Discovery
Genre: Drama/Sci-Fi/Thriller
Director: Damien Chazelle
Writer: Jimmy Ellis & Chad Taylor
Cast: Julia Roberts, Tom Holland, Cooper Hoffman, Josh O'Connor, Riz Ahmed, Scoot McNairy, Renate Reinsve, Colman Domingo
Plot:
Friday
Ben (Cooper Hoffman) is a little winded as he rushes through the Boston Logan International Airport. He stops in his tracks once he realizes he left one of his bags in the car. The credits roll as he doubles back and then must go even faster through the airport to reach his gate. The stewardess is shutting things down but he pleads to let him on and she obliges. He is the last passenger to board and finally takes his seat next to Dr. Sarah Mauer (Julia Roberts), who gives him a knowing look of disappointment. She finally smirks and says this is why she shows up two hours early.
Ben is a member of Dr. Mauer’s research lab, which focuses on the overlap between neuroscience, communication, and disability. She is a leading figure in her field and well respected amongst her peers and students alike. The team of seven are heading to San Francisco to present their latest research at the Annual Conference for Neurocommunication Research.
Sadiq (Riz Ahmed) is seated a few rows ahead of them and clearly annoyed at Ben’s tardiness. Sadiq is the lead graduate student on the team and feels a sense of responsibility keeping them all in line. He turns to say something to Jack (Scoot McNairy), but he’s already dozed off before takeoff. Jack is older than the other students, having worked twenty years in the mines before going to school for the first time at 45, so he gets his sleep when he can. Sadiq looks across the aisle to Cedric (Josh O’Connor), who mocks Jack’s sleeping face. Nina (Renate Reinsve), is seated next to Cedric and lightly hits his arm, reminding him to be nice. Cedric and Nina are both in their third year in the program and share a playful bond. She gets a text from her partner, telling her to be safe. Cedric, reading over her shoulder, comments that there won’t be much she can do if there is something wrong with the plane. He asks why her partner hasn't moved to the States to join her yet and she insists that his job in Denmark is important. Long-distance works for now.
When they arrive, Liam (Tom Holland) is already there to meet them. Liam is the youngest member of the team at 23—straight out of finishing his undergrad—and extremely type A, hence the early arrival. He didn’t graduate top of his class for nothing. (Ben finished four spots behind him).The two have known each other since being freshman dorm-mates and have continued their bond through to grad school. They’re roommates once more for this trip and, per usual, Ben is behind his portion of the presentation and using this first night to catch up on his procrastination.
When the group arrive at their hotel they are immediately split into their rooms, Liam and Ben will be sharing with Ben hurrying to the room instantly to begin his part of the presentation. Liam runs after him telling him to slow down. Sarah tells Sadiq that he will be sharing with Cedric. A disappointment comes upon Sadiq’s face and she mouths “I’m sorry.” Cedric whispers to him that he won’t snore too loudly. Jack walks over to reception and mentions his name for his own room key. He had organised to stay in his own room. He walks straight over to the bar and gets himself a drink. Nina smiles as she is given her key, thanking Sarah for the opportunity once more. Sarah reminds her that she is here based on her own merit, not because she is being friendly.
Sarah wanders over to the bar with Jack, letting out a long exhale. He looks at her and slides over his drink. She chuckles and declines. Not until after the presentation. Jack sits back in his seat, smiling. He asks when her husband is supposed to arrive. She says tomorrow. He jokingly raises his glass to flying solo. She’s bemused.
Up in their room, Ben is working hard on his part of the presentation when he stops. His face has a look of intrigue upon it. He slides a device over his finger and looks at Liam. Liam’s lips don’t move but Ben can hear his voice. *Come on Ben, I’m hungry, get a move on.* Ben asks Liam to repeat what he just said but Liam says he didn’t say anything. *Weird.* Ben falls back in his seat, stunned. *What the fuck is going on?* He tells Liam to think of a number but don’t say it out loud. *69.* Ben chuckles and reevaluates, telling him instead to think of a number between 1000 and 2000. *One thousand…four hundred…and eleven?* Ben writes down “1411” on the hotel stationary. It is now Liam who falls back in his chair. He is nearly shaking. “Does it…,” he can hardly complete his sentence. Ben is still in disbelief and slides over the device. Liam nervously puts it on. *Fuck you,* Ben thinks with a smile. They grab each other’s shoulders and begin freaking out in jubilation. A knock on the door.
Cedric is at the door and asks about the commotion. He is bewildered by the look on their faces, like two kids told they’re going to Disney World but can’t tell anyone. *Did they...just have sex?,* he thinks - prompting Liam to quickly pull his arm away from Ben’s shoulder. Liam looks to Ben, as if to ask for approval. Sadiq has now joined in behind Cedric, also curious. *We should tell them.* Liam nods and in near unison they say “we can read minds.”
Cedric hurries down the hallway and knocks on Nina’s door. She says one minute, she’s getting dressed. He looks at the door longingly. *Hshodoalk…,* Cedric hears, causing confusion. As Nina gets closer to the door, her thoughts become clearer. It only works in close proximity. *How do I look?,* she asks herself while looking in the mirror. She opens the door and Cedric observes her dress. “You look nice.” They both smile.
The five of them are huddled in Liam and Ben’s room. Their hearts are clearly racing. How…does this work? What are the implications? Do they tell the others? Almost too much to consider in this moment. They have a group dinner coming up. Liam, being the Boy Scout that he is, believes they should at least tell Sarah. Sadiq says that’s a nonnegotiable; technically this was created in her research lab and so she will need to know. Cedric is more hesitant. He says they have the world at their hands right now. Like, life will be remembered before and after this device. And they are the ones shaping the future here. Nina agrees. She admits that she is already thinking of how this could be used to assist her nonverbal brother. But she also agrees that Sarah is ultimately their superior and they should consult with her, which means consulting with the whole group. Cedric looks a bit disappointed. Ben, always a bit quiet, keeps his thoughts to himself.
In her room, Sarah is unaware of any of this going on. She is unpacking her suitcase and, underneath the clothes, she takes out some folded papers. Financial statements, bills, and such. She feels uneasy looking at them.
The whole group gathers for dinner. Jack is running a little late, per usual. Sarah says tonight is not for business but wants to check in on how everyone’s part of the presentation is coming along. Cedric says he was a business minor in undergrad, he can do these presentations in his sleep. Nina jokingly asks if that’s what he provides to the team; presentation skills? He laughs and says someone has got to give science some sex appeal. The updates move around the table until they get to Ben, who has trouble articulating what he wants to say. Sarah worries that he is behind on his part. The rest of them give looks to one another. Sadiq finally steps in and reveals the truth. Sarah isn’t sure what to say at first, before finally asking if anyone is wearing the device right now. They shake their heads and then Nina slides the device over to her. Sarah slowly puts in on and is taken by the overlapping thoughts of everyone around her. Jack arrives and the table’s thoughts go silent, everyone looking to Sarah. He looks confused, asking if this is some sort of surprise party. Sarah tells him to take a seat. “We have something to tell you. Everything we talk about here stays between this group.”
Saturday
As the day gets going, everyone attends the conference but their minds are clearly elsewhere. They present 24 hours from now and have just made a life-changing discovery. Over breakfast, Ben, Liam, and Nina propose to Sadiq and Sarah how they could deliver the news to their fellow researchers. Nina explains how it could revolutionize disability communication and help her brother. And the millions out there like him. Sarah holds Nina’s hand throughout this. Sadiq offers a counter: the way this will be used by advertisers, intelligence agencies, dictatorships. Just as many people could be hurt by this as helped.
Cedric, meanwhile, talks with Jack about the financial possibilities. If they sold this to the highest bidder, they would all be set for life. No need to work in the research labs or classrooms. “Or coal mines,” Jack adds. Cedric gives him a knowing look. Jack notes that the others won’t think that way; they’re scientists at heart. This is what they are in it for, for the progress of knowledge. And what if it falls into the wrong hands. Cedric says Jack is starting to sound like Sadiq. He asks if he ever told Jack that he minored in business in college. The market will decide its best use, with or without them. Jack asks what he is proposing. Cedric says that it’s Liam and Ben’s technology; they should bring them in and then take it to Silicon Valley tomorrow morning. Jack says that’s too risky, Liam is too loyal and will spill everything. “Just Ben then,” Cedric says. Jack says this almost all too much and he is going to grab a drink, offering Cedric to join. Cedric declines, saying he is going to do his research on the best investors to pitch to.
The light in the hotel bar is low. Jack nurses his second bourbon, shoulders slumped but relaxed. Sarah joins him, silent at first. They talk the device—how it could rewrite everything they know—before drifting to quieter admissions. Regret. Resentment. Jack confesses he thought about quitting the program last year, that sometimes the silence of the mine feels more honest than academia. Sarah mentions the distance between her and her husband, the way their marriage has grown polite. They’re two people who have made peace with loneliness. Jack asks her, gently, if they ever thought of having children—knowing full well that that ship has likely sailed. She says that is something that remains between them and Jack understands. She then says she found some documents that have raised her suspicion, fudged financial statements and payments to something that reads like childcare. She begins to cry and he takes her hand, telling her he didn’t mean to open any wounds. And then, through the revolving doors, Randall (Colman Domingo) arrives early—smiling, luggage in hand. Sarah’s spine straightens as she stands to greet her husband She places a kiss on Randall. Randall nods toward Jack before the two walk away.
The hotel room is a blur of scribbled notes, open laptops, and nervous pacing. Liam talks quickly, excitedly, sketching out their pitch deck for how this could be framed at the presentation—how he might introduce the breakthrough. Ben notices the pattern. “My design…” “When I thought of this…” “Back in my notes...” It starts as a tick, but grows louder with each pass. Ben rifles through old files, pulling up shared folders from undergrad. There it is. His original signal amplifier model—credited to Liam in their sophomore year neurotech symposium. A sudden cold settles into Ben’s gut. He realizes this has been happening for years, subtle but consistent. Liam, the overachiever, had always been just close enough to take what was Ben’s and repackage it. A partner in name only. He says nothing for now. He looks down to his phone to see a message from Cedric: “You in or you out?”
Randall enters the hotel room with his usual calm. He looks rested, the kind of man who made people lean in without knowing why. Sarah stands near the desk, still in her heels, her blazer folded neatly over her arm. She looks up to Randall and manages a faint smile, but her eyes don’t quite hold it. “You made good time,” she says. “Wasn’t sure if you’d catch the evening talks.” Randall shakes his head. “I came to see you, not the panels.” He crosses the room and kisses her cheek, then her lips, letting his hand linger lightly at her back. She doesn’t pull away, but she doesn’t lean in either. She moves to the edge of the bed and sits, smoothing the crease in her skirt. “Everything’s been a bit… chaotic,” she says, choosing her words carefully. Randall nods, watching her with quiet patience. “I figured. Still—you always sound more like yourself when you’re not trying so hard to sound fine.” She smiles. “I’m glad you’re here.” When he gently asks what’s going on, she says it’s not something she can explain right now. Randall gives a small nod, accepting it for now. “You know I don’t need the details,” he notes. “I just need you to be alright.” She closes her eyes and inhales. A pause too long. “I should go check on something. I’ll meet you down there before dinner.” He watches her collect herself—grabbing her coat, fixing her expression. She opened the door without another word. “I’m here,” he said gently, as she stepped into the hallway. She nods once, not turning back. “I know.” Then she was gone. And Randall sits alone, hands clasped loosely between his knees.
In the hallway, Ben passes Sarah and seeing her always has a way of help calming his nerves. But even she seems…off. She asks if he is doing okay and he quietly nods to confirm. He asks when Randall is supposed to get here. Everybody in the group loves Randall. He’s a literature professor and so he always brings a different, warmer dynamic to their science-heavy get-togethers. Sarah says that he’s already arrived. But then tells him not to bring up the device; it needs to stay between the group. Ben has the device on and can hear her wrestle with her feelings on this; this device could give her clarity in her marriage and let her know the truth. But does she really want to know? Ben gives her a look of pity, without letting on that he has heard everything.
As the sun falls, Sadiq walks out on the terrace to make a phone call to his wife. He asks how the kids are doing and how she’s managing on her own. He says he can’t wait to get back as soon as possible. She asks if something is up. He remains vague and says there is something that is making him feel very uncomfortable. He can’t go to the details but he feels like it is betraying God’s plan. More specifically, people are trying to play God. She doesn’t inquire further but just encourages him to follow his conscience.
Unbeknownst to Sadiq, Cedric has been following him—worried that he is going to steal the device and destroy it. He asks if what Sadiq said is true; that they’re playing God. Sadiq challenges him to read his mind. Cedric gets in Sadiq’s face and warns him not to ruin this for the rest of them. Sadiq says to think about this logically; even if he destroys it, they’ll be able to recreate it. If not Ben, someone else. He admits that he prefers a scenario where it’s not in the hands of a sociopath. Cedric swings at Sadiq and says to call him that one more time. Sadiq spits blood and says he didn’t call him anything, Cedric is making assumptions. Cedric goes to punch again but Sadiq evades and punches him directly in the gut. Nina runs up to the scene and tries to break up whatever this is to stop from developing into something bigger. As she gets in the middle, Cedric pushes her aside—forcing her to the ground. She looks up to him in disbelief as Sadiq goes to check on her. He immediately realizes his mistake and leaves in shame.
It’s after midnight. The room is dim, lit only by the cold glow of a desk lamp and the city haze filtering through the window. Ben sits still in a chair opposite Liam, who’s half-asleep on the bed, phone balanced on his chest. There’s tension in the air, a silence that vibrates with intent. Ben has the device on. He leans forward slowly, elbows on his knees. “Liam. Wake up.” Liam stirs. His brow furrows. His lips don’t move, but the thought forms: *Jesus, what time is it?* “You ever feel guilty?” Ben says. Liam blinks, eyes adjusting. He’s groggy but alert now. “What?” “No talking. Just think it. I’ll hear it.” A beat. Liam narrows his eyes. He’s confused, maybe a little afraid. *Ben, come on man, this is weird.* “Tell me what else you’ve taken. Since school.” Liam questions this, “What are you talking about?” Ben presses harder. He focuses like a tuning fork. “The symposium in sophomore year. The prototype. The draft on mirror neuron synchronization. You left my name off the presentation. You’ve been doing it for years, haven’t you?” Liam doesn’t respond with words. Just flashes from his mind—images, bursts of memory. A folder renamed. A PDF forwarded to a professor. The smug satisfaction of praise. A string of guilt quickly buried. Ben sees them as if they’re his own. “You don’t understand—” Liam begins aloud. “No. I do. I see you.” Ben continues to push. Liam lunges forward, trying to pull the device from Ben’s hand, but Ben anticipates it. He stands, looming, suddenly terrifying in his stillness. “Say it. Say you used me. Say you needed me to be small so you could be big.” Liam’s face crumbles. He thinks something soft—*I was scared I’d never measure up.* Ben hears it. All of it. The fear. The entitlement. The hollow center of Liam’s ambition. Ben removes the device. Places it gently on the table. Walks to the door without looking back. “Where are you going?” Liam calls out, almost childlike now. “To talk to Cedric.”
Sunday
The hotel suite is quiet, the low murmur of the conference downstairs barely reaching the walls of the room. Seven chairs form a loose circle around a small table, where a plain black box rests — impromptu ballot, simple and unremarkable, yet charged with tension. The device sits next to the box, so no one can use it. The team gathers, no Randall in sight, eyes red-rimmed from a restless night, bodies all slouched in different ways. Ben stares at the floor. Liam hovers near the window, arms crossed. Cedric drums a pen against his knee. Nina stands as far from Cedric as possible. Sadiq sits upright, already braced for disappointment. Jack is the last to arrive, per usual. Sarah stands at the center of them all. “We vote,” she says. “One slip. Yes or no. Do we include the device in today’s presentation?” One by one, they move to the box. A scribble. A fold. A drop. A moment of theater for a decision none of them want to make alone. When Sarah counts the papers, her brows tighten. “Three yes. Three no. One blank.” Confusion spreads through the room like a slow leak. No one admits to the blank vote. Sarah gives Jack a look, who shrugs “Must’ve folded mine wrong.” A suggestion to redo it dies in the silence. Then Sadiq speaks, low but firm: “It’s Sarah’s call.” The others nod, some reluctantly. Cedric’s eyes narrow but he says nothing. All attention turns to Sarah, who now holds their indecision in both hands. She doesn’t speak. Just stares at the slips of paper as if waiting for them to arrange themselves into clarity. Eventually, she places them back in the box, closes it, and says, almost to herself, “Then it’s mine.”
Sarah retreats to her room, where Randall is getting dressed. She tells him she needs to talk, there’s been something she’s been meaning to ask. In her head, she can hear his heartbeat increasing. “Do you ever regret our choice not to have kids?,” she asks. “That was your decision.” “That doesn’t answer the question.” He admits that he ponders the “what if’s” from time to time. But he’s happy how things are now. She places the financial statements on the bed. She asks if he is having a secret affair. A secret daughter. His face doesn’t break, serving a stare of disbelief back at her. She holds back tears. He then admits that he has been hiding the financial statements and other stuff from her, but it’s not what she thinks. He is in massive gambling debt. He thought he got better but it’s a vice he hasn’t been able to overcome. And of course he is too scared to tell her because he’s afraid she would leave him. Let him lose everything on his own. “Can’t you tell I’m telling you the truth? Aren’t you reading my mind right now?,” his voice cracks as he asks.
She drops her glass of water, shattering on the floor beneath her. He now looks concerned, holding on to her to see if she’s okay. She asks how he knew about that. About the device. He says that Jack told him everything this morning. She is now shaking and swears she is not wearing the device right now. She asks what they should do. He says to take his word with a grain of salt, since he’s only known about this for less than an hour. But it sounds like she already made her decision and she just wanted someone to tell her it is okay. They need this money. She asks if it is bad to go for the logical choice over her moral judgement. “We’ll only live this life once. Why not choose comfort? And besides, you’re a scientist. The logical choice is your only choice.” She holds his hand and nods her head, knowing he’s right but she will always have to live with this decision.
The prep room has a sense of artificial calm, but the tension is still felt. Sarah stands in front of a mirror, adjusting the wire of her lapel mic, trying not to tremble. One by one, the others enter. Nina hovers near the corner, arms crossed. Liam scrolls nervously through slides on his phone. Jack leans against the wall. Sadiq’s gaze scans the room, alert. The silence between them is its own kind of noise. “Where are they?” Sadiq finally asks, his voice sharp. No one answers. No Ben. No Cedric. Liam pulls Sarah aside and admits that he may be the reason Ben is not here. He briefly explains how he has been taking credit for Ben’s work for years. She is internally fuming but thanks him for sharing this. She addresses the room: “Whatever happens out there—we stay in step.” But no one confirms. The air between them is cracked. Still, they collect their papers and move toward the stage lights. Sarah lingers, one last look at the empty doorway before she steps onto the stage.
A black car cuts through town. Ben sits in the passenger seat, stiff in his hoodie, a laptop open across his knees. Cedric is driving, talking to a representative at a major tech firm. Between them sits a compact aluminum briefcase. The device is inside. Ben doesn’t look at it. After the call, Cedric looks to Ben. “Still time to back out.” He doesn’t say it like a challenge. Just a fact. Ben doesn’t respond. His jaw clenches as he pulls his sleeves down over his wrists. They ride in silence. From the back window, the conference center disappears into the distance.
Sarah stands beneath the lights, shoulders drawn back, voice steady. The auditorium is full, a quiet murmur of rustling notebooks and shifting bodies. Her slides flicker behind her—academic, sanitized and safe. She begins with protocol: the research lab’s mission, the goals of their study, the challenges they’ve faced in design. There is no mention of the device. Not yet. Liam keeps glancing toward the aisle, hoping for a late arrival that won’t come. Sarah pauses mid-sentence and looks out across the audience. “I want to talk to you about a boundary,” she says. “One that science has tried, for decades, to reach across.” There’s a shift in the room—a subtle lean forward. “We haven’t crossed it yet. But I believe, in time-” Liam cuts her off. He takes the presentation into his own hands and says that Sarah is being humble. The lab has helped create a device that can read minds of people in close proximity. Sadiq tries to interrupt him, worried he will say too much. Nina gives Liam a nod of encouragement. Jack looks amused. Sarah pulls him aside. “I’m choosing to believe in you,” she says with a certain menace. Liam powers on, grasping for the mantle of rising star scientist that he has always aimed for.
We flash back to Friday night, the day of the discovery. Liam slips on the device and stays up the whole night next to Ben, noting his drifting thoughts. Stealing his work like he has all these years. Now he just has to piece it all together.
In the back of the car, Ben stares at his phone. A message from Sarah sits unread: “I hope you find what you think you’re looking for.” He doesn’t open it, but instead just closes his eyes for a moment, as if he’s trying to steady something inside himself. The city blurs past the window. Cedric remains silent beside him, hands folded, satisfied. The briefcase rests between them like a weapon. The car merges onto the highway, swallowed by the morning light.
Cut to black.
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