
I took over
some tech guy's Twitter account
that hasn't been used in a while
but has a decent number of followers.
What should your name be?
Barnaby St. Cloud.
-Will.
-Fine.
How about Joe Biden?
All right, Greg Roberts.
Like our vice principal.
You know what?
It's payback for all the detention.
Plus, that is a very generic name.
Uh, can you do a South African accent?
Come on. Easy.
Oh.
It's Elon.
Elon. To what do I owe the pleasure?
Bruce, did you get
the latest meme I sent you?
Oh, yeah. The one of the sleepy dog.
So funny.
-I just love memes.
-Yeah.
You all right? You sound off.
And surely, you're not just calling
to talk about memes?
Sorry, it's this...
this oxygen therapy I'm on.
Say, do you mind
if I get your take on something?
You've got a keen eye, boy-o.
No, no, of course not.
I'm always happy to provide counsel.
I appreciate it.
So I assume you've seen the pitch.
What do you think
of this Greg Roberts character?
Uh, who?
-Oh! Never mind.
-No, no. Who is he?
Oh, never mind.
I honestly don't need the competition.
What is it? A new startup?
Something exciting?
See, SpaceX is having a launch next week.
What do you say you come down?
We're gonna send up
just a whole bunch of dogs.
Elon, come on. Tell me about Greg Roberts.
Oh, it's honestly nothing.
Fuck off. You're really not gonna tell me
about this? You know I'm gonna find out.
You're too late, anyways.
There's no such thing.
Be well, Elon.
As always.
Super common name.
Okay, once you give them the pitch,
then we'll send over the video.
-Glenn, I've got it.
-Okay. Are you sure?
-Yes. Have a little faith.
-Okay.
Stop, stop. Go, go, go!
-Bruce. Great to meet you.
-Greg. Thanks for taking the time.
I know you've been talking to Elon.
I have, but I admit, I was excited
when you reached out. I'm a big fan.
Oh, thank you.
Let's hope I live up to my reputation.
- So go ahead, fill me in.
- I'll get right to it.
I've created a dermal patch
that is powered by
and connected to brainwaves.
It allows for an infinitely rechargeable
wireless connection
between mind and device.
No surgery required.
Wow. It's certainly sexier
than the Atlas for Caretakers startup
I've been looking at.
We think our product has the potential
to be the next step of human evolution.
And it really works? No bullshit?
I've been using our prototype myself
for weeks.
It works like a dream,
if you'll excuse the expression.
Getting hard over here.
Ah...
-Let me send you a video of it in action.
-No, no, no. Video?
It's too easy to fake.
I wanna try this on. I wanna do it myself.
Well, it currently takes
a couple of months training and pairing
to get the connectivity
working consistently.
Well then why don't you come
demo it for me in person?
-Come to you?
-Yeah. Why not?
Come demo this for me,
and I'll put Elon's offer to shame.
Well... I can't argue with that.
Are you in L.A.? Why don't you
come up to the house for the weekend?
-I'd love to.
-Great.
I'll have somebody
shoot over the details. Till then.
-It's fine.
-A demo? In person?
-What, are you fucking crazy?
-I think it's fine.
How will it be? Do you have a way
to fake a neural transmitter?
-I'm sure you'll come up with something.
-Oh, fuck you.
Once you get me connected to his network,
I should be able to see
what you're doing pretty easily.
That's perfect.
You'll start with some basic functions on
your phone, which I'll be in control of.
For sure.
And then you'll end it
by turning your phone off,
and I'll hack into
his home automation system.
Oh, I love a grand finale.
Will, pay attention!
I am. Phone stuff, then phone off,
then grand finale.
It's a slam dunk.
You are going into this man's house, okay?
If he finds out you're full of shit,
you're fucked.
Will you relax?
Bruce wants to believe this is real.
I just have to give him permission to.
-How are you gonna do that?
-A guy like this is all ego.
I'll treat him like he's a genius,
I'll play up the connection to Elon.
He's gonna dangle from my hook.
-Okay. You still need to nail this demo.
-I will.
Hi.
I'm Greg Roberts.
Here to see, Bruce. I have a demo,
and I'm staying the weekend, I believe.
- Do you--? Are you--?
- Greg.
Welcome.
-I see you've met my friend Devin.
-We're not friends.
He's the best.
- Come on in.
- Sure.
You can do your demo tomorrow.
Tonight, let's relax.
Sounds great.
Sam! Give our guest some water.
Oh. Thank you. I'm Greg.
Oh, good heavens.
No, you don't have to talk to him.
- Ah.
- Yeah.
Thank you, Sam. Come on, man.
You have a beautiful home.
I don't know,
feels like kind of a dump to me.
We're only here while work continues
on my Malibu compound.
-Oh! Yeah. How's that going?
-Great.
Whole thing's gonna be self-sufficient,
hydro and solar energy,
water desalination facility,
MERV-16 air filters,
a non-small standing army,
all tucked behind 15-foot walls,
covered, covered in razor-tase wire.
Wow. You are prepared.
Gotta be. Income inequality, man.
Talk about a destabilizing force.
Is he pitching you on his luxury bunker?
It is a compound, and you know it.
This is Carla Flores,
my attorney and confidant.
-Pleasure to meet you.
-Wow. Really branching out here, Bruce.
Come now. Play nice.
-Let me guess, Stanford dropout?
-I got in but I decided it wasn't worth it
if I was just gonna bail
after a couple semesters, so...
Yes! This is what I've been trying to
tell you. Why give those fossils a dollar?
-My thinking exactly.
-Okay, I can't.
Look, I've got Caretakers' P&L
ready for you to look over.
Okay. Thank you.
Oh, now? Send it to me. I will get to it.
-I'm sorry, am I interrupting something?
-Well, no, Carla, you're fine.
-A neural link, is it?
-Okay.
Very sci-fi.
Oh, well, we like to think
it's more sci than fi, so...
I like that. "More sci than fi."
Write that down.
Is there a bathroom I can use?
There are many.
The nearest is past the stairs,
-second door on your left.
-Great. I'm just going to put that...
Oh.
Uh...
No. Okay, I'm...
Don't scare him off.
We haven't even seen the product yet.
Don't be an idiot.
I wouldn't know how.
Hmm.
Nice.
-Hi.
-Looking for something?
I'm looking for the bathroom.
I think I got a little turned around.
You thought this was the bathroom?
Not used to houses with so many rooms.
-How many rooms are you used to?
-Ah, the usual number?
Six?
This way.
This is incredible.
Chteau Lafite Rothschild. Extremely rare.
-I've heard a lot about it.
-Is that right? What have you heard?
That it's... good.
Insightful. I must have you
introduce me to your somm.
I haven't had this specific vintage--
Calm down, calm down.
I'm just busting your chops.
You know who'd love this?
Devin!
-Yeah. What's up?
-Dude, join us.
This wine is off the chain.
I'm good.
Okay, cool.
Next time maybe, huh? Stay cool.
Carla, how about you? Feel like a glass?
Still working, unfortunately.
That just means more for us.
-Mm, I am--
-You're fine.
- Well, thank you.
- Uh-huh.
All right. So, what are we looking at,
numbers wise?
For the investment?
No, no, no, for your Camry.
Is that how you pronounce it?
Well...
we're looking for a $75 million investment
at a $1 billion valuation.
Reasonable.
Yes, it is. Though I should tell you both
that we have a verbal offer from Elon.
Fuck Elon. Listen to me.
If your demo does what you claim it does,
I'll give you double
at the same valuation,
and bring you 15 percent
before it gets bogged down in paperwork.
Seriously? That's...
22.5 million.
Should be enough
for you to become intimately familiar
with all the rarefied wine you can drink.
Bruce, we need to do our due diligence.
Thank you, Carla.
You are an attorney, not a technologist.
All right, I'm going to bed.
Mm-hmm.
Good night.
-I should probably--
-No, no. Fuck that. Come on.
-To creating the future.
-To creating the future.
Fuck.
-Excited for your demo tomorrow.
-Oh, it's gonna be so badass.
-You're wasting our time.
-What?
I should be at home with my kids,
but instead I'm here with you,
an idiot with tech
that will definitely not work.
It'll work.
These biotech moonshots
never live up to the hype,
but Bruce thinks since he's funded
some successful apps,
he's smart enough to divine
the future of the human body.
This is some straight up
Theranos shit all over again.
I am not Theranos.
-My tech will work, you'll see.
-I'm looking forward to it.
Mm.
Have you looked at the houses around here?
I think that you and I
should get a putting green.
- Will, we have a problem.
- What kind of a problem?
His intrusion detection system booted me.
Okay? We've gotta bail.
We can't bail.
The presentation is in the morning.
I'm in his house.
Okay. I would have to be
within close range to you.
Okay, so let's do that.
How drunk are you? We can't do that.
Glenn, you just said
you have to come here.
You know I can't come there.
If you don't, we're going
to get kicked out of the apartment,
and you're gonna have to leave anyway.
Plus, Bruce is ready
to offer me $20 million.
Twenty million dollars!
There's no way.
Glenn...
you're my best friend,
and I've done a lot for you.
But now I need you to do this. For us.
-Will, I don't think I can.
-You can. I'm gonna take care of you.
I'm gonna make sure nothing bad happens
to you. I promise. I promise you.
Oh, this is a nightmare.
I'm gonna get you an Atlas.
Hey, you got this.
Yo, if you're gonna boot,
just let me know so I can pull over.
Hey, do I know you from somewhere?
Um, no, no, no.
Yeah, you look really familiar.
God!
- Glenn?
- Will?
-You scared me.
-I'm sorry.
-Come in.
-Be quiet please.
-You gotta see this house.
-Okay.
I knew you could do it, Glenn.
I knew you could do it.
-Are you okay?
-I don't know. I think so.
-Isn't this place incredible?
-Yeah. Where is everybody?
They're all asleep. It's fine.
Hey. Do you want a bottle of water?
Did you know that Richard Branson's island
has its own brand of bottled water?
And it is called
Sir Richard's Horny Water.
And it sounds disgusting,
but it's very, very good.
No. I'm okay.
This place is massive. It's crazy.
Fuck!
-Who was that?
-That was his bodyguard.
-His bodyguard? He has a bodyguard?
-It's fine. Go upstairs. Just go upstairs.
Isn't this place amazing?
And apparently,
it isn't even one of his good houses.
Let's focus. Okay?
Just come over here. Feel these sheets.
- No. Okay?
- Mm...
Who is it?
I heard voices.
I talk to myself at night.
It's an endearing quality.
It sounded like distinct voices.
Yes, I'm very good.
Um...
Especially after I have a hard day.
I like to talk to myself.
And boy, today was hard.
But it was good, very productive.
We--
That actually worked?
Good morning.
-Late night?
-I think I overdid it just a little bit--
Oh. Thank you.
Thank you.
So tell me, how did you best companies
with hundreds of engineers
in a space as complex as biotech?
Well, like I said,
our technology is proprietary.
-I'm not trying to steal your tech.
-I believe you.
I just have to be careful. You understand.
Jesus Christ,
I just want the how, not the what.
Well, I first developed the concept
when I was in high school, actually,
and been working on it
with a small group ever since.
Oh! So you and a couple of buddies
figured out a way
to directly communicate with the brain
completely on your own?
That's right.
Interesting.
That vase doesn't seem like Bruce's taste.
- It's not a vase.
- It's an urn.
-In it are the ashes of Rose Whitford.
-I'm sorry, I didn't realize.
Don't apologize.
It's no one I was related to.
It was Bill Whitford's mother.
He used to work for one of my firms
until he leaked emails to the press.
I sued, he wanted to settle,
and I demanded this.
Hmm.
Why that?
Well, you can always make
more money, but this?
This cannot be replaced.
Forget guns. There's nothing scarier
than lawyers with infinite resources.
People hear about this,
they think twice about messing with me.
Hmm.
Seeing this,
you wouldn't... mess with me, right?
No.
Certainly not.
Smart.
It looks like one of our Estonian
DB engineers went off the map again.
Another one? What the hell?
Well, you know
it comes with the territory.
Good heavens,
you're green behind the gills.
I guess realizing the wine you're drinking
costs more than your rent
makes you very thirsty, huh?
It really snuck up on me.
I should put you in touch
with my blood guy.
All right. Is this demo happening?
Can we please get it over with?
Yes, let's. Where shall we do it?
Well, Will here seems really concerned
about protecting his precious tech,
so maybe we should do it downstairs
in the cellar, where it's secure.
Love it. Perfect motivation.
Surround you
with all your potential spoils.
-Mm. Great.
-Great. So why don't you go get set up?
Yes, I will do that.
I will go and set up the demo.
-The wine cellar is downstairs.
-Of course it is.
Of course that's where the wine cellar is.
I just have to go and get my things.
-I've never eaten anything on this plate.
-I'll throw it in the trash.
What's up?
Hey. So, what's the range
on those earpieces?
I am going to need
a little bit of time to get set up.
-I can absolutely stall.
-I'm gonna kill you!
That's totally fair.
-I'm excited, no, honored...
-Okay.
...to show you
the melding of man and machine
long envisioned by science fiction
now made real.
But before I do,
I believe some historical context
might help you truly appreciate
the potential of this technology.
I take you now to a tomb in Egypt.
...which brings us
to the Byzantine Empire.
Here, much like in the Roman Empire,
the promise of a neurological link
remains but a distant dream.
Is there a demo happening,
or can I go back upstairs
and do some work?
Thought some background might be helpful,
but to the main event.
Regular texting is such a pain.
You've got to drag out your phone
and slowly enter every last detail.
"I'm ready to go."
Ugh, the worst.
Say you're at a restaurant
and you get a text, something like,
"What time will you be home?"
You want to respond,
but do you rudely pull out your phone
and slowly type away at it?
How should I respond?
Tell them to fuck off.
-Huh.
-Hmm.
And it's not just texts.
I can control literally any app
on my phone using only my mind.
Say I want to order something from Amazon.
Maybe a new sweater.
-What's your favorite color?
-Chartreuse.
Huh.
Okay, how do we know this isn't
just some fancy voice recognition?
You know, I thought you might ask that.
Why don't you take this pen and paper
and write down a command?
Anything at all. I'll prove it to you.
Move your head to the left.
Your other left.
So needy.
Holy shit, the data
you could mine with this thing.
It is impressive.
My friend, I think we're in.
I knew it, I knew you would be.
I'm excited.
We're going to make
a lot of money together.
Yes, sir.
Wait a minute. I thought there was
a grand finale or something.
-Oh, that's right, you did say that.
-I'm happy to continue.
By all means. Yeah.
With your permission,
I'd like to access
your home automation system.
Go for it.
-Is there an issue?
-Just logging in.
Found this one in the bathroom.
Who the hell are you?
What are you doing in my house?
Uh, I can-- I can explain.
Wait a second. You're familiar.
Who are you?
Uh...
I'm nobody.
Greg, you know this guy?
No, of course not.
All right, get him upstairs.
-Hey.
-What the fuck?
I've dealt with crazies before,
but nobody's gotten into my fucking house.
We need to figure out
how the hell he got in here.
No. No, I'm gonna fuck him up.
I should go.
Yeah. He's dead. I'm going up there.
-We need to call the cops.
-No cops. I am the protector of my house.
Hey. Do you want to be
the one who gets arrested?
I agree with Carla.
You should call the police.
Oh, great. Mom and Dad are here.
So reasonable.
I'm calling.
-Keep them out of my horny room.
-I should go.
If I could just get
that check before I leave,
I will lock you in as my main investor.
Somebody broke into my fucking house, man.
You're right. I'm sorry.
I'll come to your office on Monday.
You can finish the demo then.
-I've gotta deal with this.
-That sounds great.
Go.
Yeah.
Yeah, I should go.
That's not the way.
Fuck, fuck, fuck...
-What the hell are you doing?
-Whoa! Nothing.
No. Hey.
Not too smart, buddy.
-Got a present for you, gorgeous.
-It's never flowers.
-You got ID?
-Yep.
Glenn Marnell.
She's female.
No, I'm not.
Sorry. Got to put you with the ladies.
Regulations.
All right, come on. Let's move.
Next time, flowers. Count on it.
All right.
Right here.
Here...
will be your new home.
Is there a way to get a cell by myself?
Oh, let me check to see
if the presidential suite is available.
Oh, the president is in town.
- Ah! Okay. That good?
- Hey.
Did you put that call in to my driver?
No, ma'am,
I didn't put the call in to your driver.
If Ernst doesn't get home
and give Pom-Pom her drops,
she might lose an eye.
Is that what you want?
Pom-Pom to lose an eye?
All right, I'll see what I can do.
Excuse me, is there a Glenn Marnell
being held here?
I'm their attorney, Barnaby St. Cloud.
-You're coming?
-Yep. Yep.
Oh, my God. Are you okay?
Yes. What happened?
I am so sorry.
I'm going to get you out of here.
Okay.
How much is bail? I was thinking
that we could sell some of the gift cards.
I know I said
that it was too risky before, but...
I need to finish the scam.
Glenn, we are so close.
If I can just finish the demo,
he is going to give me the money.
What the fuck are you talking...?
I'm in jail.
Okay, Will? It's over.
-He's on to you.
-He's not on to me.
He is not the genius
that everybody thinks he is.
-I can still do this.
-You...
What are you talking...?
You're gonna do the demo by yourself?
I have a plan.
And right now, I need you
to stay here for a little while.
No. Get me out of here.
Then we could do whatever plan
you want after that together.
I just need you to trust me.
Will, I did trust you.
I know.
And I'm sorry.
Marnell, you're still here?
Yeah.
You might want to reconsider
your choice of attorney.
Hey, are you freaking out?
You are. You are freaking out. Okay.
Hey, you're all right. Look at me.
Look at me. Breathe with me.
Breathe in.
Feel your power. Breathe out.
Fuck everybody.
Breathe in.
Feel your power. Breathe out.
Fuck everybody.
There you go.
Thanks.
That did help.
Yeah. It always helps to ground me.
What are you in here for, anyway?
-Uh, breaking and entering.
-Holy shit!
Really?
-Oh, my God, you're like a real criminal.
-What did you do?
Me?
Nothing.
Seriously, nothing.
And yet, somehow, these pigs
are still trampling on my rights!
Lady, you called in a bomb threat
to The Grove.
Where's your evidence, fucker?!
Oink! Oink!
Oh, well, piggy, looks like you lose.
Okay.
Okay.
Okay, that means he agrees with me.
That's why he said, "Okay."
'Cause he knows it's true. Right?
You got it.
You know what I'm talking about.
Hey. Thank you so much for coming.
Figured a real-world context
might make more sense than the office.
Sorry to be running a little behind.
-So this is your mom's house?
-Yep.
Just your average American home.
Come, come.
Wow. I thought you came from money.
Where did you get the resources
to develop this tech yourself?
My parents split
and my dad took everything in the divorce,
so my mom had to live pretty modestly.
-Oh, I understand that game.
-Okay. Let's get this over with.
Okay, so you've seen me
control a smartphone.
Now let me show you how you can run
literally anything in your house
using only your mind.
Say, you want to watch TV,
but can't find the remote.
Side effects may include
loss of vision, loss of taste,
loss of sense of smell...
Ugh! And of course, there's nothing on.
If you experience an erection--
You can run anything
connected to a smart home system.
Things like the lights.
Oh, no, that's too dim.
- I have all sorts of...
- Will. Will.
I got your text.
What text?
This is my mom.
Why don't you wait in the kitchen?
I have a work thing.
It'll just take a minute.
Oh. Uh...
Okay.
Sorry about that. Where was I?
-Ah. Let's watch some TV.
-Sorry, did she say, "Will"?
-Who is Will?
-That's a family nickname.
I'm so sorry.
I don't mean to interrupt, I just--
You said there was an emergency.
I don't know what you're talking about,
but why don't I just turn off the TV?
That's right. These little fish
clean every single tooth
of the great white.
This and more when we return.
Only on The Big...
Will, I left work early.
Hey, do you guys want to see something?
Mom, what's our favorite song?
-"Candle in the Wind."
-No, don't. I hate music.
You do? And no...
Oh, God. Turn it off.
- Turn it off.
- Just give it a second.
-What's going on?
-Please.
Just a second, please.
So you did that with your mind?
Mm-hmm. Hey, why don't I just wrap up
the demonstration,
and you and me can sign that terms sheet
at a coffee shop?
-Or over margaritas.
-Will, why did you text me?
-Mom, I didn't.
-Hmm. Then I wonder who did.
You know, I have heard it's pretty easy
to spoof someone else's phone number.
Isn't that right...
Elon?
Why did you call him that?
Oh, my, God I told you
I fucking hate music. Turn this off.
Just give it a second.
-Sue, is it?
-Yes.
What is it you think your son, Will here,
does for a living?
He works at Facebook.
Will, who is this?
"Who is this?"
I'm Bruce Marcus.
What? What...?
What are you doing in my house?
Would you like to explain, or shall I?
Mom, I don't work at Facebook.
What? Excuse me?
I've been lying to you.
I dropped out of college.
What? What are you talking about?
That was years ago.
What have you been doing?
He's been driving for Atlas
and ripping off his riders
with the help of his buddy Glenn.
And then they came for me.
Is that true?
Well, I can see the two of you
have an awful lot to discuss.
But don't think for a moment I'm finished
with you, my friend, because you...
You are fucked.
Okay. All right, big man. Let's go, Bruce.
Fucked.
So lovely meeting you.
So you didn't even graduate?
I was failing out
and I didn't want to disappoint you.
And Facebook?
I just wanted you to be proud of me, Mom.
So you've been lying to me for 10 years,
and that's why
I couldn't visit your house.
And you're a scammer.
I'm so sorry.
Who are you?
Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hey, hey, hey.
-Sonya, what's going on?
-Oh, you're out.
Oh, Sonya, please.
I just need a little more time.
You can either get your shit out now,
or I can get some guys to drag it out.
It's up to you.
Are you happy with your line of work?
So I know the hip replacement
is gonna set off the metal detector anyway
so I can get anything through.
- Oh, my God.
- Marnell.
-You're free to go.
-What?
Really?
Was it Will?
Ah.
Hell yeah, Glenn! Bomb The Grove!
Fuckers, right?
Um...
Did Will send you?
I knew I recognized you.
Fun Killer Glenn,
the most hated person on the Internet.
Leave me alone.
Whoa. I'm not here to hurt you. I dropped
the charges. That's why you're out.
-What?
-I just want to chat.
I know everything about you and Will.
He tried to pull it off without you.
Idiot.
When it fell apart,
he threw you under the bus.
Said you were dragging him down,
offered to help me using his skills.
-Which of course are bullshit.
-He wouldn't say that.
Come now.
You can't believe he cares about anyone
other than himself.
He left you to rot in there.
He's been lying to his own mother
for years, for Christ's sakes.
Glenn, you are far too smart
to be partnered with someone like him.
Come work for me.
Seriously?
No one's ever gotten
past my security before.
And what you did with that movie
was incredibly skillful.
You are an undervalued asset.
It's long past time
you got what you're worth.
Your security system is garbage.
What?
Oh, come on.
Oh, no.
Ah!
Fuck you.
-Good morning.
-Hey.
Let me know if that's not right.
I can send Sam out to get something else.
He's still in the car
with the window open a crack.
This is like three months' worth.
It's a year.
You can do that?
I can.
As a matter of fact, if there's anything
at all you need, just say the word.
-Thank you so much.
-Yeah.
-Oh my God, is this the Amazon back end?
-Yeah.
He keeps trying to open up
new accounts under his favorite alias,
Barnaby St. Cloud.
People are so predictable.
You're incredible.
It is mind-blowing that you were
hiding under a rock all these years.
Yeah, well, no one wanted
to hire me after what I did.
Which is ridiculous.
You hacked one of
the biggest film studios in the world.
That rsum beats anything on the planet.
Yeah, well, no one's really
looking to hire a felon.
Felon? Whatever.
What did you get? Two years
probation and no computer access?
-Yeah, exactly.
-Yeah.
Glenn, did you not use
a computer for two years?
-Of course not.
-Right.
When you're smarter
than the seat fillers who write the rules,
the rules should not apply to you.
Yeah, I guess so.
No, you know so.
Forget about Will and those haters
on the Internet you're so scared of.
You're gonna make so much money, nothing,
nobody is gonna be able to touch you.
I'm here to see Glenn Marnell.
Mm-hmm.
-Marnell was released three days ago.
-What? What happened?
You're her lawyer.
I don't understand.
You're a credit to our justice system.
-It's about to be a fucking crazy night.
-Exactly.
Yo, look at this tall piece of shit
doing the job of a pole.
Oh, guys...
What the fuck you doing?
Why are you doing this?
-Shouldn't you be in a nursing home?
-I'm not. Stop. Go. Get out of here.
It's really good to see you.
Bye.
Synthesize. Yeah. I don't need Will's
patch to know people's innermost thoughts.
They will already have told me themselves.
I know you can do this.
Can you do this without telling anyone?
I'm so sorry. I have to go.
Hey, what's up?
I got some more access credentials
for you for the app project.
Yeah, his app project.
You're okay with that?
It's pretty insane, right?
It doesn't really matter
what you think, does it?
I guess not.
-Is there something else?
-Yes.
We need you in person at Tech Elite.
The big conference?
No, I'm sorry, I can't.
Bruce doesn't trust anyone else
to handle his security after what you did.
He's been pretty unambiguous,
but he needs his brilliant Glenn.
I... I seriously can't.
-I don't do crowds.
-You need to think hard on it.
Bruce does not react well
to having his requests denied.
Um...
Um...
Okay.
All right.
Listen, I understand how you feel.
That fun realization that there's more
of you for sale than you thought.
But you'll be fine.
-Okay?
-Okay.
- Will?
- Oh, Jesus.
Rough day?
What are you doing here? My mom's at work.
Well, I swung by
to pick up a charger I left here.
You can, you know,
just use the shower, you know?
She moved the spare key, and I didn't
wanna ask her for anything else.
Come on.
-Thank you.
-Yeah.
How is she?
Well, she's worried about you.
You should call her.
I can't. Not yet.
-I assume she told you what happened?
-Yeah, she did.
But I'm not sure I got all the details.
Yeah.
Is it safe to assume
you got connected to Bruce through me?
I did. I am sorry.
-And does he know that?
-No. Definitely not.
Well, that's something at least.
-You were right. He is an asshole.
-Yeah. No kidding.
What happened to Glenn?
I fucked them over,
and now I'm pretty sure they're
working with Bruce to ruin my life.
So, what's the story with Glenn?
If you don't mind me asking.
When Glenn was 17,
they got into it with some nerds online,
and to troll them, they went after
the nerds' latest obsession,
the then-upcoming Star Wars movie.
-Wow! You mean Glenn is Fun Killer Glenn?
-Yeah.
They hacked Lucasfilm
and delayed the release by a full year.
They got doxed
and the Internet came for them.
Yeah, yeah.
I remember that. People were vicious.
Glenn was always nervous,
but that broke them.
They stopped
even being able to go outside.
They moved in with me
and I dropped out of school to help.
Well, that's a big sacrifice.
I was never a school guy.
I belong with Glenn.
And now I fucked that up too.
You know, Will, I don't--
I don't think you're as awful
as you believe you are.
Well, I gotta get back to work.
Prepping for a busy week,
and I cover Tech Elite.
-That's right. That is this week.
-Yeah. The annual gathering of the nerds.
Steve, would you tell my mom...?
I don't know. Tell her it will be okay.
Of course.
Hang in there, man.
Thank you.
Welcome to
the 2023 Tech Elite global conference,
where the future destroys the present.
All right, now, she won't go for
the jugular or try to embarrass you,
but you need to be prepared.
Hey, this is important.
It's important to tell our story
on our terms, yes.
But Dana's gonna throw me
a bunch of softballs,
try to trip me up on one tough question.
Otherwise, let these keyboard humpers
eat out of the palm of my hand.
Yeah, I'm sure they'll be
charmed by your humility.
I'm sure they will.
-Hi, there.
-Hi.
-Joan, is it?
-Yes. What can I do for you?
Can I get your name?
Well, you're not gonna find my name,
but I'm hoping you can help me out.
Okay.
Okay.
I betrayed my best friend who's the only
person in the world who truly knew me,
so now they're working with Bruce Marcus
to systematically destroy my life.
And the two of them are together
inside that event right now.
Bruce Marcus.
-Yeah.
-The billionaire?
It's complicated.
Okay. Um...
I'm sorry, but if you're not registered,
I just can't let you in.
I promise I'm not gonna do anything crazy.
I just need a chance to make things right.
Yeah.
I don't think
I fully understand your situation.
There's just nothing that I can do.
I'm sorry.
Joan, have you ever done something
that made you see yourself clearly
and you didn't like what you see?
-I have.
-So you know how it feels.
You don't know me.
You don't owe me anything.
I just have to have
the chance to apologize.
Look at that, you are registered.
-Right there.
-Yeah?
-Yeah.
-I don't know what to say.
Just stand right there.
Okay. Look here.
Cheese.
Becky? Hi. Yeah, it's Joan. Hi.
Yeah. So...
I am the one that took your dog.
Will's here.
-He's in the East Hall.
-What is he doing here?
Go grab him. Find out.
-Now?
-No. Finish the-- Yes, now. Jesus. Go.
Man, sometimes he is lucky
we're such good friends.
-You guys are friends?
-Hmm?
-You two are friends?
-Devin and I?
-Yeah.
-Yeah.
Attention,
if you are missing a fleece vest,
please come to the information booth.
-I have a secret.
-Hmm?
I hate all these people.
I overheard a guy at the coffee stand
asking if they had a branch
in the metaverse.
-Makes you miss the porn convention.
-Yeah, at least they're self-aware.
You guys wanna get these people?
-What?
-You know Bruce Marcus?
I wanna humiliate him
in front of his biggest fans.
I wanna destroy him.
That asshole with the books?
The money man?
All I need to do it is your badge.
If I get caught, I'll say I stole it.
Love that energy.
Bruce Marcus
in conversation with Dana Williams
will begin in five minutes.
Excited to see whatever the fuck
this is gonna be.
Yeah.
-Excuse me, are you Dana Williams?
-What is it?
I'm so sorry,
your car appears to be on fire.
-What?
-In the garage?
-Yeah, it's a--
-Gray Honda Civic.
A gray Honda Civic, yeah.
Oh, Jesus Christ.
Yeah.
They can't find her. I'm just gonna go.
Hello, Tech Elite.
Thank you. It is so good to be back.
You know, I thought I might
have a host for this,
but I guess Dana must be in the bathroom.
I'm Bruce Marcus, but I have
a feeling you knew that already.
Now I'm very capable-- Oh.
Oh, no, no, no. No, it's all right.
Let's see how this goes.
Thank you, Devin.
My best friend Devin.
Dana, something's different about you.
I'm kidding, of course. This is not Dana.
This is Will Kerrigan.
Will Kerrigan is an Atlas driver
who tried to scam me recently.
He's right.
I'm an Atlas driver. I'm nobody.
I'm not particularly smart.
I have no skills to speak of.
No argument here.
I tried to scam him
because I thought
he has everything I want.
He's brilliant. He's respected.
-He's obscenely rich.
-Again, zero lies detected.
I saw what you see.
A genius who's living my ultimate dream.
And you know what I saw
when I got close?
He's miserable.
He lives in a huge house alone.
The people close to him don't like him.
They don't respect him
because he's not particularly smart
and he has no skills to speak of.
He's just rich.
Okay. Thank you, Will.
I think you've said your piece...
He's a greedy egomaniac.
And boy, do I know greedy egomaniacs.
I hung my best friend out to dry
for a taste of what he has.
They're a good person, they're not greedy.
Their big idea is
to make a cat video game.
They want a safe, dignified life.
And for a tongue-touch of the money
that he has, I left them in literal jail.
I cost myself everything.
Greed is expensive.
You cannot afford it.
Feel better?
Bruce Marcus is not a good man!
The naive ideals of the unaccomplished.
It's not a good look.
Some people are drivers.
Some people are driven.
It's just how it is--
You and I are not so different, Glenn.
I've seen the choices you've made.
And I know that you know that medical
records aren't just medical records,
and that I don't give a shit
about Caretaker in order to skip wages...
Shut this off immediately.
This is an illegal recording.
...corner the market on a new drug.
-What have you done?
-I'm interested in information.
-Glenn.
-Data.
Carla, goddamn it, turn it off.
I'm asking you to help me
to have instant, constant,
real-time access to every
bit of data from every company I touch.
I'm asking for zero uncertainty,
and as long as no one else knows
that I know every-fucking-thing
about every-fucking-body,
people are no longer users or customers.
They're barely individuals.
They're property.
Unwitting, unpaid, indentured employees
who just by living their sad lives
are offering me
the opportunity to see the future.
Okay, okay.
This was all out of context, obviously.
Let me try to frame what's been going on.
So I know you think you understand what--
No, no, no.
What the fuck?
Oh, fuck you!
These are hypotheticals, goddamn it.
-Boo!
-These are my-- Oh, my God.
Who is fucking throwing shit?
Ow, Jesus. What the fuck?
Who the fuck threw that?
Who threw that? You piece of shit!
What the fuck is wrong with you? I'm--
Oh, yes! Get the fuck off!
Oh, shit!
Fuck!
I won that fight! I won that fight!
-Somebody bit me. Somebody bit me.
-Hey, hey.
What the fuck is this?
I'm Bruce Marcus. You people respect me.
My best friend Devin
is gonna fucking kill you.
Fuck off. Fuck off.
I know everything about you,
I know everything--
Get the fuck away from me!
Get the fuck away from me!
Fuck off. Fuck off. Ah!
-Are you okay?
-Yeah.
Are you?
Glenn, I really am sorry.
It really fucking sucked,
but I understand, and I'm sorry too.
If it helps,
I just made a fool out of myself.
No, you didn't.
Hey, that was actually
really fucking cool.
-They hated me.
-What? No, no, no.
They booed at first,
but then you were vindicated.
That was king hero shit.
-Yeah.
-Yeah.
-Yeah.
-Yeah.
Trust me, I know
what the Internet responds to, okay?
Positively and negatively.
- Yes, you do.
- What are we gonna do now?
I need to call my mom.
Where are we gonna live?
Look, you're asking
all the right questions.
-Yeah.
-Hey, look at you out in the world.
-Yeah, I hate it here. Take me inside.
-Oh, yeah. The world's terrible.
Yeah, yeah.
New passenger ready for pickup.
The Flyers ripped the Sabres 14-3.
The Canadiens got past the Flames 7-6.
Dan Quinn scored three times,
helping the Penguins...
- See that game yesterday, bro?
- Yeah.
That last fucking play was insane.
I thought the kicker was going to die
on the field in front of us.
Dude, there's this fucking podcast
I listen to.
I have a podcast.
Get the fuck out of here.
-You have a podcast? About football?
-I'm serious.
Nutrition, football, and frat.
Dude, put it on right now.
All right, here we go.
It's gonna blow your mind, man.
-It's me and my buddy Jeff.
-Bullshit.
God, you're good.
He is so hot.
And he's one where I don't know
if I wanna, like, top or bottom.
I know. Best case, he's vers.
I know this sounds bad, but I really hope
there's another nude photo leak.
I have to look at them. Right?
I know. It's sad, but, I don't know,
I kind of just wanna see.
Oh, you have to put on one of his songs.
-Here.
-Okay.
You're so fun.
So what are you
like actually trying to do?
Oh, my God, are you an actor?
You're totally giving me actor vibes.
Oh, that's a terrible thing
to say to someone.
How's your day been?
Oh, could be worse. How about yourself?
I got stains where you can't see them.
I need a new job.
I know how that goes.
Ugh, they are rescheduling my 2 p.m.
-Where do you guys work?
-Google.
-Yeah, the Goog.
-Ooh! Look at that.
I would kill to work there.
- Oh.
- You know, good luck.
Peter.
What? About what?
-Did you just--?
-What am I supposed to tell him?
I'm supposed to lie to him?
There's lots of jobs at Google.
You don't know what--
Hey, if you guys need a charger,
I got one right here.
What was your first experience,
if you could take us back
real quick for the listeners,
of, I don't know,
your first experience with level design,
if not creating level design.
I think, like most people,
the classic Super Mario Bros. World 1-1...
...I think taught me everything
there is to know about level design...
Who is it?
-Sonya, what are you doing?
-What's it look like?
Isn't a sheriff supposed to hang that up?
God, you're the worst.
But the good news is, you're done.
You're gone at the end of the month.
-No. What do you mean?
-You know what I mean.
On the bill pay website,
it says that we're paid in full.
No more of that.
I told Will I want cash. Cash money.
-And I've gotten nothing.
-Okay, wait. Here.
-Take these.
-I don't want no coupons.
You can go to Food Hole. You can get
anything you want. It's just like money.
Cash.
Or you start packing.
-Well, is that Sonya?
-Yes.
No more of your bullshit, Will.
I get cash money at the end of the month
or you start packing.
Start packing.
-I got them, Willy. They're gone.
-Are you serious?
What the fuck?
She said she needed cash.
Oh, shit. I thought I could buy us
a couple more months.
Yeah. What are we gonna do?
I can't go out there.
Are you sure? Still?
Yes. Still. People haven't forgotten.
Well, we're gonna have to do something.
We need money and your gift card thing
isn't cutting it anymore.
I told you my idea and you didn't like it.
You know, what, Glenn?
We're not gonna make a video game.
Cat Town could be huge.
We could do it, just the two of us.
You doing design and me coding.
We need money now.
I mean, that's true.
Ooh, baby.
Ugh. God, I will never get used to that.
What? This is basically an energy bar.
You know, I still don't understand why
you can't get a remote job
with one of the tech companies.
No one who Googles me is gonna hire me.
Man, I applied for another design job
at Atlas last week,
and I couldn't even get past
the application process
without getting filtered out.
They do not want
a community college dropout.
I mean,
I could probably get you in their system.
Yeah?
Isn't it too risky?
You said it. We need to make money.
And I mean, it's HR,
not their bank account.
I know my stuff is good,
-if I could just get in the door.
-Consider it done.
I'm gonna fucking nail this.
Get this music off right now.
What kind of person hates music?
Like, all music?
God, he scares the hell out of me.
Will you please keep it together?
I have had it with your excuses.
Just get me access.
Hello.
Bruce. Welcome.
It's always a pleasure to have you in.
Water.
Ah, we have a real spread for you.
Yes. Right this way.
Will?
Yes.
-Hi. Nice to meet you.
-It's very nice to-- Oh!
Okay. Jamie, is that you?
- Jenn? Wilbur brunch crew represent.
- Whoo-whoo!
It's been, what, ten years?
Oh, my God, we are so old.
Damn, you look amazing.
Cut it out.
-You know, Sloane already works here.
-No shit.
Sloane Bone?
-Oh, my God, is she still a cocaine queen?
-Oh! La-la-la...
She did so much cocaine.
I hope it's cool. Like, I'm kind of new
to this whole design thing, so...
Please. Everybody learns on the job.
-This should be quick, so we'll talk soon.
-All right, thanks.
Will, right this way.
Sounds great.
Ah!
Shit.
Sorry for all the craziness in here.
I somehow missed this interview
going on my calendar.
- That's no problem at all.
- Yeah.
-Hmm. These are your samples?
-Yeah.
Okay. So who is Will Kerrigan?
Oh, you went to L.A. City College.
I did. I focused on design.
What year did you graduate?
Well, I actually had to leave
a few credits short of graduation,
-but it's all about the work, right?
-Hmm.
Most of our team
went to four-year schools.
Do you think that might be
a bit of a fit issue for you?
A fit issue?
A culture fit?
Our company culture
is extremely important.
And I wouldn't want you to feel like
you had trouble meshing with the team.
Well, you know,
I get along with most people.
-I'm a pretty personable guy.
-That's great.
That's really, really great.
You help these people realize their worth.
They've been living with no purpose.
They didn't have the tools
to extract their own value.
So you are taking what, until this point,
have been empty lives, worthless lives,
and offering them some value, some worth.
And judging from our current stock price,
I would say that their lives
are worth quite a bit.
Jamie, you dirtbag. Get in here.
- Hey, Mom.
- Oh, hey, hon! How was your day?
- Long.
- Oh...
-For you.
-Fancy.
No English. Thank you, sweetness.
Will, uh, this is Steve.
-Pleasure. Oh!
-Hey. Oh!
How you doing?
Been a bit since someone's
earned the son introduction.
-You must be a keeper.
-Well, I sure hope so.
Oh.
Sue says you were
a big-time designer at Facebook.
-He picked out that shade of blue.
-Oh, really?
I was on the committee
that picked out the blue.
Wow. Very impressive.
I was skeptical.
When he was younger, all that doodling,
his face always in a sketchbook
and not in his homework.
But you have really turned
that artistic eye into a career.
I give you a lot of credit, my love.
I didn't do it alone. You pushed me.
I did, I pushed him.
I pushed him really hard.
Yes, you did.
You must be so proud, Sue.
So you're at the Playa Vista office?
Yeah, by the beach,
which is what "playa" means.
You've been out there for, what?
Like, ten years now, right?
I thought they just opened
that office in 2016.
Wow. You really know
your Facebook trivia?
It's kind of my job.
Steve is a reporter at Wired.
I host a podcast for them too.
It's called Russelling Up Tech.
My last name's Russell.
Oh...
Wow, that is so great.
Steve,
it is wonderful to finally meet you.
-Cheers.
-You too.
You know what? I could have sworn
that they opened that office in 2016.
Oh, well,
it'd be a weird thing for me to lie about.
Oh, no, no, no. Sorry.
It's just hard for me
to turn off the reporter brain sometimes.
What are you working on now?
We got a profile of Bruce Marcus
in the hopper.
He knows all the famous tech guys.
Yeah, Bruce makes a huge investment
in Tech Elite every year.
Word is, this year, it's a home
healthcare startup called Caretaker.
All right, you two, enough. Just go. Go.
I'll just finish up in here. Go ahead.
-You sure?
-Yeah. Go visit.
- Have a seat.
- All right. Come on. Here we go.
So, what is Bruce Marcus like?
He's terrible.
-Really?
-I mean no offense.
I know he had a hand in Facebook,
and you're a company man.
No, I'm just surprised.
I always heard he was this big genius.
Oh, yeah. He spends a lot of energy trying
to give people that impression.
I mean, he's obnoxious,
but he's so successful.
Well, that takes money, not brains.
He made one or two good investments,
created the myth
of himself as a visionary,
and now he has to turn investors away.
He can pick his winners
just by outspending the competition.
-That's it?
-That's it.
And these venture capital guys,
they give money to the people
they'd expect to be successful.
How many founders
that look like me and your mom
do you think get funded?
But if you remind them of your buddy Mark,
out comes the checkbook.
They don't have some special sauce.
All right.
Enough shop talk.
Let's eat.
Speaking of special sauce,
it looks delicious, doll.
-Yo.
-Hey, how'd the interview go?
Fuck that job.
I got a new plan.
That well, huh?
What if we had enough money
to never have to work again?
You mean, like, make money? Like a job?
Why should we debase ourselves like that?
Why should we beg
to get on that demeaning treadmill?
Because we need money
to pay for goods and services, Will.
Who I am isn't who they want, so fuck it.
I'll be who I need to be.
What does that mean?
-What do you know about Bruce Marcus?
-The billionaire?
What, are you gonna ask him
to write you a big check?
Why not? He hands out money
every year at Tech Elite.
He doesn't hand out money.
He invests in a company.
He invests in a person.
The company's beside the point.
Okay. It's a person who started a company.
So I'll make up a company.
So your big plan is to trick Bruce Marcus
into investing in a fake startup?
Why not?
Most of the startups are bullshit anyways.
Mine will simply own it.
I got this all figured out.
Okay, what's your company gonna do?
Yeah, what's the company gonna do?
You're on your own.
-Is the metaverse something?
-Good luck.
The human body
is the most incredible piece
of technology ever invented.
We just weren't given the handbook.
Hmm.
Hi. Bruce Marcus, please.
Hi. Bruce Marcus, please.
Hi, Bruce Marcus, please.
Hi, Bruce Marcus, please.
I don't see how you're gonna do this
without a direct line.
I am going to sweet-talk my way
through the front door.
Hi. First Principles Partners?
Hi. Bruce Marcus, please.
Oh. This isn't a cold call.
I'm following up on an earlier meeting.
Well, I lost
the direct line he gave me, so...
Oh, I can assure you, he knows who I am.
We met on a boat.
There was a champagne toast.
A beautiful woman fell overboard.
Hello?
How'd it go?
-That's not yours.
-It's okay. He's a friend of mine.
He asked me to watch his stuff
while he's in the bathroom.
Don't make this weird.
Kind of seems like
you're the one making it weird.
I hate confrontation.
Please don't put me in this position.
If you mind your business,
we won't be in a confrontation.
He asked me to watch his stuff.
It's my business now.
Come on.
Oh, I'm not coming on anything.
-What is it you're doing? Do that.
-I'm writing a novel.
What is it that you're doing?
I'm...
Hey, Will.
-Steve?
-What are you doing here?
Oh, my gosh, I totally forgot
you said you work here sometimes.
-Yeah. Listen. Thanks so much.
-No problem.
- So not in the office today?
- No.
I had a dentist appointment nearby,
and I thought,
stop in, get a little work done.
So...
Um... Wanna join me?
Sure. That sounds great. Absolutely.
What are you working on?
Research. We're doing
a deep dive into Bruce's tweets.
How is that?
He's a guy who loves hearing people
tell him how smart and successful he is.
You know, that does sound good.
Oh! Whoa!
Oh, jeez. Oh, I am such a klutz idiot.
I'm so sorry.
Here. Let me-- Please.
Listen, you should get yourself
another one that's on me.
And don't worry,
there's gonna be enough
on both of those to cover it.
-Yeah. Thanks so much.
-I'll take care of this. I insist.
Oh, and, Steve?
Could you get me
one of those dirty chais?
-Here you go.
-Ah. Thank you so much.
Hey, I'll try not to spill this one.
Okay.
Okay, I can spoof a call
so that it looks like it's coming
from Elon Musk's cell
because Steve also had that number.
Thank you, Steve.
I took over
some tech guy's Twitter account
that hasn't been used in a while
but has a decent number of followers.
What should your name be?
Barnaby St. Cloud.
-Will.
-Fine.
How about Joe Biden?
All right, Greg Roberts.
Like our vice principal.
You know what?
It's payback for all the detention.
Plus, that is a very generic name.
Uh, can you do a South African accent?
Come on. Easy.
Oh.
It's Elon.
Elon. To what do I owe the pleasure?
Bruce, did you get
the latest meme I sent you?
Oh, yeah. The one of the sleepy dog.
So funny.
-I just love memes.
-Yeah.
You all right? You sound off.
And surely, you're not just calling
to talk about memes?
Sorry, it's this...
this oxygen therapy I'm on.
Say, do you mind
if I get your take on something?
You've got a keen eye, boy-o.
No, no, of course not.
I'm always happy to provide counsel.
I appreciate it.
So I assume you've seen the pitch.
What do you think
of this Greg Roberts character?
Uh, who?
-Oh! Never mind.
-No, no. Who is he?
Oh, never mind.
I honestly don't need the competition.
What is it? A new startup?
Something exciting?
See, SpaceX is having a launch next week.
What do you say you come down?
We're gonna send up
just a whole bunch of dogs.
Elon, come on. Tell me about Greg Roberts.
Oh, it's honestly nothing.
Fuck off. You're really not gonna tell me
about this? You know I'm gonna find out.
You're too late, anyways.
There's no such thing.
Be well, Elon.
As always.
Super common name.
Okay, once you give them the pitch,
then we'll send over the video.
-Glenn, I've got it.
-Okay. Are you sure?
-Yes. Have a little faith.
-Okay.
Stop, stop. Go, go, go!
-Bruce. Great to meet you.
-Greg. Thanks for taking the time.
I know you've been talking to Elon.
I have, but I admit, I was excited
when you reached out. I'm a big fan.
Oh, thank you.
Let's hope I live up to my reputation.
- So go ahead, fill me in.
- I'll get right to it.
I've created a dermal patch
that is powered by
and connected to brainwaves.
It allows for an infinitely rechargeable
wireless connection
between mind and device.
No surgery required.
Wow. It's certainly sexier
than the Atlas for Caretakers startup
I've been looking at.
We think our product has the potential
to be the next step of human evolution.
And it really works? No bullshit?
I've been using our prototype myself
for weeks.
It works like a dream,
if you'll excuse the expression.
Getting hard over here.
Ah...
-Let me send you a video of it in action.
-No, no, no. Video?
It's too easy to fake.
I wanna try this on. I wanna do it myself.
Well, it currently takes
a couple of months training and pairing
to get the connectivity
working consistently.
Well then why don't you come
demo it for me in person?
-Come to you?
-Yeah. Why not?
Come demo this for me,
and I'll put Elon's offer to shame.
Well... I can't argue with that.
Are you in L.A.? Why don't you
come up to the house for the weekend?
-I'd love to.
-Great.
I'll have somebody
shoot over the details. Till then.
-It's fine.
-A demo? In person?
-What, are you fucking crazy?
-I think it's fine.
How will it be? Do you have a way
to fake a neural transmitter?
-I'm sure you'll come up with something.
-Oh, fuck you.
Once you get me connected to his network,
I should be able to see
what you're doing pretty easily.
That's perfect.
You'll start with some basic functions on
your phone, which I'll be in control of.
For sure.
And then you'll end it
by turning your phone off,
and I'll hack into
his home automation system.
Oh, I love a grand finale.
Will, pay attention!
I am. Phone stuff, then phone off,
then grand finale.
It's a slam dunk.
You are going into this man's house, okay?
If he finds out you're full of shit,
you're fucked.
Will you relax?
Bruce wants to believe this is real.
I just have to give him permission to.
-How are you gonna do that?
-A guy like this is all ego.
I'll treat him like he's a genius,
I'll play up the connection to Elon.
He's gonna dangle from my hook.
-Okay. You still need to nail this demo.
-I will.
Hi.
I'm Greg Roberts.
Here to see, Bruce. I have a demo,
and I'm staying the weekend, I believe.
- Do you--? Are you--?
- Greg.
Welcome.
-I see you've met my friend Devin.
-We're not friends.
He's the best.
- Come on in.
- Sure.
You can do your demo tomorrow.
Tonight, let's relax.
Sounds great.
Sam! Give our guest some water.
Oh. Thank you. I'm Greg.
Oh, good heavens.
No, you don't have to talk to him.
- Ah.
- Yeah.
Thank you, Sam. Come on, man.
You have a beautiful home.
I don't know,
feels like kind of a dump to me.
We're only here while work continues
on my Malibu compound.
-Oh! Yeah. How's that going?
-Great.
Whole thing's gonna be self-sufficient,
hydro and solar energy,
water desalination facility,
MERV-16 air filters,
a non-small standing army,
all tucked behind 15-foot walls,
covered, covered in razor-tase wire.
Wow. You are prepared.
Gotta be. Income inequality, man.
Talk about a destabilizing force.
Is he pitching you on his luxury bunker?
It is a compound, and you know it.
This is Carla Flores,
my attorney and confidant.
-Pleasure to meet you.
-Wow. Really branching out here, Bruce.
Come now. Play nice.
-Let me guess, Stanford dropout?
-I got in but I decided it wasn't worth it
if I was just gonna bail
after a couple semesters, so...
Yes! This is what I've been trying to
tell you. Why give those fossils a dollar?
-My thinking exactly.
-Okay, I can't.
Look, I've got Caretakers' P&L
ready for you to look over.
Okay. Thank you.
Oh, now? Send it to me. I will get to it.
-I'm sorry, am I interrupting something?
-Well, no, Carla, you're fine.
-A neural link, is it?
-Okay.
Very sci-fi.
Oh, well, we like to think
it's more sci than fi, so...
I like that. "More sci than fi."
Write that down.
Is there a bathroom I can use?
There are many.
The nearest is past the stairs,
-second door on your left.
-Great. I'm just going to put that...
Oh.
Uh...
No. Okay, I'm...
Don't scare him off.
We haven't even seen the product yet.
Don't be an idiot.
I wouldn't know how.
Hmm.
Nice.
-Hi.
-Looking for something?
I'm looking for the bathroom.
I think I got a little turned around.
You thought this was the bathroom?
Not used to houses with so many rooms.
-How many rooms are you used to?
-Ah, the usual number?
Six?
This way.
This is incredible.
Chteau Lafite Rothschild. Extremely rare.
-I've heard a lot about it.
-Is that right? What have you heard?
That it's... good.
Insightful. I must have you
introduce me to your somm.
I haven't had this specific vintage--
Calm down, calm down.
I'm just busting your chops.
You know who'd love this?
Devin!
-Yeah. What's up?
-Dude, join us.
This wine is off the chain.
I'm good.
Okay, cool.
Next time maybe, huh? Stay cool.
Carla, how about you? Feel like a glass?
Still working, unfortunately.
That just means more for us.
-Mm, I am--
-You're fine.
- Well, thank you.
- Uh-huh.
All right. So, what are we looking at,
numbers wise?
For the investment?
No, no, no, for your Camry.
Is that how you pronounce it?
Well...
we're looking for a $75 million investment
at a $1 billion valuation.
Reasonable.
Yes, it is. Though I should tell you both
that we have a verbal offer from Elon.
Fuck Elon. Listen to me.
If your demo does what you claim it does,
I'll give you double
at the same valuation,
and bring you 15 percent
before it gets bogged down in paperwork.
Seriously? That's...
22.5 million.
Should be enough
for you to become intimately familiar
with all the rarefied wine you can drink.
Bruce, we need to do our due diligence.
Thank you, Carla.
You are an attorney, not a technologist.
All right, I'm going to bed.
Mm-hmm.
Good night.
-I should probably--
-No, no. Fuck that. Come on.
-To creating the future.
-To creating the future.
Fuck.
-Excited for your demo tomorrow.
-Oh, it's gonna be so badass.
-You're wasting our time.
-What?
I should be at home with my kids,
but instead I'm here with you,
an idiot with tech
that will definitely not work.
It'll work.
These biotech moonshots
never live up to the hype,
but Bruce thinks since he's funded
some successful apps,
he's smart enough to divine
the future of the human body.
This is some straight up
Theranos shit all over again.
I am not Theranos.
-My tech will work, you'll see.
-I'm looking forward to it.
Mm.
Have you looked at the houses around here?
I think that you and I
should get a putting green.
- Will, we have a problem.
- What kind of a problem?
His intrusion detection system booted me.
Okay? We've gotta bail.
We can't bail.
The presentation is in the morning.
I'm in his house.
Okay. I would have to be
within close range to you.
Okay, so let's do that.
How drunk are you? We can't do that.
Glenn, you just said
you have to come here.
You know I can't come there.
If you don't, we're going
to get kicked out of the apartment,
and you're gonna have to leave anyway.
Plus, Bruce is ready
to offer me $20 million.
Twenty million dollars!
There's no way.
Glenn...
you're my best friend,
and I've done a lot for you.
But now I need you to do this. For us.
-Will, I don't think I can.
-You can. I'm gonna take care of you.
I'm gonna make sure nothing bad happens
to you. I promise. I promise you.
Oh, this is a nightmare.
I'm gonna get you an Atlas.
Hey, you got this.
Yo, if you're gonna boot,
just let me know so I can pull over.
Hey, do I know you from somewhere?
Um, no, no, no.
Yeah, you look really familiar.
God!
- Glenn?
- Will?
-You scared me.
-I'm sorry.
-Come in.
-Be quiet please.
-You gotta see this house.
-Okay.
I knew you could do it, Glenn.
I knew you could do it.
-Are you okay?
-I don't know. I think so.
-Isn't this place incredible?
-Yeah. Where is everybody?
They're all asleep. It's fine.
Hey. Do you want a bottle of water?
Did you know that Richard Branson's island
has its own brand of bottled water?
And it is called
Sir Richard's Horny Water.
And it sounds disgusting,
but it's very, very good.
No. I'm okay.
This place is massive. It's crazy.
Fuck!
-Who was that?
-That was his bodyguard.
-His bodyguard? He has a bodyguard?
-It's fine. Go upstairs. Just go upstairs.
Isn't this place amazing?
And apparently,
it isn't even one of his good houses.
Let's focus. Okay?
Just come over here. Feel these sheets.
- No. Okay?
- Mm...
Who is it?
I heard voices.
I talk to myself at night.
It's an endearing quality.
It sounded like distinct voices.
Yes, I'm very good.
Um...
Especially after I have a hard day.
I like to talk to myself.
And boy, today was hard.
But it was good, very productive.
We--
That actually worked?
Good morning.
-Late night?
-I think I overdid it just a little bit--
Oh. Thank you.
Thank you.
So tell me, how did you best companies
with hundreds of engineers
in a space as complex as biotech?
Well, like I said,
our technology is proprietary.
-I'm not trying to steal your tech.
-I believe you.
I just have to be careful. You understand.
Jesus Christ,
I just want the how, not the what.
Well, I first developed the concept
when I was in high school, actually,
and been working on it
with a small group ever since.
Oh! So you and a couple of buddies
figured out a way
to directly communicate with the brain
completely on your own?
That's right.
Interesting.
That vase doesn't seem like Bruce's taste.
- It's not a vase.
- It's an urn.
-In it are the ashes of Rose Whitford.
-I'm sorry, I didn't realize.
Don't apologize.
It's no one I was related to.
It was Bill Whitford's mother.
He used to work for one of my firms
until he leaked emails to the press.
I sued, he wanted to settle,
and I demanded this.
Hmm.
Why that?
Well, you can always make
more money, but this?
This cannot be replaced.
Forget guns. There's nothing scarier
than lawyers with infinite resources.
People hear about this,
they think twice about messing with me.
Hmm.
Seeing this,
you wouldn't... mess with me, right?
No.
Certainly not.
Smart.
It looks like one of our Estonian
DB engineers went off the map again.
Another one? What the hell?
Well, you know
it comes with the territory.
Good heavens,
you're green behind the gills.
I guess realizing the wine you're drinking
costs more than your rent
makes you very thirsty, huh?
It really snuck up on me.
I should put you in touch
with my blood guy.
All right. Is this demo happening?
Can we please get it over with?
Yes, let's. Where shall we do it?
Well, Will here seems really concerned
about protecting his precious tech,
so maybe we should do it downstairs
in the cellar, where it's secure.
Love it. Perfect motivation.
Surround you
with all your potential spoils.
-Mm. Great.
-Great. So why don't you go get set up?
Yes, I will do that.
I will go and set up the demo.
-The wine cellar is downstairs.
-Of course it is.
Of course that's where the wine cellar is.
I just have to go and get my things.
-I've never eaten anything on this plate.
-I'll throw it in the trash.
What's up?
Hey. So, what's the range
on those earpieces?
I am going to need
a little bit of time to get set up.
-I can absolutely stall.
-I'm gonna kill you!
That's totally fair.
-I'm excited, no, honored...
-Okay.
...to show you
the melding of man and machine
long envisioned by science fiction
now made real.
But before I do,
I believe some historical context
might help you truly appreciate
the potential of this technology.
I take you now to a tomb in Egypt.
...which brings us
to the Byzantine Empire.
Here, much like in the Roman Empire,
the promise of a neurological link
remains but a distant dream.
Is there a demo happening,
or can I go back upstairs
and do some work?
Thought some background might be helpful,
but to the main event.
Regular texting is such a pain.
You've got to drag out your phone
and slowly enter every last detail.
"I'm ready to go."
Ugh, the worst.
Say you're at a restaurant
and you get a text, something like,
"What time will you be home?"
You want to respond,
but do you rudely pull out your phone
and slowly type away at it?
How should I respond?
Tell them to fuck off.
-Huh.
-Hmm.
And it's not just texts.
I can control literally any app
on my phone using only my mind.
Say I want to order something from Amazon.
Maybe a new sweater.
-What's your favorite color?
-Chartreuse.
Huh.
Okay, how do we know this isn't
just some fancy voice recognition?
You know, I thought you might ask that.
Why don't you take this pen and paper
and write down a command?
Anything at all. I'll prove it to you.
Move your head to the left.
Your other left.
So needy.
Holy shit, the data
you could mine with this thing.
It is impressive.
My friend, I think we're in.
I knew it, I knew you would be.
I'm excited.
We're going to make
a lot of money together.
Yes, sir.
Wait a minute. I thought there was
a grand finale or something.
-Oh, that's right, you did say that.
-I'm happy to continue.
By all means. Yeah.
With your permission,
I'd like to access
your home automation system.
Go for it.
-Is there an issue?
-Just logging in.
Found this one in the bathroom.
Who the hell are you?
What are you doing in my house?
Uh, I can-- I can explain.
Wait a second. You're familiar.
Who are you?
Uh...
I'm nobody.
Greg, you know this guy?
No, of course not.
All right, get him upstairs.
-Hey.
-What the fuck?
I've dealt with crazies before,
but nobody's gotten into my fucking house.
We need to figure out
how the hell he got in here.
No. No, I'm gonna fuck him up.
I should go.
Yeah. He's dead. I'm going up there.
-We need to call the cops.
-No cops. I am the protector of my house.
Hey. Do you want to be
the one who gets arrested?
I agree with Carla.
You should call the police.
Oh, great. Mom and Dad are here.
So reasonable.
I'm calling.
-Keep them out of my horny room.
-I should go.
If I could just get
that check before I leave,
I will lock you in as my main investor.
Somebody broke into my fucking house, man.
You're right. I'm sorry.
I'll come to your office on Monday.
You can finish the demo then.
-I've gotta deal with this.
-That sounds great.
Go.
Yeah.
Yeah, I should go.
That's not the way.
Fuck, fuck, fuck...
-What the hell are you doing?
-Whoa! Nothing.
No. Hey.
Not too smart, buddy.
-Got a present for you, gorgeous.
-It's never flowers.
-You got ID?
-Yep.
Glenn Marnell.
She's female.
No, I'm not.
Sorry. Got to put you with the ladies.
Regulations.
All right, come on. Let's move.
Next time, flowers. Count on it.
All right.
Right here.
Here...
will be your new home.
Is there a way to get a cell by myself?
Oh, let me check to see
if the presidential suite is available.
Oh, the president is in town.
- Ah! Okay. That good?
- Hey.
Did you put that call in to my driver?
No, ma'am,
I didn't put the call in to your driver.
If Ernst doesn't get home
and give Pom-Pom her drops,
she might lose an eye.
Is that what you want?
Pom-Pom to lose an eye?
All right, I'll see what I can do.
Excuse me, is there a Glenn Marnell
being held here?
I'm their attorney, Barnaby St. Cloud.
-You're coming?
-Yep. Yep.
Oh, my God. Are you okay?
Yes. What happened?
I am so sorry.
I'm going to get you out of here.
Okay.
How much is bail? I was thinking
that we could sell some of the gift cards.
I know I said
that it was too risky before, but...
I need to finish the scam.
Glenn, we are so close.
If I can just finish the demo,
he is going to give me the money.
What the fuck are you talking...?
I'm in jail.
Okay, Will? It's over.
-He's on to you.
-He's not on to me.
He is not the genius
that everybody thinks he is.
-I can still do this.
-You...
What are you talking...?
You're gonna do the demo by yourself?
I have a plan.
And right now, I need you
to stay here for a little while.
No. Get me out of here.
Then we could do whatever plan
you want after that together.
I just need you to trust me.
Will, I did trust you.
I know.
And I'm sorry.
Marnell, you're still here?
Yeah.
You might want to reconsider
your choice of attorney.
Hey, are you freaking out?
You are. You are freaking out. Okay.
Hey, you're all right. Look at me.
Look at me. Breathe with me.
Breathe in.
Feel your power. Breathe out.
Fuck everybody.
Breathe in.
Feel your power. Breathe out.
Fuck everybody.
There you go.
Thanks.
That did help.
Yeah. It always helps to ground me.
What are you in here for, anyway?
-Uh, breaking and entering.
-Holy shit!
Really?
-Oh, my God, you're like a real criminal.
-What did you do?
Me?
Nothing.
Seriously, nothing.
And yet, somehow, these pigs
are still trampling on my rights!
Lady, you called in a bomb threat
to The Grove.
Where's your evidence, fucker?!
Oink! Oink!
Oh, well, piggy, looks like you lose.
Okay.
Okay.
Okay, that means he agrees with me.
That's why he said, "Okay."
'Cause he knows it's true. Right?
You got it.
You know what I'm talking about.
Hey. Thank you so much for coming.
Figured a real-world context
might make more sense than the office.
Sorry to be running a little behind.
-So this is your mom's house?
-Yep.
Just your average American home.
Come, come.
Wow. I thought you came from money.
Where did you get the resources
to develop this tech yourself?
My parents split
and my dad took everything in the divorce,
so my mom had to live pretty modestly.
-Oh, I understand that game.
-Okay. Let's get this over with.
Okay, so you've seen me
control a smartphone.
Now let me show you how you can run
literally anything in your house
using only your mind.
Say, you want to watch TV,
but can't find the remote.
Side effects may include
loss of vision, loss of taste,
loss of sense of smell...
Ugh! And of course, there's nothing on.
If you experience an erection--
You can run anything
connected to a smart home system.
Things like the lights.
Oh, no, that's too dim.
- I have all sorts of...
- Will. Will.
I got your text.
What text?
This is my mom.
Why don't you wait in the kitchen?
I have a work thing.
It'll just take a minute.
Oh. Uh...
Okay.
Sorry about that. Where was I?
-Ah. Let's watch some TV.
-Sorry, did she say, "Will"?
-Who is Will?
-That's a family nickname.
I'm so sorry.
I don't mean to interrupt, I just--
You said there was an emergency.
I don't know what you're talking about,
but why don't I just turn off the TV?
That's right. These little fish
clean every single tooth
of the great white.
This and more when we return.
Only on The Big...
Will, I left work early.
Hey, do you guys want to see something?
Mom, what's our favorite song?
-"Candle in the Wind."
-No, don't. I hate music.
You do? And no...
Oh, God. Turn it off.
- Turn it off.
- Just give it a second.
-What's going on?
-Please.
Just a second, please.
So you did that with your mind?
Mm-hmm. Hey, why don't I just wrap up
the demonstration,
and you and me can sign that terms sheet
at a coffee shop?
-Or over margaritas.
-Will, why did you text me?
-Mom, I didn't.
-Hmm. Then I wonder who did.
You know, I have heard it's pretty easy
to spoof someone else's phone number.
Isn't that right...
Elon?
Why did you call him that?
Oh, my, God I told you
I fucking hate music. Turn this off.
Just give it a second.
-Sue, is it?
-Yes.
What is it you think your son, Will here,
does for a living?
He works at Facebook.
Will, who is this?
"Who is this?"
I'm Bruce Marcus.
What? What...?
What are you doing in my house?
Would you like to explain, or shall I?
Mom, I don't work at Facebook.
What? Excuse me?
I've been lying to you.
I dropped out of college.
What? What are you talking about?
That was years ago.
What have you been doing?
He's been driving for Atlas
and ripping off his riders
with the help of his buddy Glenn.
And then they came for me.
Is that true?
Well, I can see the two of you
have an awful lot to discuss.
But don't think for a moment I'm finished
with you, my friend, because you...
You are fucked.
Okay. All right, big man. Let's go, Bruce.
Fucked.
So lovely meeting you.
So you didn't even graduate?
I was failing out
and I didn't want to disappoint you.
And Facebook?
I just wanted you to be proud of me, Mom.
So you've been lying to me for 10 years,
and that's why
I couldn't visit your house.
And you're a scammer.
I'm so sorry.
Who are you?
Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hey, hey, hey.
-Sonya, what's going on?
-Oh, you're out.
Oh, Sonya, please.
I just need a little more time.
You can either get your shit out now,
or I can get some guys to drag it out.
It's up to you.
Are you happy with your line of work?
So I know the hip replacement
is gonna set off the metal detector anyway
so I can get anything through.
- Oh, my God.
- Marnell.
-You're free to go.
-What?
Really?
Was it Will?
Ah.
Hell yeah, Glenn! Bomb The Grove!
Fuckers, right?
Um...
Did Will send you?
I knew I recognized you.
Fun Killer Glenn,
the most hated person on the Internet.
Leave me alone.
Whoa. I'm not here to hurt you. I dropped
the charges. That's why you're out.
-What?
-I just want to chat.
I know everything about you and Will.
He tried to pull it off without you.
Idiot.
When it fell apart,
he threw you under the bus.
Said you were dragging him down,
offered to help me using his skills.
-Which of course are bullshit.
-He wouldn't say that.
Come now.
You can't believe he cares about anyone
other than himself.
He left you to rot in there.
He's been lying to his own mother
for years, for Christ's sakes.
Glenn, you are far too smart
to be partnered with someone like him.
Come work for me.
Seriously?
No one's ever gotten
past my security before.
And what you did with that movie
was incredibly skillful.
You are an undervalued asset.
It's long past time
you got what you're worth.
Your security system is garbage.
What?
Oh, come on.
Oh, no.
Ah!
Fuck you.
-Good morning.
-Hey.
Let me know if that's not right.
I can send Sam out to get something else.
He's still in the car
with the window open a crack.
This is like three months' worth.
It's a year.
You can do that?
I can.
As a matter of fact, if there's anything
at all you need, just say the word.
-Thank you so much.
-Yeah.
-Oh my God, is this the Amazon back end?
-Yeah.
He keeps trying to open up
new accounts under his favorite alias,
Barnaby St. Cloud.
People are so predictable.
You're incredible.
It is mind-blowing that you were
hiding under a rock all these years.
Yeah, well, no one wanted
to hire me after what I did.
Which is ridiculous.
You hacked one of
the biggest film studios in the world.
That rsum beats anything on the planet.
Yeah, well, no one's really
looking to hire a felon.
Felon? Whatever.
What did you get? Two years
probation and no computer access?
-Yeah, exactly.
-Yeah.
Glenn, did you not use
a computer for two years?
-Of course not.
-Right.
When you're smarter
than the seat fillers who write the rules,
the rules should not apply to you.
Yeah, I guess so.
No, you know so.
Forget about Will and those haters
on the Internet you're so scared of.
You're gonna make so much money, nothing,
nobody is gonna be able to touch you.
I'm here to see Glenn Marnell.
Mm-hmm.
-Marnell was released three days ago.
-What? What happened?
You're her lawyer.
I don't understand.
You're a credit to our justice system.
-It's about to be a fucking crazy night.
-Exactly.
Yo, look at this tall piece of shit
doing the job of a pole.
Oh, guys...
What the fuck you doing?
Why are you doing this?
-Shouldn't you be in a nursing home?
-I'm not. Stop. Go. Get out of here.
It's really good to see you.
Bye.
Synthesize. Yeah. I don't need Will's
patch to know people's innermost thoughts.
They will already have told me themselves.
I know you can do this.
Can you do this without telling anyone?
I'm so sorry. I have to go.
Hey, what's up?
I got some more access credentials
for you for the app project.
Yeah, his app project.
You're okay with that?
It's pretty insane, right?
It doesn't really matter
what you think, does it?
I guess not.
-Is there something else?
-Yes.
We need you in person at Tech Elite.
The big conference?
No, I'm sorry, I can't.
Bruce doesn't trust anyone else
to handle his security after what you did.
He's been pretty unambiguous,
but he needs his brilliant Glenn.
I... I seriously can't.
-I don't do crowds.
-You need to think hard on it.
Bruce does not react well
to having his requests denied.
Um...
Um...
Okay.
All right.
Listen, I understand how you feel.
That fun realization that there's more
of you for sale than you thought.
But you'll be fine.
-Okay?
-Okay.
- Will?
- Oh, Jesus.
Rough day?
What are you doing here? My mom's at work.
Well, I swung by
to pick up a charger I left here.
You can, you know,
just use the shower, you know?
She moved the spare key, and I didn't
wanna ask her for anything else.
Come on.
-Thank you.
-Yeah.
How is she?
Well, she's worried about you.
You should call her.
I can't. Not yet.
-I assume she told you what happened?
-Yeah, she did.
But I'm not sure I got all the details.
Yeah.
Is it safe to assume
you got connected to Bruce through me?
I did. I am sorry.
-And does he know that?
-No. Definitely not.
Well, that's something at least.
-You were right. He is an asshole.
-Yeah. No kidding.
What happened to Glenn?
I fucked them over,
and now I'm pretty sure they're
working with Bruce to ruin my life.
So, what's the story with Glenn?
If you don't mind me asking.
When Glenn was 17,
they got into it with some nerds online,
and to troll them, they went after
the nerds' latest obsession,
the then-upcoming Star Wars movie.
-Wow! You mean Glenn is Fun Killer Glenn?
-Yeah.
They hacked Lucasfilm
and delayed the release by a full year.
They got doxed
and the Internet came for them.
Yeah, yeah.
I remember that. People were vicious.
Glenn was always nervous,
but that broke them.
They stopped
even being able to go outside.
They moved in with me
and I dropped out of school to help.
Well, that's a big sacrifice.
I was never a school guy.
I belong with Glenn.
And now I fucked that up too.
You know, Will, I don't--
I don't think you're as awful
as you believe you are.
Well, I gotta get back to work.
Prepping for a busy week,
and I cover Tech Elite.
-That's right. That is this week.
-Yeah. The annual gathering of the nerds.
Steve, would you tell my mom...?
I don't know. Tell her it will be okay.
Of course.
Hang in there, man.
Thank you.
Welcome to
the 2023 Tech Elite global conference,
where the future destroys the present.
All right, now, she won't go for
the jugular or try to embarrass you,
but you need to be prepared.
Hey, this is important.
It's important to tell our story
on our terms, yes.
But Dana's gonna throw me
a bunch of softballs,
try to trip me up on one tough question.
Otherwise, let these keyboard humpers
eat out of the palm of my hand.
Yeah, I'm sure they'll be
charmed by your humility.
I'm sure they will.
-Hi, there.
-Hi.
-Joan, is it?
-Yes. What can I do for you?
Can I get your name?
Well, you're not gonna find my name,
but I'm hoping you can help me out.
Okay.
Okay.
I betrayed my best friend who's the only
person in the world who truly knew me,
so now they're working with Bruce Marcus
to systematically destroy my life.
And the two of them are together
inside that event right now.
Bruce Marcus.
-Yeah.
-The billionaire?
It's complicated.
Okay. Um...
I'm sorry, but if you're not registered,
I just can't let you in.
I promise I'm not gonna do anything crazy.
I just need a chance to make things right.
Yeah.
I don't think
I fully understand your situation.
There's just nothing that I can do.
I'm sorry.
Joan, have you ever done something
that made you see yourself clearly
and you didn't like what you see?
-I have.
-So you know how it feels.
You don't know me.
You don't owe me anything.
I just have to have
the chance to apologize.
Look at that, you are registered.
-Right there.
-Yeah?
-Yeah.
-I don't know what to say.
Just stand right there.
Okay. Look here.
Cheese.
Becky? Hi. Yeah, it's Joan. Hi.
Yeah. So...
I am the one that took your dog.
Will's here.
-He's in the East Hall.
-What is he doing here?
Go grab him. Find out.
-Now?
-No. Finish the-- Yes, now. Jesus. Go.
Man, sometimes he is lucky
we're such good friends.
-You guys are friends?
-Hmm?
-You two are friends?
-Devin and I?
-Yeah.
-Yeah.
Attention,
if you are missing a fleece vest,
please come to the information booth.
-I have a secret.
-Hmm?
I hate all these people.
I overheard a guy at the coffee stand
asking if they had a branch
in the metaverse.
-Makes you miss the porn convention.
-Yeah, at least they're self-aware.
You guys wanna get these people?
-What?
-You know Bruce Marcus?
I wanna humiliate him
in front of his biggest fans.
I wanna destroy him.
That asshole with the books?
The money man?
All I need to do it is your badge.
If I get caught, I'll say I stole it.
Love that energy.
Bruce Marcus
in conversation with Dana Williams
will begin in five minutes.
Excited to see whatever the fuck
this is gonna be.
Yeah.
-Excuse me, are you Dana Williams?
-What is it?
I'm so sorry,
your car appears to be on fire.
-What?
-In the garage?
-Yeah, it's a--
-Gray Honda Civic.
A gray Honda Civic, yeah.
Oh, Jesus Christ.
Yeah.
They can't find her. I'm just gonna go.
Hello, Tech Elite.
Thank you. It is so good to be back.
You know, I thought I might
have a host for this,
but I guess Dana must be in the bathroom.
I'm Bruce Marcus, but I have
a feeling you knew that already.
Now I'm very capable-- Oh.
Oh, no, no, no. No, it's all right.
Let's see how this goes.
Thank you, Devin.
My best friend Devin.
Dana, something's different about you.
I'm kidding, of course. This is not Dana.
This is Will Kerrigan.
Will Kerrigan is an Atlas driver
who tried to scam me recently.
He's right.
I'm an Atlas driver. I'm nobody.
I'm not particularly smart.
I have no skills to speak of.
No argument here.
I tried to scam him
because I thought
he has everything I want.
He's brilliant. He's respected.
-He's obscenely rich.
-Again, zero lies detected.
I saw what you see.
A genius who's living my ultimate dream.
And you know what I saw
when I got close?
He's miserable.
He lives in a huge house alone.
The people close to him don't like him.
They don't respect him
because he's not particularly smart
and he has no skills to speak of.
He's just rich.
Okay. Thank you, Will.
I think you've said your piece...
He's a greedy egomaniac.
And boy, do I know greedy egomaniacs.
I hung my best friend out to dry
for a taste of what he has.
They're a good person, they're not greedy.
Their big idea is
to make a cat video game.
They want a safe, dignified life.
And for a tongue-touch of the money
that he has, I left them in literal jail.
I cost myself everything.
Greed is expensive.
You cannot afford it.
Feel better?
Bruce Marcus is not a good man!
The naive ideals of the unaccomplished.
It's not a good look.
Some people are drivers.
Some people are driven.
It's just how it is--
You and I are not so different, Glenn.
I've seen the choices you've made.
And I know that you know that medical
records aren't just medical records,
and that I don't give a shit
about Caretaker in order to skip wages...
Shut this off immediately.
This is an illegal recording.
...corner the market on a new drug.
-What have you done?
-I'm interested in information.
-Glenn.
-Data.
Carla, goddamn it, turn it off.
I'm asking you to help me
to have instant, constant,
real-time access to every
bit of data from every company I touch.
I'm asking for zero uncertainty,
and as long as no one else knows
that I know every-fucking-thing
about every-fucking-body,
people are no longer users or customers.
They're barely individuals.
They're property.
Unwitting, unpaid, indentured employees
who just by living their sad lives
are offering me
the opportunity to see the future.
Okay, okay.
This was all out of context, obviously.
Let me try to frame what's been going on.
So I know you think you understand what--
No, no, no.
What the fuck?
Oh, fuck you!
These are hypotheticals, goddamn it.
-Boo!
-These are my-- Oh, my God.
Who is fucking throwing shit?
Ow, Jesus. What the fuck?
Who the fuck threw that?
Who threw that? You piece of shit!
What the fuck is wrong with you? I'm--
Oh, yes! Get the fuck off!
Oh, shit!
Fuck!
I won that fight! I won that fight!
-Somebody bit me. Somebody bit me.
-Hey, hey.
What the fuck is this?
I'm Bruce Marcus. You people respect me.
My best friend Devin
is gonna fucking kill you.
Fuck off. Fuck off.
I know everything about you,
I know everything--
Get the fuck away from me!
Get the fuck away from me!
Fuck off. Fuck off. Ah!
-Are you okay?
-Yeah.
Are you?
Glenn, I really am sorry.
It really fucking sucked,
but I understand, and I'm sorry too.
If it helps,
I just made a fool out of myself.
No, you didn't.
Hey, that was actually
really fucking cool.
-They hated me.
-What? No, no, no.
They booed at first,
but then you were vindicated.
That was king hero shit.
-Yeah.
-Yeah.
-Yeah.
-Yeah.
Trust me, I know
what the Internet responds to, okay?
Positively and negatively.
- Yes, you do.
- What are we gonna do now?
I need to call my mom.
Where are we gonna live?
Look, you're asking
all the right questions.
-Yeah.
-Hey, look at you out in the world.
-Yeah, I hate it here. Take me inside.
-Oh, yeah. The world's terrible.