Genre: Drama/Dark Comedy
Director: Ben Stiller
Writers: John Malone & Chad Taylor
Cast: Ben Stiller, Jessica Chastain, Tom Cruise, Julia Garner, Noah Schnapp, Lakeith Stanfield, Gradley Whitford, Odeya Rush, Sally Field, Richard Jenkins, Richard Kind, Stephen Root
Plot: Peter Hurst (Ben Stiller) works laborious hours as a journalist at a television news company in Chicago. He and his wife Catherine (Jessica Chastain), a successful romance novelist, have two children: Savannah (Julia Garner) and Jacob (Noah Schnapp). Following Savannah's high school graduation, the family goes out for a celebratory dinner. On their way home, Catherine asks Peter to stop off at a convenience store so she can get some orange juice for the morning. As Catherine approaches the register inside the convenience store, a masked man runs into the store with a gun. He demands that the clerk empty the money from the register into a bag. Catherine drops her juice and puts her hands in the air. While Peter and the kids are waiting out in the car, they hear a gunshot and see the gunman running out of the store. Peter tells Jacob and Savannah to wait in the car, call 9-1-1 and lock the doors. Peter runs into the store, calling out for his wife. Peter finds the clerk shot dead and Catherine sitting on the floor in a state of shock. Peter hugs his wife, happy she's still alive.
After a week of Catherine being too nervous to leave the house, Peter and Catherine talk about their shared anxiety. Peter considers quitting his job to be at home more but Catherine says they shouldn’t move hastily. At work, Peter is editing a news story about Haven, Florida - a town that is celebrating its record 17th straight year without any violent crime. As he is working on it, he starts to dig into the town more and a lightbulb goes off in that this could be a good destination for his family. When he gets home, he is able to effectively pitch this to his wife - who is initially hesitant. Peter suggests that they should at least go down there for a visit. Even if they don't decide to move down there, at the very least they be able to get away from Chicago and enjoy some sunshine down in Florida.
When the family arrives in Haven, they are greeted by real estate agent Ralph Joseph (Richard Kind). His overly-enthusiastic demeanor is immediately off-putting to Savannah but her parents find it endearing. They start their tour at their new potential home, a split-level mid-century modern with a vibrant green yard. As they walk the block, Ralph explains that their founder wanted no two neighbors to share the same architectural style and so the town is packed with variety - although all feature the front yard instead of a backyard. They run into Oliver van Hyfte (Bradley Whitford), who lives across the street. He welcomes them to Haven and - upon seeing the kids - says the school here is fabulous (as he would know as a former teacher).
When their tour gets to Haven’s town center a few blocks later, Peter is in awe of how much the town feels like a slice of the past. Idyllic main street, a large fountain, mom-and-pop shops. There are no vape shops in sight or corporate logos on every corner. The sentimentalist in Catherine is also inspired by the town’s feel and says this feels like something straight out of a book. The kids are relatively quiet. One of the last stops on the tour is the newly refurbished Orpheum Theater - a single-screen 1,200-seat movie palace with Art Deco design. Peter, a major film buff, has to pick his jaw up from the floor and whispers to Catherine that he has made up his mind - he wants to move here. She agrees.
They go to town hall to sign the paperwork. There is one last step: in order to move in, new residents must sign a morality clause. Peter is eager to sign it but Catherine likes to be thorough and so she reads through it. It starts simple with things like lawns being kept at a certain length and watered regularly. Each resident must utilize their back alleyway for both parking and trash pick-up so as to not clutter the streets of the town. The rules then become a bit more harsh, some even extending into the home. No alcohol would be sold or distributed within city limits - even by consenting adults. Adultery, cohabitation, and sex between minors is outlawed, so as to encourage the town be made up of strong nuclear families.
Catherine is increasingly hesitant and asks to speak with Peter for a moment. Just before the do, in walks man (Tom Cruise) with a perfect flow of hair (slightly tinged with gray) and a big white smile. He introduces himself as Ken Tyndall - city councilman and principle founder of Haven. He asks if they’ve liked the town so far and Peter is quick to answer that they have. He raves about the theater and talks about being a fanboy of Cinema's Golden Age, to which Tyndall suggests that Peter program a summer classic film series if they move here. Tyndall then introduces himself to the kids and takes a liking to Jacob - to whom he mentions that there is a new job opening of paper boy and he seems like a perfect fit. He says that he must be on his way but hopes they consider moving to Haven. Peter is enamored by Tyndall’s presence and gives a puppy-dog look to Catherine to suggest that he really wants to move here. Despite initial hesitation, she gives in and they sign the contract.
A week in, Savannah looks upon the town from her upstairs bedroom and looks restless. As her parents are still moving furniture in place, she heads out to the town center to see what this place is all about. She is disinterested by most of the shops as they seem more tailored to retirees and vintage nostalgists. Bored with nothing to do, she stops in Sam’s Malt Shop and the owner Sam (Richard Jenkins) is eager to meet his newest customer. Savannah keeps her eye on one of Sam’s employees (LaKeith Stanfield), who looks just as miserable and out of place as her.
A girl sitting at another table spots Savannah and comes over to give her company. She introduces herself as Flora Roberts (Odeya Rush) and says it was surprising to see someone else of her age in town. Savannah explains that her family just moved in and she is here temporarily before she starts college. Flora invites Savannah to go on a walk around town.
Flora says that she just finished her first year of college and is home for the summer. Her family moved to Haven when she was 4 and so she spent nearly her entire life here. She followed her family’s lead and totally bought into the town’s aura and felt like she was the product of something special. That is, until she got to college and realized how messed up the town’s saccharine structure is. Now she can never look at it the same. Flora’s negative outlook on Haven makes Savannah take a liking to her. Flora tells her that there is a party tonight in the woods outside of town - a popular spot for rebellious teenagers to go.
Jacob arrives at the town newspaper at dawn to start as the new paperboy. He is greeted by Tyndall, who explains that the town itself owns the newspaper, so he felt that as town councilman he should be the one to set up Jacob for his first day. Tyndall gives Jacob a brand new bike and shows him to the stack of newspapers. Jacob rides down the street, tossing a newspaper to each house in Haven. He is surprised by how peaceful the town is compared to Chicago. As he rides down his own street, he sees a young man quietly leave Oliver van Hyfte's house. The young man eyes Jacob suspiciously before quickly leaving the area. Jacob finds it peculiar, but continues his route.
Catherine goes out to pick up the morning paper, encountering their new next door neighbor, Martha Sinclair (Sally Field). Martha welcomes Catherine to the neighborhood and invites her to meet with her book club that afternoon. Catherine, curious, asked what book they are reading, and Martha responds with the title of a romance novel Catherine wrote. Martha becomes excited when Catherine tells her she wrote it and insists Catherine comes by to talk to the group.
In the woods, Flora introduces Savannah to the group of older teens, who are passing around beers. Savannah is elated to see alcohol, her first time since getting in Haven. Savannah spots the worker from the Malt Shop, Victor. She asks how long he has lived here and he explains that he lives in a neighboring town and drives in to work in Haven. She asks if he has considered moving in but he dismisses that quickly. When the town was built, the housing prices were set at a high non-negotiable price and so it filled up with upper-class families and has stayed that way since. It is impossible for a young, single person to live here. Before Savannah can even respond, he tries to pre-answer her question and says this has also resulted in a very predominately white town (causing him to stick out like a sore thumb). Savannah says she was actually going to ask about the "single" part and they share a laugh. She says working in Haven must be really weird for him. He tells her that he has found his way to get used to it, including making friends with one of the adults who he does various odd jobs for for some extra cash.
The next morning, Catherine comes out to get the mail and is encountered by Martha. Martha asks if she heard about the mailbox, everybody is talking about it. Apparently, last night a car hit a resident’s mailbox and knocked it out of the ground. Catherine tells her she hadn’t heard. She goes inside and tells the family and they share a laugh about it. Moments later, they get a knock on their door and it is Sheriff Foote (Stephen Root). He is friendly but is serious when asking them what they were doing last night and if they have any information about the mailbox. They tell him give him their alibi and he thanks them and heads out on his way. He promises that he will get to the bottom of this.
When Peter goes to the garage, he notices Savannah’s car has a paint scuff mark on its front bumper. His shoulders slump in defeat. He decides that he does not want to make a negative impression so early after moving in and so he gets to work on covering up and removing the scuff marks. He does not tell Savannah about what he saw.
The next morning, Peter is taking a jog when a golf cart slowly creeps up beside him. It is Ralph, who greets Peter and asks if he has any plans for the day. When Peter says no, Ralph invites him to come play golf with him and Sam. Peter accepts. At the course, he is getting to know his neighbors when he hears Ken calling his name. Sam lets Peter know that Ken golfs every nearly day but chooses to play by himself. Thus, it is surprising when Ken is motioning him over. Ken gives him a firm handshake and says he’s glad to see Peter’s already hitting the course. Ken says he is actually the one who personally convinced Pete Dye to come and design the course before asking if Peter knows who Dye is. He is nodding but then admits that he doesn’t. Ken looks at him a bit shocked but then lets out a big laugh, puts his hand on Peter’s shoulder and tells him to come along with him.
As they play, Ken asks if Peter has thought any more about the offer to program the summer film series. He says not only would he love to do it, but he’s already got all the films in mind. Ken breaks out his signature smile and says that will go along perfectly with their other upcoming events like the annual Founder’s Day parade. He then inquires about how Peter’s family is adjusting to Haven. He says everything is going great and it is much better than their last living situation while still allowing them to do the same work. Ken then brings up the mailbox incident and Peter says that was crazy (with a bit of fakeness in his voice). He then turns the tables and asks about Ken’s family - if he has one. It feels as if the air is sucked out of the conversation a bit as Ken struggles to come up with words. Peter backtracks and says it is fine but Ken tells him it’s OK. He says that he lost his first wife years ago and has never got remarried. Peter expresses sorrow and again apologizes for even asking but Ken reassures him that he doesn’t mind.
A week passes and the family has become more acquainted with the town. Savannah meets up with Flora and they skate around town, at one point running into Jacob on his paper route. Flora says she didn't know Savannah had a little brother. Savannah brings up Victor and asks if Flora knows anything about him. Flora turns her head and asks if Savannah is in to him. She shrugs her shoulders with a slight smile. They near the woods and see figures in the distance, which is odd because it seems a little early for teens to start drinking. Upon hearing the girls, one of the figures starts to come towards them and it is a disheveled Martha. She asks what the girls are doing and says they should not be out here. They turn around quickly and burst out laughing on their ride back, commenting on how weird that was. Meanwhile, Jacob's paper route is going as normal until he notices that Mr. Van Hyfte has a pile of papers over the last few days - even though his car is still there. Naturally curious, he parks his bike and goes to look into the stranger's windows. As he does, everything seems fairly normal until he spots a pool of blood-stained floor and Oliver's dead body on the kitchen floor. Jacob is stunned, nearly fainting at just the sight. He rushes home to his parents to hysterically tell them what he saw. Catherine calls 9-1-1 immediately.
News quickly spreads throughout Haven of the murder of Oliver Van Hyfte - the first murder in the history of the town of Haven. At dinner, Jacob asks his family who they think killed Van Hyfte. Savannah jokes that Haven is starting to feel more like Chicago by the day. Catherine says that this is not a good conversation to have over dinner. Peter looks across the street at the crime scene and tells Jacob that he doesn't know who could have killed their neighbor. After dinner, Jacob and Savannah are watching television in the living room while their parents clean up from dinner. Jacob confides in his sister that he saw someone leaving Mr. Van Hyfte's house early the other morning when he was doing his paper route. He describes the man, and Savannah says that it sounds a bit like Victor from the Malt Shop.
Upon hearing the news, Ken's first move is to get together a task force of his close confidants: Sheriff Foote, the town's mayor, Sam. The mayor starts to talk but Ken immediately talks over him and says that a lot is at stake at the moment. It is clear that Ken's title is only a name as he still essentially runs the town, even if his time as mayor hit the term limits. He says that their 18th-annual Founder's Day Parade is coming up and they cannot have an open murder case hanging over their head. Foote says that he and his team have already started the investigation but Ken cringes at that word. He says that they need an answer, not a drawn-out process. The town's global reputation is at stake here. The sheriff tries to formulate an answer but begins just bumbling to the point that he stands up and says he's on it. Ken pulls out some floss from his desk and peers out the window as he flosses to relieve his stress. Sam puts his hand on Ken's back and says that Haven will make it through this.
The next day, Jacob rides his bike down to Main Street. He parks his bike outside of Sam's Malt Shop. Jacob looks through the window and sees Victor bussing tables inside, so he decides to go inside. Jacob sits down at the counter and orders a milkshake from the owner, Sam. As Jacob consumes his milkshake he watches Victor clean up some of the tables. Victor catches Jacob watching him, causing Jacob to quickly look away. Jacob waits outside reading comic books until Victor leaves work for the day. He watches as Victor gets into his car and drives away. Jacob rides his bike as hard as he can, following Victor's car all the way to the town limits before Jacob stops and gives up.
Jacob rides his bike to town hall. Out of breath, he asks to speak with Ken Tyndall. Upon hearing his name, Ken comes out of his office and upon noticing Jacob out of breath, jokes if they need to make his paper route shorter. Jacob completely misses the joke and asks to speak with him. Ken invites Jacob into his office and asks how he can help one of Haven's newest citizens. Jacob catches his breath and tell Ken that he thinks he may have some information on the Van Hyfte murder. Ken's face turns serious, says that he remembers reading in the police report that Jacob was the one who spotted the body, and asks Jacob what information he may have. Jacob explains that when he was doing his paper route the other day he saw a young man leave Mr. Van Hyfte's house in a hurry. He believes that man is Victor, who works at Sam's Malt Shop. Ken shakes Jacob's hand and thanks him for all the information. He assures Jacob that he will pass it all on to Sheriff Foote immediately.
At the police station, Foote receives Ken's phone call and informs some of his officers of this tip. However, their work is interrupted when Victor himself enters the station. He looks a bit shaken and says that he would like to confess to a murder. The situation is serious but Haven's police force almost don't even know what to handle it. After Victor's arrest, Foote sits down with him one-on-one to get his account of the story. He says that he got to know Oliver about a year ago when they met at an AA meeting. Oliver told him that he was a former teacher who was now working as a drug counselor for young men battling drug addictions. Over the course of the year, he hosted Victor for meals and had him do small repair work around the house. That's all he thought it was until their last meeting, when Victor fell asleep rather quickly and unexpectedly after their meal. Tears begin to gather around his eyes as he describes waking up to find Oliver sexually assaulting him. Sheriff Foote is almost unable to hear this about his former neighbor but Victor insists on continuing. He says that Oliver tried to prevent him from leaving and that is when he grabbed a knife from the kitchen and killed him.
One of the first people that the Sheriff contacts is Ken and tells him of Victor turning himself in. Ken lets out a sigh of relief at the quickness of the investigation and the fact that it was committed by an out-of-towner. So there are still technically no murderers who live in their town. Foote hesitantly says that there is more to the story. He says that the way Oliver always described himself to others - as a drug counselor for young men - might have a darker truth. Ken nods and listens along but, upon Foote finishing, Ken says that the police need to keep that information close to the chest and that the press cannot know. Cut to Peter on a run when his phone starts to ring. He answers and it is his a former co-worker at his gig in Chicago, now working at a national news outlet. The person says they got a tip on a potential news story - the first murder in this idyllic model town - and that they remembered seeing Peter moved there. They ask if he would be interested in freelancing for the outlet to write a piece on it since he has a foot on the ground. Peter thanks the person for the offer and says that he will begin working on it. However, after the call, he looks more conflicted as he knows this could earn him some enemies in the community - a place that he is beginning to like very much.
Peter works on the story and, by extension, Ken. He learns that Ken’s wife died of a drug overdose before he founded Haven - despite her husband being a fervent anti-drug politician. Catherine goes out on the town and notices that the mood has changed for the worse. People are working on preparing for the parade but with a certain lack of joy. Catherine approaches Martha with a group of friends who are talking about the murder and arrest. Martha sees Catherine approaching and the conversation turns silent. Catherine asks if the book club is still on for this week and Martha informs her that it’s not - at least not for her. Catherine is confused and Martha pulls her aside. She says that it is starting to seem that the Hursts are jinxs on the town and that bad luck has followed their arrival. Catherine wants to angrily tell Martha what she really thinks but smiles and just says that she doesn’t think that is the case. When she arrives home, she is still bothered by the encounter and tells her daughter about it. Savannah says she’s always had a bad feeling about this town. Her eyes then light up and she tells her mom about seeing Martha and Sam in the woods the other day. “I guess we caused extramarital affairs, too?”
On the morning of the Founder’s Day parade, Peter completes his story on Haven. Out of courtesy to his friend/acquaintance, he decides to visit Ken first to give him a head’s up. Ken welcomes him into the office and can immediately tell something is off. He reveals that he will be publishing a story on the murder, the history of Haven and...more. Ken can sense where this is going and tries to get ahead it - saying that it will mention Ken’s wife. Peter says yes but it won’t stop there. It will say that Ken faced an existential crisis after his wife’s drug-related death (and presumably his own drug use) and he founded Haven as a sort of mirage where people could tell themselves they live in a perfect community while never having to face the realities of their sins. Ken is growing red but he cracks a smile instead yelling at Peter. “Publish it,” he says. Peter is a bit surprised by this reaction but Ken doesn’t break. He says that he may have lost a friend today but not his dignity. He stands up and looks out his window and says that he is proud of what he has created. Peter awkwardly says goodbye while Ken says he hopes to see him at the parade.
Feeling his carefully constructed world falling down around him, Ken takes his place on the lead float for the Founder's Day parade. Once the parade begins, he is about to give his usual speech, but he stops himself. He then begins telling the crowd of Haven residents about his reasons for developing the town. He explains that he wanted to create a place where families could raise kids without worrying about violence, crime, theft, or even drugs - something that hit his family very hard. Ken admits to the crowd that it is impossible to avoid the world. He's happy that he founded Haven and hopes others are happy as well - even if it isn't perfect. Ken then steps down from the float as it begins moving. For the first time in town history, the Founder's float leads the parade down Main Street without its founder waving to the crowds.
The Hurst family are packing their belongings into a trailer to move out of Haven. Flora stops by to say goodbye to Savannah and they promise to keep in touch once in college. Jacob asks his parents why they're moving away. Peter explains to Jacob and Savannah that while Haven is a perfectly fine town to live in, they didn't move there for the right reasons. Peter then adds that moving to Connecticut will be good for their mother's career as they will be closer to her publisher. Catherine kisses Peter on the cheek and asks if they have everything packed. Peter closes the trailer and the family all loads up into the car. They drive down Main Street on their way out of town. Ken spots the family driving away from town from his office window. He then sits down at his desk and begins reading Peter's article.
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