Willamette
Genre: Thriller/Horror/Drama
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Writer: Jack Brown
Cast: Harrison Ford, Jamie Lee Curtis, Mimi Rogers, Zach Gilford, Sara Paxton, Donal Logue, Kevin Alejandro, Lauren German, Gabriella Sengos
Plot: Inside the suburban Oregon household of the Abel family, Martin Able (Harrison Ford), a rugged a recently retired detective, is packing his fishing gear for an overnight trip on the coast. His wife, Betty Abel (Mimi Rogers), is in the kitchen preparing a meal while their granddaughter, Josie Abel (Gabriella Sengos), plays a game on her tablet. Martin promises Josie that he'll be back tomorrow and they will go on their own adventure soon. Betty kisses Martin goodbye at the door, worry briefly crossing her face.
Later that evening, as Betty tucks Josie into bed, the doorbell rings. Betty opens the door to find Chad Abel (Zach Gilford), her estranged son and Josie's father, standing there looking gaunt but clean. Chad promises that he's changed, off of drugs for good. He just wants to see Josie. Betty hesitates but, seeing sincerity in his eyes, lets him inside. They share an awkward dinner. Betty watches uneasily as Chad eats ravenously like he's starved. Soon, the doorbell rings again. Betty, cautious, opens the door to find Pearl (Sara Paxton), Chad's girlfriend. In sudden burst of violence, Pearl stabs Betty in the stomach. Betty stumbles back, clutching her wound. Chad steps up behind her, coldly slitting her throat. The duo proceeds to write taunts to the police in Betty's blood, smearing the walls and floors. They take Josie out of bed and vanish into the night.
Martin returns home the next morning to the gruesome scene. The house is eerily silent, with the morning light casting long shadows over the blood-streaked floors. He finds Betty's lifeless body and realizes Josie is gone. He notifies the police, but as a detective himself, Martin believes he is best equipped to find Josie and the murderers himself. After the scene has been dusted for fingerprints, Martin is informed that fingerprints found match Chad. Martin has quietly been tracking Chad's movements over the years and knows that Chad had recently spent time with a religious group called the Ascended Path.
Martin packs a small bag and drives away from his suburban home and to the edge of the dense forests of the Willamette Valley. He parks his car on the side of the road and begins hiking deeper and deeper into the lush wilderness. After a long day of hiking, he sets up camp as the sun begins to set. As he sits in front of a camp fire, Martin is approached by Jonny (Kevin Alejandro) and Calliope (Lauren German). They wear matching outfits and ask Martin what he's doing in the middle of the woods. Martin offers them some food from a few MRE meal packs. Jonny and Calliope eat the food ravenously, much like Chad. Martin tells them that he is a grieving widow searching more meaning in nature. Calliope says that they have just the place for that. Jonny eyes Martin and gives Calliope a nod. Convinced by Martin's sincerity, Jonny and Calliope invite him to their home - a compound in deeper in the forest.
Jonny and Calliope lead Martin along a treacherous wilderness path to the compound they live on. The compound consists of several structures: the Main Lodge, the Living Quarters, an open-air Temple, and storage bunkers for supplies. Martin sees the others, also wearing the same outfits, carrying out chores on the land. A horn blows and everyone drops what they are doing and head to the temple. Cornelia (Jamie Lee Curtis) presides over the congregation with Landon (Donal Logue) at her side and delivers a passionate sermon about the impending arrival of the UFO that will them to a new heavenly world.
After the sermon, Landon finds Martin and tells him that Cornelia would like to meet him. Martin is led into the lodge where Cornelia greets Martin as the newest member of the flock. Martin uses his detective training to expertly get information from Cornelia about her own past. She reveals that she was once a brilliant but troubled astrophysicist who lost her family in a tragic accident. Cornelia further explains that she was consumed by grief when she was visited in the forest by beings of light who trusted her with their message, and that was when she founded The Ascended Path. Cornelia tells Martin that she can see the same type of grief in his eyes and hug him, welcoming him to their family.
In the cover of night, Martin stealthily explores the compound, finding a stockpile of poison, while looking for Chad and Josie. Martin comes across one of the living quarters where an orgy is in process. Martin sees Chad in the midst of it. Martin charges into the room and pistol-whips Chad, dragging him outside. Pearl emerges from the bodies of the orgies and screams for help. Martin, holding his gun at Chad's head, demands to know where Josie is. Chad breaks down crying, revealing that Josie died during the journey to the compound. Overcome with grief and rage, Martin kills Chad and Pearl.
Cornelia and Landon emerge, confronting Martin for his violence in a disturbingly calm fashion. Landon orders the other members to return to their living quarters as this is a private matter that does not concern them. Martin tells them to stay put and reveals the stockpile of poison. Cornelia laughs, saying that everyone there knows about the path required for their ascension. Cornelia steps toward Martin's gun and tells him that he surely does not have enough bullets to kill all of them. The followers all line up in formation behind their leader. Cornelia asks that Martin allow them to finish their journey to leave Earth, inviting him to view their ascension. Martin, seething, agrees to stay but only so that he can make sure that she is dead.
Cornelia gathers her followers for one final sermon, standing before them in the temple. She speaks of the great journey they are about to undertake. She tells them that their sacrifices will be rewarded and that their spirits will ascend to a new realm of existence in the heavens as they will leave behind their earthly shells and embrace their true destiny. Her words have a hypnotic effect and all of the followers, including Jonny and Calliope, listen with rapt attention.
On the chosen night, the members of The Ascended Path gather in the temple, all lying in ornate circle designs resembling crop circles. They wear white robes and drink the poison in unison, chanting their final prayers. As Cornelia and her followers lie dying, a blinding blue light descends from the sky. The bodies begin to glow the same color, and Martin watches, horrified and astonished, as the spirits of the cult members rise toward the light.
As the sun rises, Martin is left alone in the compound, surrounded by the lifeless bodies. He reflects on what he just witnessed, questioning his own beliefs and sanity. The authorities arrive, and although skeptical, find no evidence to contradict Martin's story that the cult committed mass suicide. Martin returns to civilization a changed man. He goes to visit the grave of his wife Betty, holding a picture of Josie. He looks up to the night sky, still haunted by the blue light.
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