American Horror Stories (2021) s03e03 Episode Script
Tapeworm
1
♪
♪
♪
♪
Hi.
Vivian Lee Finch. Davenport, Iowa.
Heather Billings. Billings, Montana.
[BOTH CHUCKLE]
I collect snapshots. Do you mind?
- Not at all.
- Thanks.
- [CAMERA WHIRS]
- [CHUCKLES]
My mom gave it to me for graduation.
She said, "You never want
to forget a friend's face."
Mm.
There's a lot of girls here. [LAUGHS]
Yeah, because it's Thursday.
Every Thursday, Sheila holds an
open call across all categories.
Editorial, or "The Faces."
Runway. We call them "The Walkers."
And fitness.
Spartans.
Girls come from all over to be seen.
Well, I just got in yesterday,
and I promised myself, the first
day I wake up in New York City,
I'm going straight to Sheila Klein's office
and introducing myself.
- Oh, good for you.
- [BOTH CHUCKLE]
It's been three months for me.
Do you eat Vogue for breakfast, too?
[LAUGHS]
- My dream is to be on the cover.
- Mine, too.
[BOTH LAUGH]
Yeah, I'll make you a deal,
Heather Billings from Billings, Montana.
If I'm the first one to the top
of the mountain,
I'll throw the rope back and hoist you up.
And if you make it first,
you throw the rope back for me.
- How about that?
- Pinky promise?
- Yes.
- [BOTH LAUGH]
Not a lot of sisterhood in this sorority.
All the more reason girls like us
have to watch each other's backs.
- Okay.
- [BOTH CHUCKLE]
[PHOTOS TURNING]
[SHEILA] Forehead.
Nostrils.
Braces? Oh, what is this,
The Mickey Mouse Club tryouts?
[SIGHS]
Hmm She's fresh.
Bring her in.
Ugh.
Everyone is so pretty
and skinny.
Nobody in Davenport looks like this.
Negative two is the new size zero.
[DOOR OPENS]
Vivian Finch.
That's you.
Oh.
- [STAMMERS] Okay.
- Yeah.
Okay.
Good luck.
[FOOTFALLS ECHOING]
♪
[SIGHS]
Vivian Lee Finch.
Tell me, why are you here?
I'm here because I have a dream.
I was born with something called
neuromuscular scoliosis.
- My spine is curved
- [SHEILA] No. Don't. Stop.
This is not your one-woman show.
What do you do?
Uh
Editorial? Runway? Fitness? What do you do?
Oh, um
I suppose I hadn't
really thought about that.
[LAUGHS] Um
I want to do anything.
Everything.
I want to be on the cover of Vogue.
[LAUGHING] Oh, sweetie.
Just because you're the prettiest girl
in Hog Scrotum, Indiana,
doesn't mean you have what it takes
to be on the cover of Vogue.
I'm from Iowa. [CHUCKLES] Davenport.
Walk.
Walk!
Oh, uh, okay.
[WHISPERS] Okay.
[SIGHS]
["BOYS WANNA BE HER" BY PEACHES PLAYING]
You've got them all by the balls ♪
Causin' waterfalls,
stone walls, bar brawls ♪
Common stalls that cause 'em all ♪
To you, they crawl, body sprawl ♪
Smoking Pall Malls,
close call, stand tall ♪
Doll, you make them feel so small ♪
And they love it ♪
The boys wanna be her,
the girls wanna be her ♪
The boys wanna be her, the girls ♪
Wanna be her, the boys wanna be her ♪
I wanna be her ♪
Yes, I do ♪
Was that all right?
You know
it really doesn't take that much talent
to be a model. I mean, not really.
But to be a supermodel
Well, it takes more talent
than anything in the world.
And not the kind of talent
that you can teach.
It's star quality.
And, my dear, other than Linda Evangelista,
you have more of it
than anyone I've ever seen
come through that door.
Really?
Oh, wow, Miss Klein,
you have no idea what that means.
I really wish I could sign you. I do.
Good luck to you. I mean it.
Oh, bring this one in.
Uh
But I-I don't understand.
What are you, a size two?
Uh, a four.
[LAUGHS] Oh, sweetie. A four?
You're too fat.
♪
[CAMERA SHUTTERS CLICKING]
♪
Are you okay?
I feel so stupid.
God, how embarrassing.
Let me guess
she told you you were too heavy.
No, she said I was too fat.
I mean, who says a thing like that?
- I'm sorry.
- [GRUNTS] I will show her.
She has no idea what I'm capable of.
I'll diet, I'll exercise.
I'll do whatever it takes, just you wait.
It won't work.
[SCOFFS]
So you think I should just give up too, huh?
Gee, whatever happened to us
girls having each other's backs?
Vivian.
I'm not telling you to quit.
I'm just saying it won't work.
Dieting, exercising.
Would you believe it if I told you
I used to be a size four, too?
That's impossible. You're so skinny.
I know.
Here.
Go see this guy,
Dr. Lau.
It's the only way.
[CREAKING]
♪
♪
I don't like to cut corners
ask anyone who knows me
but I don't know what to do.
I-I've been dieting and exercising. I
I lost four pounds, but the rest
it just won't come off.
Well
your bloodwork is excellent.
I'm recommending a course of a drug
called Mondify.
It's a diabetes drug, but I use it off-label
for weight loss with a lot
of patients in Hollywood,
the modeling industry,
lot of news anchors on Fox,
etcetera, etcetera.
Is it a pill?
I've never taken anything more
than an aspirin. [LAUGHS]
Not a pill, a shot. Once a week.
The weight will fly off.
A shot?
Ugh, um
I don't know. Um
Look, Mondify is nothing to be afraid of.
Side effects are minimal.
Tiny needle, FDA approved, all above board.
You know, I use Mondify myself.
It's a drug of the future.
Here.
I'll show you how to use it.
[GROANS SOFTLY]
So I just stab it in and push the button?
Mm-hmm. Just stab and push.
[SIGHS]
Should we toast?
To
To Vogue.
[CHUCKLES]
[SIGHS]
[WOMAN VOMITING]
[TOILET FLUSHING]
Hi.
Mary Alice, right?
You're Sheila's assistant?
Profiles.
Give us a twirl.
What do you think?
- I think you look fantastic.
- [SNEEZES]
Go wash your hands, please.
[DOOR OPENS, CLOSES]
Three words:
Vivian Lee from Nobody-cares, Indiana.
Iowa. [CHUCKLES]
I'm signing you.
Oh, my goodness, really?
- For real real?
- For real real.
See Marjorie at the front desk.
She'll get you all sorted.
I won't let you down. [LAUGHS]
- Mondify?
- Sorry?
That's what you're on, Mondify?
Oh. Uh
Yeah.
How long?
Uh, about four months.
I get a little nausea
on the day of the shot,
but, otherwise, I feel great.
[SHEILA] Well, keep it up.
We'll make you the it-iest it girl ever.
[CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKING]
[MICK] Over here, Viv.
That's it.
Oh, fuck me in the ball sack,
that's beautiful.
- She's a goddess.
- Good, right?
[MICK] God, she's a fucking Maserati.
Vroom, vroom, baby.
- [LAUGHS]
- Ooh!
Careful. It's an eyelid, not a garage door.
[CAMERA WHIRS]
Oh, Heather. Come here.
Mm. Pretty color.
Sheila, this is my friend
and roommate Heather Billings.
It's an honor to meet you, Miss Klein.
Heather is a fabulous model.
You should see her portfolio.
It's hot in here. Let's get everybody out.
My girl's overheating. Chop, chop.
Come on.
Ugh, gorgeous.
Mm.
A gazelle cannot live with a hyena.
Heather? She's not a hyena. [CHUCKLES]
You don't think that girl
wouldn't eat you in a heartbeat
just to stay alive?
She's got claws.
And I'm not talking about
those dreadful press-ons.
[CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKING]
[MICK] Over here, Viv.
[SHUTTER CLICKING LOUDLY]
[HEATHER] Vivian!
Oh, if it's broken, I'll just die.
I am so stupid.
Your nose will be fine.
Vivian, what I'm worried about
is your electrocardiogram.
You forgot to tell me
you have a heart murmur?
Well, it's a complication of my scoliosis,
but I-I hardly thought it mattered.
I-I don't let it affect my daily life.
That doesn't mean
you don't have it. It matters.
I can't, in good conscience,
allow you to continue on Mondify.
Your heart could explode.
What? But I need it.
Vivian, this drug could lead
to real valve damage.
It caused you to black out.
What if you'd been driving?
Would you rather be skinny or alive?
That's supposed to be rhetorical.
[SIGHS]
Well, there has to be another way.
Anything that radically changes
the composition of your body
comes with extreme risk.
You lied to me about your medical history.
At this point, any options I do have,
I wouldn't recommend to you.
But there are other options then?
[SIGHS] Vivian.
These things have to come
from a place of honesty.
Health first.
It can't come from some
insane, jealous desire
to be the skinniest or the prettiest.
You're right.
[SIGHS] I don't know what's gotten into me.
[SIGHS]
You know, my whole life,
becoming a model was a statement
I was determined to make about
overcoming odds,
about proving that I wasn't
limited by my condition,
my scoliosis.
But there's another philosophy
that drives girls in this industry.
And it isn't about being
the best version of you,
it's about being better than them.
And it's bitter and petty, and
I-I just got caught up in it.
Please.
I want to show little girls
out there who have big dreams
that there is a different way to be.
I want to be an example of
empowerment and self-love, but
I have to stay in the business to do that.
Dr. Lau, if you help me,
I won't lie to you ever again,
you have my word.
Wait here.
[DOOR OPENS]
[SIGHS]
- [DOOR CLOSES]
- [LAU] This
it's a very ancient treatment.
All natural, so it won't run you
the same risks as Mondify.
But do not take this lightly,
it comes with its own whole set of issues.
Is it a pill?
Oh.
[LAU] Taenia asiatica.
It's a tapeworm
from a very distant forest.
Wash it down with some oolong tea.
You'll lose more weight with
this little guy than on Mondify.
A tapeworm?
But
if you're going to do this,
Vivian, you have to follow
my instructions to the letter.
I'm very serious.
[TEA POURING]
The tapeworm will beg to be fed.
You will feel hungry, very hungry,
but you must eat normally,
no more than you would ordinarily.
Do you understand?
♪
[CLEARS THROAT]
You'll be down ten pounds in a week.
I promise.
[SPUTTERS SOFTLY]
♪
["YOUR LOVE" BY FRANKIE KNUCKLES PLAYING]
♪
When I'm with you I believe ♪
That your love is true ♪
When we love you turn me out ♪
You know what to do ♪
Visions really blow my mind ♪
Fantasizing all the time ♪
[WHISTLES]
A princess among us peasants.
Well, I need your love ♪
[MOUTH FULL] You think she's
prettier than me?!
I need your love ♪
[SCREAMS]
I need your love ♪
Don't make me wait too long ♪
Oh ♪
I need your touch ♪
Don't make me wait for your love ♪
[WAITER] Hey. Are you, like,
okay?
Perfect jawline.
Too bad your hairline is on fucking Mars.
Oh, no.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
I can't let go ♪
I can't let go. ♪
- [BUZZER SOUNDS]
- [MAN] That's lunch. 30 minutes.
She's hogging my light.
[LIGHT BUZZING]
[MODEL 1] Oink, oink, little piggy.
[MODEL 2] I heard she ate
four double chili cheeseburgers
in the bathroom.
She brought them from home.
[MODEL 1] You know what? It's not her fault.
That's just how they eat
in Potatoville, Idaho.
[LAUGHTER]
I'm from Iowa,
you puddles of herpes pus!
[SHEILA] Hey! Okay.
Hold on, hold on.
Show's over.
Ugh, don't touch me, you axe wound.
Okay, Viv, I need you
to take a breath. Calm down.
[LAUGHS] I don't need to take a breath.
Didn't you hear?
I booked Vogue.
The fucking cover.
So sit on a rusty railroad spike
and rotate.
- I hate them.
- [SHEILA] That's perfectly fine.
You can be an outright bitch to them,
but we cannot have scenes
like what happened back there.
[CRYING] I know. I'm so sorry, Sheila.
The weight loss isn't real.
[SHEILA] Everyone is on Mondify.
No.
Something else.
I'm a fraud. There's something
inside of me.
[SHEILA] I know.
Imposter syndrome.
You've stepped over every other
girl to get to where you are,
and now you're wondering, "Why me? Why me?"
I'll tell you why,
because you are a supermodel,
and they are not.
They will never understand
the pressures that you face,
but I do.
I have seen it all before.
Everything is gonna be okay, trust me.
Now get yourself cleaned up.
[TRAIN RUMBLING]
Viv?
Hey, guess what.
You'll never believe it,
but Magenta Magazine
is doing this article.
It's all about models, misconceptions,
how tough the business can be.
Anyway, guess what?
They're using my photos
to go with the article.
My snapshots.
It doesn't pay, but
it's gonna be printed all over the world.
[SOFT CLANKING NEARBY]
Vivian? Are you home?
[HEAVY BREATHING NEARBY]
Viv?
Vivian?
Hey
I know you have a lot
on your plate right now
with Vogue coming up and all, but
do you think you could do
some of your dishes?
Or take out the trash?
This mess is getting out of control.
Magenta Magazine
is doing an article.
They're using my photos.
[VIVIAN YELLS]
Magenta Magazine is for has-beens
and wannabes.
[LAUGHING]
Viv, you're scaring me.
[GROWLS]
[VIVIAN BREATHING HEAVILY]
[WHISPERS] Heather
I don't know why I did that.
[CRYING] I am so sorry.
I will buy you another one.
I'm gonna go, Vivian.
No
I can't live with you like this.
I'll come and get my stuff later this week
when you're gone.
No. Heather, wait, please.
I have to tell you the truth. Please.
It's not, it's not me, there's
- It's not me.
- [KEYS JINGLE]
There's something
A monster
inside of me.
I know there is.
I've been in this business
longer than you have, Vivian.
Lots of girls have the exact same thing
inside them as you.
Even me.
I just hide it better.
You have you have a tapeworm?
A tapeworm?
Don't mock me, Vivian.
The monster inside of you is jealousy.
Insecurity.
You have so much right now,
and I have nothing.
Why would you feel threatened by me?
Good luck with Vogue tomorrow.
I hope it's everything you ever dreamed of.
No, no, wait. Come back.
I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
[CRYING] I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
[SOBBING]
[PELÉ SPEAKING FRENCH]
All right, I can't believe I'm saying this,
but the model is too skinny.
There is no body.
There is no body to hang the clothes on.
I'm sorry.
- What's going on?
- You're down five pounds
from the fitting, hon.
The dress was custom tailored.
Now we have to redo it.
I can't be.
I get it. There's a lot of pressure
to be thin in this business,
but I've seen girls go down
fast and hard because of eating disorders.
What's going on?
- Is it bulimia, anorexia?
- No, no.
It's just my constitution.
[SCOFFS] This ain't my first rodeo, sister.
I'm not trying to embarrass you.
I want you to have a long
and healthy career.
Burn, you fat lesbian cow.
Ugh, avert your gaze from me.
[ALESSIA] Excuse me.
I respect your process,
but you better purge that shit
before we shoot.
♪
[CRYING]
[RETCHING, COUGHING]
[COUGHING]
[CRYING]
[CAR ALARM BLARING IN DISTANCE]
[SOFT MOANING NEARBY]
Vivian?
I never should have given it to you.
It's too much responsibility. You're
You're too young. I
I'm so sorry, Vivian. This is my fault.
I can't stop shedding weight.
I'm losing jobs.
I'm too skinny.
But more than that,
it's changing me.
The tapeworm metabolizes and stores food
more efficiently than we do.
That's why you can eat and eat
without gaining in size.
But the worm does grow,
and the bigger it gets,
the stronger its need to consume becomes.
This is why you mustn't feed it too much.
But the hunger isn't just for food.
It's for
everything.
All for me.
None for anyone else.
The tapeworm is a powerful organism,
but it's also very simple.
You see, it
Its function is its defense mechanism.
It consumes.
As the worm gets bigger, its need to consume
becomes your need to consume.
Its defense mechanism
becomes your defense mechanism.
Devour.
Devour anything deemed to be a threat.
I have to get it out of me.
Do the surgery.
[SIGHS]
It's too big. It's enmeshed in you.
Can I take something to kill it?
Almost anything strong enough
to kill the worm
will kill you, too.
There has to be something.
Get it out of me!
Okay.
[DRAWER OPENS, CLOSES]
This. Drink it.
The tapeworm has an innate revulsion to it.
You'll experience contractions,
and the worm will make its way out
to the nearest exit your anus.
When you see its head, grab it and tug firm,
but gentle.
Keep pulling till the whole thing comes out.
If you've been feeding it as moderately
as we discussed, it should be
about a-a foot long by now.
[THUNDER RUMBLES]
[LIGHT BUZZING]
[GRUNTS SOFTLY]
[SHUDDERS]
♪
[GASPING]
[SQUISHING]
[CRIES OUT]
- [SQUISHING]
- [SCREAMING]
[PAINED GRUNTING]
[CRYING SOFTLY]
[SHARP CRIES]
- [SQUISHING]
- [SCREAMING]
[SCREAMING]
- [HISSING]
- [SCREAMING]
[TAPEWORM SCREECHING]
[SOBBING]
No, no, no, please.
No, please.
Please, please, no, no, no.
[SCREAMS]
[DOORBELL BUZZING]
Vivian, you're not answering,
so I assume that means you're not home.
Just letting you know
I'm coming up to get my stuff.
[SCOFFS]
Vivian Lee Finch, what happened to you?
Viv?
Are you in here?
Are you okay?
[LIGHT BUZZING]
- [TAPEWORM SCREECHES]
- [HEATHER CRIES OUT]
Well, you've certainly got the look.
But I only sign girls who are
willing to do the work.
Are you hungry?
Miss Klein, I am starving.
[TAPEWORM HISSING]
♪
♪
♪
♪
Hi.
Vivian Lee Finch. Davenport, Iowa.
Heather Billings. Billings, Montana.
[BOTH CHUCKLE]
I collect snapshots. Do you mind?
- Not at all.
- Thanks.
- [CAMERA WHIRS]
- [CHUCKLES]
My mom gave it to me for graduation.
She said, "You never want
to forget a friend's face."
Mm.
There's a lot of girls here. [LAUGHS]
Yeah, because it's Thursday.
Every Thursday, Sheila holds an
open call across all categories.
Editorial, or "The Faces."
Runway. We call them "The Walkers."
And fitness.
Spartans.
Girls come from all over to be seen.
Well, I just got in yesterday,
and I promised myself, the first
day I wake up in New York City,
I'm going straight to Sheila Klein's office
and introducing myself.
- Oh, good for you.
- [BOTH CHUCKLE]
It's been three months for me.
Do you eat Vogue for breakfast, too?
[LAUGHS]
- My dream is to be on the cover.
- Mine, too.
[BOTH LAUGH]
Yeah, I'll make you a deal,
Heather Billings from Billings, Montana.
If I'm the first one to the top
of the mountain,
I'll throw the rope back and hoist you up.
And if you make it first,
you throw the rope back for me.
- How about that?
- Pinky promise?
- Yes.
- [BOTH LAUGH]
Not a lot of sisterhood in this sorority.
All the more reason girls like us
have to watch each other's backs.
- Okay.
- [BOTH CHUCKLE]
[PHOTOS TURNING]
[SHEILA] Forehead.
Nostrils.
Braces? Oh, what is this,
The Mickey Mouse Club tryouts?
[SIGHS]
Hmm She's fresh.
Bring her in.
Ugh.
Everyone is so pretty
and skinny.
Nobody in Davenport looks like this.
Negative two is the new size zero.
[DOOR OPENS]
Vivian Finch.
That's you.
Oh.
- [STAMMERS] Okay.
- Yeah.
Okay.
Good luck.
[FOOTFALLS ECHOING]
♪
[SIGHS]
Vivian Lee Finch.
Tell me, why are you here?
I'm here because I have a dream.
I was born with something called
neuromuscular scoliosis.
- My spine is curved
- [SHEILA] No. Don't. Stop.
This is not your one-woman show.
What do you do?
Uh
Editorial? Runway? Fitness? What do you do?
Oh, um
I suppose I hadn't
really thought about that.
[LAUGHS] Um
I want to do anything.
Everything.
I want to be on the cover of Vogue.
[LAUGHING] Oh, sweetie.
Just because you're the prettiest girl
in Hog Scrotum, Indiana,
doesn't mean you have what it takes
to be on the cover of Vogue.
I'm from Iowa. [CHUCKLES] Davenport.
Walk.
Walk!
Oh, uh, okay.
[WHISPERS] Okay.
[SIGHS]
["BOYS WANNA BE HER" BY PEACHES PLAYING]
You've got them all by the balls ♪
Causin' waterfalls,
stone walls, bar brawls ♪
Common stalls that cause 'em all ♪
To you, they crawl, body sprawl ♪
Smoking Pall Malls,
close call, stand tall ♪
Doll, you make them feel so small ♪
And they love it ♪
The boys wanna be her,
the girls wanna be her ♪
The boys wanna be her, the girls ♪
Wanna be her, the boys wanna be her ♪
I wanna be her ♪
Yes, I do ♪
Was that all right?
You know
it really doesn't take that much talent
to be a model. I mean, not really.
But to be a supermodel
Well, it takes more talent
than anything in the world.
And not the kind of talent
that you can teach.
It's star quality.
And, my dear, other than Linda Evangelista,
you have more of it
than anyone I've ever seen
come through that door.
Really?
Oh, wow, Miss Klein,
you have no idea what that means.
I really wish I could sign you. I do.
Good luck to you. I mean it.
Oh, bring this one in.
Uh
But I-I don't understand.
What are you, a size two?
Uh, a four.
[LAUGHS] Oh, sweetie. A four?
You're too fat.
♪
[CAMERA SHUTTERS CLICKING]
♪
Are you okay?
I feel so stupid.
God, how embarrassing.
Let me guess
she told you you were too heavy.
No, she said I was too fat.
I mean, who says a thing like that?
- I'm sorry.
- [GRUNTS] I will show her.
She has no idea what I'm capable of.
I'll diet, I'll exercise.
I'll do whatever it takes, just you wait.
It won't work.
[SCOFFS]
So you think I should just give up too, huh?
Gee, whatever happened to us
girls having each other's backs?
Vivian.
I'm not telling you to quit.
I'm just saying it won't work.
Dieting, exercising.
Would you believe it if I told you
I used to be a size four, too?
That's impossible. You're so skinny.
I know.
Here.
Go see this guy,
Dr. Lau.
It's the only way.
[CREAKING]
♪
♪
I don't like to cut corners
ask anyone who knows me
but I don't know what to do.
I-I've been dieting and exercising. I
I lost four pounds, but the rest
it just won't come off.
Well
your bloodwork is excellent.
I'm recommending a course of a drug
called Mondify.
It's a diabetes drug, but I use it off-label
for weight loss with a lot
of patients in Hollywood,
the modeling industry,
lot of news anchors on Fox,
etcetera, etcetera.
Is it a pill?
I've never taken anything more
than an aspirin. [LAUGHS]
Not a pill, a shot. Once a week.
The weight will fly off.
A shot?
Ugh, um
I don't know. Um
Look, Mondify is nothing to be afraid of.
Side effects are minimal.
Tiny needle, FDA approved, all above board.
You know, I use Mondify myself.
It's a drug of the future.
Here.
I'll show you how to use it.
[GROANS SOFTLY]
So I just stab it in and push the button?
Mm-hmm. Just stab and push.
[SIGHS]
Should we toast?
To
To Vogue.
[CHUCKLES]
[SIGHS]
[WOMAN VOMITING]
[TOILET FLUSHING]
Hi.
Mary Alice, right?
You're Sheila's assistant?
Profiles.
Give us a twirl.
What do you think?
- I think you look fantastic.
- [SNEEZES]
Go wash your hands, please.
[DOOR OPENS, CLOSES]
Three words:
Vivian Lee from Nobody-cares, Indiana.
Iowa. [CHUCKLES]
I'm signing you.
Oh, my goodness, really?
- For real real?
- For real real.
See Marjorie at the front desk.
She'll get you all sorted.
I won't let you down. [LAUGHS]
- Mondify?
- Sorry?
That's what you're on, Mondify?
Oh. Uh
Yeah.
How long?
Uh, about four months.
I get a little nausea
on the day of the shot,
but, otherwise, I feel great.
[SHEILA] Well, keep it up.
We'll make you the it-iest it girl ever.
[CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKING]
[MICK] Over here, Viv.
That's it.
Oh, fuck me in the ball sack,
that's beautiful.
- She's a goddess.
- Good, right?
[MICK] God, she's a fucking Maserati.
Vroom, vroom, baby.
- [LAUGHS]
- Ooh!
Careful. It's an eyelid, not a garage door.
[CAMERA WHIRS]
Oh, Heather. Come here.
Mm. Pretty color.
Sheila, this is my friend
and roommate Heather Billings.
It's an honor to meet you, Miss Klein.
Heather is a fabulous model.
You should see her portfolio.
It's hot in here. Let's get everybody out.
My girl's overheating. Chop, chop.
Come on.
Ugh, gorgeous.
Mm.
A gazelle cannot live with a hyena.
Heather? She's not a hyena. [CHUCKLES]
You don't think that girl
wouldn't eat you in a heartbeat
just to stay alive?
She's got claws.
And I'm not talking about
those dreadful press-ons.
[CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKING]
[MICK] Over here, Viv.
[SHUTTER CLICKING LOUDLY]
[HEATHER] Vivian!
Oh, if it's broken, I'll just die.
I am so stupid.
Your nose will be fine.
Vivian, what I'm worried about
is your electrocardiogram.
You forgot to tell me
you have a heart murmur?
Well, it's a complication of my scoliosis,
but I-I hardly thought it mattered.
I-I don't let it affect my daily life.
That doesn't mean
you don't have it. It matters.
I can't, in good conscience,
allow you to continue on Mondify.
Your heart could explode.
What? But I need it.
Vivian, this drug could lead
to real valve damage.
It caused you to black out.
What if you'd been driving?
Would you rather be skinny or alive?
That's supposed to be rhetorical.
[SIGHS]
Well, there has to be another way.
Anything that radically changes
the composition of your body
comes with extreme risk.
You lied to me about your medical history.
At this point, any options I do have,
I wouldn't recommend to you.
But there are other options then?
[SIGHS] Vivian.
These things have to come
from a place of honesty.
Health first.
It can't come from some
insane, jealous desire
to be the skinniest or the prettiest.
You're right.
[SIGHS] I don't know what's gotten into me.
[SIGHS]
You know, my whole life,
becoming a model was a statement
I was determined to make about
overcoming odds,
about proving that I wasn't
limited by my condition,
my scoliosis.
But there's another philosophy
that drives girls in this industry.
And it isn't about being
the best version of you,
it's about being better than them.
And it's bitter and petty, and
I-I just got caught up in it.
Please.
I want to show little girls
out there who have big dreams
that there is a different way to be.
I want to be an example of
empowerment and self-love, but
I have to stay in the business to do that.
Dr. Lau, if you help me,
I won't lie to you ever again,
you have my word.
Wait here.
[DOOR OPENS]
[SIGHS]
- [DOOR CLOSES]
- [LAU] This
it's a very ancient treatment.
All natural, so it won't run you
the same risks as Mondify.
But do not take this lightly,
it comes with its own whole set of issues.
Is it a pill?
Oh.
[LAU] Taenia asiatica.
It's a tapeworm
from a very distant forest.
Wash it down with some oolong tea.
You'll lose more weight with
this little guy than on Mondify.
A tapeworm?
But
if you're going to do this,
Vivian, you have to follow
my instructions to the letter.
I'm very serious.
[TEA POURING]
The tapeworm will beg to be fed.
You will feel hungry, very hungry,
but you must eat normally,
no more than you would ordinarily.
Do you understand?
♪
[CLEARS THROAT]
You'll be down ten pounds in a week.
I promise.
[SPUTTERS SOFTLY]
♪
["YOUR LOVE" BY FRANKIE KNUCKLES PLAYING]
♪
When I'm with you I believe ♪
That your love is true ♪
When we love you turn me out ♪
You know what to do ♪
Visions really blow my mind ♪
Fantasizing all the time ♪
[WHISTLES]
A princess among us peasants.
Well, I need your love ♪
[MOUTH FULL] You think she's
prettier than me?!
I need your love ♪
[SCREAMS]
I need your love ♪
Don't make me wait too long ♪
Oh ♪
I need your touch ♪
Don't make me wait for your love ♪
[WAITER] Hey. Are you, like,
okay?
Perfect jawline.
Too bad your hairline is on fucking Mars.
Oh, no.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
I can't let go ♪
I can't let go. ♪
- [BUZZER SOUNDS]
- [MAN] That's lunch. 30 minutes.
She's hogging my light.
[LIGHT BUZZING]
[MODEL 1] Oink, oink, little piggy.
[MODEL 2] I heard she ate
four double chili cheeseburgers
in the bathroom.
She brought them from home.
[MODEL 1] You know what? It's not her fault.
That's just how they eat
in Potatoville, Idaho.
[LAUGHTER]
I'm from Iowa,
you puddles of herpes pus!
[SHEILA] Hey! Okay.
Hold on, hold on.
Show's over.
Ugh, don't touch me, you axe wound.
Okay, Viv, I need you
to take a breath. Calm down.
[LAUGHS] I don't need to take a breath.
Didn't you hear?
I booked Vogue.
The fucking cover.
So sit on a rusty railroad spike
and rotate.
- I hate them.
- [SHEILA] That's perfectly fine.
You can be an outright bitch to them,
but we cannot have scenes
like what happened back there.
[CRYING] I know. I'm so sorry, Sheila.
The weight loss isn't real.
[SHEILA] Everyone is on Mondify.
No.
Something else.
I'm a fraud. There's something
inside of me.
[SHEILA] I know.
Imposter syndrome.
You've stepped over every other
girl to get to where you are,
and now you're wondering, "Why me? Why me?"
I'll tell you why,
because you are a supermodel,
and they are not.
They will never understand
the pressures that you face,
but I do.
I have seen it all before.
Everything is gonna be okay, trust me.
Now get yourself cleaned up.
[TRAIN RUMBLING]
Viv?
Hey, guess what.
You'll never believe it,
but Magenta Magazine
is doing this article.
It's all about models, misconceptions,
how tough the business can be.
Anyway, guess what?
They're using my photos
to go with the article.
My snapshots.
It doesn't pay, but
it's gonna be printed all over the world.
[SOFT CLANKING NEARBY]
Vivian? Are you home?
[HEAVY BREATHING NEARBY]
Viv?
Vivian?
Hey
I know you have a lot
on your plate right now
with Vogue coming up and all, but
do you think you could do
some of your dishes?
Or take out the trash?
This mess is getting out of control.
Magenta Magazine
is doing an article.
They're using my photos.
[VIVIAN YELLS]
Magenta Magazine is for has-beens
and wannabes.
[LAUGHING]
Viv, you're scaring me.
[GROWLS]
[VIVIAN BREATHING HEAVILY]
[WHISPERS] Heather
I don't know why I did that.
[CRYING] I am so sorry.
I will buy you another one.
I'm gonna go, Vivian.
No
I can't live with you like this.
I'll come and get my stuff later this week
when you're gone.
No. Heather, wait, please.
I have to tell you the truth. Please.
It's not, it's not me, there's
- It's not me.
- [KEYS JINGLE]
There's something
A monster
inside of me.
I know there is.
I've been in this business
longer than you have, Vivian.
Lots of girls have the exact same thing
inside them as you.
Even me.
I just hide it better.
You have you have a tapeworm?
A tapeworm?
Don't mock me, Vivian.
The monster inside of you is jealousy.
Insecurity.
You have so much right now,
and I have nothing.
Why would you feel threatened by me?
Good luck with Vogue tomorrow.
I hope it's everything you ever dreamed of.
No, no, wait. Come back.
I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
[CRYING] I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
[SOBBING]
[PELÉ SPEAKING FRENCH]
All right, I can't believe I'm saying this,
but the model is too skinny.
There is no body.
There is no body to hang the clothes on.
I'm sorry.
- What's going on?
- You're down five pounds
from the fitting, hon.
The dress was custom tailored.
Now we have to redo it.
I can't be.
I get it. There's a lot of pressure
to be thin in this business,
but I've seen girls go down
fast and hard because of eating disorders.
What's going on?
- Is it bulimia, anorexia?
- No, no.
It's just my constitution.
[SCOFFS] This ain't my first rodeo, sister.
I'm not trying to embarrass you.
I want you to have a long
and healthy career.
Burn, you fat lesbian cow.
Ugh, avert your gaze from me.
[ALESSIA] Excuse me.
I respect your process,
but you better purge that shit
before we shoot.
♪
[CRYING]
[RETCHING, COUGHING]
[COUGHING]
[CRYING]
[CAR ALARM BLARING IN DISTANCE]
[SOFT MOANING NEARBY]
Vivian?
I never should have given it to you.
It's too much responsibility. You're
You're too young. I
I'm so sorry, Vivian. This is my fault.
I can't stop shedding weight.
I'm losing jobs.
I'm too skinny.
But more than that,
it's changing me.
The tapeworm metabolizes and stores food
more efficiently than we do.
That's why you can eat and eat
without gaining in size.
But the worm does grow,
and the bigger it gets,
the stronger its need to consume becomes.
This is why you mustn't feed it too much.
But the hunger isn't just for food.
It's for
everything.
All for me.
None for anyone else.
The tapeworm is a powerful organism,
but it's also very simple.
You see, it
Its function is its defense mechanism.
It consumes.
As the worm gets bigger, its need to consume
becomes your need to consume.
Its defense mechanism
becomes your defense mechanism.
Devour.
Devour anything deemed to be a threat.
I have to get it out of me.
Do the surgery.
[SIGHS]
It's too big. It's enmeshed in you.
Can I take something to kill it?
Almost anything strong enough
to kill the worm
will kill you, too.
There has to be something.
Get it out of me!
Okay.
[DRAWER OPENS, CLOSES]
This. Drink it.
The tapeworm has an innate revulsion to it.
You'll experience contractions,
and the worm will make its way out
to the nearest exit your anus.
When you see its head, grab it and tug firm,
but gentle.
Keep pulling till the whole thing comes out.
If you've been feeding it as moderately
as we discussed, it should be
about a-a foot long by now.
[THUNDER RUMBLES]
[LIGHT BUZZING]
[GRUNTS SOFTLY]
[SHUDDERS]
♪
[GASPING]
[SQUISHING]
[CRIES OUT]
- [SQUISHING]
- [SCREAMING]
[PAINED GRUNTING]
[CRYING SOFTLY]
[SHARP CRIES]
- [SQUISHING]
- [SCREAMING]
[SCREAMING]
- [HISSING]
- [SCREAMING]
[TAPEWORM SCREECHING]
[SOBBING]
No, no, no, please.
No, please.
Please, please, no, no, no.
[SCREAMS]
[DOORBELL BUZZING]
Vivian, you're not answering,
so I assume that means you're not home.
Just letting you know
I'm coming up to get my stuff.
[SCOFFS]
Vivian Lee Finch, what happened to you?
Viv?
Are you in here?
Are you okay?
[LIGHT BUZZING]
- [TAPEWORM SCREECHES]
- [HEATHER CRIES OUT]
Well, you've certainly got the look.
But I only sign girls who are
willing to do the work.
Are you hungry?
Miss Klein, I am starving.
[TAPEWORM HISSING]