When the Ringlights Dim (2025) Movie Script

[exhales sharply] Don't panic.
Don't panic.
[exhales sharply] Don't panic.
[Zari breathes deeply]
Don't panic, don't panic, don't panic.
[exhales sharply]
Don't panic. Don't panic.
[Zari breathes heavily]
Oh, this is good. Oh, this is good.
[breathes heavily] It will be another day.
Two tops. Cass will find me.
Or maybe Elle will.
This isn't really a big deal at all.
[Zari breathes deeply]
Could've been him.
Maybe her, yeah.
Oh, one of the guys from the
old house. [Exhales sharply]
Or that old guy who took me
to Hawaii. [Exhales sharply]
Cass's new dude.
I mean, that wouldn't shock
me. Size doesn't matter.
Any of these guys could have hired someone
to do the dirty work.
On the bright side, I still
have all my limbs and digits.
[whimpers] Good one, Zari.
Listen, whatever you do, just don't panic.
[Zari breathes heavily]
[deep haunting music]
I know, it sucks.
I'm just providing you
with the quickest way
to move up the ladder,
gain useful connections,
and get a better understanding
of the current industry landscape.
[man] I just don't
understand why I have to work
in a talent agency mail room,
and then be a talent agent's assistant,
if all I wanna do is
just be a screenwriter.
It's funny, I was exactly like you.
The truth is I'm a hundred
percent on your side.
I hate the way this industry works.
I think there are so many backwards aspects
and nonsensical rules.
Okay, well, at least I'm not crazy.
I really do appreciate
all of your guidance.
I have a good like, two
pages of notes here.
Absolutely.
In the coming days, I'll send
you over a list of the agency
and management companies
you should be applying to,
and send me your resume.
I'll let you know if you need
to shift anything around.
This has been so amazing. Thanks again.
It was nice meeting you.
Reach out to me anytime,
and tell your friends about me,
maybe I can help them too.
Of course, will do.
Bye.
[Gavin exhales sharply]
[soft upbeat music]
Okay, phone one.
Phone two.
Keys one, keys two.
Hand sanitizer, wallets, cash. Cool.
[soft upbeat music]
[upbeat dance music]
[upbeat dance music continues]
[upbeat dance music continues]
[upbeat dance music continues]
[upbeat dance music continues]
Hey, hey, hey, hey
[upbeat dance music]
[upbeat dance music continues]
Hey, hey, hey
[upbeat dance music]
[upbeat dance music]
[soft upbeat music]
[soft upbeat music continues]
[soft upbeat music continues]
[soft upbeat music continues]
[soft upbeat music continues]
It was so much fun playing with you today.
And don't forget to tell all
your friends to subscribe
because the more subscribers I get,
the wilder my content will be, I promise.
Okay, until then, oh, before I forget,
to all my new subscribers,
make sure to private message me.
I'm dying to hear what
you all wanna do to me.
No kinkshaming ever. I promise.
[lips smack] Okay, love you.
Bye. [Giggles]
Mm, good job.
And that is pretty much it.
Simple makeup, no
makeup, natural, quick look.
All you need is brow pencil,
brow gel, blush, mascara,
and a little bit of highlighter.
I hope you guys enjoy that.
And, I saw that someone actually
commented on my last video
asking about my
nighttime meditation routine.
If you've been following me for a while,
you know that I'm like low
key obsessed with birds,
and I have this superdope,
relaxing animal meditation.
What I do, I press play, I
lay down, I close my eyes,
take a deep breath,
and then I just start
visualizing this light
going through the top of
my head, down my body,
all the way to my toes,
and I just fall asleep.
It's relaxing as fuck.
Maybe I'll demonstrate next time,
but this time I am
starving so I'm gonna go.
I love you guys. Thank you for tuning in.
[lips smack] Ciao.
[Cass sighs]
I need to work out. Ugh.
[bags crumple]
[spoon clinks]
What's up, babes?
Hi. How'd it go tonight?
Uh, pretty good.
I'm on my period now, so I
didn't do anything too crazy.
I'm really just trying to eat cookies,
smoke some weed, and pass out.
You should try this
new herbal tea that I got
in this health spa in Venice.
It's up there. It's so good for you.
You know I don't trust shit like that.
Probably has like 20 ingredients
I've never heard of before,
and even if it cures my cramps,
I'd probably have like
tendrils growing out of me
like I'm some pod person.
[giggles] Did somebody
watch Body Snatchers?
[Zari] Guilty.
Love it. 70s, Goldblum
was OG sex symbol status.
Um, before you leave, do
we have anything tomorrow?
[Zari] Uh, no, I hope not.
Why, what's going on?
This guy asked me to go
on a hike, dating app dude.
[Zari] And you're actually considering it?
I am.
[Zari] Let me see this stud's profile.
It's the Gavin dude at the top.
[spoon clinks]
What happened to your phone case?
I temporarily lost it, but whatever.
It'll find its way back to me.
He's not my usual type.
Yeah, he's 5' 9". What's up with that?
I don't know, we've been chatting.
He's quirky, he's sarcastic,
and he's in good shape.
Looks like a mama's boy to me.
Danger for this guy would
be staying out past 11
on a Friday.
I don't know, I'm just so
tired of all these LA guys.
Like, maybe you're not, but
I've been here my whole life
and they're all the same.
They're all so dull, and walking cliches.
I mean then, go. Doesn't
look like serial killer to me.
Worst case scenario, you meet
him, get a great sweat going,
and block him afterwards.
You're so right. I need to up my cardio.
Can't go up a flight of
stairs without fucking dying.
[birds chirp]
So you're like a content
creator? What kinda content?
Well, I used to live in one
of those big content houses
and uh, we'd just do a bunch of videos.
I would get a ton of views,
a lotta meaningless shit.
We would like, buy a $300,000 sports car,
charter a yacht in Costa Rica,
or prank strangers on the street.
Well, what happened?
I just, I just think it's crazy
how people really let
content run their lives,
and I don't know,
I felt like I wasn't fulfilling my purpose.
So, started doing makeup tutorials,
yoga tutorials, mental health.
Well that's awesome.
I mean, it sounds like
you've found something
you're really passionate about.
Yeah, true. I'm just making less money.
What about you? You're uh,
you're in entertainment, right?
Yeah, I uh, I started in the
mail room at a talent agency
and then was working my way up the ladder,
switched over to a studio,
then a production company,
and then COVID sorta derailed my plans.
What happened?
Uh, furloughed.
But um, I found kind of a cool avenue.
I'm sort of like an
entertainment industry advisor.
Basically, I'll like hop
on Zooms with entry level
and mid level people, and
they'll pay me to teach them
about the industry.
Mm. You're from New York, right?
Yeah.
[chuckles] You have an accent.
Uh, I don't think I do.
It's subtle, but yeah,
I can tell you're an East Coast boy.
It's not a bad thing.
Okay.
[birds chirp]
I'm just happy you didn't
say Wolf of Wall Street.
I feel like 99% of guys would say
that's their favorite New York film.
Well, I think the crux of the issue is,
I care more about relationships than money,
and Kubrick gives a wholly original take,
while showing the very true blemishes
that all real relationships have.
Plus, Eyes Wide Shut is just so original.
What about yours?
-My favorite LA film?
-Yeah.
Well, I guess I just chastised guys
for Wolf of Wall Street,
so I can't say Clueless.
[Gavin chuckles]
Um, let me think about it.
I wanna film a little video
for TikTok and Instagram.
Of course.
[birds chirp]
So you said you're a
classics Hollywood guy?
Yeah.
Then how 'bout In a Lonely Place?
I'll give that as my favorite.
Are you serious?
I'm absolutely obsessed with that movie.
Right? It's so good. And
Bogart is a fucking genius.
Did your parents work in the industry?
Yeah, my dad was a DP for years
and my mom was a makeup artist.
Knew it.
[birds chirp]
Okay.
Hey, guys.
So, I'm on a hike and I
need to show you this view.
It's so beautiful.
And just quick, friendly reminder,
if you're feeling
depressed, if you're down,
gotta get your mind
off stuff, go on a hike,
or take a walk around
the block, just get in nature,
because it is a surefire
way to elevate your mood,
your psychological well
being, and just feel right.
Please also stretch beforehand
because I'm pretty sure I
pulled every muscle in my body.
All right, love you guys. Peace.
[birds chirp]
You think I need another take?
No. Why?
Good. I try to, I try to
post my uh, my first take.
I just feel like they're more authentic.
I love your authenticity.
It's uh, it's refreshing.
[Cass chuckles]
[birds chirp]
What's up, babes?
Hello.
What you reading?
Candide by Voltaire.
Damn. After like two years,
I still can't figure you out.
Like, they wouldn't be
able to make a Cassia doll.
They'd need like, unlimited
props and outfit changes.
[chuckles] Want some?
Just try it.
[Zari sighs]
[burps] This is gross.
But also like, I need one.
How's your cramps?
Slightly better.
I might just hit up the
dog park with a spliff.
Are you the only one there without a dog?
Whatever. I meet plenty
of hot girls and guys there.
You should definitely try it.
Oh, damn. How was the date
with the uptight New York guy?
It was good. Like, maybe great.
Yo, what?
He's not cool by any means,
but he's just genuinely a
good guy, and huge movie buff.
He was asking me all about
my careers, my passions,
and I don't know, I just
feel like he'd be reliable.
Are you seeing if I'm
pregnant? We didn't even kiss.
No, I was feeling for butterflies.
I think I felt one.
[Cass giggles]
So, date number two upcoming?
Yeah, I would say yes.
Wanna read to me for a bit?
Of course, darling.
So, this philosopher,
Voltaire, wrote this little book
like 300 years ago.
And, the whole concept
is, you know how people say
everything happens for a reason?
For sure.
Well, this philosopher tells Candide
that everything happens for a reason.
The thing is, that every five pages,
like something terrible happens to Candide,
and you as a reader contemplate
whether there's anything
to ever be optimistic about.
Sounds like a blast.
It is.
[Zari yawns]
I set my alarm for one
thing and one thing only
in the morning.
All right, I really need
my espresso martini.
And that is martinis.
Oh, Jimmy's here. Hello.
That is exactly the type of
role you should be playing.
You're a badass.
Duh. But it's just, so goddamn
disheartening, you know?
Like, how many auditions do
I have to go on before I book
like even one episode as a guest star role?
No, dude, it'll happen. Okay?
You're so talented. Just don't give up.
It's not even just about that,
it's just what I love to do.
Dude, I love espresso martinis.
I could live off them, I swear.
You know, I make like 20K a month
shooting these web cam adult scenes.
Sometimes I wonder why I
even go on all these auditions.
Because you're an amazing actress
and you can't limit yourself.
Watch, in a month from now
you're gonna book some lead role
in a hot new pilot and then
everyone's gonna wanna
work with you.
Just manifest that shit.
This espresso martini is incredible.
-I know, right?
-Mmhmm.
Can we please hit a
rooftop bar this weekend?
Let's go dancing instead.
Oh, my answer to that is always yes.
Aw, I love our little morning ritual.
I know.
[gentle upbeat music]
That's why I love EDM.
It's just so upbeat, so happy. I love it.
You must go to a lotta concerts then.
Oh, totally.
I love to go to Flume and Kygo and Alok.
I never miss Coachella.
And, SoFi and the Bowl
have pretty lit shows too.
You know, I've never been to Coachella.
What? No way. You have to go.
It's life changing, literally.
I can't believe
Ooh, ooh, baby, can't
You see the change in me
I know I'm different
From the night we met
Ooh, ooh, baby, I didn't
Know what we could be
And now I wish I Could relive the past
What are you reading?
What?
What are you reading?
Oh no.
Are you okay?
Yeah, I just saw a seagull
and her wing was broken.
I just hate seeing animals in pain.
Um, I'm reading Candide by Voltaire.
Oh, I uh, I wouldn't have
expected that from you.
Why? Is that like a hot girl
must be dumb stereotype?
No, no, no, no, no.
No, I wouldn't have expected that from you
because you're such an upbeat person.
That's like kind of a downer to read.
Well, good. I'm glad
you can't figure me out.
Wish you may, wish you
might, Wanna go back to that time
[seagulls caw]
I wanna go, wanna go back
To you, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
You, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
I wanna go, wanna Go back to you
[waves crash]
Can you pass me the suntan lotion?
I think it's in your bag.
Thank you.
You know what you forgot?
What?
Alcohol. Pro tip.
Bring a girl to the beach,
have some alcohol ready from the get.
Noted.
Now me and the girl I bring here tomorrow
are gonna get plastered.
Ohoh, ha, ha, ha, ha.
[waves crash] [seagulls caw]
[Cass laughs]
What?
No, my roommate, Zari, she's said,
"He doesn't look like the type,
but please confirm that he
doesn't have you chained up
with plans to consume you."
The second date would
be too early for that.
Her and I just watched that movie Fresh.
I'm sure you've seen it
since you're Mr. Hollywood.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, Sebastian
Stan and Daisy Edgar-Jones.
I can promise you I've
never considered cannibalism
in any point in my dating life.
Oh, lucky me.
[Gavin laughs]
I'm gonna shoot a video real quick.
Oh, of course. Whatever you gotta do.
What's up guys? It's your girl, Cass.
I have been on such a nature kick recently.
Like, look at these views.
Nothing beats this view.
I'm gonna work on my tan,
read a good book, take a nap,
listen to music, and yeah,
just appreciate nature.
I'm gonna post in the
comments what I'm reading
and what I'm listening to.
All right, love you guys. [Lips smack]
[waves crash]
So, just to confirm, we're here to like,
appreciate the beautiful
ocean, ot go in it?
Uh, not a chance. We're
fully submerging ourselves.
Is it a red flag if a guy
tries to get you in the ocean
mere weeks from Halloween?
Come on, it'll be fun.
[waves crash]
What are you doing?
What are you doing?
Let's go in the water.
No, don't touch it. That's
how you get freezing.
We have to, we have
to sprint in all at once,
like ripping off a band aid.
You nuts?
Or just super brave.
Okay.
Let's go.
Okay, uh, I like your suit, by the way.
You look really pretty.
[upbeat pop music in background]
Uh, just give me a second.
[water splashes]
Oh my god.
It's so cold.
[Cass laughs]
This was a, this was a terrible idea.
Uh, I'm an idiot.
Maybe a coward. Um
It's okay. You get a kiss for being brave.
[waves crash]
[Cassia yells]
[seagulls caw] [upbeat music in background]
Dude, what the hell?
If I'm doing anything
wrong, feel free to punish me.
Ew, stop, get outta character, please.
Damn, you're so uptight.
I had some weirdo pay me
an ungodly amount of money
to do a personalized video for him.
I was supposed to be his Duchess Madchen.
Well, now I know you can play any role.
And, my date was amazing
in case you're wondering.
Damn, this guy has
you all figured out, huh?
I mean, I'm not deleting
my apps anytime soon,
but yeah, he's an original.
That means something to me.
What's he do again? Some film TV thing?
He's done a little bit of everything,
like agency, studios,
and now he does
consulting, mentoring, I guess.
Like what?
I don't know, dude. Pay him. Find out.
Hell no, that would be like
me paying for your dinner.
What?
I pay him, he takes you
out to dinner with my money.
Fuck that.
You should meet up with him,
tell me if he's a good guy
or if I'm just hypnotized.
It's just low key turn on
that he's not just another
fuck boy chasing clout.
You don't think he would
like, give me a free session,
critique my acting reel and resume?
I mean, he definitely owes us.
He's out here filling your pussy with sand
and hasn't even paid for dinner once.
Okay, pause. We haven't fucked.
But yes, I'm sure he
will hook you up. I'll ask.
[light mysterious music]
[food scatters]
[pan clatters]
[silverware clinks]
Damn.
[hands rub]
[doorbell rings]
Oh, uh.
Wait.
Hey.
Hi.
For you.
Oh, thank you.
Of course.
Wow, nobody gets me flowers.
Oh uh, shoes off, please.
Thank you.
[vase thuds]
Cute place.
Needs a little bit more
wall decoration, but...
Uh, yeah, you're probably
right about the decorations.
Um, I guess the true perks of living here
are the rooftop pool and the gym.
I'll give you a tour sometime.
Oh, sorry. Yeah, yeah. Um,
uh, make yourself at home.
Have a seat anywhere you want.
Uh, let me put some music on.
What's um, what's with the phone?
Oh, that, yeah, yeah.
So I sorta have OCD.
I'm what the medical
community would call a "washer."
It, it doesn't affect my day to day.
It's just like I'm a, I'm a, a germophobe.
It's okay. You still
have two red flags left.
[laughs]
Cool. Um, uh, do you mind
helping me set the table?
Sure.
Thank you.
Anyway, I have two phones.
One, I'm okay getting dirty,
and the other I keep
clean 100% of the time.
See, I...
-Your utensils?
Oh yeah.
[utensils clink]
See, I view phones
as like the dirtiest things
on the planet.
I mean, we use 'em in airports,
we use 'em in bathrooms.
We hand 'em to strangers,
we drop 'em on -I get it.
You're like kinda bat shit. It's okay.
[giggles]
[silverware clinks]
Yeah. Ah.
You got any alcohol?
Oh, this time I actually
do. I bought a bottle of rum.
And, what am I supposed to do with this?
Uh, drink it.
You're not much of a drinker, are you?
I mean, special occasions,
like pina coladas on the beach
or Moscow mules on dates.
-Hmm.
-Yeah.
-Drugs? Cigarettes?
-No.
Fascinating.
Um, can I use your restroom?
Oh, yeah. It's there.
[meat sizzles]
To say you're a six outta
ten was a little harsh.
Mmhmm.
I'll give you a 6.7. [laughs]
I'll take it.
So, where's your dream travel spot?
Okay. I know you're not gonna
believe me, but Antarctica.
[both chuckle]
You're right. I don't believe you.
[laughs]
I just, I don't know, I envision myself
in the middle of the
freezing cold wilderness.
So, it could be like Greenland or Alaska,
Into the Wild vibes, yeah.
Okay, just tell me when our flight leaves.
Oh, okay. Cute. Sure.
[both laugh]
So, after your trips to
the tundra, what's next?
I mean, I, I know you wanna help others.
So would you like, start a nonprofit
or a bird rescue facility?
Like some way to help injured animals,
is that what you'd do?
Is this about that seagull?
Yeah. I uh, I saw how
much that affected you.
That's so cute.
[Gavin chuckles]
I feel like guys don't
notice stupid things like that.
[both laugh]
[soft music]
Now, hold it. I waited long enough.
What happened back there?
I'm not sure if I'm
supposed to tell you or not.
What does that mean?
He said if I told anybody it
could prove fatal for them
as well as for me.
Who said?
That's what I'm not supposed to say.
You didn't tell me I look like her.
Like Audrey Hepburn?
Yeah.
[Hepburn] Do you know
what's wrong with you?
[Man On TV] No. What?
Nothing.
[soft music]
[laughs] What the hell?
[lips smack]
[couch creaks]
[soft music]
Wait, wait, wait.
Sorry, I, I just don't want you
to get your dirty outside
clothes on my bed.
[Gavin thuds]
Then do something about it.
[no audio]
So, can I ask you for a favor?
Anything.
My roommate, Zari...
The one who texted on her second date
to see if I was a serial
killer and or cannibal?
[giggles] That one.
Got it.
She, she's like a little sister, I swear.
And, I care about her. I brought
her into the content house.
She's a great content creator.
She's such a talented actress...
Oh, done.
You don't even know what I'm gonna ask.
Whatever she needs, I'd be happy to help.
I'll hop on a Zoom
with her. I'd be honored.
-Thank you.
-Of course.
That's so sweet.
[lips smack]
[measuring cup clinks]
[water sprays]
[shaker bottle clicks]
[liquid sloshes]
[Zoom software beeps]
[hands rub]
[Zoom software beeps]
It's nice to finally meet you, Gavin.
Cass just gushes about
you. It's a little bit gross.
I appreciate that. She speaks
very highly of you as well.
So how can I help you today?
Wow, no small talk?
Okay, I guess I'll just give
you my lengthy background.
So, I grew up overseas,
started blowing up on TikTok
just lip syncing and dancing.
Moved to LA, didn't
really have any friends,
but then drunkenly met Cass
at a rooftop bar on Sunset.
I don't know, we were
just immediately like sisters.
She was just so sweet
and a lot of fucking fun.
Um, she also showed me all her tricks
to gaining more followers,
and eventually got me
into that content house
called the Loony Bin.
Okay, I'm with you so far.
Um, yeah, everything was going great,
but there was a lot of
drama, so they kicked us out.
But, we found a really cute place
and decided to room together,
but I needed to make
more money to pay rent,
so I started doing adult web
cam shows and private videos
and blew up instantly.
And yeah, that's how I've
been paying my bills lately.
But, my dream has always
been since I was a child
to become an actress.
Okay, well the first
questions I would ask are,
do you have an acting
reel, an acting resume,
a blurb detailing your career thus far,
and headshots, obviously?
Those are the key four.
Headshots, yes.
A blurb of my acting career, no,
but I could write that out today
and maybe you could take a look?
Yeah, I'll happily take a
look at anything you send me.
That's so nice.
Honestly, it's so weird meeting a guy in LA
that's so nice and doesn't
ask for anything in return.
Thank you.
I really appreciate it.
Um, so for my acting resume,
I have...
-Zari, I, I think
there's someone behind you.
Do you need to pause for a
second, take care of them?
What do you mean?
What?
[Zari yells muffled]
What's going on?
What?
Uh, what...
Am I being pranked right
now, is that what this is?
Is this, uh, this, this
is for content, right?
I uh, uh, so what do you,
do you need me to do anything else?
Like, do you want a
second take from my side?
I just don't know, uh, I don't really know
what you want me to do.
Um, Zari, are you still there?
Hello?
[haunting mysterious music]
Are you frozen?
Okay, uh, uh, uh Zari, I need,
I, I need you to answer me
right now, or I have to
call, I have to call the police.
Okay, I'll just, I'll uh,
let me, I'll, I'll call Cass.
I'll call Cass.
[cellphone rings]
Hello?
Oh, thank God. Where are you?
It's, I, I, I don't, I don't know
what's going on right now.
I'm up in the hills with some
creators shooting some content.
Did Zari not show up?
I'm sorry. I told her like
five times to not be late.
No, stop. Just, just listen.
What's wrong? Are you hurt?
Zari and I were video chatting,
everything was totally normal.
And then outta the blue,
a man, he, he, he, he, he,
he breaks in, chloroforms
and, and kidnaps her.
Wait. What the fuck? Are you joking?
[pants] Could this be
some kind of prank on me?
Like, like, like, like, like, like content?
No, no, of course not.
What do you mean? What the fuck happened?
I, I don't know, Cass, she's gone.
Like, like, I don't know what to do.
I, I mean I can I, I, okay, let me, let me,
I'll, I'll hang up with you,
I'll call the police and
tell them everything.
No, no, no, no. You cannot
call the fucking police.
What are you talking about?
I'm calling them right now.
She's an illegal immigrant
and she's already been deported once
and it was the worst
experience of her life.
Zari told me like ten times
that if she gets into legal trouble
to not call the police,
they're gonna deport her.
Stop. No.
Are you nuts? Well, what do you wanna do?
Gav, stop. I'll handle this.
Just meet me at my place, please.
Okay? No police.
[sighs] This is insane.
I gotta go. I'll see you soon.
[deep mysterious music]
[Cass breathing heavily]
[door squeaks]
-Hey.
-Hey.
Read this note. [Cries]
[deep tense music]
[Cass crying]
Christ.
Does she have parents
we can contact, or relatives?
No, no, she, no one in LA.
She has like two friends that I maybe know.
What, what are you doing?
I'm calling the police.
No, no, no, no, no, no.
You are not calling the fucking police.
I will never talk to you again.
This isn't a game, Cass.
Your friend's in serious
danger. They're gonna slice...
You don't know her,
Gavin. They deported her.
They're gonna abuse her and beat her
and potentially kill her.
Well then what, what's your plan?
Okay, please tell me exactly what you saw.
What did he look like?
Um, well, he was just, he was a man
wearing all black with a,
with a black mask and gloves.
What was his physique?
Um, like, around six feet.
But, no discernible features.
Like he had no, no visible
hair, uh, no visible anything.
Fuck.
How 'bout, um, how
'bout, how 'bout suspects?
Let's start there.
Good idea.
How about uh, exes?
She hasn't been in like
an exclusive relationship.
She dates a bunch of
people at the same time.
Uh, well, do you know
any of the guys' names?
The thing is, it's not just guys.
She dates girls and everyone, she's pan.
Okay, well it was uh,
it was definitely a guy
that kidnapped her.
She could have hired a girl.
It, it, it could be someone that she dated
and angered somehow.
It could be someone from back
home trying to track her down.
It could be someone from
your old content house days
that she had beef with.
-Yeah.
-Or it could be um
She has like a bunch of sugar daddies or
Okay.
Or one of these fucking creeps
that she sends private videos to.
God, this is useless.
There's gotta be 50
different people it could be.
Her phone's gone.
Well what about her laptop?
Would that have anything?
I don't know her password.
[sighs] Um,
what are you gonna do about the drop off?
I mean, you're not actually
playing on paying are you?
I mean, unless you have
an AK47 at your house
and you wanna use it,
yeah, I have to fucking pay.
Well, where are you gonna
get that kind of money?
I have like 50 grand in the bank.
I'll just go take it out.
Have you and Zari got
into any fights recently?
No. Why?
Are you sure she's not holding
some kind of secret resentment?
Gav, you better stop whatever
the fuck you're insinuating.
Zari would never.
Look, I just wanna make sure we cover
all the possibilities here.
And, there's a nonzero
chance she did this to herself.
You know what, fuck
you. You don't know her!
Wait, I'm just trying to...
No, no, no, no. I do not want your help.
Get outta my house.
Let me help you.
Get outta my house. I don't need your help.
I'll get someone else to
help me. Get out, please.
[door squeaks]
[Cass sighs]
[Cass cries]
Why me, Zari? [Speaks
indistinctly while crying]
[knocking at door]
Leave, Gav, I don't wanna talk.
[knocking at door]
[Cass sighs]
What?
I heard some commotion.
Yeah, so?
Well, I'm doing what any neighbor would do,
just checking in on you.
Thanks, why don't you call the cops again
and file another noise complaint?
Have a blessed day.
[door bangs shut]
[tense mysterious music]
[tense mysterious music continues]
Yo. What up?
Hey, Loon.
Now that is a text I didn't expect to see.
"I'm in the neighborhood,
thought I'd stop by."
You miss me desperately.
Not exactly. Uh, I'm dealing
with kind of an emergency.
Fuck. What's up?
I don't know where Zari is.
[scoffs] It's not an
emergency. She'll turn up.
I think she's been kidnapped.
You go to the police?
Can't. You know her whole background.
Right, your best friend,
the former deported criminal.
How could I forget? Take a seat.
Or you can uh, come here next to me.
What?
This is serious, Loon, she could be hurt.
Or she could be fine.
[knocking at door]
Hey Loon, I just wanted to...
Oh, sorry. I'll leave.
[relaxed synth music]
It's your replacement.
Weird kid. Cute though.
I don't give a fuck.
Listen, there's a ransom
note and they're asking for 15K.
Nah.
You wipe your ass with 15 grand, Loon.
Do something selfless
for once in your life.
[sighs] See, you're putting me
in a really tough situation,
'cause I thought you
came here wanting to fuck,
and instead you're whining
about your best friend
who I told you was bad news,
who clearly kidnapped herself
so she could extort guys like me.
You know, you're not
required to be a prick.
It's optional.
Oh baby, you're the villain in this story,
'cause I gave you everything,
clothes, career, a great guy,
money, and you treated me like shit.
[laughs] A great guy. Meaning you?
Know what? It's okay.
I love it when we argue.
You're so hot when you're mad.
-Ow!
-Piss off, Loon.
Get the fuck out and don't come back.
[somber pop music]
[somber pop music continues]
[somber pop music continues]
[tense rapid music]
[tense rapid music continues]
[bag thuds]
[tense rapid music]
[cellphone rings]
Where is she, you bastard?
[Gavin] Cass, it's me. It's Gavin.
Oh. Well the question still stands.
[Gavin] What do you mean?
How do I know you're
not involved with this?
[Gavin] What are you talking about?
Before I met you, Zari was fine.
She wasn't kidnapped.
And now that you're in
my life everything's fucked.
You're more of a suspect than she is.
[Gavin] I have absolutely
no involvement in this.
I want to help you.
Where are you right now?
I'm at the drop off. I'm
gonna confront this bitch.
[Gavin] Don't, he could be armed.
So?
[Gavin] Don't get yourself hurt.
We're gonna figure this out, I promise.
Okay, I'm going to temporarily trust you.
Please don't make me regret it.
[Gavin] Yes. Sorry for what I said earlier.
I was panicked. Of
course, Zari isn't involved.
It's okay. I'm just,
this is a shitty situation.
And, I'm totally in over my head.
[Gavin] I'm so sorry. I'm here for you.
I'll be your sidekick. Just, just
Okay, I'll call you, I'll call you later.
[soft somber music]
[Cass sobs]
[soft somber music]
[soft somber music continues]
[soft somber music continues]
[cellphone alerts]
[Cass moans lightly]
[suspenseful music]
[suspenseful music continues]
[suspenseful music continues]
[suspenseful music continues]
[Cass gasps softly]
[suspenseful music]
[suspenseful music continues]
[Cass sighs]
[suspenseful music]
Do you want any?
I can't eat right now.
Come on. I don't want you to starve.
I can't.
I have some ideas.
Okay, so first we could
go to an electronic store
and they can bypass
through Zari's computer.
There's probably something on her laptop.
Okay, good idea.
Okay, two, we could go to a
rep at her cellphone company,
maybe use one of those
like, find my phone app things.
We don't know her username or password.
Third, we can hire a private investigator.
You know, we're not gonna
have the money after tomorrow.
Like I said, I'm, I'm happy to
pay for as much of the ransom
as I can, but I still gotta pay my rent.
What about like our
parents sending us money?
What would our explanation be?
I mean, my parents would never
send me thousands of dollars.
How 'bout start like a GoFundMe.
I could post on my socials
about Zari's kidnapping,
people can donate.
No, 'cause the police would
get involved at that point.
[Cass sighs]
[cellphone rings]
Who is this?
[Elle] Hey, it's Elle. We've met before.
Zari's friend?
[Elle] Yeah. Is she like
traveling or something?
I haven't heard from her
and we were supposed to
shoot a scene together
this morning at my place.
One sec. Elle is like Zari's
second best friend in LA.
I think we should involve
her. Like, it can't hurt, right?
Well, how long have you known her?
Zari's been friends
with her for over a year.
I've never had a conversation with her,
but I've seen her like ten times.
Let's meet her in a public place.
Okay, good idea. Hi. Sorry.
Um, look, there's
something going on right now,
and I'm with this guy I'm seeing.
We may need your help locating Zari.
[Elle] Um, what's going on? Is she hurt?
I'll do whatever I can.
Just tell me where to go.
Are you free now?
-[Elle] Yeah.
Okay, I'm gonna text you the address.
Let's say like an hour.
[Elle] Okay.
[cellphone thuds]
[upbeat dance music]
You know what?
I could still probably
shoot this really quickly.
[upbeat dance music]
[upbeat dance music continues]
[Elle growls]
[Elle breathes deeply]
Okay.
And, action.
You know, you haven't
been treating your goddess
the way she deserves to be treated.
Look at me, in my sexy little outfit.
Don't you think I deserve to get everything
I could ever want?
When you go to your pathetic job every day,
you should be thinking of me,
and how every dime you make
should be going towards me.
Right now, my wish list is unfulfilled.
You pathetic little pay pig.
Doesn't your goddess
deserve to go on a tropical island
to a tropical vacation?
Well, a loser like you
can provide that, right?
So what are you waiting for?
Send me some money
and fulfill my wish list.
I deserve to get everything
that I could ever want.
And you're not gonna say no to me, right?
Come on, spoil me.
[phone clicks]
[Elle scoffs]
[birds chirp]
[Cass] Hi.
My god. What's going on?
Freaking the fuck out.
I'm Gavin, by the way.
Hey.
Let's take a seat.
So, Zari's not hurt.
Okay, thank god.
But she's uh, she's been kidnapped.
Wait, what the fuck?
Just keep your voice down.
What do you mean she's been kidnapped?
What if she like took a
last minute trip with a guy
or something?
No. No, no. I, I saw it happen.
And you didn't help or
do something about it?
Zari and I were video chatting.
[scoffs] Okay you guys, we
gotta get the fuck outta here.
Please, please Seriously.
Please, please, please sit. Just wait.
I know you're scared. I'm
so scared, it's my best friend.
But we need to come together.
We need to get information.
We need to strategize
if we're gonna find her.
Do you know anyone or
anything that could have done this?
No, but I swear to God, whoever did it,
I'm gonna cut his fucking dick off
and shove it down his throat.
Yes, we're gonna do that.
We're gonna fuck him up.
But we need to start somewhere.
We need to start someplace.
So look, this is what
Gavin and I came up with.
It could be an ex-boyfriend,
someone from the content house,
a scorned sugar daddy,
someone from her home country,
someone that she sends those videos to.
Wait, wait, wait, wait.
You guys didn't call the police, right?
-Uhuh.
-No.
Okay, good, because she
definitely would've want that
after what happened last time.
Right.
So, based on that list,
does something or someone
come to mind?
[birds chirp]
What about this guy?
What, me?
He totally looks like the
type that would've won
most likely to commit a white
collar crime in high school.
[Gavin laughs sarcastically]
-I trust him.
-So?
Zari met him. Zari trusts
him. Just believe me.
Okay. Sorry. I do appreciate
your help, or whatever.
Um, okay, so from the top of my head,
I'm thinking about this vlog
that she recently posted,
and in the vlog she accidentally showed
the street you live on and
the outside of your building.
So like, I texted her an
hour after she posted it
and told her to take it down.
But who knows, maybe
some like creepy fucking stalker
saw that or something.
No. Yeah, that's a good
point. And that's a good lead.
The thing is, she gets thousands of views
so it could be thousands of people.
I just, I wanna start narrowing down and,
and starting somewhere.
Okay, so why are we here?
Let's get the fuck outta
here. Come on you guys.
Okay, but, well, where to?
I don't know.
I mean, what is it that
you guys are looking for?
What can I help with?
Like, I don't know who she's dating.
I don't know who she's talking to.
She hasn't brought anyone to the apartment.
Do you know anyone she's talking to?
[fingers snap]
Fuck, dude, my memory's just so bad.
Oh my god. You know
what we could do though?
-What?
-What?
Holy fuck, dude. It's so obvious.
What's going on?
[Elle] Her passwords.
You know them?
"Them" is the wrong word choice, babes.
She has like one password
that she uses for everything.
How do you know this?
Okay, so you know how Z and I
shoot content together sometimes?
Yeah, so occasionally if
one of us is out of town,
unreachable, or doesn't have service,
we need the other person
to post the latest content.
And in order to do that,
we have to have each other's passwords.
Mm, okay, that makes sense.
Yeah. I've logged into her
Instagram before. Same login.
My gosh.
Okay, here's what we're gonna do.
I'm gonna go home, get my laptop,
and bring it to...
Gavin.
Gavin's house.
I think that's probably the safest.
From there, we'll just
go through all of her stuff.
I have an emulator on my
computer, so we can get access
to pretty much any mobile app.
I guarantee we'll find some shit, so,
just text me the address.
Awesome, thank you.
[car engine starts]
[birds chirp]
So, that worked out great.
Yeah, it's a start, but we
still don't know shit. Come on.
[birds chirp]
[soft tense music]
[Gavin] Here.
[glass thuds]
Oh I don't, I don't drink tap.
Okay.
Okay, so I was right.
Her password works for OnlyFans,
Instagram, TikTok, YouTube,
and all of her dating apps.
What about her bank account?
That seems like an invasion of privacy?
Are you joking?
Well, she wouldn't want me looking.
Cass?
Look, we can check her
Venmo, her bank account,
see who's been sending her a
substantial amount of money.
They could probably be a
suspect if something went south.
But I'm telling her it was
your idea when she finds out.
Hmm, this is kind of interesting.
There's a sugar daddy,
and he's been paying her
a monthly allowance of three grand.
Wait. $3,000?
What? That's nuts.
I mean that's like a relatively standard
adequate amount in the sugar world.
Yeah, Gav, come on.
Okay. I found the guy
on her sugar dating app.
And, I can see his messages to her.
He goes by Bob. He's a 65 year-old banker.
What do his messages
say? Is he being aggressive?
Um, this guy Bob's last message was,
"You're a lying schemer."
You think you can trick guys
like me and get away with it?
I don't think so.
Block me everywhere if you want,
"I'll find you and make you pay."
Holy shit, Elle, you're a genius.
This is it. This is the guy.
No, it might not be. Hold on.
She has another message
like this on a different site.
So here's another guy.
I've actually messaged with him before too,
and he's one of Zari's best subscribers.
He's obsessed with her
videos and watches our collabs.
Well, what did he say?
This guy, Dr. PussySlayer.
Ew, gross.
He said, uh, "Why are
you always so miserable"
when we meet in person?
Why can't you just be the
same person like in your videos?
You don't have to be
such a cunt all the time.
"Look, the kidnapping fantasy... "
Kidnapping fantasy?
Wait, what? That's it, right?
Mm, honestly, it's not that unusual.
Like, I don't know, the
real kidnapper's just taking it
so far by actually doing it, you know.
This guy's just sending
some threatening notes.
He's probably just pissed that Zari's not
some sex slave or angel.
That's really the difference
between Z and I though is,
based on my look and my personality,
I make a lot more money
when I play the demanding,
insulting dominatrix role.
You know, it can be like chains, whips,
laughing at how pathetic my viewers are.
All of that stuff gets them off.
Uh, that's pretty wild.
I mean, we don't kink shame around here.
I'm providing a necessary service.
Besides, I bet this guy has
some super unusual kinks.
I can tell just by looking at him. Right?
I'll tap the breaks.
I, we've been on three
dates. I don't know shit.
[clears throat] You guys
fucked, right? I can tell.
Uh, we're getting sidetracked.
Can we, what were you
saying about polar opposites?
It, it sounded salient.
Ask him about his kinks
sooner rather than later.
I mean, seriously, guys
that look and act like him
have some seriously fucked up minds.
What's your sign?
Scorpio. But seriously,
we need to just like...
Yeah, that makes sense, mm hmm.
[laughs] Sorry, I'm
just like super interested
by all this stuff, but I get what you're,
we'll talk about it later.
Okay, so, about Zari.
She's a great role player
and actress, but she's human.
Okay, so what you're saying
is this Slayer guy's reaction
to her in person is common?
So, he's probably not a suspect?
Exactly. I think it's worth
talking to him though.
Have there been any
other acrimonious messages
over the past two weeks?
Acrimonious? Salient?
Oh my god, big brain on this one. [Laughs]
Look, I'll uh, I'll double check
and make sure I didn't miss anything.
Okay, how do we get a hold of these two?
I mean, at first glance I, I really think
that these two are our best bets.
Like this guy Bob could
have hired someone to do this.
How do we trap these fucking assholes?
That part's easy.
I can just message Slayer from my account
and apologize for Z's behavior,
and tell him if he meets me at X location,
then I'll either pay him
what he thinks Z owes him,
or maybe him and I can have a little fun.
Wait. You would actually
sleep with this guy?
I don't know how you do it with this guy.
No, Gav, she would be
incentivizing him to show up.
Haven't you seen the movies?
Yeah, yeah, uh, sorry.
No, it's just been a, it's been a whirlwind
of a past few days.
Anyways, um, for Bob.
I have an account on that same dating app.
I just personally have never seen Bob
because my age settings are much lower.
So I'm gonna have to
readjust my age settings
to be ages 64 to 66.
Bob will immediately show up,
and then I'll just work my charm
and ask him to meet tomorrow.
Well, so you're gonna meet
with these two guys tomorrow.
What do you want us to do in the meantime?
No, you guys are meeting
with Slayer tomorrow,
I'm meeting Bob.
Just tell us when and where.
Cool. Yeah.
[Cass] All right.
I will text you if I get any other leads.
[sighs] Thank you so much.
Yeah, no worries.
We're gonna find her, Elle. I promise.
I'll see you guys later.
Thank you so much for everything.
Of course. It's the bare minimum.
[cellphone chirps] Oh.
Um, I have to film some content.
Uh, okay.
Look, my followers are gonna
know that something's up.
It's not gonna be about
Zari, it'll just be a daily update.
All right.
See ya.
Hey, anything you need, I'm here.
Thank you.
[relaxed guitar music]
Maybe yours was too Young to remember
Maybe yours was too long ago
When I sat in The car with you
And a song came on the radio
Yo, what's up, guys? It's your girl, Cass.
I am so, um... [sighs].
I drove about a Thousand miles away
And after so many
years, I was driving alone
And a song came on the radio
Hey guys, uh... I'm, I'm sorry
I haven't been posting a lot.
I'm just going through
a bit of a rough time.
And, I'm gonna snap out of it.
But, you know,
sometimes we, we get
down, we feel depressed,
we feel like we have no
control of our lives and,
and our happiness, and that's okay.
It's natural. You know, we're human.
Not every day are we gonna
wake up happy and celebrating.
[Cass sighs]
I guess just sometimes, show up, you know.
I'm sorry, I'm just in
a bit of a rut right now.
I'll explain later,
but I wanted to get on here to uh,
to tell you that I'm gonna be fine,
and I appreciate so
much your, your support.
And, please send some positive vibes back.
I love you guys and talk soon.
I want you to know
I want you to know
You are always on my mind
I've gone a hundred Thousand miles
So I could sing This broken song
Hey.
Um, do you think I can
maybe stay with you tonight?
I just don't wanna be
in that apartment alone.
Okay, thank you.
[Cass sighs]
It is just like, Zari's out there somewhere
and I feel like I should
spend every waking moment
looking for her.
Well, we're getting closer.
I mean, we have some good leads.
I know. I feel sick.
Like I could have prevented this or...
No, you can't think like that.
This isn't your fault. It's
definitely not Zari's fault.
There's just a lotta psychos in the world.
Yeah. No, you're right.
[Cass chuckles]
So Gav, you're like,
weird and uptight and kinda awkward.
Thank you.
[laughs] Wait, but
Mmhmm.
You're also just, I don't
know, you're so sweet,
and so smart and so caring.
I feel like I can always count on you.
Thank you. Um, no, I, I
feel exactly the same way.
I'm, I'm, I'm really happy we met.
[Cass chuckles]
I feel bad, I feel like
you haven't been able
to make money or work or anything
'cause of this fucking situation.
Well, that's not quite true.
Really? When did you meet with someone?
I sorta have a second source of income.
You're a stripper, aren't you?
I mean, you have a nice ass.
Wait, how did you guess that?
You know, it's weird, I um,
women seem to love me,
like shirtless in a cowboy hat and spurs.
You're serious?
[both chuckle]
So, is that our thing?
Neither one of us can ever
tell when the other's joking?
No, but really. Are you, are
you doing okay financially?
I care.
Yeah, I uh, I play poker
like three days a week.
Really? How much are you making?
And you know, I play a few
casinos down near Bell Gardens.
But how do you make money?
I thought house always wins.
Well, poker's the one game
where you're playing against other people,
not against the casino itself.
So, I just have to be
smarter than the person
sitting across from me.
And you look for tells,
right? Do I have any tells?
Oh, yeah.
And I, I can't disclose
that information for free.
Annoying.
[Gavin laughs]
Here uh, close your eyes.
Okay.
[gentle vocal music]
Ew!
Gavin, did you just try
feeding me ice cream
from your mouth?
[laughs] Yeah. I, I
thought it would be sexy.
[laughs] You're so fucking weird. Ew.
So you want, you want me to try again, or?
No, I'll pass. But thank you.
Thank you for letting me stay.
I do not wanna be in
that fucking apartment.
Of course, I'm sure it would feel traumatic
just walking around
and her not being there.
Yeah. [Chuckles]
I am missing her in
those ridiculous costumes
she'd wear for her videos.
I had to walk in on her cooking
in like a schoolgirl uniform,
like some princess outfit.
It was really funny.
So uh, why'd you leave the content house,
if you don't mind me asking?
No, it's fine.
This guy, he's 28 years old.
He uh, he goes by Loon, like the bird.
He was making a shit ton of
money about four years ago,
and so he started this content
house called the Loony Bin.
I've heard about these places.
They sound nuts, but they're
money printing machines.
Yeah, totally.
So about two years ago he
uh, he was looking for creators
to join the house and he
stumbled across my page
and invited me to join.
Immediately though I
realized how just toxic
that environment was.
I mean, constant fighting,
cliqueyness, drama.
Everyone's like hooking up
with each other's boyfriends.
It was just rough.
Yeah, no, I don't blame you for leaving.
I could never live there.
Well, I didn't leave by choice.
Um, I met Zari at a
rooftop bar on the strip,
and she was just
making really sick content,
and a really good actress.
So I told Loon that we had to bring her in,
and him and I were hooking up by that time
so he wasn't gonna say no to me.
Did it become like a
love triangle situation?
No, not exactly.
He was uh, he was hooking
up with a bunch of girls
at the time, I was just one of them.
And I don't know, I don't
know what I was thinking.
He just has this like massive
presence about him, whatever.
Anyway, I started hooking
up with this other guy
and he finds out, trips out,
banishes us to like the
back house on the property,
which wasn't terrible
'cause it was just more quiet
and me and Zari just
focused on our content.
What really pissed him
off, and just the final straw,
is Zari started making adult content.
And, he got so pissed, because A,
it's against the Loony Bin
rules to do X-rated content,
and B, he couldn't monetize
off what she was making, so.
This guy Loon sounds like a nightmare.
Yeah, no, totally.
So, kicked us out, but
whatever, blessing in disguise,
because Zari and I are just way happier now
and she makes a shit ton of money.
All right, I gotta get going.
I wanna get some food and in nature
before we have to do this whole Elle.
No worries.
We also both need to go
to the bank at some point
to take out money for the drop off.
[sighs] I hate this so much.
Thank you. You're a good guy.
Of course.
-Thank you.
-[Cass] See ya.
Bye.
[sheets rustle]
Babe, you are even
prettier than I imagined.
[giggles] Thank you. You're so sweet.
Hey, that picture of you on the balcony,
you have beautiful eyes.
Thanks again. Um, how's
your day been going so far?
Eh, not bad.
I'm my own boss, so it
gives me a lot of freedom,
but I'm always longing for more adventure.
I feel that.
Life can get, you know,
pretty lonely sometimes.
Well, especially when you're my age.
You seem so wise.
You must have women climbing all over you.
I'm actually very picky.
I've a particular type
of girl I'm interested in.
Okay. What might that type be?
A lot like you, if I must say.
[laughs] You really know
how to make me feel so special.
[cellphone rings]
Oh. Hey, could you
just hold on for one sec?
Um, somebody's calling me.
I think it might be important.
[cellphone rings]
Hello?
[Cass] Hey, we just got to the place.
How's it going with you?
Oh my god, this guy is nauseating.
Like such a slimy weasel.
[Cass] For sure. Call us
back when you're done.
Let me know if you find out anything.
Okay, will do. Peace.
Sorry about that.
Oh sure, angel.
Where were we?
Are you the doctor we've been messaging?
And what the fuck is this?
Huh? Is this some kind of joke?
Our friend asked us to come on her behalf.
We have the money you claim she owed.
Oh, well done. I appreciate
that. Your friend is...
She goes by Zari.
Zari is a real bitch.
Don't fucking call her that, you creep.
Says the catfish.
And who's this supposed to be? Your gimp?
Oh, okay. Let's just take it easy.
Let's talk this through.
Um, we just have a few questions for you
and if you answer them honestly,
we'll give you all the money you're owed.
Fine. Make it quick.
I don't like my time being wasted.
Okay. Um, when was the
last time you heard from Zari?
I don't know.
Do you believe you had any
reason to be violent with her?
What is this? I, I didn't
do anything wrong here.
From what I understand,
your friend is the criminal.
From what you understand?
What the fuck does that mean?
Word gets around about girls like her.
She meets guys on all
these different services.
She sucks up to them.
They spend thousands
on her, take her on trips,
send her monthly allowances,
and then not once does
she ever return the favor.
Wait, uh, return the favor?
She won't kiss these
guys, let alone fuck 'em.
Oh, okay, so she deserves to get kidnapped
just 'cause she's not
sucking their fucking dick?
Wait. What?
What do you mean, kidnapped?
Yeah, we don't know where she is.
Look, I barely know her.
I've just heard about her reputation.
He's lying, look at his
leg shake, neck itching.
Hey, I really feel so
comfortable talking to you.
I'd really love to meet in person.
I would absolutely adore that,
but um, I have to be honest with you,
I'm just a little bit scared.
Look, I'm harmless, I promise.
Well, except in the bedroom,
where I'm a little bit of a tiger. [Growls]
Well sir, my friend, she
recently went missing
and she was talking to
some guys off of this site
and now I can't find her.
So, I just feel really scared,
and so I think I'd just prefer
to keep our relationship online for now.
See, that doesn't really work for me.
Tell me a little bit about your friend
and maybe I can ease your concerns
and assure you that my
intentions are entirely pure.
Wait, what's that on your
mug? That looks interesting.
Oh, that? It's a cute little bird, right?
It's from a LA company I
was an early investor in.
Oh, cool.
Sorry, what were we talking about?
Oh, we were talking about your friend.
Yeah, my friend Zari.
Wait. What is this?
What?
Zari? What kind of game are you playing?
I'm not playing a game.
What are you talking about?
I can't help you. Do I know
her? Sure. She's a real bitch.
I have nothing to say about
the road that she went down.
Don't contact me again.
Consider yourself blocked.
Well [sighs].
Just give me the money.
I, I don't want anything to do with this.
Give us some information, you freak.
I told you, I don't know anything.
Then no money.
Okay, look, the truth is,
I've spoken with your friend.
I've met up with her too.
Truthfully, her body's so fuckin' hot,
but she's got this
really awful personality.
If I see her again, I'd have
paid extra for her to show up
with her mouth taped shut.
Fucking despicable.
No, I'm not. And your
friend didn't up and vanish.
And she's not kidnapped,
she's just extorting
some other unlucky guy
who's mesmerized by her body.
We're not paying you a cent.
[bag crumples]
That wasn't very hard.
Wait.
Hey. Can't you just help us out?
If you ever touch me again,
or if your bitch ever
tries to contact me again,
I'll fuckin' kill you.
Cool?
[deep somber music]
Are you okay?
[Gavin laughs nervously]
The money's fake. Don't worry about him.
Oh, I'm sorry.
[soft tense music]
So y'all are sure that the Slayer guy's
not involved at all?
Other than being a fucking
dick with a weird ass kink, no.
He's fucking useless.
So, how'd it go with your guy?
It was so bizarre.
He like, freaked out when I mentioned Zari,
and then the weirder part was his mug.
His mug. What about his mug?
It had a loon on it.
And then, Bob mentioned
that he was like an early investor
in an LA company.
Huh. I mean, I feel you, but, I don't know.
Loon's had like 15 investors
over the past few years,
and this dude was on
Zari's sugar dating app.
So if he knows Loon, he knows Zari.
I don't know. I'm not convinced.
[tense music]
Okay, so what? Two dead ends.
It's 6:30 and we have to
be at the drop off at nine.
What the fuck are we gonna do?
Did you get the money out?
Yeah, 15K.
Wait, I have an idea.
How did we find out about these guys?
Through Zari's apps.
You and I couldn't get
access to Zari's stuff,
but Elle could.
Are you fucking kidding
me? You think I did this?
No. No, of course not.
Okay, so what are you saying?
Who else would have access
to Zari's passwords and contacts?
Nobody.
I mean, me and Cass are the only two
that are close enough to her.
Who else would've access
that she wouldn't have given it to?
What?
Well, if you're a WiFi administrator,
you could conceivably
find anyone's passwords
that are connected to your secured WiFi.
So, let me pull over for a second.
[soft tense music]
Whoever set up the WiFi
at your old content house
could have conceivably been
able to steal Zari's passwords.
How do you know that?
I mean, I spent my first
three years in Hollywood
as an assistant.
I know everything about
how to run an office.
That doesn't really solve anything.
Like, so what?
Somebody from the content house
possibly has Zari's passwords.
Like, what does that even prove?
I mean, maybe nothing,
but it's a good potential next step.
Okay, well before we do that,
Cass, have you checked the
security footage at your place?
No, we haven't. What
the fuck is wrong with us?
Should we drive there?
Yeah, but I mean you did say
his skin was completely
covered and clothed.
Yeah, but I mean, who knows?
Maybe he like, left something behind,
or maybe a license plate was visible.
Like, you just don't know.
Yeah, and you know what?
I got a sketchy-ass
neighbor we gotta question.
Gav, can we go to both spots
and make it to the drop off on time?
Uh, yeah.
All right. Let's do it.
Everything's fine. Completely fine.
You have your health. You
have friends that love you.
You have your money.
You're your own boss.
This is just a minor speed bump.
Or maybe it isn't. Maybe it's a major one.
Maybe I'm gonna be beaten,
my limbs will be amputated
and consumed, and I'll die
and no one will even notice.
[Zari panting]
No, Zari, positive. You have
to think positive, positive.
[exhales sharply] It's the
only way to survive in here.
[Zari speaking foreign language]
That won't make me feel better.
Yeah.
[Zari sighs]
[plate clinks]
Wish I could have some real food.
Maybe a juicy steak with
bourbon, or tacos and tequila.
Or maybe even a nice stack of
pancakes with whipped cream.
[Zari sighs]
It's fine. I'm not panicking.
I'll get out of here, and
Cass's new dude will help me.
Yeah, book a pilot or something.
This will be a great
story I can tell one day.
How the beloved content
creator got kidnapped and freed,
and then became a star.
[Zari sighs]
[plate clinks]
[sighs] A bed, that's what
I need more than anything
right now.
I'm so fucking tired.
[sighs] Come on, Z. Positive.
Don't panic. Positive.
[breathes deeply]
[telephone rings]
Hello?
What? Who is this?
It's JJ from Loony. I'm the newest member.
I mostly do TikTok dances.
We've met before, like two or three times.
Look, JJ, can you call me
back in a week or something?
I'll help you out then.
No, it's, it's urgent.
Look, I just got your number from Wendy.
I heard you standing up to
Loon at the house a few days ago
and well, I've been going through something
and I feel like I need
your advice really badly.
You're the only one who can help.
Does this have anything to do with Zari?
With Zari? No, it's about me.
So basically, Loon brought
me in to replace you.
He promised me all this incredible shit.
Naturally, we started hooking up,
but we weren't exclusive or anything.
He was seeing girls all the time.
I know how the story goes.
I figured.
But, like I met this really
cool girl at a party one night
and started, you know,
chilling with her once in a while.
Loon found out this girl
and I were fucking around,
so he banished me to the guest house.
That's what happened to you, right?
Oh my god, I am so
sorry, JJ. He's such a dick.
Like, two weeks ago, he tells me
he wants to repair our relationship
and shoot a funny TikTok
that we can post together
on the main.
I was literally ecstatic.
He tells me he has this hilarious costume
that he picked out just for
me, and it's in his closet.
No way.
I go to get the costume,
and the door closes
and locks behind me,
and like all the other rooms
in the house, it's soundproof.
Ew. What the fuck is wrong with this guy?
He locked me in there
for literally six hours.
He was like taunting me
through a speaker in the room
and some shit.
It was the worst day of my life.
But now I'm afraid to do or say anything
because he pays my
rent, owns all my content,
and that's the only way I'm making money.
[Cass] I'm so sorry, dude.
He's such an asshole.
Okay, look, I need you to hang up.
He's probably listening somehow.
Okay, get off the property.
I'm gonna come get you.
Fuck, Gav, it's him. Turn around.
[footsteps clicking]
-[deep mysterious music]
-[phone keys clicking]
-[deep mysterious music]
-[phone keys clicking]
-[deep mysterious music]
-[phone keys clicking]
[phone alerts]
It just makes no sense.
He's worth like $20
million, has a huge following.
He doesn't give a fuck about Zari.
Well, he kicked you guys out though.
Yeah, but to like replace us with bitches
so he could get profits and fuck them.
I'm just, I am so shook
with JJ's phone call.
I believe her a hundred percent.
He just shouldn't have any ill towards us.
But, how do you know for sure?
I spoke to him recently.
He was, he was all nice.
He was saying how he was sorry.
How he wants to like, shoot
content with us and prank shit.
Okay, enough with the debating. Seriously.
I mean, we already know he's involved,
we just have to figure out how.
And Zari could be in
there right now. Come on.
Yeah. No, you're right. Fuck it. Let's go.
Uh, hey, if things get dicey in there,
do you have like, mace or something?
Um, I have this whip.
Okay.
[tense pulsating music]
[tense pulsating music continues]
What the fuck? Come in, I guess.
Shut the fuck up.
What is this? Are these
like your enforcers?
Is this some kinda joke?
Where is she?
Okay, Batman, you don't scare me.
Come on. What's going on?
Why did you have Zari kidnapped?
Why did I have Zari kidnapped? I didn't.
Where did you put her, you son of a bitch?
Secrets, okay, hello. Let's
share with the class, please.
Okay, it's no secret. I just
told her that you're lying.
I mean, you look visibly nervous
and you're answering
questions with questions.
That's an obvious tell.
You don't know shit.
I actually have three mental
patients in my room right now,
so I'm a little on edge.
Okay, if you guys don't
get out, I'm calling the police.
I don't have time for your bullshit.
We just want our friend back.
Really? A fucking knife,
Loon? Calm the fuck down.
Relax. I don't wanna hurt anyone.
I just don't want you three attacking me.
So let's keep our distance.
JJ called me.
Great.
Can you tell her her TikToks
are nauseatingly dumb?
And if any of you guys
have ideas for replacements,
hit me up.
You locked her in a
fucking closet for six hours.
She's exaggerating.
It was like five minutes.
I did that since she can't give
a good reaction on her own.
I mean, I had to Kubrick it,
like give her some direction
and put her in the head space.
You know, she's so shy and boring,
she's not good for the content game.
You're psychotic.
Great.
Then you guys should
leave me the fuck alone, right?
You know what? She's
outside this door right now.
And unlike Zari, she's gonna speak up
and tell everyone how
you fucking abused her
and gas lit her and
threatened her repeatedly.
She's packing up her shit right now.
It's all in her imagination.
Your life's gonna be ruined.
[tense suspenseful music]
Okay.
You know what?
Phones.
-For what?
-For what?
Turn 'em off if you want info,
put your phones in the tray.
[deep tense music]
Thanks.
Okay, I gotta turn the cameras off
since they're always recording.
[deep tense music]
[computer clatters]
[sighs] God.
[Loon sighs]
So yeah, I kidnapped Zari.
-Whoa, whoa.
-[Women talking at once]
You're fucking insane,
you're gonna rot in prison.
Look, I didn't hurt her.
She's healthy. She's fine.
What did she ever do to you?
I made a mistake.
Okay, I, I got caught.
Game over. It's all fine now.
You deranged piece of shit, you...
Okay, let me finish.
I'm just running a business here. Okay?
I've gotta come up with a
must-see video every single week.
And every day there's a new creator
who's got some fresh new stuff
that you've never seen before.
There's a new content house every week.
And I don't want me and
my crew to get left behind.
You should know this.
It's about innovation, Cass.
You're a creator, right?
What does that have to do with anything?
Because we've had a really slow six months.
I mean, the last, you
know, must-see video we did
was that mythical creature race
that we did at the abandoned horse track.
And so I wanted to do
something new, unique,
never before done, dangerous even.
And, to some degree, I
think, I mean, you tell me,
I think we're succeeded.
It was going great.
The problem was, I had all
these cameras set up to see Zari
the whole kidnapping.
I could see her every move.
And I was cutting
together this unforgettable
piece of content.
It wasn't fuckin' funny or memorable,
it was just too depressing.
You shit. You kidnapped a
fucking human for content?
I said, I regretted it. But, here we are.
I mean, that's the game,
right? You swing and you miss.
But, going back to the drawing board,
I'm gonna have something
really juicy next week.
Don't worry.
How could you be so nonchalant
about this, Loon? Fuck you.
Back off, Cass, seriously.
Will you shut the fuck up?
Like seriously, where is Zari?
Let's just find her and
let's get the fuck out of here.
[Elle] Where is she?
I'm sorry.
[tense music]
[Loon sighs]
Address is on the key
fob, she's in the basement.
She's probably hungry
or tired, but she's fine.
Go fuck yourself, dude.
Karma will come back to
bite you, you can be sure of it.
Fucking content king, my ass.
Okay, head out of here
and make sure she's okay.
Tell JJ to come meet us.
But why Zari?
Seriously, she never did anything to you.
Well, I mean, I guess it
could have been anyone.
Zari made sense because A,
she pissed off a ton of dudes.
I mean, check her dating apps and profiles.
And B, she owed me 50K.
She didn't owe you shit.
She created a successful
business on her own.
No, she didn't.
She used my clout and everything I gave her
to make a shit ton of
money off her nude content,
and that's against the house bylaws.
And if you really wanted that pity cash,
why didn't you fucking sue
her like a normal person?
Because lawsuits are bad for content.
Hidden camera videos with
life-or-death circumstances,
good for content.
Cass, what are you trying to gain
from talking to this lunatic?
Let's just get outta here.
You know, if anything, I
think I helped you and Zari.
No, don't let him get to you.
He's just a vicious troll.
Really? Oh god, please
tell us how you helped us.
Well, maybe you and your idiot roommate
should lock your front
door every once in a while.
Maybe Zari should change her password
more than once every four years.
Maybe check your purses
for hidden tracking devices
and not so hidden microphones.
Maybe don't piss off 30 random dudes
who were all begging to help me.
I mean, you were lucky it was me.
This should serve as a
wake up call for both of you.
Oh, wake up call? Wow.
Thank the fucking Lord for Loon.
You know what the fuck's gonna happen?
Your fucking worthless piece of shit life
is gonna rot in prison.
We're gonna get the police involved,
and it's not gonna hurt
Zari, you pathetic cretin.
Oh, I believe you, and your
words hurt me so much. Ow.
If it isn't my least favorite girl in LA.
I had no idea what an awful person you are.
God, can we stop it with the insults?
Heard 'em all. Don't care.
JJ, why don't you tell
him what you're gonna do?
Oh, what are you gonna
do, you talentless weirdo?
I mean, maybe we'll get lawyers.
Maybe we can get lawyers?
Maybe I'll get a lawyer, a better lawyer,
a more expensive lawyer.
And then it's just gonna
be, he said versus she said.
No evidence.
That's not entirely true.
[sanitizer squirts]
Uh [laughs], what?
See, I have two phones
and I've been recording
this the whole time.
Oh my god, yes. Gav,
your OCD is paying off.
Cass, you should know better than this.
As a content creator,
you know that in California,
in a private residence, you
need my consent to record,
so that's inadmissible in court.
Looks like your Rain Man boyfriend
wasn't that helpful after all.
Okay, legally blonde, thanks for that.
But you know what? That doesn't matter.
It doesn't mean shit.
'Cause you know what matters?
What?
JJ, why don't you tell him?
We can just send it to all the members
of the content house and the
heads of other content houses.
No one will ever wanna work
with a sicko like you again.
Hmm. No.
Okay. [Chuckles]
Okay.
So uh, what's it gonna take to delete that,
make this all go away?
How much?
No, between the trauma
you've caused Zari, Cass,
Elle, and JJ, you couldn't afford it.
Yeah. Yeah, I could.
Have you seen the place?
Zari still owes me 35K in commission.
So I'll add a little sugar on top. Done.
Okay, fine.
If you're truly unafraid of
losing every friend and creator
you've got, then let us walk
out that door with nothing.
Okay, okay. Uh, $65,000.
That's 100K, minus the
35 she still owes me. What?
That's not even close to enough.
Think about that poor girl.
Rewatch those hidden camera tapes of yours.
That's a person, and you
treated her like she's subhuman.
I like your new bitch. Smart, feisty. Okay.
[exhales sharply] $200,000?
Uh, how, how do you plan on paying?
I'll use Ethereum.
You still have the same
crypto wallet address?
Mmhmm.
Let's make a deal.
[Loon sighs heavily]
I'm just gonna have to
send you a screenshot
of the Etherscan page.
Um, you'll get a text.
[computer keys clicking]
Okay.
I need you to delete that video.
Okay. Um.
I'm sure that never gets old.
[hands rub]
[Loon] Thank you.
Great.
Congrats, you guys got
what you came for. Whoo.
Go fuck yourself, Loon.
Oh, no, you guys don't like me anymore?
What am I gonna, oh wait.
I have unlimited money, unlimited girls,
and everyone's gonna forget about this.
Like and subscribe.
Don't forget your phones.
Oh, okay.
[door clicks]
[Loon scoffs]
[suitcase wheels scrape]
Did you actually delete the recording?
Well, I deleted it from my phone,
but prior to showing it to
him, I uploaded it to the Cloud.
It took just one click.
Nice job, Gav.
Uh, so uh, what now?
I just wanna see Zari get out of here.
Um, I think we're gonna stay with you.
I doubt she wants to go
back to that apartment.
Yeah, of course. I mean, anything you want.
Thank you.
JJ, do you have a place to go?
If not, you can crash on Gav's couch.
Um, I so appreciate your help.
I texted my friend, she's
gonna let me stay at her place.
She's coming in like five minutes.
-Dope.
-Awesome.
Thank you guys so much.
-Thank you.
-Thank you.
Bye.
[gentle somber music]
[Zari whimpers]
I'm so sorry. I'm so, so, so sorry.
I'm never gonna let
anything happen to you again.
[hand rubs]
[soft somber music] -[birds tweet]
I'm really happy we met.
I'm serious.
Well, now you can change
on your dating app prompt,
under the question, "Biggest date failure?"
"This woman had me follow her around
trying to find her kidnapped roommate."
I wouldn't consider that a failure.
And, I think I might be off
the dating apps for a while.
And why is that?
[lips smack]
[birds tweet]
You know, this was a good idea.
I really need to get
away from that LA toxicity.
I'm tired of playing Bogart.
When does Zari arrive?
She's just finishing some stuff up.
She'll be here in a couple hours.
Perfect. It feels very safe up here.
Well, that's exactly why you're here.
We need somebody to keep guard at night.
Okay, so I'm not here as
your date or as the guy you like,
but as the night watchman?
Precisely.
You're not funny.
I'm very funny.
[both giggle]
[gentle choral music]
We're here for you. You're
gonna help a lot of people.
Thanks JJ. I really appreciate it.
Have to make sure that monster
gets what's coming to him.
I know. I'm just nervous.
Who wouldn't be?
But, even though I'm
not on camera with you,
I 100% have your back.
I know. Thanks, guys.
Okay, I'll start it now.
Stop me if I miss any of
the details. We can edit this.
[gentle melancholic music]
[computer key clicks]
Hi, guys.
[computer key clicks]
[computer key clicks]
Hi, everyone.
So, this really fucked
up thing happened to me
and my friends, and I
need to tell you all about it.
[gentle haunting music]
[woman vocalizing softly]
[upbeat vocal pop music]
[upbeat vocal pop music continues]
[upbeat vocal pop music continues]
[upbeat vocal pop music continues]
[upbeat vocal pop music continues]
[upbeat vocal pop music continues]
[upbeat vocal pop music continues]
[woman vocalizing softly]
Oh, oh, yeah, Yeah, yeah, yeah
Hey
Oh hey
Hello, imagine
Hey
Oh, hey
She said, come with
me I'll make you feel good
I don't know what to say,
I'll show you what to do
She said, just come with
Me I know you feel alone
Sun's warming up our bodies
There's no one in this
world That could do this to me
All I want is to see Is in front of me
Take off your soul Now you belong to me
Sun's warming up our bodies
There's no one in this
world That could do this to me