Redhead
Genre: Thriller/Horror
Director: Scott Cooper
Writer: Andrew Doster
Cast: Karen Gillan, Garrett Hedlund, Timothy Olyphant, Lili Taylor, Holland Roden, Alicia Witt, Alan Cumming
Plot: The scene opens with a pan of Willow Creek Elementary School, a small, quiet Midwestern town in the 1950s. The camera enters one of the classrooms, where Lucy (Karen Gillan), a beautiful young red-haired teacher, is explaining a history lesson to her students. Lucy is passionate and engaging, and children listen to her with attention and curiosity. Lucy uses the board to illustrate some important facts and dates, and then she asks the children questions to check their understanding. Among the students there is also Tommy, the mayor's son, who is the liveliest and naughtiest in the class. Tommy raises his hand and tells Lucy that he has a question. Lucy invites him to talk, thinking it's something related to the lesson. Instead, Tommy asks her if it's true that she and Mr. Patrick are together. Lucy is surprised and embarrassed by the question, and she tries to change the subject. But Tommy insists and says that he saw her and Mr. Patrick kissing behind the school. The other children start laughing and making comments. Lucy tries to calm the situation and tells Tommy that it's not polite to ask teachers personal questions. Then the bell rings and Lucy tells the children to go out for recess. Lucy remains in class, still upset by Tommy's question. At this point Patrick, Lucy's boyfriend and the school's music teacher, enters. Patrick is a charming and kind man, who loves Lucy and supports her in everything about her. Patrick approaches Lucy and asks if she's okay. Lucy tells him about Tommy's question and says he feels uncomfortable. Patrick hugs her and reassures her, telling her that there is nothing wrong with showing their love. He then tells her that he has a surprise for her and shows her two movie tickets. He tells her that he has made reservations for the two of them for the afternoon, to see a romantic movie. Lucy lights up and thanks Patrick, telling him it's the sweetest thing he's ever done for her. Then they kiss tenderly, while the camera slowly moves away.
The scene shifts to Lucy's house, a modest wooden house with a small garden. Lucy arrives on her bicycle, having left Patrick at the cinema. Lucy is happy and dreamy, thinking about the pleasant romantic afternoon she spent with her boyfriend. As she approaches the door, she is stopped by her neighbor, Mary (Alicia Witt), a bigoted, gossipy lady who is minding other people's business. Mary greets Lucy in a mock-friendly tone and tells her that she saw her boyfriend take her to the movies. She then asks her if it doesn't seem sinful to her to date a man without being married. Lucy tries to ignore Mary's taunts and tells her that Patrick is a good man and that they plan to get married soon. Mary grimaces and tells her that she doesn't think her mother approves of their relationship. Mary then goes on to tell Lucy to be careful because something bad is about to happen in town, she says that she saw it in the tarot cards. At that point Lucy rolls her eyes, apologizes and says that she has to go because her mother is waiting for her to go to mass. Mary tells her that she is right to pray, because only God can save her from evil. She then walks away, leaving Lucy unsettled by her last sentence.
Lucy enters the house to find her mother Catherine (Lili Taylor), a stern woman waiting for her in the living room. Catherine is a fervent believer. Catherine scolds Lucy for being late and tells her that she has to get ready for mass. Lucy tells her that she apologizes and that she immediately goes to change. She then goes up the stairs and into her room. The camera follows Lucy and shows Catherine's room, which is filled with religious objects. There are crucifixes, sacred images, rosaries, candles, Bibles and other prayer books. The room is dark and oppressive, and conveys a sense of fear and guilt. Lucy enters her mother's room, which is very different from her mother's. Lucy's room is bright and colorful, reflecting her sweet and creative personality. There are paintings, flowers, dolls, photographs and other objects that she likes. Lucy changes into a modest and sober dress, to please her mother. She then walks down the stairs and joins Catherine, who looks at her disapprovingly. The two leave the house and head towards the church.
The scene shifts to the church, where Lucy and Catherine are sitting in the front row, among the other faithful. The priest (Alan Cumming) is celebrating mass, reciting the readings and prayers. Catherine follows with devotion and fervor, while Lucy is distracted and bored. Lucy is intent on looking at the windows and in the meantime she thinks about Patrick and their future together, and she wonders if she will ever be able to free herself from the oppression of her mother. Lucy looks at the clock and hopes that mass will end soon. The priest concludes the mass and blesses the faithful, inviting them to leave in peace. Lucy and Catherine get up and head towards the exit, following the crowd. As they leave, Catherine stops to greet the priest and thank him for the mass. The priest smiles at her and tells her that it is always a pleasure to see her, and that she is one of his most devoted parishioners. Catherine is pleased with the compliment and tells the priest that she always prays for him and for the church. She then turns to Lucy and tells her to hurry, because they have to get home. Lucy tells her to wait a minute because she has to go to the bathroom. Catherine tells her to hurry and not to keep her waiting.
Lucy goes to the bathroom and looks at herself in the mirror. She touches her red hair and wonders why her mother hates it so much. She remembers when she was a child and her mother cut her hair with scissors, telling her it was a curse. Lucy sometimes feels sad and confused and wishes she could change her appearance. After washing her face she leaves the bathroom and returns to her mother, who is waiting for her on the steps of the church. Catherine sees her and tells her to hurry, because they have to get home. Lucy tells her it's okay and takes her hand. The two begin to walk down the steps, but suddenly Catherine stops and brings her hand to her chest. Lucy looks at her and asks if she's okay. Catherine doesn't answer and has a look of pain on her face. She then falls to the floor and tumbles down all the steps, dragging Lucy with her. Lucy tries to break the fall, but it's too late. The two reach the bottom of the steps. Lucy gets up and runs towards her mother, who is still and pale. Lucy takes her wrist and tries to feel her pulse, but she isn't there. Lucy realizes that her mother died of a heart attack. Lucy starts crying and calling for help, while people gather around her. The priest comes out of the church and sees the scene. He approaches Lucy and tells her to stay calm, that God is with her. Lucy looks at him with anger and desperation, and tells him that there is no God, that God has abandoned her. She then abandons herself to crying with her blood dripping from her forehead since she was injured in the fall.
Lucy is taken to hospital, where she is examined by a doctor. The doctor tells her that she only has a few bruises and scratches, and that she is physically fine. He then asks her how she feels emotionally, and if she has anyone to talk to. She Lucy tells him that she has no one, that her mother was the only family she had. The doctor tells her that it is normal to feel shock and pain after losing a loved one, and that he advises her to seek psychological help. She Lucy tells him that she doesn't need any help, that she just wants to be alone. The doctor tells her that he understands her, but that she shouldn't isolate herself, and that she can count on him if she needs anything. He then tells her that she can leave the hospital whenever she wants, and that he wishes her good luck. She lucy thanks him and gets out of bed. She leaves the room and heads towards the exit. As she walks, she sees Patrick, her boyfriend, waiting for her. Patrick sees her and runs towards her. He hugs her and tells her that he came as soon as he found out about her mother, and that he is very sorry. She Lucy lets Patrick console her and tells him that she is happy to see him. Patrick tells her that he loves her and that he will always be by her side. He then tells her that he spoke to the priest and that he has organized her mother's funeral for the next day. She Lucy tells him that she is grateful, and that she doesn't know what she would do without him. Patrick tells her that she doesn't have to worry about anything, that he will take care of everything for her. He then tells her that he will take her to her house, where she can rest and be calm. Lucy accepts and follows him. The two leave the hospital and get into the car. Patrick starts the engine and sets off. Lucy looks out the window and sees the city passing by. He asks her if she needs company and if she wants to spend the night with him. She smiles but she says no, her mother wouldn't have allowed it. The two hug and then she closes the door.
Lucy moves around the house, takes a look at her mother's room and then sits in the armchair holding a book. After a few minutes she closes her eyes and finds herself in a church, where her mother is cutting her hair with scissors. Lucy screams and cries, while her mother tells her that her red hair is the sign of the devil, and that she must get rid of it. Then her mother tells her that she must confess, and takes her to the priest. The priest is the same one who celebrated the mass, but he has a threatening and disturbing appearance. The priest tells her that she is a sinner, and that she must repent of her sins. Then he tells her that she must marry Patrick, and that she must give him children. She Lucy tells him that she doesn't want to marry Patrick, and that she wants to be free of her. The priest gets angry and tells her that she has no choice over her, and that she must obey. He then tells her that she has to kiss Patrick, and lets him into her room. Patrick enters, but his face is disfigured and covered in blood. Patrick tells her that he loves her, and that he wants to do good for her. He then approaches Lucy and tries to kiss her. Lucy gets scared and tries to push him away, but he holds her tight. Lucy screams and wakes up finding themselves on the bed. She has blood on her hands, then she realizes that the wound on her forehead has reopened and goes to the bathroom to treat herself.
In the morning the police cordoned off the alley where the murder occurred and are investigating. Detective Stone (Timothy Olyphant), an experienced and determined man, is in charge of the case. Stone examines Abby's body and notices her hair colored black with paint. Stone asks his assistant if they have found any witnesses or clues. The assistant tells him that they found nothing, just an empty paint can. Stone says it's strange, and that maybe there's a meaning behind that gesture. He then asks the assistant if they have identified the victim. The assistant tells him that her name is Abby, a popular girl with red hair. Stone is surprised and says that a few days earlier the body of a prostitute had been found in the nearby town and she too had red hair. The assistant confirms and says that maybe it's a coincidence. Stone says that he doesn't believe in coincidences, and that perhaps there is a connection between the hair and the murders. Stone says he'll go talk to Abby's family and friends in the meantime. He then moves away from her body and heads towards the car. As he walks, he spots Lucy, who happens to be passing by the alley. Lucy sees Abby's body being taken away and recognizes the girl who was the older sister of one of her students. Lucy stops and is shocked and upset, Stone notices the scene and approaches her. He asks her if he knows her and if he can ask her some questions. Lucy nods and says that her name is Abby and that she knew her because of her little brother who was one of her students. Stone tells her that he feels sorry for her and that he asks her to cooperate with him and starts asking some questions about Abby, such as where she lived, who she dated, if she had any enemies or problems. Lucy answers questions and says she doesn't know much about Abby. She says that Abby was a cheerful and carefree girl, that she loved to have fun and go out with boys. She says that she doesn't know if she had any enemies or problems, but that she didn't think so. Stone asks her if he knows why Abby had her hair dyed black with paint. Lucy says she doesn't know, and that it seems horrible and senseless to her. Stone tells her that maybe there is a reason, and that she is trying to find out. He then points out that she also has red hair. Lucy says yes, and she touches her hair. Stone tells her that she needs to be careful, because maybe there is a killer who kills red-haired women. Lucy is scared and asks him if he is sure. Stone tells her that he's not sure, but that it's a possibility. He then tells her that if she needs anything, she can call him. He gives her his business card and tells her to be safe. Lucy thanks him and tells him that she will be careful. Then the two greet each other cordially.
Lucy who, now worried for her safety, begins to look around nervously as she heads home. She takes a shower to try to free herself from the anguish of her night vision. Patrick calls her and asks how she is, and she tells him about Abby's murder and Detective Stone's concern about her red hair. Patrick tries to reassure her that the police will find her culprit and that she doesn't have to worry about her. Lucy, however, can't shake her sense of uneasiness. Meanwhile, Detective Stone continues his investigation. He questions Abby's friends and family, looking for clues and motives behind the murder. He discovers that Abby frequented a nightclub and had had some recent arguments, but no concrete clues emerge.
Lucy leaves the house and goes to the supermarket to get a couple of groceries. Here she meets the kind and sociable Cassandra (Holland Roden), the new saleswoman who started working there that very day. The two converse for a couple of minutes. Lucy goes home and starts cooking. At a certain point she is attacked by a feeling of tiredness and she has to lean on the kitchen table to avoid falling to the floor.
Meanwhile, Cassandra is happy to have finished her first day on the job. Molly stops at a gas station for gas and goes in to get a bottle of water. When she goes out she notices that her car has a flat tire. Molly thinks maybe someone punctured her and she gets angry. A man approaches her and offers his help and tells her that he can change her. Molly accepts and thanks him, thinking she is being kind. The man changes her tire, and then asks her if he can take her home, because it could be dangerous. She Molly refuses and tells him that she doesn't need her, and that she lives nearby. The man insists and tells her that he doesn't want to hurt her and that he just wants to protect her. Molly feels uncomfortable, gets into her car and quickly leaves. The man opens his arms to her apologizing and goes away too. After about a kilometre, Molly pulls over and giggles, muttering to herself that she was scared for nothing.
Meanwhile Lucy finds herself in a dark and dirty room, where there are mannequins with red hair. Lucy looks at them and realizes that they are the killer's victims. Lucy gets scared and tries to escape, but the door is closed and she is tied up on the bed. Next to her are a man and a woman with darkened faces who speak in a language she doesn't know. One of her two approaches her with scissors and paint, and tries to attack her. Lucy screams and wakes up to find herself on the floor next to the kitchen table, where she had previously been leaning. After a few seconds he hears the police sirens running.
In the morning Lucy wakes up and gets ready for school. As she leaves the house, she notices that the police are asking questions of Mary, her nosy neighbor. Detective Stone says hello and Lucy approaches her and hears that they are asking her about Molly, the girl killed that same night. Lucy feels a little upset, she backs away, almost falling to the ground and quickly walks away. She gets on her bike and goes to school where she meets Patrick who reassures her. Lucy goes to class and begins her lesson. Among her students there is a little girl named Alice, who has red hair and freckles. Lucy looks at her tenderly and remembers when she was little and her mother mistreated her because of her hair color. Lucy tries to be nice to Alice and compliments her. Alice smiles at her and tells her that she loves her. After a few moments she hears the voices of the other children calling her. Lucy comes back to reality and realizes that there is no Alice in class. At that point Lucy calls another teacher on break to replace her for the end of the lesson because she isn't feeling well.
In the morning Lucy wakes up and gets ready for school. As she leaves the house, she notices that the police are asking questions of Mary, her nosy neighbor. Detective Stone says hello and Lucy approaches her and hears that they are asking her about Molly, the girl killed that same night. Lucy feels a little upset, she backs away, almost falling to the ground and quickly walks away. She gets on her bike and goes to school where she meets Patrick who reassures her.
Lucy goes to class and begins her lesson. Among her students there is a little girl named Alice, who has red hair and freckles. Lucy looks at her tenderly and remembers when she was little and her mother mistreated her because of her hair color. Lucy tries to be nice to Alice and compliments her. Alice smiles at her and tells her that she loves her. After a few moments she hears the voices of the other children calling her. Lucy comes back to reality and realizes that there is no Alice in class. At that point Lucy calls another teacher on break to replace her for the end of the lesson because she isn't feeling well. After school, Patrick catches up with Lucy and tells her that he is proud of her and that he loves her. The two have dinner together and the atmosphere between the two is pleasant and cute. Lucy then allows Patrick to stay with her that evening. Patrick tells her that she will settle on the couch.
During the night Lucy is sleeping, she sees herself as a child in an afternoon with her mother. The two went to the playground and then to eat ice cream. Her mother takes her hand and smiles tenderly at her, saying that now they should go and visit the priest Johnson to play some kind of game. There are some blurry images and then she finds herself in a dark, dirty basement lying on a bed of her her mother is kneeling next to her and praying. The priest is next to them and recites prayers in Latin. Lucy is scared and cries. Her mother tells her that she must free her from the devil that she has inside her and that her red hair is the sign of her evil. Her priest sprinkles holy water on her face and places a cross on her forehead. Lucy screams and writhes, as she moves on the bed she also sees that Mary is present and is looking scared from the door. Lucy doesn't understand and she says that she didn't do anything wrong and asks her mother to help her. The priest tells her that she lies and that she must repent. Lucy feels suffocated and then wakes up screaming. Lucy finds herself on the floor, looks around, realizes that she is in the same basement as the dream and Lucy goes up the steps realizing that she is in Mary's house. The girl walks around the house until she steps on something liquid and immediately after she touches something, it is Mary's corpse. Lucy screams and runs away to her house calling Patrick but he doesn't answer. She remembers that she was on the couch and finds him still there, dead, with scissors stuck in his heart.
At that point she sees the light of a torch and a figure dressed in black who orders him to stop with a distorted voice. She runs away and runs through the dark and silent streets of the town dressed only in her night gown, continually seeing corpses everywhere with red hair. She screams and asks for her help saying that the killer is following her and that he wants to kill her too. Lucy tries to hide and finds herself in the same, now run down, playground as her memory of the dream she had before. She hears the killer's footsteps and his voice telling her to let him take her. When the killer is close, she Lucy tries to run away but the figure manages to grab her arm. Lucy struggles but she slips to the ground and falls, hitting the back of her head on the ground. She screams Lucy asking at the top of her lungs not to be killed but at that point she realizes that the man was Detective Stone. The man tries to reassure her and in the meantime signals to her men that he has found Lucy. Lucy cries as she talks about the dead bodies she saw as the detective helps her up and helps her up to the hospital. A doctor gives her a sedative injection to help her calm down.
The ambulance makes its way to the hospital and coincidentally passes the alley of Abby's murder and shortly after the place where Molly was killed. Lucy, in a flash, is seen killing the two girls and Mary as well. The girl starts crying desperately. In the meantime, Detective Stone hears a couple of officers calling Lucy a homicidal madman and he rebukes them, saying that it's not her fault but the terrible childhood she had to endure and that following her mother's death, due to the shock, the buried memories and confused they began to go out, completely confusing her, dissociating her from reality without her realizing it. The last image of the film shows Lucy's sad eyes as the ambulance arrives at the psychiatric clinic.
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