Last Survivors (2021) Movie Script
[BAKER GRACE'S "LULLABY"
PLAYING]
I can see the stars
But city lights
Shine brighter
Every time I come
Welcome to the world
Where no one sees you
For the one you were before
Ready for the battle
Broken and fragile
[BIRDS CHIRPING]
[WATER BURBLING]
[]
JAKE:
It's hard not to feel lucky.
[FISH FLAPPING]
Though Dad says
there's no such thing.
[ROCK THUDS, FLAPPING STOPS]
There's those who are prepared
for opportunities and setbacks,
- and those who are not.
- [WATER SPLASHES]
Luck doesn't exist.
[WIND WHISTLING]
After the wars,
it was very obvious
who was prepared
and who wasn't.
[HAWK CRIES]
Man had fallen far away
from his primitive roots.
We forgot how to do
the most basic of things.
Like getting food.
I still don't know
what it means,
but apparently everything
was wrapped in plastic
and ready to go.
Dad loves that saying.
[CROW CAWING]
We don't disagree
on much of anything.
I feel real lucky
to have the dad I do.
TROY:
Jakey?
How'd you go?
Decent...
for end of season.
Six cohos, a couple dogs.
- It's in the smoker?
- Yeah.
Cold chamber's
leaking pretty bad.
I patched it up, but I think
it needs a proper redo.
Put it on the list.
- Already did.
- [CHUCKLES]
The supper's on the stove
heating up.
I'll be in shortly.
[PEOPLE CLAMORING IN DISTANCE]
It's okay.
Everything's gonna be okay.
Let me in! Let me in!
TROY: Don't look at him.
Don't look at him! Come here!
- Jake!
- [ENGINE STARTS]
It's okay. It's gonna be okay.
TROY:
You okay, Jakey?
The dream...
You know the wars
are in the past.
We gotta do something
to erase these memories.
Focus on the future
and bury the past.
Okay?
[]
[PANTING]
Need a hand, old man?
I'm good.
You sure?
I can have half a cord of wood
chopped before you get back.
You're dreaming.
Loser cooks and cleans.
Deal!
[WOOD CRACKING]
[WHISTLES]
This ax is sharp. Well done.
[GUNSHOT]
Get in the house.
[]
You stay here.
Anyone comes through that door,
- shoot them in the face!
- Dad, I can help.
I can take these SOBs out.
You are gonna stay here
and protect what's ours.
I'll sweep the perimeter.
If I'm not back in 30 minutes,
you know what to do.
[BRANCH CRACKS]
[BREATHING HEAVILY]
[SHIVERING]
[BUZZING]
[GUNSHOT IN DISTANCE]
[SOFTLY]
Fuck this.
[GUNSHOT]
[TROY BREATHING HEAVILY,
AND GRUNTING]
- [GROANS]
- [RIFLE COCKS]
[GRUNTS]
You good?
Yeah. Yeah.
He got a couple of rounds off,
but he's a lousy shot.
You're early.
I heard the shots.
I just wanted to help.
Your time will come
to bury plenty of men.
It's just as important
for you to stay,
keep our home safe.
I'm ready now.
I know.
And I think
we're getting too comfortable.
He was on his way to our cabin.
When we're not prepared, we'll
be the ones getting buried.
Now, you take care
of this SOB.
I'm gonna go back to the cabin
and get cleaned up.
Dad!
- What?
- You're bleeding.
[SOFTLY]
Fuck.
Oh, it's nothing. Don't worry.
You... You finish up here
and meet me back at the cabin.
Go on! This is not a democracy.
[GRUNTS SOFTLY]
[WHISPERS]
You piece of shit.
[]
Tell my daughter...
I love her.
[BREATHING HEAVILY]
[WOLF HOWLS]
How are you feeling?
I told you to stop worrying.
And stop asking.
Not a big deal.
It's just a 9mm.
Dad, you know
in The Swiss Family Robinson,
the father prays
to the god for safety,
and then they find the island.
God didn't point them there?
No, Jake.
The point was to show
how desperate he was.
Talking to the fictitious
in survival mode.
And besides, it's just a story.
A story about...
finding utopia...
away from humanity
and all its evils.
Why are you drawing that?
That man had it written
on his chest.
And?
The outsiders still believe
in the religion?
I'm sure the poor and the
desperate still cling on to it.
How can they go through the wars
and still believe?
You gotta think, for the masses,
it's all they got left, right?
Hope for the hopeless,
that's all.
TROY: Hey, Jakey, come here.
Don't be scared.
This man can't hurt us anymore.
JAKE:
What if more bad men come?
Well, then we'll
have to be prepared.
But you just can't be scared,
Jakey, otherwise they get you.
They're just not like us.
Just don't
look them in the eye...
- and then you'll be fine.
- Why?
'Cause if you look them
in the eye,
they'll trick you into thinking
that they're still human.
Don't you ever forget that.
[]
[WINCES]
[GRUNTING SOFTLY]
You okay?
Yeah, I'm good.
I told you to quit asking.
How many traps you set today?
Seven.
Try and get a dozen
by the end of the day, okay?
[TROY BREATHING HEAVILY]
[GROANING]
Dad?
Dad!
Dad!
- [GROANING]
- Come here, come here.
- What can I do?
- [GROANS SHARPLY]
Boil some water
and get me some whiskey.
Get some gauze
out of the first aid kit.
It's all gone.
Get the cleanest rags
you can find
and put them
in the boiling water.
TROY:
We have everything we need.
This is our home now...
and forever.
JAKE:
What about Mom?
Is she never coming back?
Jakey...
Mom's dead.
She's not coming back.
They killed her.
Do you understand?
JAKE:
I hate them.
You don't fill your heart
with hate, son.
We have each other.
And I will protect you
until the day I die.
[TROY COUGHING]
[SIGHS]
[TROY CONTINUES COUGHING]
[GASPS]
[TROY WINCING]
[SHUDDERING]
How is it?
Jakey...
you listen carefully.
[]
The antibiotics are too old.
Here, take these keys.
Go to the caches.
Jakey, if I'm too weak...
and the outsiders come...
you gotta shoot to kill.
If anybody steps a foot on
our land, I'll kill them dead.
Go to the cache
by the big spruce...
and get the SHTF book.
[]
Five, six, seven,
eight, nine, ten.
[SHIVERING]
Are you ready for this?
- Yeah.
- [THUNDER RUMBLING IN DISTANCE]
You need to know you're ready.
You gotta feel it
in your bones.
I know, Dad.
You're a better shot
than your old man.
You need to be ready...
to bury anybody
you come across.
Are you ready for that?
Dad, I'm ready. I can do this.
Then you tell me
you will put a bullet
between the eyes
of any person you see.
- Any man that I see.
- Man, woman or child.
They'll all kill you
just the same.
Do not underestimate them,
or you won't make it back alive.
Don't let them
make the first move.
Dad, I got this.
You're gonna be okay.
I promise.
Go.
[]
TROY: This is really
important, Jakey.
This is
our first line of defense.
The outside world is full
of filthy
and desperate people
who will shoot us
dead on sight.
There are gangs of marauders
roaming around
in gas-powered vehicles,
ready to take anyone away.
JAKE:
Even kids?
Especially kids.
There are cities and major towns
that have been burnt
to the ground
and women and children
burned alive.
- Why?
- Because people are desperate
and ill-prepared.
They will burn our house down
with us in it
just for a gun
or a piece of food.
That's why I brought us
all the way up here.
We're gonna be safe here
for a long time.
[BRANCHES SNAP]
[PANTING]
[BREATHING HEAVILY]
Mmm.
[WINGS FLAPPING]
[]
[EXHALES DEEPLY]
[]
[FLOORBOARDS CREAKING]
Hey!
[OWL HOOTING]
I got the antibiotics
and steroids.
Jakey?
Here.
Hey.
Anyone see you?
No. Nobody saw me.
Did you see outsiders?
Yeah.
And?
I killed 'em dead.
How many?
Where?
Just a lady.
At the medicine place.
No men?
No others?
There were fresh tracks
and food.
If they were there, they
were probably out hunting. Here.
I scoped the area for a day
before sniping the women
and breaching.
You're sure
you weren't followed?
Yeah. I doubled back twice
before the snowfall. I'm sure.
It'll be too dangerous
to go back there for a while.
You see any supplies?
No. I didn't see any real value.
Their perimeter and defenses
were nonexistent.
I don't even think
they had guns.
Everyone has guns.
Hey, Jakey.
You did real good.
[]
[MATCH LIGHTS]
[]
TROY:
But it's impossible.
There should be
half a rack of jerky left.
Just the salmon stuff
we made the other day.
I just checked.
But I know there was
half a rack of jerky in there.
Maybe the wolves got in.
- I told you to patch that up.
- I did.
Maybe they outsmarted us again.
Fuck.
We're gonna need to get
some red meat before winter.
I'll go.
Dad, I can handle it.
I got the antibiotics,
didn't I?
I just don't want us making
any more unnecessary risks
- with me being hurt and all.
- Dad,
I got it.
I'll patch the cellar up
before I head out.
You're right.
Sometimes I forget
you've grown into a man.
Don't you go near
that farm, though.
They'll be looking for
the people that wronged 'em.
I won't. I'll head out north.
[OVER SPEAKER] Baby,
there's nothing I can do
You said you had enough
Doo-doo-doo-doo
I wish you could see
How lucky I make you, baby
I won't let it
Get me down...
[FLOORBOARD CREAKS]
Are there others here?
[SOFTLY] What are you
doing in my house?
Are there others here?
- Please don't kill me.
- I said, are there others here?
No.
You're not lying, are you?
No.
Did you tell others about me?
Did you follow me?
What are you doing here?
I don't know.
Then why don't you just leave?
I'm not afraid to kill you.
What do you want?
I came to meet you.
Do you have a name?
Jake.
I'm Henrietta.
Do you want
to get those clothes dry?
Maybe take a hot shower?
I'll finish making some food,
and then maybe you can tell me
why you're standing in my house
pointing a gun at me.
[]
[STATIC OVER RADIO]
JAKE:
No!
Aah! It's too hot!
Fix it or I'll break it.
Did you turn the handle
on the right?
[SQUEAKS]
[]
[GASPS]
What did you do with my gun?
- I hid it.
- Why'd you do that?
Please just leave,
for God's sakes.
I could kill you
just as easily with this.
If you're gonna do it,
just do it already.
Are you done?
Don't touch my gun again.
I'll give it to you
when you leave.
- Now the knife. Hand it over.
- How can I trust you?
I'm trusting you
by letting you be in my home.
Now show me the same respect.
[]
You're not a killer, are you?
I can be if I need to be.
Okay.
[MUSIC PLAYING SOFTLY ON STEREO]
Mmm.
A man without a gun is nothing.
Well, I don't like them
in my house,
especially ones
pointed at my face.
I'll give it back to you
when you leave.
- Is that plastic?
- Yeah.
Glad wrap.
Is it ready to go?
Uh...
ready to go in the fridge.
- See?
- [FRIDGE DOOR OPENS, CLOSES]
Was that you
snooping around here last week?
Do you wanna share why?
Medicine.
Well, what for?
My dad got
a pretty bad infection,
and we were low on preps.
Well, why didn't you just ask?
Because I wasn't sure
if you were dangerous.
Then how do you know
that I'm not?
How do you survive here
without a gun?
Pretty well, actually.
And what do you do
when outsiders come to attack?
Well, you're the first person
in my entire life
that has ever
pointed a gun at me.
I've never had soup like this.
Mmm.
Homegrown chilies.
That's my secret ingredient.
I think the cold, wet climate
up here makes them sweeter.
Granted, you have to grow them
in a greenhouse.
Kind of like tricking them
into feeling safe and warm.
I think I can taste it.
- Taste what?
- That you tricked them.
Into feeling safe and warm.
It's amazing.
So it's just you and your dad?
There's no family or visitors?
No. No. No one like us.
Just the outsiders.
Tell me more
about how you live.
I should really be going.
Oh, wait, Jake,
you can stay the night.
Just leave first thing
in the morning.
You know, let your clothes dry.
No, I have to get some venison.
I hid our jerky.
What? Why?
Dad doesn't want contact
with outsiders.
So I had to get out
for a hunt without suspicion.
Why doesn't your dad
want contact with outsiders?
Because outsiders are dangerous.
How's this look?
[THUNDER RUMBLING IN DISTANCE]
It's frozen.
It's ready to go.
Well, it's yours if you want.
Um, you can stay the night
and wait out the storm
and let your clothes dry
if you'd like.
[DOOR CREAKS OPENS]
[DOOR CLOSES]
[KNOCKS ON DOOR]
[CLEARS THROAT]
I gotta head out.
Jake?
Your gun is
in the kitchen cabinet.
I found it.
I hope your dad is okay.
Thanks.
I hope to see you again.
Well, you know where to find me.
What took you so long?
It's how long it took.
Three days to go to the banks
and bag a doe?
No deer at the banks,
so I had to hike to the meadows.
That's where this is from?
Yeah.
Where's the rest?
I didn't get a clean shot.
Wolves got to the rest.
This was all I could salvage.
[]
How'd you make that clean cut?
I used a saw.
I stole it from that farm.
SHARMA:
Do you wanna press charges?
No. I don't wanna press charges.
I wanna know who he is.
[CHUCKLES]
Did you ask him?
Okay, uh, what I mean is,
I want to know if he's okay.
- You said he's a grown man.
- Yes.
To be frank, this department
doesn't have the manpower
to comb through the forest
because of some bad vibes.
In a 10-mile radius,
we have 72 drilling rigs
operated by miscreants
who couldn't work
at a gas station.
That leaves the four of us
to police
a mob of drunk, angry boys
who are gonna be gone in a month
when the season's over.
You know, I've got...
assault, rape, murder.
So it sounds like to me
your mole person's
one of the good ones.
- Jake.
- What?
His name is Jake.
His father's name is Troy.
I'm giving you my number.
I understand
that you're busy, and if...
You know, just keep an ear out.
Thank you
for the detailed account.
- Thank you. Have a good day.
- Here to serve.
[]
What's this?
I added chilies to it.
Those are to keep the animals
off the garden.
- You know that, Jake.
- Yeah, I know,
but it makes this taste amazing.
[SPITS]
Oh!
What are you doing?
I wanted to try something new.
What has gotten into you, Jake?
What is going on?
The Swiss Family Robinson
used oyster shells
to eat mussels
and ate lobsters with biscuits.
They have fun trying new things
and making feasts. Why can't we?
We eat to live.
We don't live to eat, Jake.
You're being ridiculous.
Families in National Geographic
have tables full of food,
big spreads, end to end.
What did you say?
It was just something
I saw once.
Where?
I've been reading
some new books.
- What books?
- Just stuff I've found myself.
Stuff that I've scavenged
off the outsiders
you've shot over the years.
Show me.
I said, show me.
[WIND WHISTLING]
[]
This make you feel good,
keeping this stuff from me?
- You keep stuff from me.
- No, I do not!
I have never lied to you.
Yeah, I'm not so sure.
Well, you should be.
How do you know
that lady deserved to die?
She was an outsider.
But how do you know
she deserved to die?
Jake, I know
you must be feeling bad
about killing that lady and all,
but you gotta know
it's for the best.
You did what you had to do.
Don't second-guess it.
It's just wasting valuable time.
I don't know
that I had to kill her.
What makes you say that?
I think
she was harmless to us.
I think she could have
maybe helped us.
TROY:
Jakey, you have to understand
that just because
she was a woman,
it doesn't change anything.
Outsiders are outsiders.
They're a plague
that'll ruin our world.
I think I could have
brought her back here,
started a family,
like the Swiss Family Robinson.
Are you serious?
What if you die, Dad?
I need to be able to finish
what you started here.
Have a family,
like you and Mom had me.
Well, maybe you're right.
I wouldn't have anything
without you.
Maybe we need to start preparing
you for a future without me.
I'm not trying
to upset you, Dad.
I'm just trying to prepare
like you've taught me.
We can go look together,
when I'm better.
I mean, you're not gonna know
what you're looking at.
I don't want you
getting your hopes up either.
They're all lying whores.
[BREATHING HEAVILY]
[DOOR OPENS, CLOSES]
I found the missing jerky.
Oh, yeah? Whereabouts?
It was out past the creek.
A raccoon must have
buried it for safekeeping.
- Raccoons don't bury their food.
- No, they don't, do they?
You wanna tell me
what the fuck is going on?
You are gonna clean this
until I know you're sorry
about lying to me.
- Might be a while.
- What has gotten into you?
Nothing.
Absolutely nothing.
Your whole attitude has changed.
Are you sure
there's not something
you want to admit to me?
No, sir.
Have you seen outsiders?
- No.
- Jake.
- Have you seen outsiders?
- No!
None besides the one
you had me shoot dead!
Are you 100 percent
sure she's dead?
She's dead, Dad.
Dead like Mom.
What is happening to you?
It's not
what's happening to me.
It's what you said
it was out there.
- What...? What about it?
- I've seen people and places,
and it is not the chaos and
marauders that you've described.
Jakey, you haven't seen shit.
We're miles away
from the real shit.
Why do you think I brought you
all the way up here?
To keep you safe.
Away from the chaos.
You want to ruin everything
that I've built for us here?
[SCRUB BRUSH CLATTERS]
- I think you're wrong.
- Where the hell are you going?
- To bring her back.
- Bring who back?
I'm gonna show you, Dad.
She's okay.
Wait. You're the one
who's in the wrong here, Jake!
I just don't want you
to get hurt!
Dad, if you are
ever going to trust me,
then you need to let me go.
I'm a grown man.
Jakey?
[DOOR OPENS,
THEN SLAMS CLOSED]
[]
Freshwater mussels.
You dove for those
without a wetsuit?
Yeah.
A place I call the Wall.
Were you freezing?
I was a little cold,
but I had a fire waiting.
It's been snowing.
How do you make a fire
in the snow?
[]
JAKE: Yellow cedar
shaving will light a fire
even when it's raining hard.
I've got a lighter
for emergencies,
but I don't like to use it.
Not when everything I need
can be scavenged.
We made fire!
Plus, the drill could
save your life.
HENRIETTA:
The drill?
JAKE:
To set traps.
Better to be prepared than not.
HENRIETTA:
I don't need any traps.
JAKE:
Just in case.
I like knowing
you're protected.
Freshwater mussels.
Dad says cooking them
over a fire is too much work...
but I like it.
[CHUCKLES]
Yes.
- Yes.
- [CHUCKLES]
- Oh!
- [CHUCKLES]
Tsk, you make it all
look so easy.
What do you mean?
Well, just...
existing here.
There's a balance,
a beauty to it.
I've been at it
for some time now,
and I think
that you would do better
with your hands tied
behind your back.
It's all I know.
Hmm.
What else do you wanna know?
Stuff nobody can answer.
Yeah? Like what?
Like...
where do we go when we die?
What do you think?
Well, Dad says we go
in the dirt and stay there.
The Swiss Family Robinson
believe in Jesus.
[LAUGHS]
And what do you think?
Well, I think we go in the dirt
and get eaten up by the plants.
Like the big trees.
And the yellow cedar
that I shaved today.
Then we can go lots of places.
We could grow into leaves
atop the forest one day
to fall back down to the earth
and do it all over again.
Or maybe a berry
that a bird eats
and takes us on ride
far away from here.
A constant circle of life.
Is that where you think
your mom is?
She's the very top
of the tallest golden spruce
in the entire forest.
A tree so beautiful,
when you see it,
it freezes you
right where you stand.
Thank you, Jake.
For what?
Just for being you.
[]
[BOTH BREATHING HEAVILY]
I want you to come home with me.
I think you'll love it.
What would that
look like, Jake?
Like an old oil painting.
Like a family
living in harmony with nature.
Giving back more than we take.
Growing slowly
with the tallest trees.
Like a heaven.
But a real one.
Right here.
Jake...
I'm old enough to know better,
so I'm just gonna say this.
What happened last night...
was pretty amazing.
But I don't wanna rush things.
I don't think that's good
for either of us.
You don't wanna be with me?
No.
I don't know. I mean...
We just met.
And I am not
in a position in my life
to be making big decisions
like that.
I have some stuff
I need to deal with today,
and I don't think you should
stay here. I'm sorry.
I can help you.
It's personal.
I'll see you soon though,
okay? I promise.
- When?
- I don't know.
Maybe in a few days.
Do you know where they live?
Jake, he just stops by
from time to time.
Stops by?
Ma'am, are you in danger?
What did you find out?
Do any of these places or dates
mean anything to you?
No.
How old is Jake?
- I'd say... 25?
- Hmm.
On December 11th, 2002,
in Chicago,
Troy Belstair kidnaps his son
and attempts murder
on Miss Chandrey.
House burns down
and arson is suspected.
- What are the chances?
- The only thing we have on him
is his Illinois
state driver's license.
Well, I've never seen
Jake's dad.
Does it look like him?
I don't know.
You sure?
[]
So this is home, huh?
Town?
That's rich.
Two plane rides to a ferry,
then to another plane
that almost killed me...
to a skiff.
I think it's pretty safe to say
this is not a town.
How are they?
They're good.
They're where they want to be,
home.
Don't be an ass, Andy.
I'm not. I'm just being real.
Thank you.
How you doing?
Okay.
It's been pretty rough,
but I think I'm starting to find
what I was looking for.
Mm.
And what exactly
was that again?
Just to be clear.
Balance.
- In nature.
- Mm-hmm.
That's it? Nature.
You still don't get it,
like, even a little bit?
No, I guess I don't.
[SIGHS]
We met when we were so young.
I don't think we even knew
who we were then.
And I never wanted
to live in the city.
Maybe I wasn't ready
for the responsibility of kids.
But then we did, and your job,
and it was like we were stuck.
Every day
worse than the last.
And the city and the people,
it was like it was
eating me alive.
I honestly think
it poisons the purity people
are supposed to have,
in balance, where things matter
more than just money.
Hmm.
You know what I think?
I think you're going through
an early midlife crisis
and you don't know
what you need right now.
You could've got another job.
You could've gotten out
of the house once in a while.
But instead you're what?
You're here.
It was like
I was just waiting to die.
I tried to tell you
and the kids
what I needed,
only to land on deaf ears.
I was ignored.
And hated.
Like... Like it was some kind
of unattainable reality.
Look at you.
You're up here
hiding from the real world.
I'm not hiding.
I can't go back to who I was.
[CAR HORNS HONKING DISTANTLY]
[]
ANDY: The kids like
living in the city, Hen,
with their friends and school...
Because they don't know
anything else.
I think I should have
full custody of the kids.
What?
You chose to come up here
without them, without us.
Over and over,
I begged you and them
to come with me.
All it did was alienate me
from my own family.
What was I supposed to do?
Hen, you're the only person
that wanted this.
- Just you.
- I can't not see my kids, Andy.
Did you ever think
maybe they don't wanna see you?
All you do is hurt them...
and yourself.
And let's be honest,
they're not gonna make this trip
up to this shithole to visit...
Fuck you, Andy!
Go back
to your suburban pacifier.
I'm gonna get a lawyer
to fix this.
- I'll get a lawyer to fix this.
- Good luck.
Don't forget,
you wanted this. Not me.
- Not like this. It's not fair.
- No. What's not fair is bailing
and thinking you have the same
rights as a responsible parent.
- Oh!
- Fuck!
What the fuck are you doing?
Who the fuck are you?
Oh, wow. He even legal?
It's not... It's not
what it looks like, Andy.
Wait till the kids find out
Mom's banging a boy.
Good luck finding a lawyer
in butt-fuck nowhere.
Leave me alone!
Why are you following me?
What the fuck do you want?
- JAKE: Who was that man?
- My husband.
It's none
of your goddamn business.
You have a husband?
- What do you mean?
- Get the fuck away from my truck!
[BREATHING HEAVILY]
[ENGINE STARTS]
I don't know
how to get home from here.
Jesus H. Christ.
Jake, you need
to go home right now.
- Who are you?
- You need to leave.
How could you do this to me?
Yes, Jake,
I have an ex-husband.
And I have two kids. You don't
know anything about it.
You don't need to know
anything about it.
And you don't get to judge me.
I betrayed my father,
and for what?
People did awful things
during the wars,
but I would never, ever leave
my family or betray my wife.
What wars?
World War III.
Man's last mistake.
World War III?
December 11th, 2002.
[WHISPERS]
December...
December...
Oh, God. I know this date.
Yeah. It rewrote history.
No.
There was no World War III.
What happened to your mother
and you that day was awful,
but there was no world war.
What are you talking about?
Why are you lying?
Jake.
I'm so sorry, Jake.
I have no idea
what kind of fucked-up shit
your father has been telling you
all cooped up out in the woods,
but there was no World War III.
He kidnapped you, and he tried
to kill your mother.
- Stop lying to me!
- Okay. I can't do this.
I have my own shit to deal with.
Where did you get this?
Do you know where that man is?
What is this?
I need to know who this man is!
Don't come here again.
[DOOR OPENS, CLOSES]
[]
You decided to come back.
I want the truth.
- About what?
- About everything.
I have never lied to you
about anything.
What about the wars?
There were no marauders,
gangs of limbless men,
psychos trying
to kill each other.
You need to go further, Jake.
Then you will see
the fucked-up, damaged world.
Did World War III happen?
Did the wars happen?
- Yes.
- Lying.
December 11th, 2002.
The day humanity died.
Shit hit the fan.
So there was no real war?
A conventional war, no,
but a war nonetheless.
We barely escaped.
Why did we kill this man?
Why do we kill any men?
It's us or them.
There's a family looking
for this man. A little girl.
Dad, why did we kill him?
He was gonna kill us, Jake.
What the fuck
is wrong with you?
Dad, that man said
something to me before he died.
He was dying and he knew it,
and all he said to me was:
"Tell my daughter
that I love her."
You are out of your depths, son.
The human species
has gone AWOL.
They don't know what's
right or wrong any longer.
What happened to her?
I don't wanna talk about it.
I wanna know
what this lying whore
has been filling your head with.
Nothing. She's not...
I just want the truth, Dad.
You want the truth?
I wanna know who she is.
- Who is she?
- It doesn't matter.
Is she the woman
that you said you'd killed?
Did you fuck her?
Yes, Dad.
And I bet in that moment,
you felt better
than you ever had
in the whole world.
And then she fucked you over,
didn't she?
She lied to me.
She has a family.
She abandoned her family.
I know how much
that can hurt, son.
You have fallen prey
to the world.
Like I always said
you would.
People seem good...
but they are not.
I tried to protect you
from all this.
It really felt
like I could trust her.
It's okay, son. Sometimes
we have to learn the hard way.
They're all liars.
I have told you this
so many times.
I know.
Then why don't you believe me?
I don't know.
Do you not trust me?
Do you believe there are
good people out there, Dad?
They're all filthy,
lying, greedy cheaters.
It takes time for some of them
to reveal their true colors,
but can't trust a one of them.
How do you know for sure?
With age and wisdom,
you earn the power of judgment.
Did she give this to you?
She found it.
Does she know you know him?
She needs to die, Jake.
Does she have to?
Do you want them to take
all of this away from us?
To take us away
from each another?
Why would they take us away
from each other?
To protect us from them.
I've had to do things
that they deem wrong
but I know are right.
You see?
I gotta go finish
breaking that deer down.
You pack our bags.
We leave before nightfall.
Yes, sir.
[WOLF HOWLS IN DISTANCE]
[WOOD CREAKING]
[WIND CHIME JANGLES]
[DOOR OPENS]
[SNIFFS]
[]
What are you doing?
We can't kill her, Dad.
She's probably just like us.
She's made mistakes,
just like us.
But you don't kill someone
for that.
You can't be certain
of that, Jake.
But what I can be certain of
is once she is dead, she will
no longer be a danger to us.
I'm not certain.
But I am willing to bet my life
in place of hers.
You really mean that?
Well, for both our sakes,
I hope you're not wrong.
Dad, let me go to her.
I can trick her,
make her feel safe and warm,
and she will never be
a problem for us ever again.
I'm trusting you with this.
I wanna show you something
I should've shown you
a long time ago.
Come on.
[BREATHING HEAVILY]
Go on.
All the way in there.
All the way to the back.
Sometimes the things we do
in life
don't make sense straightaway,
but in time they do.
I'm sorry, Jake.
But you don't understand
what is going on here.
That woman is a poison
in our world.
Let me out!
You shouldn't have lied
about killing her!
Dad! Dad, listen to me.
I promise
she's not gonna hurt us.
You may be willing to risk
your life for her, but I am not!
I know what women
like that can do!
Dad. Dad, Dad. Listen to me.
Listen to me.
She's not gonna hurt us,
I promise you.
She's not gonna hurt us.
I'm going now.
I'm gonna clean up your mess.
You fucking liar!
[GRUNTING]
You said you never
met the father.
- I haven't.
- The son never mentioned anything
- about the missing hunter?
- Um...
- So it could be Jake.
- No.
No? You said he attacked
your husband?
- He... It was a misunderstanding.
- A violent misunderstanding.
Jake is not a killer.
So after the flyer business,
he just disappeared
into the woods, roughly?
He was really upset
and he went into the woods, yes.
Me and one of the boys will
escort you back for safety.
There's only one other trooper
and he's four hours behind us.
Oh, no, no, no.
That's... I'm fine.
I'm fine. Thank you, though.
[]
[JAKE GRUNTING]
[WOOD CRACKING]
[SIREN CHIRPING]
It's okay.
Everything's gonna be okay.
Let him go. Let him go.
Don't look at him.
Leave him alone.
You fucking leave him alone!
Troy...
It's okay.
It's gonna be okay.
[]
Henrietta?
[SIREN BLARES]
- We just wanna have a look-see.
- Is that really necessary?
- Stop!
- [GRUNTS]
Jake! No, they're cops!
Put the gun down.
They're here to help us.
Put the gun on the ground
and drop to your knees!
No, no, no. He's fine.
It's okay.
He didn't know. He doesn't know.
Henrietta, you need
to move to the side.
HENRIETTA: He doesn't...
He didn't mean any harm. I promise.
Put the gun on the ground.
[GUNSHOT]
[GASPS, THEN SCREAMS]
Hey!
Stay with me.
- Are you okay?
- No, I'm not fucking okay!
- What the fuck is happening?
- I'm sorry.
- I'm so sorry.
- It's okay. It's not your fault.
It's my father.
He's coming to kill you.
[WHISPERS]
Oh, my God.
We need to get you
somewhere safe.
No, I have an idea. The preps.
[GUNSHOT]
Okay. I gotta go now.
Remember, do not backtrack.
He'll be following my tracks.
Okay. Go.
[WHIMPERING]
[GUNSHOT]
[WIND WHISTLING]
Dad!
I know you're here!
TROY:
Where is she?
No.
- TROY: This has to happen, Jake.
- No, it doesn't.
She's a good person.
She shouldn't fucking die
because you're not.
One day you'll understand.
Okay. Please, help, please!
Please help.
[FLESH PUNCTURES]
Fuck!
[GRUNTING SOFTLY]
[WINCES]
Fuck!
[GRUNTS]
[DOOR CREAKS OPEN]
TROY: You should never
have left your family
and started fucking with mine.
[GRUNTING SOFTLY]
You women,
you think you can
just fuck up a man's life
and there'd be no consequences!
Well, I got news for you.
Not me!
You children can continue
to fuck up the world...
but you are not
corrupting my son.
It is snakes like you
that are ruining humanity.
Poisoning my son...
will be the last mistake...
you make.
[CLATTERING]
[WHIMPERING]
[]
[ENGINE STARTS]
- [GUNSHOT]
- [GLASS SHATTERS]
[]
[GASPS]
Here.
I love you, boy.
It was all for love.
Now...
go on.
No.
- No, Dad.
- Go on.
Hey...
this is not a democracy.
[SNIFFLES]
[GUN COCKS]
[]
[INDISTINCT CHATTERING
OVER POLICE RADIO]
HENRIETTA: I didn't realize
it right then and there,
but my faith in humanity
was pretty close
to your father's.
Truly, I fear that I could've
ended up just like him,
isolated and bitter
at the world.
It took him almost killing us
for me to realize
just how far
I had let myself go.
And while
I still struggle at times
with the world
we live in today,
you gave me something back
I was missing:
The belief there is
still good in the world.
I thank you for that, Jake.
It's the greatest gift
a person could give.
BOY:
Mom?
You ready?
[]
JAKE:
I didn't know about this one.
It's outside the perimeter.
Dad called this area
No Man's Land.
I don't know how I feel
about luck these days.
I know I'm prepared
for the worst
if that should ever
actually happen.
But really...
I'm just hopeful.
Hopeful for my future.
Hopeful for this world.
Please be you.
[BAKER GRACE'S "LULLABY"
PLAYING]
I can see the stars
But city lights
Shine brighter
Every time I come
Welcome to the world
Where no one sees you
For the one you were before
Ready for the battle
Broken and fragile
Head into a wall
Then I climb higher
Till I fall
Back on the floor
So sing a lu-lu-lullaby
To me, baby
I know you lu-lu-lu-lu lie
Just to save me
From the devils
We are not even facing
Far from home
[BAKER GRACE'S "HEARTLESS
KIND OF LOVE" PLAYING]
I float above
The sea of green
Time stops moving
In and out of me
The breeze puts
Everything to sleep
I can't breathe
I can't breathe
When the sun takes the sky
And I look to the light
I think of you
There's a color I find
Coming from deep inside
I think it's you
Maybe it's a darkness
Maybe it's a heartless
Kind of love
Maybe it is heartless
Frozen in the calmness
Of your touch
A flower unfolds
But no one's here
And now I'm all alone
Looking in the mirror
With nothing but the shadow
Of somebody
That I'll never know
Who really knows
Where they belong?
When I find it
Should I run?
Staring down
The barrel of a gun
I think I feel it
Should I run?
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh
PLAYING]
I can see the stars
But city lights
Shine brighter
Every time I come
Welcome to the world
Where no one sees you
For the one you were before
Ready for the battle
Broken and fragile
[BIRDS CHIRPING]
[WATER BURBLING]
[]
JAKE:
It's hard not to feel lucky.
[FISH FLAPPING]
Though Dad says
there's no such thing.
[ROCK THUDS, FLAPPING STOPS]
There's those who are prepared
for opportunities and setbacks,
- and those who are not.
- [WATER SPLASHES]
Luck doesn't exist.
[WIND WHISTLING]
After the wars,
it was very obvious
who was prepared
and who wasn't.
[HAWK CRIES]
Man had fallen far away
from his primitive roots.
We forgot how to do
the most basic of things.
Like getting food.
I still don't know
what it means,
but apparently everything
was wrapped in plastic
and ready to go.
Dad loves that saying.
[CROW CAWING]
We don't disagree
on much of anything.
I feel real lucky
to have the dad I do.
TROY:
Jakey?
How'd you go?
Decent...
for end of season.
Six cohos, a couple dogs.
- It's in the smoker?
- Yeah.
Cold chamber's
leaking pretty bad.
I patched it up, but I think
it needs a proper redo.
Put it on the list.
- Already did.
- [CHUCKLES]
The supper's on the stove
heating up.
I'll be in shortly.
[PEOPLE CLAMORING IN DISTANCE]
It's okay.
Everything's gonna be okay.
Let me in! Let me in!
TROY: Don't look at him.
Don't look at him! Come here!
- Jake!
- [ENGINE STARTS]
It's okay. It's gonna be okay.
TROY:
You okay, Jakey?
The dream...
You know the wars
are in the past.
We gotta do something
to erase these memories.
Focus on the future
and bury the past.
Okay?
[]
[PANTING]
Need a hand, old man?
I'm good.
You sure?
I can have half a cord of wood
chopped before you get back.
You're dreaming.
Loser cooks and cleans.
Deal!
[WOOD CRACKING]
[WHISTLES]
This ax is sharp. Well done.
[GUNSHOT]
Get in the house.
[]
You stay here.
Anyone comes through that door,
- shoot them in the face!
- Dad, I can help.
I can take these SOBs out.
You are gonna stay here
and protect what's ours.
I'll sweep the perimeter.
If I'm not back in 30 minutes,
you know what to do.
[BRANCH CRACKS]
[BREATHING HEAVILY]
[SHIVERING]
[BUZZING]
[GUNSHOT IN DISTANCE]
[SOFTLY]
Fuck this.
[GUNSHOT]
[TROY BREATHING HEAVILY,
AND GRUNTING]
- [GROANS]
- [RIFLE COCKS]
[GRUNTS]
You good?
Yeah. Yeah.
He got a couple of rounds off,
but he's a lousy shot.
You're early.
I heard the shots.
I just wanted to help.
Your time will come
to bury plenty of men.
It's just as important
for you to stay,
keep our home safe.
I'm ready now.
I know.
And I think
we're getting too comfortable.
He was on his way to our cabin.
When we're not prepared, we'll
be the ones getting buried.
Now, you take care
of this SOB.
I'm gonna go back to the cabin
and get cleaned up.
Dad!
- What?
- You're bleeding.
[SOFTLY]
Fuck.
Oh, it's nothing. Don't worry.
You... You finish up here
and meet me back at the cabin.
Go on! This is not a democracy.
[GRUNTS SOFTLY]
[WHISPERS]
You piece of shit.
[]
Tell my daughter...
I love her.
[BREATHING HEAVILY]
[WOLF HOWLS]
How are you feeling?
I told you to stop worrying.
And stop asking.
Not a big deal.
It's just a 9mm.
Dad, you know
in The Swiss Family Robinson,
the father prays
to the god for safety,
and then they find the island.
God didn't point them there?
No, Jake.
The point was to show
how desperate he was.
Talking to the fictitious
in survival mode.
And besides, it's just a story.
A story about...
finding utopia...
away from humanity
and all its evils.
Why are you drawing that?
That man had it written
on his chest.
And?
The outsiders still believe
in the religion?
I'm sure the poor and the
desperate still cling on to it.
How can they go through the wars
and still believe?
You gotta think, for the masses,
it's all they got left, right?
Hope for the hopeless,
that's all.
TROY: Hey, Jakey, come here.
Don't be scared.
This man can't hurt us anymore.
JAKE:
What if more bad men come?
Well, then we'll
have to be prepared.
But you just can't be scared,
Jakey, otherwise they get you.
They're just not like us.
Just don't
look them in the eye...
- and then you'll be fine.
- Why?
'Cause if you look them
in the eye,
they'll trick you into thinking
that they're still human.
Don't you ever forget that.
[]
[WINCES]
[GRUNTING SOFTLY]
You okay?
Yeah, I'm good.
I told you to quit asking.
How many traps you set today?
Seven.
Try and get a dozen
by the end of the day, okay?
[TROY BREATHING HEAVILY]
[GROANING]
Dad?
Dad!
Dad!
- [GROANING]
- Come here, come here.
- What can I do?
- [GROANS SHARPLY]
Boil some water
and get me some whiskey.
Get some gauze
out of the first aid kit.
It's all gone.
Get the cleanest rags
you can find
and put them
in the boiling water.
TROY:
We have everything we need.
This is our home now...
and forever.
JAKE:
What about Mom?
Is she never coming back?
Jakey...
Mom's dead.
She's not coming back.
They killed her.
Do you understand?
JAKE:
I hate them.
You don't fill your heart
with hate, son.
We have each other.
And I will protect you
until the day I die.
[TROY COUGHING]
[SIGHS]
[TROY CONTINUES COUGHING]
[GASPS]
[TROY WINCING]
[SHUDDERING]
How is it?
Jakey...
you listen carefully.
[]
The antibiotics are too old.
Here, take these keys.
Go to the caches.
Jakey, if I'm too weak...
and the outsiders come...
you gotta shoot to kill.
If anybody steps a foot on
our land, I'll kill them dead.
Go to the cache
by the big spruce...
and get the SHTF book.
[]
Five, six, seven,
eight, nine, ten.
[SHIVERING]
Are you ready for this?
- Yeah.
- [THUNDER RUMBLING IN DISTANCE]
You need to know you're ready.
You gotta feel it
in your bones.
I know, Dad.
You're a better shot
than your old man.
You need to be ready...
to bury anybody
you come across.
Are you ready for that?
Dad, I'm ready. I can do this.
Then you tell me
you will put a bullet
between the eyes
of any person you see.
- Any man that I see.
- Man, woman or child.
They'll all kill you
just the same.
Do not underestimate them,
or you won't make it back alive.
Don't let them
make the first move.
Dad, I got this.
You're gonna be okay.
I promise.
Go.
[]
TROY: This is really
important, Jakey.
This is
our first line of defense.
The outside world is full
of filthy
and desperate people
who will shoot us
dead on sight.
There are gangs of marauders
roaming around
in gas-powered vehicles,
ready to take anyone away.
JAKE:
Even kids?
Especially kids.
There are cities and major towns
that have been burnt
to the ground
and women and children
burned alive.
- Why?
- Because people are desperate
and ill-prepared.
They will burn our house down
with us in it
just for a gun
or a piece of food.
That's why I brought us
all the way up here.
We're gonna be safe here
for a long time.
[BRANCHES SNAP]
[PANTING]
[BREATHING HEAVILY]
Mmm.
[WINGS FLAPPING]
[]
[EXHALES DEEPLY]
[]
[FLOORBOARDS CREAKING]
Hey!
[OWL HOOTING]
I got the antibiotics
and steroids.
Jakey?
Here.
Hey.
Anyone see you?
No. Nobody saw me.
Did you see outsiders?
Yeah.
And?
I killed 'em dead.
How many?
Where?
Just a lady.
At the medicine place.
No men?
No others?
There were fresh tracks
and food.
If they were there, they
were probably out hunting. Here.
I scoped the area for a day
before sniping the women
and breaching.
You're sure
you weren't followed?
Yeah. I doubled back twice
before the snowfall. I'm sure.
It'll be too dangerous
to go back there for a while.
You see any supplies?
No. I didn't see any real value.
Their perimeter and defenses
were nonexistent.
I don't even think
they had guns.
Everyone has guns.
Hey, Jakey.
You did real good.
[]
[MATCH LIGHTS]
[]
TROY:
But it's impossible.
There should be
half a rack of jerky left.
Just the salmon stuff
we made the other day.
I just checked.
But I know there was
half a rack of jerky in there.
Maybe the wolves got in.
- I told you to patch that up.
- I did.
Maybe they outsmarted us again.
Fuck.
We're gonna need to get
some red meat before winter.
I'll go.
Dad, I can handle it.
I got the antibiotics,
didn't I?
I just don't want us making
any more unnecessary risks
- with me being hurt and all.
- Dad,
I got it.
I'll patch the cellar up
before I head out.
You're right.
Sometimes I forget
you've grown into a man.
Don't you go near
that farm, though.
They'll be looking for
the people that wronged 'em.
I won't. I'll head out north.
[OVER SPEAKER] Baby,
there's nothing I can do
You said you had enough
Doo-doo-doo-doo
I wish you could see
How lucky I make you, baby
I won't let it
Get me down...
[FLOORBOARD CREAKS]
Are there others here?
[SOFTLY] What are you
doing in my house?
Are there others here?
- Please don't kill me.
- I said, are there others here?
No.
You're not lying, are you?
No.
Did you tell others about me?
Did you follow me?
What are you doing here?
I don't know.
Then why don't you just leave?
I'm not afraid to kill you.
What do you want?
I came to meet you.
Do you have a name?
Jake.
I'm Henrietta.
Do you want
to get those clothes dry?
Maybe take a hot shower?
I'll finish making some food,
and then maybe you can tell me
why you're standing in my house
pointing a gun at me.
[]
[STATIC OVER RADIO]
JAKE:
No!
Aah! It's too hot!
Fix it or I'll break it.
Did you turn the handle
on the right?
[SQUEAKS]
[]
[GASPS]
What did you do with my gun?
- I hid it.
- Why'd you do that?
Please just leave,
for God's sakes.
I could kill you
just as easily with this.
If you're gonna do it,
just do it already.
Are you done?
Don't touch my gun again.
I'll give it to you
when you leave.
- Now the knife. Hand it over.
- How can I trust you?
I'm trusting you
by letting you be in my home.
Now show me the same respect.
[]
You're not a killer, are you?
I can be if I need to be.
Okay.
[MUSIC PLAYING SOFTLY ON STEREO]
Mmm.
A man without a gun is nothing.
Well, I don't like them
in my house,
especially ones
pointed at my face.
I'll give it back to you
when you leave.
- Is that plastic?
- Yeah.
Glad wrap.
Is it ready to go?
Uh...
ready to go in the fridge.
- See?
- [FRIDGE DOOR OPENS, CLOSES]
Was that you
snooping around here last week?
Do you wanna share why?
Medicine.
Well, what for?
My dad got
a pretty bad infection,
and we were low on preps.
Well, why didn't you just ask?
Because I wasn't sure
if you were dangerous.
Then how do you know
that I'm not?
How do you survive here
without a gun?
Pretty well, actually.
And what do you do
when outsiders come to attack?
Well, you're the first person
in my entire life
that has ever
pointed a gun at me.
I've never had soup like this.
Mmm.
Homegrown chilies.
That's my secret ingredient.
I think the cold, wet climate
up here makes them sweeter.
Granted, you have to grow them
in a greenhouse.
Kind of like tricking them
into feeling safe and warm.
I think I can taste it.
- Taste what?
- That you tricked them.
Into feeling safe and warm.
It's amazing.
So it's just you and your dad?
There's no family or visitors?
No. No. No one like us.
Just the outsiders.
Tell me more
about how you live.
I should really be going.
Oh, wait, Jake,
you can stay the night.
Just leave first thing
in the morning.
You know, let your clothes dry.
No, I have to get some venison.
I hid our jerky.
What? Why?
Dad doesn't want contact
with outsiders.
So I had to get out
for a hunt without suspicion.
Why doesn't your dad
want contact with outsiders?
Because outsiders are dangerous.
How's this look?
[THUNDER RUMBLING IN DISTANCE]
It's frozen.
It's ready to go.
Well, it's yours if you want.
Um, you can stay the night
and wait out the storm
and let your clothes dry
if you'd like.
[DOOR CREAKS OPENS]
[DOOR CLOSES]
[KNOCKS ON DOOR]
[CLEARS THROAT]
I gotta head out.
Jake?
Your gun is
in the kitchen cabinet.
I found it.
I hope your dad is okay.
Thanks.
I hope to see you again.
Well, you know where to find me.
What took you so long?
It's how long it took.
Three days to go to the banks
and bag a doe?
No deer at the banks,
so I had to hike to the meadows.
That's where this is from?
Yeah.
Where's the rest?
I didn't get a clean shot.
Wolves got to the rest.
This was all I could salvage.
[]
How'd you make that clean cut?
I used a saw.
I stole it from that farm.
SHARMA:
Do you wanna press charges?
No. I don't wanna press charges.
I wanna know who he is.
[CHUCKLES]
Did you ask him?
Okay, uh, what I mean is,
I want to know if he's okay.
- You said he's a grown man.
- Yes.
To be frank, this department
doesn't have the manpower
to comb through the forest
because of some bad vibes.
In a 10-mile radius,
we have 72 drilling rigs
operated by miscreants
who couldn't work
at a gas station.
That leaves the four of us
to police
a mob of drunk, angry boys
who are gonna be gone in a month
when the season's over.
You know, I've got...
assault, rape, murder.
So it sounds like to me
your mole person's
one of the good ones.
- Jake.
- What?
His name is Jake.
His father's name is Troy.
I'm giving you my number.
I understand
that you're busy, and if...
You know, just keep an ear out.
Thank you
for the detailed account.
- Thank you. Have a good day.
- Here to serve.
[]
What's this?
I added chilies to it.
Those are to keep the animals
off the garden.
- You know that, Jake.
- Yeah, I know,
but it makes this taste amazing.
[SPITS]
Oh!
What are you doing?
I wanted to try something new.
What has gotten into you, Jake?
What is going on?
The Swiss Family Robinson
used oyster shells
to eat mussels
and ate lobsters with biscuits.
They have fun trying new things
and making feasts. Why can't we?
We eat to live.
We don't live to eat, Jake.
You're being ridiculous.
Families in National Geographic
have tables full of food,
big spreads, end to end.
What did you say?
It was just something
I saw once.
Where?
I've been reading
some new books.
- What books?
- Just stuff I've found myself.
Stuff that I've scavenged
off the outsiders
you've shot over the years.
Show me.
I said, show me.
[WIND WHISTLING]
[]
This make you feel good,
keeping this stuff from me?
- You keep stuff from me.
- No, I do not!
I have never lied to you.
Yeah, I'm not so sure.
Well, you should be.
How do you know
that lady deserved to die?
She was an outsider.
But how do you know
she deserved to die?
Jake, I know
you must be feeling bad
about killing that lady and all,
but you gotta know
it's for the best.
You did what you had to do.
Don't second-guess it.
It's just wasting valuable time.
I don't know
that I had to kill her.
What makes you say that?
I think
she was harmless to us.
I think she could have
maybe helped us.
TROY:
Jakey, you have to understand
that just because
she was a woman,
it doesn't change anything.
Outsiders are outsiders.
They're a plague
that'll ruin our world.
I think I could have
brought her back here,
started a family,
like the Swiss Family Robinson.
Are you serious?
What if you die, Dad?
I need to be able to finish
what you started here.
Have a family,
like you and Mom had me.
Well, maybe you're right.
I wouldn't have anything
without you.
Maybe we need to start preparing
you for a future without me.
I'm not trying
to upset you, Dad.
I'm just trying to prepare
like you've taught me.
We can go look together,
when I'm better.
I mean, you're not gonna know
what you're looking at.
I don't want you
getting your hopes up either.
They're all lying whores.
[BREATHING HEAVILY]
[DOOR OPENS, CLOSES]
I found the missing jerky.
Oh, yeah? Whereabouts?
It was out past the creek.
A raccoon must have
buried it for safekeeping.
- Raccoons don't bury their food.
- No, they don't, do they?
You wanna tell me
what the fuck is going on?
You are gonna clean this
until I know you're sorry
about lying to me.
- Might be a while.
- What has gotten into you?
Nothing.
Absolutely nothing.
Your whole attitude has changed.
Are you sure
there's not something
you want to admit to me?
No, sir.
Have you seen outsiders?
- No.
- Jake.
- Have you seen outsiders?
- No!
None besides the one
you had me shoot dead!
Are you 100 percent
sure she's dead?
She's dead, Dad.
Dead like Mom.
What is happening to you?
It's not
what's happening to me.
It's what you said
it was out there.
- What...? What about it?
- I've seen people and places,
and it is not the chaos and
marauders that you've described.
Jakey, you haven't seen shit.
We're miles away
from the real shit.
Why do you think I brought you
all the way up here?
To keep you safe.
Away from the chaos.
You want to ruin everything
that I've built for us here?
[SCRUB BRUSH CLATTERS]
- I think you're wrong.
- Where the hell are you going?
- To bring her back.
- Bring who back?
I'm gonna show you, Dad.
She's okay.
Wait. You're the one
who's in the wrong here, Jake!
I just don't want you
to get hurt!
Dad, if you are
ever going to trust me,
then you need to let me go.
I'm a grown man.
Jakey?
[DOOR OPENS,
THEN SLAMS CLOSED]
[]
Freshwater mussels.
You dove for those
without a wetsuit?
Yeah.
A place I call the Wall.
Were you freezing?
I was a little cold,
but I had a fire waiting.
It's been snowing.
How do you make a fire
in the snow?
[]
JAKE: Yellow cedar
shaving will light a fire
even when it's raining hard.
I've got a lighter
for emergencies,
but I don't like to use it.
Not when everything I need
can be scavenged.
We made fire!
Plus, the drill could
save your life.
HENRIETTA:
The drill?
JAKE:
To set traps.
Better to be prepared than not.
HENRIETTA:
I don't need any traps.
JAKE:
Just in case.
I like knowing
you're protected.
Freshwater mussels.
Dad says cooking them
over a fire is too much work...
but I like it.
[CHUCKLES]
Yes.
- Yes.
- [CHUCKLES]
- Oh!
- [CHUCKLES]
Tsk, you make it all
look so easy.
What do you mean?
Well, just...
existing here.
There's a balance,
a beauty to it.
I've been at it
for some time now,
and I think
that you would do better
with your hands tied
behind your back.
It's all I know.
Hmm.
What else do you wanna know?
Stuff nobody can answer.
Yeah? Like what?
Like...
where do we go when we die?
What do you think?
Well, Dad says we go
in the dirt and stay there.
The Swiss Family Robinson
believe in Jesus.
[LAUGHS]
And what do you think?
Well, I think we go in the dirt
and get eaten up by the plants.
Like the big trees.
And the yellow cedar
that I shaved today.
Then we can go lots of places.
We could grow into leaves
atop the forest one day
to fall back down to the earth
and do it all over again.
Or maybe a berry
that a bird eats
and takes us on ride
far away from here.
A constant circle of life.
Is that where you think
your mom is?
She's the very top
of the tallest golden spruce
in the entire forest.
A tree so beautiful,
when you see it,
it freezes you
right where you stand.
Thank you, Jake.
For what?
Just for being you.
[]
[BOTH BREATHING HEAVILY]
I want you to come home with me.
I think you'll love it.
What would that
look like, Jake?
Like an old oil painting.
Like a family
living in harmony with nature.
Giving back more than we take.
Growing slowly
with the tallest trees.
Like a heaven.
But a real one.
Right here.
Jake...
I'm old enough to know better,
so I'm just gonna say this.
What happened last night...
was pretty amazing.
But I don't wanna rush things.
I don't think that's good
for either of us.
You don't wanna be with me?
No.
I don't know. I mean...
We just met.
And I am not
in a position in my life
to be making big decisions
like that.
I have some stuff
I need to deal with today,
and I don't think you should
stay here. I'm sorry.
I can help you.
It's personal.
I'll see you soon though,
okay? I promise.
- When?
- I don't know.
Maybe in a few days.
Do you know where they live?
Jake, he just stops by
from time to time.
Stops by?
Ma'am, are you in danger?
What did you find out?
Do any of these places or dates
mean anything to you?
No.
How old is Jake?
- I'd say... 25?
- Hmm.
On December 11th, 2002,
in Chicago,
Troy Belstair kidnaps his son
and attempts murder
on Miss Chandrey.
House burns down
and arson is suspected.
- What are the chances?
- The only thing we have on him
is his Illinois
state driver's license.
Well, I've never seen
Jake's dad.
Does it look like him?
I don't know.
You sure?
[]
So this is home, huh?
Town?
That's rich.
Two plane rides to a ferry,
then to another plane
that almost killed me...
to a skiff.
I think it's pretty safe to say
this is not a town.
How are they?
They're good.
They're where they want to be,
home.
Don't be an ass, Andy.
I'm not. I'm just being real.
Thank you.
How you doing?
Okay.
It's been pretty rough,
but I think I'm starting to find
what I was looking for.
Mm.
And what exactly
was that again?
Just to be clear.
Balance.
- In nature.
- Mm-hmm.
That's it? Nature.
You still don't get it,
like, even a little bit?
No, I guess I don't.
[SIGHS]
We met when we were so young.
I don't think we even knew
who we were then.
And I never wanted
to live in the city.
Maybe I wasn't ready
for the responsibility of kids.
But then we did, and your job,
and it was like we were stuck.
Every day
worse than the last.
And the city and the people,
it was like it was
eating me alive.
I honestly think
it poisons the purity people
are supposed to have,
in balance, where things matter
more than just money.
Hmm.
You know what I think?
I think you're going through
an early midlife crisis
and you don't know
what you need right now.
You could've got another job.
You could've gotten out
of the house once in a while.
But instead you're what?
You're here.
It was like
I was just waiting to die.
I tried to tell you
and the kids
what I needed,
only to land on deaf ears.
I was ignored.
And hated.
Like... Like it was some kind
of unattainable reality.
Look at you.
You're up here
hiding from the real world.
I'm not hiding.
I can't go back to who I was.
[CAR HORNS HONKING DISTANTLY]
[]
ANDY: The kids like
living in the city, Hen,
with their friends and school...
Because they don't know
anything else.
I think I should have
full custody of the kids.
What?
You chose to come up here
without them, without us.
Over and over,
I begged you and them
to come with me.
All it did was alienate me
from my own family.
What was I supposed to do?
Hen, you're the only person
that wanted this.
- Just you.
- I can't not see my kids, Andy.
Did you ever think
maybe they don't wanna see you?
All you do is hurt them...
and yourself.
And let's be honest,
they're not gonna make this trip
up to this shithole to visit...
Fuck you, Andy!
Go back
to your suburban pacifier.
I'm gonna get a lawyer
to fix this.
- I'll get a lawyer to fix this.
- Good luck.
Don't forget,
you wanted this. Not me.
- Not like this. It's not fair.
- No. What's not fair is bailing
and thinking you have the same
rights as a responsible parent.
- Oh!
- Fuck!
What the fuck are you doing?
Who the fuck are you?
Oh, wow. He even legal?
It's not... It's not
what it looks like, Andy.
Wait till the kids find out
Mom's banging a boy.
Good luck finding a lawyer
in butt-fuck nowhere.
Leave me alone!
Why are you following me?
What the fuck do you want?
- JAKE: Who was that man?
- My husband.
It's none
of your goddamn business.
You have a husband?
- What do you mean?
- Get the fuck away from my truck!
[BREATHING HEAVILY]
[ENGINE STARTS]
I don't know
how to get home from here.
Jesus H. Christ.
Jake, you need
to go home right now.
- Who are you?
- You need to leave.
How could you do this to me?
Yes, Jake,
I have an ex-husband.
And I have two kids. You don't
know anything about it.
You don't need to know
anything about it.
And you don't get to judge me.
I betrayed my father,
and for what?
People did awful things
during the wars,
but I would never, ever leave
my family or betray my wife.
What wars?
World War III.
Man's last mistake.
World War III?
December 11th, 2002.
[WHISPERS]
December...
December...
Oh, God. I know this date.
Yeah. It rewrote history.
No.
There was no World War III.
What happened to your mother
and you that day was awful,
but there was no world war.
What are you talking about?
Why are you lying?
Jake.
I'm so sorry, Jake.
I have no idea
what kind of fucked-up shit
your father has been telling you
all cooped up out in the woods,
but there was no World War III.
He kidnapped you, and he tried
to kill your mother.
- Stop lying to me!
- Okay. I can't do this.
I have my own shit to deal with.
Where did you get this?
Do you know where that man is?
What is this?
I need to know who this man is!
Don't come here again.
[DOOR OPENS, CLOSES]
[]
You decided to come back.
I want the truth.
- About what?
- About everything.
I have never lied to you
about anything.
What about the wars?
There were no marauders,
gangs of limbless men,
psychos trying
to kill each other.
You need to go further, Jake.
Then you will see
the fucked-up, damaged world.
Did World War III happen?
Did the wars happen?
- Yes.
- Lying.
December 11th, 2002.
The day humanity died.
Shit hit the fan.
So there was no real war?
A conventional war, no,
but a war nonetheless.
We barely escaped.
Why did we kill this man?
Why do we kill any men?
It's us or them.
There's a family looking
for this man. A little girl.
Dad, why did we kill him?
He was gonna kill us, Jake.
What the fuck
is wrong with you?
Dad, that man said
something to me before he died.
He was dying and he knew it,
and all he said to me was:
"Tell my daughter
that I love her."
You are out of your depths, son.
The human species
has gone AWOL.
They don't know what's
right or wrong any longer.
What happened to her?
I don't wanna talk about it.
I wanna know
what this lying whore
has been filling your head with.
Nothing. She's not...
I just want the truth, Dad.
You want the truth?
I wanna know who she is.
- Who is she?
- It doesn't matter.
Is she the woman
that you said you'd killed?
Did you fuck her?
Yes, Dad.
And I bet in that moment,
you felt better
than you ever had
in the whole world.
And then she fucked you over,
didn't she?
She lied to me.
She has a family.
She abandoned her family.
I know how much
that can hurt, son.
You have fallen prey
to the world.
Like I always said
you would.
People seem good...
but they are not.
I tried to protect you
from all this.
It really felt
like I could trust her.
It's okay, son. Sometimes
we have to learn the hard way.
They're all liars.
I have told you this
so many times.
I know.
Then why don't you believe me?
I don't know.
Do you not trust me?
Do you believe there are
good people out there, Dad?
They're all filthy,
lying, greedy cheaters.
It takes time for some of them
to reveal their true colors,
but can't trust a one of them.
How do you know for sure?
With age and wisdom,
you earn the power of judgment.
Did she give this to you?
She found it.
Does she know you know him?
She needs to die, Jake.
Does she have to?
Do you want them to take
all of this away from us?
To take us away
from each another?
Why would they take us away
from each other?
To protect us from them.
I've had to do things
that they deem wrong
but I know are right.
You see?
I gotta go finish
breaking that deer down.
You pack our bags.
We leave before nightfall.
Yes, sir.
[WOLF HOWLS IN DISTANCE]
[WOOD CREAKING]
[WIND CHIME JANGLES]
[DOOR OPENS]
[SNIFFS]
[]
What are you doing?
We can't kill her, Dad.
She's probably just like us.
She's made mistakes,
just like us.
But you don't kill someone
for that.
You can't be certain
of that, Jake.
But what I can be certain of
is once she is dead, she will
no longer be a danger to us.
I'm not certain.
But I am willing to bet my life
in place of hers.
You really mean that?
Well, for both our sakes,
I hope you're not wrong.
Dad, let me go to her.
I can trick her,
make her feel safe and warm,
and she will never be
a problem for us ever again.
I'm trusting you with this.
I wanna show you something
I should've shown you
a long time ago.
Come on.
[BREATHING HEAVILY]
Go on.
All the way in there.
All the way to the back.
Sometimes the things we do
in life
don't make sense straightaway,
but in time they do.
I'm sorry, Jake.
But you don't understand
what is going on here.
That woman is a poison
in our world.
Let me out!
You shouldn't have lied
about killing her!
Dad! Dad, listen to me.
I promise
she's not gonna hurt us.
You may be willing to risk
your life for her, but I am not!
I know what women
like that can do!
Dad. Dad, Dad. Listen to me.
Listen to me.
She's not gonna hurt us,
I promise you.
She's not gonna hurt us.
I'm going now.
I'm gonna clean up your mess.
You fucking liar!
[GRUNTING]
You said you never
met the father.
- I haven't.
- The son never mentioned anything
- about the missing hunter?
- Um...
- So it could be Jake.
- No.
No? You said he attacked
your husband?
- He... It was a misunderstanding.
- A violent misunderstanding.
Jake is not a killer.
So after the flyer business,
he just disappeared
into the woods, roughly?
He was really upset
and he went into the woods, yes.
Me and one of the boys will
escort you back for safety.
There's only one other trooper
and he's four hours behind us.
Oh, no, no, no.
That's... I'm fine.
I'm fine. Thank you, though.
[]
[JAKE GRUNTING]
[WOOD CRACKING]
[SIREN CHIRPING]
It's okay.
Everything's gonna be okay.
Let him go. Let him go.
Don't look at him.
Leave him alone.
You fucking leave him alone!
Troy...
It's okay.
It's gonna be okay.
[]
Henrietta?
[SIREN BLARES]
- We just wanna have a look-see.
- Is that really necessary?
- Stop!
- [GRUNTS]
Jake! No, they're cops!
Put the gun down.
They're here to help us.
Put the gun on the ground
and drop to your knees!
No, no, no. He's fine.
It's okay.
He didn't know. He doesn't know.
Henrietta, you need
to move to the side.
HENRIETTA: He doesn't...
He didn't mean any harm. I promise.
Put the gun on the ground.
[GUNSHOT]
[GASPS, THEN SCREAMS]
Hey!
Stay with me.
- Are you okay?
- No, I'm not fucking okay!
- What the fuck is happening?
- I'm sorry.
- I'm so sorry.
- It's okay. It's not your fault.
It's my father.
He's coming to kill you.
[WHISPERS]
Oh, my God.
We need to get you
somewhere safe.
No, I have an idea. The preps.
[GUNSHOT]
Okay. I gotta go now.
Remember, do not backtrack.
He'll be following my tracks.
Okay. Go.
[WHIMPERING]
[GUNSHOT]
[WIND WHISTLING]
Dad!
I know you're here!
TROY:
Where is she?
No.
- TROY: This has to happen, Jake.
- No, it doesn't.
She's a good person.
She shouldn't fucking die
because you're not.
One day you'll understand.
Okay. Please, help, please!
Please help.
[FLESH PUNCTURES]
Fuck!
[GRUNTING SOFTLY]
[WINCES]
Fuck!
[GRUNTS]
[DOOR CREAKS OPEN]
TROY: You should never
have left your family
and started fucking with mine.
[GRUNTING SOFTLY]
You women,
you think you can
just fuck up a man's life
and there'd be no consequences!
Well, I got news for you.
Not me!
You children can continue
to fuck up the world...
but you are not
corrupting my son.
It is snakes like you
that are ruining humanity.
Poisoning my son...
will be the last mistake...
you make.
[CLATTERING]
[WHIMPERING]
[]
[ENGINE STARTS]
- [GUNSHOT]
- [GLASS SHATTERS]
[]
[GASPS]
Here.
I love you, boy.
It was all for love.
Now...
go on.
No.
- No, Dad.
- Go on.
Hey...
this is not a democracy.
[SNIFFLES]
[GUN COCKS]
[]
[INDISTINCT CHATTERING
OVER POLICE RADIO]
HENRIETTA: I didn't realize
it right then and there,
but my faith in humanity
was pretty close
to your father's.
Truly, I fear that I could've
ended up just like him,
isolated and bitter
at the world.
It took him almost killing us
for me to realize
just how far
I had let myself go.
And while
I still struggle at times
with the world
we live in today,
you gave me something back
I was missing:
The belief there is
still good in the world.
I thank you for that, Jake.
It's the greatest gift
a person could give.
BOY:
Mom?
You ready?
[]
JAKE:
I didn't know about this one.
It's outside the perimeter.
Dad called this area
No Man's Land.
I don't know how I feel
about luck these days.
I know I'm prepared
for the worst
if that should ever
actually happen.
But really...
I'm just hopeful.
Hopeful for my future.
Hopeful for this world.
Please be you.
[BAKER GRACE'S "LULLABY"
PLAYING]
I can see the stars
But city lights
Shine brighter
Every time I come
Welcome to the world
Where no one sees you
For the one you were before
Ready for the battle
Broken and fragile
Head into a wall
Then I climb higher
Till I fall
Back on the floor
So sing a lu-lu-lullaby
To me, baby
I know you lu-lu-lu-lu lie
Just to save me
From the devils
We are not even facing
Far from home
[BAKER GRACE'S "HEARTLESS
KIND OF LOVE" PLAYING]
I float above
The sea of green
Time stops moving
In and out of me
The breeze puts
Everything to sleep
I can't breathe
I can't breathe
When the sun takes the sky
And I look to the light
I think of you
There's a color I find
Coming from deep inside
I think it's you
Maybe it's a darkness
Maybe it's a heartless
Kind of love
Maybe it is heartless
Frozen in the calmness
Of your touch
A flower unfolds
But no one's here
And now I'm all alone
Looking in the mirror
With nothing but the shadow
Of somebody
That I'll never know
Who really knows
Where they belong?
When I find it
Should I run?
Staring down
The barrel of a gun
I think I feel it
Should I run?
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh