Genre: Mystery/Drama
Director: David Robert Mitchell
Writer: Chad Taylor
Based on the 2018 Korean film Burning
Cast: Lucas Hedges, Ana de Armas, Orlando Bloom, Neal McDonough, Odeya Rush
Plot: Daniel (Lucas Hedges), 25, is living on his own in Kansas City, having dropped out of college months earlier and taken up a series of odd-jobs to make a living. He attends a preliminary court hearing for his father Tony (Neal McDonough), but is the only person in attendance.
He goes shopping at the mall and passes by a woman (Ana de Armas) who waves at him excitedly. She shouts “Daniel Cardyl!” but he just awkwardly smiles, not recognizing her. She says she is Violet Scott, his neighbor when he was younger. Daniel lights up and apologizes for not recognizing her - blaming it on a car accident that he had in high school that had some effects on his memory. Violet says it is great to see him after all these years and asks if he is free for dinner. He says yes.
At dinner, Daniel again apologizes for not recognizing her immediately but Violet says not to worry - she recently got some “work” done so she’s used to it. They catch up, with mostly Daniel filling her in on his life in the last 10 years. His father’s devious ways caused his mom to leave the family, after which Daniel’s father became neck-deep in white-collar crimes. He now lives on his dad’s farm while he is in and out of prison.
Violet is more focused on the present and tells him about her plans for the future. In a few weeks, she is going to go on a trip to Africa to observe sub-saharan cultures. She then says she has an idea and asks about Daniel’s availability over the next month. He says has work here and there and so she asks him if he can feed her cat Gordie while she is gone. After some hesitation, he says that he can. She tells him to come over later in the week and she can give him instructions.
At home, Daniel searches for Violet online and scours through her social media feeds. He ends up masturbating to some of her Instagram pictures. Later in the week, he shows up at her tiny bedroom apartment downtown. He asks where the cat is but she says he is shy around strangers and doesn’t come out very often. It is best to just leave his food and milk out and he will consume it on his own time. As the two sit on her bed, they catch up some more. Violet starts to talk about her memories of Daniel as a kid. She distinctly remembers when they were playing “house” with the neighborhood kids and Daniel rejected being Violet’s “husband” because she was too ugly. He blushes and says he does not remember that at all. He says that he thinks she’s beautiful now, then immediately back-tracks and says he thought she was beautiful then, too. She places his chin within her fingers and pulls his face closer to hers and they kiss. They end up having sex in her bed.
A montage begins of Daniel during Violet’s time away. He is unable to contact her and so he is left with his own flood of emotions about their one night stand. He feeds Gordie, even though he never sees him. He ends up buying a necklace for her and leaves it at her apartment as a surprise for when she gets back. One day, he gets a call from Violet out of the blue. She says that there has been a terrorist bombing and she is shaken. While he is worried, she says that it is ok and apparently a semi-common thing around here. She has decided to come home early and asks if Daniel can pick her up at the airport.
At the airport, Daniel hugs Violet and says he is glad to see she is okay. A man following behind her introduces himself as Ken (Orlando Bloom). Violet explains that they met amidst the chaos and later found that they had the same departure flight. Daniel smiles and says what a coincidence that is. Violet says that she has to treat Daniel to dinner to thank him for taking care of Gordie. He is eager to accept, doing so before she tags on her follow-up of asking if Ken can join. Seeming a bit disappointed, he still says that sounds great.
They go to dinner at a nice restaurant in downtown KC, all three of them dressed up nicely (Daniel borrowing one of his dad’s unused suits). Ken asks about Daniel’s life, while intermittently flirting with Violet as he does. This frustrates Daniel, who tries to ask about Ken but his questions usually get deflected. Violet recounts a story from when they were younger when she had trouble swimming in a pond in their neighborhood and Daniel helped her out. He does not remember this. Daniel starts asking about how Ken and Violet met again, trying to find out if anything “went on” between them in Africa or on their way back. Violet finds this line of question uncomfortable, even if Daniel is being vague in how he asks it. She brings up how Daniel mentioned he lives on his dad’s farm outside of town and suggests the three of them go there to watch the sunset together.
When they get to the farm, they start to drink some beers together on the porch. Daniel recalls that his father left some weed behind, as well, but he hasn’t had anyone to smoke it with. As they drift into their altered states, Violet takes her top off and slowly dances by herself with the sunset as a backdrop. Daniel isn’t sure how to feel about this while Ken smiles and comments on her beauty.
When Violet goes to sleep, it is just Daniel and Ken on the porch and Daniel seems finally at ease with him now that she is out of the picture. As he looks out on the landscape, Ken finally reveals something about himself: every three months, he burns an abandoned barn. Daniel tries to ask why but Ken doesn’t really have an explanation, just that he finds himself addicted to the thrill of it. Daniel asks when was the last time he did this and Ken comments that it has been about three months. He then says that there are a lot of old barns in this area, with a smile and a wink. Daniel opens up about his feelings for Violet and Ken is encouraging, telling him that they seem like they’d be a good match.
Ken passes out on Daniel’s couch while Daniel goes to bed. He is joined by a restless Violet, who snuggles up next to him. After a lingering silence, Daniel talks about how insecure he felt when she was dancing naked in front of a naked man like that and asks that she never make him feel that way again. She tells him that he doesn’t own her and reminds him that he didn’t even recognize her at the mall and how that made her feel. She asks if he thinks “this” is a thing and he isn’t sure what she wants to hear so he hesitates to answer. She shakes her head no and goes to sleep by herself.
In the morning, Violet leaves with Ken. As they are leaving, Daniel tells Ken he will keep an eye out for any burning barns in the area. He gestures to Violet to keep in touch but she just smiles and rolls the window up.
Over the next few days, Daniel finds himself restless as Violet doesn’t text him back. He is considering trying to call her but resists. He drives around the farmland around his home, checking on the various barns to see if any have been burned down but to no avail. He visits his dad, but doesn’t tell him about anything that has been going on in his life and instead tells him everything is just the same.
Daniel gets a choppy call from Violet but all he can make out is panting a few frantic syllables before the signal drops. He tries to call back but she doesn’t answer. This phone call sits in Daniel’s head for the following hours and he grows anxious. He tells his boss that he is taking off early and tries to call Violet multiple times but can’t reach her. He goes to her apartment but she doesn’t answer here either. He pays a visit to the landlord, who recognizes him from his month of housesitting, and asks to be let in so he can feed the cat. The landlord obliges.
In the apartment, Daniel finds that most of Violet’s vital belongings are gone just as they were whenever she left for Africa. The cat is nowhere to be seen, but that is not exactly new. However, as he searches more, he finds her suitcase and it is filled with those very belongings. He finds this odd.
After leaving the apartment, he shifts his focus to Ken. He tracks down his address online, and starts to watch him from afar the next day. Most of his routine is mundane until dinner, when he meets up with a younger woman (Odeya Rush), who reminds Daniel of Violet. For some reason, this strikes Daniel the wrong way and he decides now is the time to make his approach. He goes to the restaurant, clearly underdressed, and requests a table but is told there will be an hour wait. As he waits, he grows anxious and acts like he just saw Ken. He calls out his name and approaches the table, Ken clearly surprised to see Daniel.
Ken invites him to sit down and join them, introducing Fiona as his girlfriend. Daniel is happy to join them and they share some small talk. Ken tries to say something but Daniel decides that he is driving the conversation this time. He asks if he has seen Violet since the night at the farm and Ken says he hasn’t. Daniel isn’t satisfied with this answer. He then asks if she went on another one of her trips and Ken says he doesn’t think so, she never mentioned something like that. Ken points out Daniel’s frantic behavior and asks if everything is okay. Daniel plays it off and just says that he has a bad taste in his mouth about his final interaction with her that night and would like to make it right. As Daniel leaves before the dinner has arrives, Ken tells him don’t be a stranger and smiles.
At home, Daniel tries to masturbate to Violet’s online pictures but finds himself unable to and is frustrated by this. He tries to call her again but finds out that her phone is now disconnected. He goes driving around looking for her or any signs but realizes that he doesn’t actually know much about her, which makes it difficult. Which causes him to turn his attention back to Ken. As he is following Ken again, Ken notices and says he didn’t expect to see Daniel in his neighborhood, a nicer part of the city. He invites Daniel into his house for some coffee or something. Daniel hesitatingly accepts.
As he is making the coffee, Ken asks if Daniel ever got ahold of Violet and he says he couldn’t, which Ken says is a shame. This comment digs deep for Daniel, for some reason. Daniel is approached by Ken’s cat, who looks strikingly like the pictures he has seen of Violet’s. Whispering, so Ken can’t hear him, Daniel calls out for “Gordie” and the cat responds to it - causing Daniel to freeze in place. He begins to eye around the house for any additional signs of Violet but is interrupted when Ken comes in with the coffee. He takes a sip before asking where the bathroom is.
While in the bathroom, he begins to search through Ken’s things and finds a small box of jewelry, including the necklace that he had left for Violet at her apartment. He puts everything back into place and reenters the living room, where he asks Ken about the box in there. He says that is just various items that women he has been with have left behind over the years. Daniel finds a way to the end the conversation and says that he has to be going.
At his house, Daniel paces nervously as he is unsure of what to do. He attends his father’s next hearing, where he learns that his father has refused to settle and is sentenced to two years in prison. In bed at night, Daniel is unable to sleep.
The next day, he visits Violet’s apartment again and it is just as it was when he left it last. He considers asking the landlord about her but decides against it. He has a flashback memory of when they had sex on this bed but finds himself sitting there alone in realtime.
At his home, Ken flips through multiple channels as Fiona lays on the floor reading a novel. He gets a call from Daniel and debates whether or not to answer it before deciding to pick it up.
Later, Ken waits at sunset at an abandoned barn until Daniel’s car arrives. He comments on the beautiful morbidity of the decaying barn and Ken agrees. Ken looks a little confused and asks where Violet is - Daniel said she’d be with him. Instead of answering, Daniel promptly shoves a knife into Ken’s stomach and then again. Ken falls to his knees, leaning on Daniel for support as he tries to stand and preserve any life in his body. After he has died, Daniel places Ken’s body in the barn and removes his own blood-stained clothes and places them in there as well. He retrieves a can of gasoline from his car and douses the barn and Ken’s car with it before setting it ablaze. He walks naked back to his car as the barn begins to burn in the background.
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