Genre: Drama
Director: Sofia Coppola
Writer: Jacob Jones
Cast: Taylor Kitsch, Jodie Comer, Ethan Hawke, Jared Padalecki, Liam Hemsworth, Nonso Anozie, Yvonne Strahovski
Plot: A crowd of over seventy-thousand stands, cheering wildly for their icon as he performs his set. Several excited audience members jump up and down, screaming the lyrics at the top of their lungs. And serving as their ringmaster? A man wearing pink, almost rose-tinted glasses with an elaborate attire. This man is Floyd Monroe (Taylor Kitsch), a rising figure in the music industry. After several guitar riffs, the song comes to an end, he thanks his legions of fans and heads out to the backstage area, his set complete. He listens as the roars of the crowd echo even as he goes through the curtains and smiles to himself. This was what he was born to do after all. He comes across his girlfriend who glomps him with a large hug and a slap on the ass. Regina (Spencer Locke) compliments his ‘fucking killer’ performance. All Floyd can say is that everything is better with her. The two take each other's hand and walk off to their hotel room.
8:00 AM, the next morning:
The phone rings. A groggy Floyd wakes up, blindly guiding his hand before finally finding his phone. He checks the phone ID and sighs, answering his call. It’s T.D. Millenium (Ethan Hawke), his mentor. He tells him that he heard the concert was a big success, Floyd shrugs it off as nothing special, but T.D. sees it as something more. For the last few years, Floyd’s profile has grown. Several montages of newspapers tell the story of his rise to fame, from a promising youngster out of New York, he went from the seediest of clubs to American Idol where he impressed judges with his lyrical acumen and charisma, matched with his humble personality. One platinum selling debut album later and he was signed to one of the top recording labels in the country. Floyd finds it amazing, but it helped that he had the right man to guide him. T.D. reveals he and his wife were going to celebrate this moment at Crawley’s -a famous bar/grill- and invites him and his girlfriend to join them. He looks to his right and finds his significant other to be absent. All of a sudden, a seemingly hung-over Regina stumbles over to the bedroom, asking who Floyd is calling. He tells her about T.D.’s invitation to Crawley’s and after much cajoling, she agrees. She also notices the bruise on Floyd’s left arm, saying that she “got him good” there (even citing it as the reason they made ‘passionate music’ last night’)
That evening, Floyd and Regina arrive at Crawley’s; a fine-dining establishment that has a down to Earth feel to it. After taking some time to admire the scenery, they hear T.D. calling for them and arrive at their table. Joining them is T.D.’s lovely wife, Luanne Davis or as she is referred to by the tabloids, Luanne Glamor (Yvonne Strahovski). The four have a lovely chat, discussing just about every topic you can think of. From ‘talking shop’ to personal matters, there appears to be no limits. As the hours pass along, a bored out of her mind Regina takes the opportunity to sneak off (claiming she has to go to the bathroom) to the bar. Out of curiosity, T.D. asks how Floyd and her got together. As he explains in flashback, he saw her out on the streets stumbling around and in awful shape. When he tried to help her, she was belligerent, even trying to fight him. Even so, he calmed her down long enough and managed to take her home. The next morning, the two had a heart to heart where he learned of her anger issues and how drug addiction started from years of being in a gang and an abusive relationship were destroying her. Feeling sympathetic, he offers to pay for rehab and be with her every step of the way. Despite her initial reluctance, Floyd’s sincere promise to always be there makes her accept. She has been steadily rebuilding her life and has grown into a beautiful woman…
“Oh, and I guess the sex is good.” That last line gets a chuckle out of them. Luanne playfully jokes about how their love story outdoes how T.D. and her got together. A lifetime fan who got the opportunity to talk to her idol and sparked a connection that changed their lives forever. T.D. grins, reminiscing about their first date. Needless to say, a lot of girls were jealous that night. Speaking of the devil, Regina finally returns sporting a light blush on her face. She lazily shrugs, calling it a long bathroom break. It appears the group is ready to call it a night when all of a sudden, the door opens and everyone clamors around in excitement. Several flashing lights flicker as an attractive man is flanked by his bodyguard. T.D. looks up to see who it is, becoming elated upon locating the face of his first protege Adam Hope (Jared Padalecki) and his bodyguard Ron Marley. (Nonso Anozie). The group come together, everyone meshing well with Adam. Upon introducing himself to Floyd, he claims that he has a big announcement and guides everyone back to their table. Upon arriving, Adam proudly reveals that he has been working on his comeback album. As the entire restaurant celebrates, Floyd looks on, perplexed on his wording.
As everyone departs for the night, Floyd tries to catch up to Adam and Ron to no avail. He then sees T.D. leaving with Luanne and asks what happened with Adam. He looks at Luanne uncomfortable and says he’ll tell him tomorrow, leaving Floyd alone. The next morning, Floyd practices some chords when he hears a knock on the door and sees T.D.. The two sit by the kitchen table, coffee mugs on the table where T.D. tells the tragic tale of Adam Hope. Adam was a rising-star in the music industry. He was young, smart, and had a look that made all the girls go wild. A true daredevil, giving it his all every concert he was in. But he was a daredevil in the other sense, staying out for long nights clubbing when he should’ve been rehearsing or in bed. All of this led to the ‘California Catastrophe’, a plane ride where in a drunken rage, Adam physically assaulted several people on the plane. When word got out, he lost his recording deal and his name became a running joke throughout the music industry. He wasn’t seen for several years, realizing how far he had fallen and went to rehab. Stunned, Floyd ponders what caused his spiral. T.D.. isn’t sure, but he feels an inability to be himself was what did him in. He warns Adam to not try and act like someone he isn’t. Even if you’re playing a character, never lose a piece of who you are and don’t be afraid to ask for help.
T.D. heads off, leaving Floyd with Adam’s phone number in case he wants to hang out with him at some point. As he leaves, Regina enters, asking Floyd what had happened. All Floyd can say is “personal matters”. Seeing an opportunity to pounce, she tries to tease him with the idea of curing these matters with some sex, only for him to state he has some ‘thinking’ to do. Regina is about to ask if she wants him to hit his arm again, only for him to walk away, leaving her confused and rather annoyed.
Across the other side of town, Adam is busy recording his first song in several years. While several producers don’t appear impressed with his takes, Ron reminds them that it’ll take some time to truly get back in the groove. Adam then calls for a lunch break and the two take some time to discuss the process. He admits that he missed singing but needed to relearn who he was. Ron understands, saying he's had his back since the day they met. Adam then asks him about Floyd explaining that he received a text from T.D.. about him. Ron confirms that he was trying to talk to him about what happened. Wanting to know more about him, the two begin planning a guys night out. That evening, Regina manages to convince Floyd to spend a night with her at one of the local bars despite his clear reluctance. Excited, Regina calls an Uber declaring that they won't be driving by the time they're done.
The two arrive at the bar, Regina 'reserving' a seat for him. As she tries to get Floyd interested, she hears one of her favorite songs playing and rushes him over to the dance floor. With so many people over there, he inevitably bumps into a handsome guy. Nervous, he backs away only for his girlfriend to arrive and embrace him. She excitedly introduces Floyd to Eli Gigalo (Liam Hemsworth), a friend of hers from high school. The two don't speak for long as Eli has to head off to 'Night Time Eddies' for his show. Having frequented the club, Regina offers to come alongside Floyd (even hitting his left arm multiple times in an attempt to get him to agree).
The bright lights of Night Time Eddies fills him with delight as he and Regina watch Eli Gigalo perform his ‘God's gift to Women’ show, dancing, gyrating his hips, flirting with the ladies and stripping to his underwear. It's a new experience for him, but Regina appears elated. As time passes, Regina pressures him to keep drinking, saying it’s what gives the ‘full experience’, even promising to have sex with him later tonight. Several hours later and the couple head off to their Uber completely wasted. During the drive home, Floyd sees Adam's text and writes a near incomprehensible text about being a square. Upon heading home, the two stumble into their bedroom and proceed to have loud, passionate sex as she promised.
Late into the next day, a very hung-over Floyd gets his phone and checks his voicemail finding a confused T.D. asking if he drunk texted Adam. Realizing his mistake, he apologizes profusely and learns of the guys night out on Monday promising to be there. Seeing Regina still sleeping, he sneaks out to make up lost time with practice. A few days pass and by Monday, he arrives at a large mansion where Adam lives. Upon opening the door, he is greeted by T.D., Adam and Ron. The three then exchange stories of their lives and congratulate Adam on his comeback as Luanne gives them champagne. Appreciative, he tells them he never thought he'd never return to music but rehab made him learn a few things. As the three chat, they hear the flickering of cameras. The three head outside to find legions of screaming fans all yearning to see their returning hero. Adam smiles, waving at the crowd and breaks out into a laugh when he sees one of them flashing him.
Once the crowd dissipates, Floyd asks Adam if they can talk. The two sit down and he talks about the night out with Regina, revealing that she's been acting weird ever since that day. She doesn't speak to him much and she seems to be keeping more secrets. Adam urges him to ask her what's going on, and soon. He can't afford to wait, in fact the longer he does the worse it may get. He admits he was riding the high, so much so that it completely messed his mind up and hopes it doesn't happen to anyone else.
Back home, Regina is desperately trying to contact Floyd only to receive no message back. Furious, Regina slams her phone onto the floor in belief that he’s cheating on her. Trying to blink back tears, she picks up her phone, ignoring the damaged screen to contact Eli. She tells a sob story on how she fears Floyd is cheating and that he doesn’t give a shit about her anymore. Feeling sympathy, Eli promises to come right over and make things right. Upon hanging up, Regina flashes a sinister smirk and muttering about how this should ‘teach him a lesson not to fuck with me’.
That evening as everyone says their goodnights, Floyd returns home hoping to talk to Regina. He enters the living room and finds she's absent. He continues looking until to his shock he sees her in their bedroom having sex with Eli. The three argue with her accusing Floyd of not upholding the promise when he started hanging out with Adam Hope. Furious, he lunges towards the couple landing several wild punches onto Eli. He forces the two out of his house, throwing several of Regina's things out in the process. Once the two leave, Floyd surveys the damages and sits on the couch, crying himself to sleep.
The next morning he dejectedly shuffles to the nearest gas station to gather some items when he sees the paparazzi outside. Upon being asked how things are with Regina, he flips them off. After being pestered about it some more, he snaps, punching a cameraman smack dab in the jaw. This becomes the top-story on tabloid magazines much to the shock of everyone. T.D.. and Adam try to get a hold of him but to no avail. For the next few days, Floyd tries to stay out of the public eye, focusing on his music. But the breakup has changed him mentally and he projects his anger in a new song called 'Burned’.
While some critics praise the song at first, when Regina comes out with an interview calling Floyd out for spreading ‘lies and disinformation’ to the public, people begin to take Regina’s side. As Floyd lies on his bed, Adam calls him, asking what happened with him and Regina. He tells him that it doesn't matter, she got what was coming to her. Upon piecing things together, Adam apologizes about the relationship falling apart, but asks if it was worth writing a diss-track. Angered, Floyd tells him that if he knew how much he loved her, he wouldn't be asking that. He hangs up, throwing the phone onto the wall and smashing it to pieces.
That evening, T.D. is shown watching the news and shaking his head. He tells Luanne that he's worried for Floyd. Ever since his breakup with Regina, it seems he's been unable to shake off the low. Luanne suggests the two of them should try to talk to him. He agrees, hoping the situation doesn't get any worse. The next morning, Floyd hears police sirens and walks outside, learning that he is being investigated for possession of drugs. Several minutes pass and to his horror, the police find a bag full of cocaine. As he's led out by handcuffs, he sees Regina smiling wickedly at him as Eli looks on with a dopey expression. The police restrain Floyd before he can kill someone and forcibly take him in their car, the couple making out as he screams into the void.
That evening, Floyd sits in his jail cell alone when he sees someone walking in. To his relief, it's T.D. Millennium. He says they're going to be letting him out. Amazed, Floyd learns that the police investigated further and found that Regina had snuck the bag of cocaine inside his house after the track. She's currently on the run with Eli and may be out of New York. An officer lets Floyd out of his cell and the two men head inside T.D.'s car, driving back to Floyd's house. Upon sitting at the kitchen table, T.D. asks what happened to him. Floyd calls this a bad patch in his life. T.D. refutes this, saying he is self-sabotaging his career citing the diss track and shift in attitude. Did Regina mean so much to him that it would drive him to madness?
Floyd claims no one understands going on a tangent about the past being the past, telling T.D. that he has to keep his nose out of his business, ever since the guys night out he's felt that everyone has turned against him and romanticized the drama he's been through. It's no wonder then Adam spiralled, who could possibly take this? T.D. warns him not to mention his name like that but he's too far gone, Floyd asks him why he enabled his alcohol abuse?
Furious, T.D. slaps him across the cheek. Floyd stares at his mentor, his angered expression betraying the softness of his voice. T.D. says he's lost it and he doesn't know what has to happen to stop this, but this isn't him. He admits that he let Adam down, but that's why he took so much care of him. So this wouldn't happen again. But now it's clear, no matter what the result would've stayed the same. He leaves, telling Floyd that he's on his own. He stares off into space, taking into account what he said and wanders into his bedroom.
All throughout the night, he looks through old pictures of Regina and him together when he smells something fishy inside the bathroom. He goes inside and finds another bag of cocaine. This time, it's Regina's. On it is a note revealing why she cheated on him. As it turned out, she relapsed a year ago and what did he do? Nothing. He broke their promise without realizing. The moment he started hanging out with them without her was the moment she realized the relationship was over. In the end, she admits this was going to happen at some point given how different they are. She leaves him with a warning, don't let someone fuck your life up. Sometimes, you might never recover.
The next morning, Floyd gets a call from the recording label and learns that due to the immense controversy surrounding him and his actions, they have no choice but to drop him from the label. He drops his cracked phone and wanders around his room in a catatonic state, coming to terms with the weight of his actions. He lies on his bed, wondering what to do next when he is reminded of what T.D. said about never being afraid to ask for help. Realizing this, he picks up the phone, finding Adam's contact and calls him. When he responds, Floyd breaks down into tears, telling him that he needs help.
The next day, he checks in with a therapist and tells her everything about his relationship with Regina, how she became his first love and how he wanted life to be. As he talks about her, he mentions how she'd occasionally hit him, seduce him or promise him sex if they did something she wanted. Alarmed, the therapist tells him that she was mentally abusing him by using manipulation. Upon discussing the ways manipulators try to get their way, Floyd finally gains closure in his relationship with Regina and vows to move on. For the next few months, he looks up how to deal with manipulators, constantly updating his therapist on his progress and comes to terms with life.
Six months later inside Madison Square Garden, a sold-out crowd goes in a frenzy when they see Adam heading out for his first concert in many years. Floyd watches from backstage when he sees T.D. and Luanne. The two make amends with each other and he reveals that he's been seeing someone else, an actress hoping to make it to Hollywood. Inside the arena, Adam gives a heartfelt speech about rising from rock bottom and that if he could do it, anyone can...and he's not the only one. Floyd smiles, seemingly in on it. He heads out, soaking in the adoration of the crowd and embracing Adam. Floyd gives his own speech saying anyone can spiral at any given moment for whatever reason, but like their mentor once told him, you can never be afraid to ask someone for help.
As the concert rolls on, we find Regina and Eli at a bar in the United Kingdom completely trashed and getting into a shouting match. The two are soon arrested for disturbing the peace. When the first song ends, the crowd erupts into a standing ovation, Floyd smiling happily as he takes it all in...
This was what he was born to do.
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