Cedar Ridge
- Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA
Before Love Came to Kill Us
- Los Angeles, California, USA
Starship Troopers
- Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
Friday, June 20, 2025
Box Office Breakdown (Season 33 Round 4)
Cedar Ridge
Budget: $23,000,000
Total Box Office: $31,944,330
Total Profit: -$14,889,441
Before Love Came to Kill Us
Budget: $47,000,000
Total Box Office: $68,507,173
Total Profit: -$22,028,990
Starship Troopers
Budget: $140,000,000
Total Box Office: $226,993,893
Total Profit: -$45,117,494
Box Office Facts
Cedar Ridge
Film #13 was not the lucky one for writer Joshua Collins as it was the second film this season to fail to earn profits for the studio - although Collins is still over 50% for his career with 7 profitable films out of the 13.
Before Love Came to Kill Us
Sherman Pearson may have a point when he talked about both Denzel Washington and Michael B. Jordan being in need of a box office hit to their resumes. Washington has now appeared in five films for the studio with just two - Bastion and The Invincible Iron Man - managing profits. Jordan has a much more extensive LRF resume with 10 films now - just four of which have avoided losses.
Starship Troopers
Writer John Malone may be known for his successful franchises like Superman and James Bond, but Starship Troopers is not the first film of his meant to start a franchise to fail at the box office. Back in Season 4, Malone's Star Trek: Enterprise opened to losses of just under $19 million - ending that franchise before it became one.
Genre Rankings
Cedar Ridge
Drama: #288
Before Love Came to Kill Us
Crime: #47
Romance: #21
Starship Troopers
Action: #188
Sci-Fi: #85
War: #10
Season 33 Round 4
Total Box Office: $327,445,396
Total Profit: -$82,035,925
Season 33 Totals
Total Box Office: $1,531,546,719
Total Profit: $1110,240,925
Season 33 Summary
1. Metroid : $350,583,992
2. Power Rangers : $298,484,626
3. Starship Troopers : $226,993,893
4. Watchmen : $117,985,916
5. The Ghost Connection : $115,124,004
6. The Essence : $99,316,188
7. Broadway Joe : $93,061,158
8. Before Love Came to Kill Us : $68,507,173
9. Night Stalker : $62,510,302
10. Love Is... : $44,107,837
11. Cedar Ridge : $31,944,330
12. Falling on the Cross : $22,927,300
Thursday, June 19, 2025
Release: Starship Troopers
Starship Troopers
Genre: Sci-Fi/Action/War
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Writer: John Malone
Based on the novel by Robert E. Heinlein
Cast: Noah Centineo, Terry Crews, Bobby Cannavale, Neal McDonough, Brittany O'Grady, Randall Park, Julie Benz, Jacob Lofland, Luke Benward
Budget: $140,000,000
Domestic Box Office: $96,900,003
Foreign Box Office: $130,093,890
Total Profit: -$45,117,494
Reaction: Writer John Malone hasn't had a ton of box office flops in this LRF career, but this one turned out to be the biggest of the bunch - certainly not the franchise starter he was hoping for.
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SOCIAL SPOTLIGHT
Actors don’t just light up the screen — they light up the feed. Social Spotlight takes a look at how today’s stars promote their movies through the platforms that matter.
This round we have an Instagram post from Starship Troopers star Noah Centineo....
Wednesday, June 18, 2025
Now Showing: Starship Troopers
Starship Troopers
Genre: Sci-Fi/Action/War
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Writer: John Malone
Based on the novel by Robert E. Heinlein
Cast: Noah Centineo, Terry Crews, Bobby Cannavale, Neal McDonough, Brittany O'Grady, Randall Park, Julie Benz, Jacob Lofland, Luke Benward
Plot: Inside the vibrating confines of a drop capsule, Johnnie Rico (Noah Centineo) steadies his breath as he plummets through the icy atmosphere of Planet P, a frozen tundra world. The capsule screams through clouds of snow and fire before slamming into the capital city of the Skinnies—a humanoid race with elongated limbs, reflective carapaces, and twitching, nervous energy. Rico bursts from the hatch in his powered armor, a hulking, humanoid exoskeleton armed with flamethrowers, jump jets, and servo-powered limbs that allow him to leap stories into the air. Rico lands hard on a rooftop and immediately opens fire. Explosions shake the capital as the Mobile Infantry squad wreaks havoc, their mission to destroy communications hubs and instill terror in the Skinnies for their alliance with the Arachnids. The Skinnies return fire with erratic plasma bursts, but the Roughnecks are relentless. One trooper is taken down near Rico. In the chaos, Rico drags the injured soldier toward the extraction point. As his HUD flickers from a plasma overload, a blinding flash engulfs him.
One Year Earlier
Buenos Aires - 23rd Century
Rico is drifting through life. Having finished school with no ambition, he spends his days sleeping and his evenings partying at nightclubs. His parents - Emil (Bobby Cannavale) and Lenore (Julie Benz) - try to convince him to do something more productive with his life. Lenore tries the gentle approach, encouraging him to find a passion to pursue. Emil is more direct though. He tells his son that he isn't a child anymore, insisting he come work at the family business. Rico tunes them out.
At the club, Rico bumps into the beautiful Carmen Ibanez (Brittany O'Grady). Rico is immediately smitten and buys her a drink. She tells him that she's on weekend leave from a Terran Federation Fleet cruiser where she works as a pilot. Rico is instantly captivated. After the drink, Carmen smiles and tells him that she needs to get back to her friends.
The next morning, Rico heads to the recruitment center, determined to sign up. Rico is greeted by Sergeant Ho (Randall Park), who begins putting Rico through a series of aptitude tests. Ho immediately begins ruling out different branches. Rico's math scores are too low for Fleet. Ho determines that Rico is too honest for Intelligence. Rico struggles through the cognitive tests and simulator assignments, trying to stay focused while Ho launches into a history lesson. Ho explains that before the Bugs, people thought you could run a government with good intentions and social media likes. Then the Food Riots happened, the Pan-Pacific War, then the Bugs, turning entire colonies into mulch. The Terran Federation was then born to save humanity.
After the test, Rico is mentally exhausted. Ho announces that Rico's aptitude has been matched to the Mobile Infantry - where the real heroes go. As Rico waits for his medical screening, Ho describes the Mobile Infantry, explaining that Rico will probably start of as cannon fodder, but if he doesn't get turned into salsa, he has an opportunity to make something of himself as a citizen. Rico signs his enlistment contract.
When Rico's parents learn that he has joined the Mobile Infantry, they are upset - Lenore is worried about his safety, while Emil is furious that Rico would be so stupid to throw his future away. Emil then tries to reason with his son, suggesting that he could pull some strings and make the whole thing disappear - Mobile Infantry is for people who have no other options. Rico stands firm and leaves for training that same day.
Johnnie Rico arrives at Camp Currie for boot camp in the wind-blasted northern prairies of Canada, surrounded by endless fields of snow and frozen dirt. Rico and the other recruits have no time to adjust before Sergeant Charles Zim (Terry Crews), their drill instructor, begins barking orders at them. Within moments, they are lined up, running drills, and scrambling to memorize procedures. Rico struggles to keep pace. Among the other wide-eyed recruits, Ted Hendrick (Jacob Lofland), stands out, making inappropriate jokes and unsettling comments about how badly he wants to kill - even if he has to settle for the Bugs. Rico and the others keep their distance from him.
On the second day, a recruit throws a punch during an exercise. Zim wastes no time, hauling the offender to the center of camp. The recruit is bound to a post and flogged in full view of the others. No one speaks as the whip cracks. Rico watches, stunned, as the skin spits and the recruit begins crying from the pain. Zim explains to the stunned platoon that justice in the Mobile Infantry is exacting and swift - you live by the book, or you die by the book.
As the weeks pass, boot camp becomes more grueling - designed to crush the civilian out of every recruit. Reveille before dawn, obstacle courses, zero-gravity simulation, and hand-to-hand combat drills fill each day until lights out as Zim's voice barks orders throughout. Rico has befriended another recruit, Ace (Luke Benward), a confident soldier who grew up on a farm. Meanwhile, Hendrick's behavior grows darker, openly fantasizing about racking up kills.
One evening, the recruits return to the barracks after a brutal day of drills to find it buzzing with rumors that Hendrick has gone missing. By morning, the truth is revealed that Hendrick went AWOL and killed a civilian. There is no cover-up or excuses. Hendrick is dragged back to Camp Currie in restraints. Zim calls the company to attention in the freezing parade square. Without any kind of fanfare, Hendrick is marched to a gallows hastily assembled in front of the barracks. The recruits watch in silence as Hendrick's sentence is carried out and hung. Zim reminds the young men that the human race is at war and that in the Mobile Infantry there is no tolerance for betrayal, cowardice, or chaos.
Rico graduates from boot camp. He is no longer a recruit - he is now a Private in the Terran Mobile Infantry. Rico and Ace are both assigned to Rasczak's Roughnecks, one of the most respected combat units in the service. Within hours, they're packed onto a troop transport taking them away from Earth to rendezvous with the Roughnecks on a carrier headed for Klendathu. Lieutenant Rasczak (Neal McDonough), the commanding officer of the Roughnecks, doesn't say much - he doesn't need to. He issues orders with a calm authority as he prepares the unit for combat as they get into their drop pods.
The surface of Klendathu is black and broken, a volcanic wasteland riddled with jagged cliffs, lava cracks, and dense hive tunnels. Rico and the Roughnecks are among the first wave of troopers to arrive on the surface. The squad is immediately under siege. Massive Warrior Bugs surge from hidden burrows, their claws hammering against armor with bone-rattling force. Rico unleashes his rifle, but for every Bug they take down, three more replace it. The screams of wounded soldiers blend with radio static. Rico’s HUD lights up with emergency signals as his unit is overwhelmed. Lieutenant Rasczak’s voice barks orders through the comms, ordering a hasty retreat. Rico and Ace leap-jet across a collapsing ridge to reach the extraction point. Rico turns just long enough to see a Bug swarm over the last of a neighboring squad. He boards the evac ship seconds before it lifts off.
On the troop transport, Rico sits alone when he is notified of an emergency news broadcast showing that a meteor, launched by the Bugs from deep space, has struck Buenos Aires without warning, leaving a deep crater where the city once stood. Rico reads the casualty list. His mother’s name is among the confirmed dead. His father’s name is absent—unaccounted for. Rico realizes there he has no home left to return to.
During a resupply layover at a fleet station orbiting Mars, Rico’s unit disembarks for debriefing and equipment maintenance. Rico steps out of the transport, still trying to process the loss of his home and family. Across the bay, he spots Zim dressed in full power armor. Rico learns that Zim volunteered to step down in rank in order to return to the front lines - he'd rather fight than train.
Rasczak informs the Roughnecks that they have been called back into duty for a mission on the jungle world of Hesperus. On the surface of the planet, the Roughnecks are deep in enemy territory, pushing toward what Intel believes is a hidden Bug hive buried beneath the canopy. Flying Bugs suddenly descend from the trees, shrieking as they dive-bomb the unit. Rico calls for a defensive formation as the Roughnecks are quickly surrounded. They defend their position with every bit of fire power at their disposal. Just when it seems like they are overwhelmed, a dropship bursts through the clouds, piloted by Carmen. She maneuvers through the chaos with precision. Rico and Ace signal the others to fall back. Inside the ship, Carmen and Rico lock eyes. She barely recognizes him from the nightclub in Buenos Aires.
Aboard the John A. Warden fleet carrier, the Roughnecks gather in a briefing room. Lieutenant Rasczak stands at the head of the room, telling the team that their next mission is set for Planet P - where the Skinnies are supposedly protecting a Brain Bug. Their mission is to capture this Brain Bug. Rasczak tells the Roughnecks that he expects them to their jobs - nothing more, nothing less.
The dropships thunder into the atmosphere of Planet P, battered by plasma blasts from hidden Bug artillery concealed in the glacial ravines below. The moment the dropship hits the ground, the hatch blows open, and the Roughnecks pour out. Warrior Bugs charge at them from ice tunnels. Rico and Ace lead the charge, using flamethrowers against Arachnids and Skinnies. As they breach deeper into enemy territory, Rasczak spots a young recruit frozen in panic, cornered by Skinnies. Without hesitation, he shoves the rookie out of the way and takes the hit himself. Rico rushes to Rasczak's side - his wound is mortal. He tells Rico that the Roughnecks are his to lead now. Rico nods, choking back his emotion. Rico takes charge of the unit, leading them down a narrow pass that opens into a vast sinkhole - the entrance to the Brain Bug's lair.
A Fleet fighter piloted by Carmen screams past overhead, providing fire that clears out flying bugs threatening the Roughnecks' flank. With Rico calling the charge, the squad descends into the tunnels below. At the heart of the hive, they find the Brain Bug - an enormous, bloated, and grotesque creature. The Brain Bug is cornered and captured. Just as Rico's team prepares to evacuate the Brain Bug's chamber, a tremor shakes the tunnels. Hundreds of Warrior Bugs, plasma spitters, and flyers descend from above in an effort to reclaim their queen. The Roughnecks form a circle around the restrained Brain Bug and keep the bugs at bay until the extraction ship arrives.
After the battle, Rico discovers that his father Emil is one of the soldiers returning from Planet P. Emil tells his son that he joined the Mobile Infantry after the attack on Buenos Aires to get revenge on the bugs. Rico gives his father a big hug - something they haven't done in years.
Later that evening, Carmen finds Rico on the fleet carrier. She sees that he is exhausted from battle. Instead of speaking, she holds his hand. Rico gives Carmen a kiss.
A line of soldiers, fresh from training, are all lined up. Johnnie Rico addresses his latest group of Roughnecks. Emil is revealed to be working under his son as squad leader. Rico faces the troops. “You apes wanna live forever?”
Release: Before Love Came to Kill Us
Before Love Came to Kill Us
Genre: Crime/Romance
Director: Barry Jenkins
Writer: Dawson Edwards
Cast: Michael B. Jordan, Ana de Armas, Denzel Washington, Kat Dennings
Budget: $47,000,000
Domestic Box Office: $45,495,949
Foreign Box Office: $23,011,324
Total Profit: -$22,028,990
Reaction: This did not turn out to be the hit that Sherman J. Pearson thought Jordan and Washington needed, and it is certainly a far cry at the box office from writer Dawson Edwards' debut earlier this season.
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Tuesday, June 17, 2025
Top 10 Stars in Need of a Box Office Hit
Sherman J. Pearson here for another Top 10. This round we have a couple actors with spotty box office track records both appearing in the same film - Denzel Washington and Michael B. Jordan in Before Love Came to Kill Us. This got me thinking about other stars that could really use a hit on their LRF resumes. This post is going to be a bit more in-depth than the usual Top 10, so enjoy!
Top 10 Stars in Need of a Box Office Hit
10. Elle Fanning
Notable Flop(s): High School, The Reign of Lady Morgana
Average Salary: Approximately $9-12 million
Hit(s): Spider-Man series, Klondike, The Letter J, Made in Abyss
Thoughts: She has a strong track record with Spider-Man and when paired with other big name stars like in Klondike, but has some pretty big flops as a headlining star outside of those. She could use a hit with her name top-billed on the poster to help cement her status as a legitimate A-List star.
9. Denzel Washington
Notable Flop(s): The Life After, The Boys of the Bayou
Average Salary: Approximately $13-15 million
Hit(s): The Invincible Iron Man
Thoughts: While his supporting role in The Invincible Iron Man gives him a legitimate box office hit on his LRF resume, the performance of his other films make it hard to justify his commanded salary.
8. Alex Wolff
Notable Flop(s): Sexual Paradise, Cleopatra, Corndog, The Vegan Movie 2: Tariq Goes to Sarah Lawrence (and more)
Average Salary: Approximately $1-3 million
Hit(s): The Vegan Movie
Thoughts: I think the days of LRF writers trying to make Alex Wolff a bankable leading man need to stop - it's clearly not in the cards for him. One hit won't turn that around, but it could at least keep him from fading away completely.
7. Michael B. Jordan
Notable Flop(s): Kiss Me Katie, Dishonest, Nexus, Bonnie and Clyde
Average Salary: Approximately $10-15 million
Hit(s): Broadway, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Thoughts: His hits have been modest at best, while his flops have been pretty big. I'm sure he'd like to prove that his old reputation as box office poison was all wrong.
6. Lucas Hedges
Notable Flop(s): Written By Jason, Hippies in New York, Amelie
Average Salary: Approximately $8-15 million
Hit(s): Spider-Man series, Kansas City, The Letter J
Thoughts: What he needs is a non-Spider-Man hit. He doesn't have many of those and may become typecast if he doesn't have another breakthrough hit role in the near future.
5. Alexander Skarsgard
Notable Flop(s): The House of Romanov
Average Salary: Approximately $15-25 million
Hit(s): Halo series, Swamp Thing series
Thoughts: Skarsgard's salary demands have been inflated by the overwhelming success of the Halo and Swamp Thing film series, but it remains to be seen if he's worth the costly salaries outside of those franchises.
4. Adam Driver
Notable Flop(s): Rookie's Road, Undefeated Abe, Beasts, An Eye For An Eye
Average Salary: Approximately $6-9 million
Hit(s): Oklahoma!, Murder Mysteries, The Stand
Thoughts: Murder Mysteries changed the narrative surrounding Driver's career in LRF. Prior to its success, he was riding a long string of costly flops.
3. Timothee Chalamet
Notable Flop(s): Citizen, The Giver, The Virgin Suicides, Hippies in New York
Average Salary: Approximately $10-12 million
Hit(s): Atlantis, Atlantis: Bloodline, Maximum Max, Paradise Lost
Thoughts: His big ensemble films seem to have a much better track record than smaller headlining roles - several of which have been surprisingly costly flops for the studio.
2. Emma Stone
Notable Flop(s): Dating Vanessa, Escape the Unknown, The Powerpuff Girls, Under Pressure
Average Salary: Approximately $12-17 million
Hit(s): The Long Way Home, Stepford
Thoughts: She has a couple hits, but no blockbuster successes, for LRF. Her flops have lost a lot more money than her hits have profited.
1. Joaquin Phoenix
Notable Flop(s): The Carpet Makers, Revelations, The Mobster's Violin
Average Salary: Approximately $10-12 million
Hit(s): Misfit, The Raven in the Night
Thoughts: He has a lot more flops than hits to his resume - although a lot of his films hover right around the profit margins.
Now Showing: Before Love Came to Kill Us
Before Love Came to Kill Us
Genre: Crime/Romance
Director: Barry Jenkins
Writer: Dawson Edwards
Cast: Michael B. Jordan, Ana de Armas, Denzel Washington, Kat Dennings
Plot: A stolen car races down a highway shrouded in darkness. Emilia Cortez (Ana de Armas) grips the steering wheel so tightly her knuckles turn white. Her eyes, framed by smeared eyeliner and tear-streaked cheeks, dart between the rearview mirror and the road ahead. Flashing lights pierce the distance behind her. She’s bleeding from her shoulder, but the pain is far away. A crumpled photograph of a man and a woman in happier times lies on the passenger seat, stained with blood.
Her voice, weary and shaking, narrates: “When people talk about love, they don’t tell you it’s the closest you’ll ever come to dying. Maybe that’s why we chase it, right to the edge.”
The camera cuts to Emilia in her cramped studio apartment. The overhead light flickers as she sits at a secondhand table, sifting through a stack of unpaid bills. Her face is a portrait of quiet exhaustion. The camera lingers on her cracked nails and the faint scars on her hands, physical remnants of the dead-end jobs she’s cycled through.
Her phone buzzes, and she glances at the screen: “Rent due. NO MORE EXTENSIONS.” She exhales sharply, setting the phone face down.
Later, at her waitressing shift, Emilia moves mechanically, forcing smiles for customers who barely look at her. Her boss snaps at her for forgetting an order, and she mutters an apology. But her eyes burn with unspoken fury.
Outside on her break, she smokes a cigarette, her fingers trembling. A coworker, Clara (Kat Dennings), joins her, offering a lighthearted smirk.
“You ever feel like the walls are closing in?” Emilia asks, her voice low.
Clara shrugs. “I stopped looking at the walls.” She flicks her cigarette. “We’re all one bad choice away from freedom or disaster.”
That night, Emilia walks into a dive bar to drink away her frustration. She doesn’t notice Caleb James (Michael B. Jordan) at first, but he notices her. His gaze follows her movements as she sits alone at the bar, nursing a cheap whiskey.
“You look like you’ve had a day,” Caleb says, sliding into the seat next to her.
Emilia barely glances at him. “You look like you don’t know me well enough to start talking.”
He laughs, disarming but not overbearing. “Fair. Let me fix that. I’m Caleb.”
Emilia’s lip twitches in something resembling a smile. “You don’t strike me as a ‘Caleb.’ More like a ‘complication.’”
“Complications can be fun,” he replies, holding her gaze.
The conversation flows effortlessly, laced with flirtation and the kind of honesty that comes easily between two strangers. They leave the bar together, the neon lights casting long shadows as they walk side by side.
Their first weeks together are intoxicating. The camera captures snippets of their growing intimacy: Caleb teaching Emilia how to cook a meal she’s never heard of, Emilia tracing the scar on his jaw as he tells a half-truth about how he got it, stolen kisses in the rain, laughter echoing in empty parking lots.
But cracks begin to show. Caleb is evasive about his work, brushing off her questions with charm that feels increasingly hollow. Emilia, too, holds her secrets close, deflecting his curiosity about her past relationships and the family she never mentions.
One night, lying in bed, Emilia admits, “Sometimes I feel like I’m not real. Like I’m just...floating through someone else’s life.”
Caleb turns to her, his voice soft. “Then let’s make a life that’s ours.”
Emilia finds a gun in Caleb’s jacket one night while folding laundry. Her face hardens, and the camera stays tight on her trembling hands as she places it back where she found it. She doesn’t say anything immediately, but the doubt gnaws at her.
Her unease deepens when Caleb introduces her to Marcus Price (Denzel Washington), his boss. Marcus exudes quiet menace, his every word layered with double meanings. During dinner, Marcus compliments Emilia on her intelligence and charm, but his piercing gaze leaves her feeling exposed.
“Caleb’s lucky,” Marcus says, swirling his glass of whiskey. “You keep him grounded. That’s important in this business.”
Emilia forces a smile, but her unease grows.
Later, she confronts Caleb. “What exactly is your business?”
“Real estate,” he says too quickly.
“Don’t insult me,” she snaps. “I found your gun. I met Marcus. What aren’t you telling me?”
Caleb hesitates, his confident facade cracking. “It’s not what you think,” he begins, but Emilia cuts him off.
“Then what is it? Because from where I’m standing, it looks like I’m sleeping next to a ticking time bomb.”
Caleb finally confesses. He works for Marcus, running money-laundering operations through shell companies. He’s been skimming off the top, planning to leave and start fresh with Emilia. But Marcus is suspicious, and the walls are closing in.
“You don’t have to be part of this,” Caleb tells her. “I just need one more job. Then we’re gone.”
Emilia is torn between her growing love for Caleb and the gnawing instinct to protect herself. She agrees to help, but her trust is fractured.
The heist is a meticulously planned robbery of Marcus’s private safe, but everything unravels. Emilia’s role is to distract Marcus at his office while Caleb breaks into the vault.
The tension builds as Marcus questions Emilia, his tone dripping with suspicion. “You’re nervous,” he says, leaning closer.
She forces a laugh. “Maybe I’m just intimidated by all...this.” She gestures vaguely at his wealth, but her hands tremble.
The camera glides over the opulence of Marcus Price’s penthouse office, the dark mahogany walls adorned with abstract paintings that scream wealth and exclusivity. Floor-to-ceiling windows offer a breathtaking view of the Los Angeles skyline, the city twinkling like a galaxy beneath the deepening twilight. But the room itself feels stifling, oppressive, as if the walls could close in at any moment.
Emilia steps inside, her heels clicking softly against the polished floor. She wears a black cocktail dress Caleb insisted she pick for this night—elegant but understated, something that wouldn’t draw too much attention but would still make Price notice her. Her makeup is flawless, but her stomach churns as Price turns from the window to greet her, his expression unreadable.
“Miss Cortez,” Price says, his voice smooth and unhurried. He’s dressed impeccably, as always, his charcoal suit tailored to perfection. The faintest hint of a smile plays on his lips, but his eyes are sharp, dissecting her every move. “I’m surprised Caleb let you into my world. He tends to keep his cards close.”
Emilia forces a smile, the weight of his gaze almost unbearable. “Caleb said you wanted to meet me,” she replies, her voice steady despite the thrum of her pulse. “I figured I should see what all the fuss is about.”
Price chuckles, motioning for her to sit on a leather chair near his desk. “He speaks highly of you. Says you keep him grounded. I can see why.” He pours two glasses of wine from a decanter on the sideboard, handing one to her before taking his seat across from her.
Emilia takes the glass, her fingers brushing against his for a brief moment. The contact feels electric, but not in the way Caleb’s touch feels—it’s cold, calculated, like a test she doesn’t fully understand. She sips the wine, her eyes scanning the room for any sign of Caleb. The heist is underway; Caleb is somewhere beneath their feet, breaking into Price’s private vault. Her job is to keep the man sitting in front of her occupied, no matter what it takes.
“Tell me,” Price says, leaning back in his chair. “What do you see in Caleb? I’m curious.”
Emilia hesitates, the question catching her off guard. She plays with the stem of her glass, searching for the right words. “He’s… determined,” she says finally. “Loyal. He cares about things that matter.”
Price raises an eyebrow, swirling his wine. “Loyalty, huh? You think Caleb’s loyal to you?”
Her chest tightens, but she doesn’t flinch. “He’s loyal to the people he loves.”
Price’s smile widens, and for the first time, Emilia catches a glimpse of the predator beneath the polished surface. “That’s sweet,” he says, his tone dripping with condescension. “But loyalty doesn’t mean much in my business. It’s just another way to say ‘predictable.’ And predictable men don’t last long.”
The air in the room grows heavier as Price sets his glass down and leans forward, his elbows resting on the desk. His voice lowers, becoming almost intimate. “Do you know how Caleb came to me? Desperate. Like a stray dog looking for scraps. He had nothing, and I gave him everything. A life. A purpose. And now, he thinks he can just… walk away.”
Emilia’s breath catches. The way Price says “walk away” feels like a loaded threat, each syllable coiled with menace. She forces herself to meet his gaze, even as her hands tremble slightly.
“Maybe he’s earned the right to leave,” she says, her voice quieter but still firm.
Price’s laugh is sharp, cutting through the room like a blade. “Earned the right? You don’t just walk away from this life, Miss Cortez. Not Caleb. Not you. Not anyone.”
Emilia leans back, her heartbeat pounding in her ears. She glances toward the painting behind him—a chaotic swirl of blacks and reds, like a storm trapped in oil. “So that’s it?” she asks, tilting her head. “You own him? Forever?”
Price’s expression darkens, his voice dropping to a near-whisper. “I don’t own him. But he owes me. And debts in my world don’t get forgiven. They get paid. In full.”
The tension between them is palpable now, the unspoken danger lurking in every word. Emilia’s grip tightens on her wineglass as Price stands, walking toward a sleek cabinet on the far wall. He opens it with a smooth motion, revealing rows of rare artifacts and weapons displayed like trophies. Among them is a gleaming silver revolver, polished to perfection. Price picks it up, cradling it like an heirloom, his back turned to her as he continues speaking.
“Do you know what I like about Caleb?” he says, his voice calm but deliberate. “He reminds me of myself at his age. Hungry, willing to risk everything to climb higher. But the problem with people like Caleb is they think hunger can be satisfied. That if they can just grab enough—money, power, love—they can finally rest.”
He turns, the revolver now in his hand, though not yet pointed at her. The weight of it feels enormous, even from across the room. His eyes are fixed on her now, sharp and predatory. “But hunger? Hunger doesn’t go away. It grows. And when you can’t keep up with it…” He clicks the revolver’s cylinder, letting the sound linger in the air. “…it devours you.”
Emilia swallows hard, her mind racing. She tries to maintain her composure, keeping her voice steady. “And what about you? Aren’t you tired of being hungry?”
Price smiles faintly, the kind of smile that doesn’t reach his eyes. “Tired? No. I’ve made peace with who I am, Miss Cortez. I don’t run from it. I don’t lie to myself. That’s why I’m here, and why Caleb is where he is—scrambling, scheming, convincing himself that love will save him.”
He steps closer, the revolver now hanging loosely at his side. “But you know better, don’t you? You’ve seen the cracks. The way he looks at you, like you’re his life raft. And maybe you are. But what happens when the storm gets worse? When he has to choose between saving himself and saving you?”
Emilia’s chest tightens, her pulse thundering in her ears. “He’d never abandon me,” she says, but the words feel thin, brittle.
Price tilts his head, studying her. “You’re a good actress, I’ll give you that. But I know fear when I see it.” He gestures toward the door. “You can leave now, if you want. Walk away, pretend none of this ever happened. But if you stay…” He raises the revolver slightly, letting it catch the dim light. “…you’ll find out just how far Caleb will go to survive. And just how much you’re willing to sacrifice for him.”
---
As Price’s words hang in the air, the scene cuts to Caleb, sweating and breathless, deep within the vault beneath the penthouse. He’s surrounded by shelves of cash, priceless artifacts, and a wall of surveillance monitors showing the penthouse above. One screen displays Emilia and Price in his office, their tension crackling through the grainy image.
Caleb’s hands falter as he stuffs money into a duffel bag, his attention fixed on the screen. He sees Price holding the revolver, sees the way Emilia’s jaw tightens, her body frozen in defiance. For a moment, he hesitates, torn between his mission and his instinct to protect her.
The sound of footsteps echoes from the hallway outside. Caleb curses under his breath, zipping the duffel bag shut. He knows time is running out.
---
Emilia stands, her legs trembling slightly, but she doesn’t back down. She sets her wineglass on the desk and steps closer to Price, her eyes locking onto his. “You talk a lot about loyalty and hunger and sacrifice, but all I see is a man who’s alone. You don’t trust anyone because you know what you’ve done to the people who trusted you. That’s why Caleb is leaving. Not because he’s scared, but because he refuses to become you.”
Price’s expression hardens, the revolver now rising to his chest. The tension is electric, every second stretching into eternity.
“You think you understand him?” Price says softly, his voice dripping with quiet fury. “You think love makes you strong? It makes you predictable. Weak. Caleb’s going to break you, just like he’s breaking himself. And when he does, I’ll be here, watching.”
And so she leaves.
Meanwhile, Caleb encounters an unexpected guard near the safe. A brutal fight ensues, the camera tracking every punch and gasp, the visceral impact making it clear Caleb is in over his head. He barely escapes with the money.
When Marcus discovers the betrayal, his fury is volcanic. He orders his men to find and kill them both.
Emilia and Caleb hide out in a dingy motel, the stolen money sprawled across the bed between them. The camera focuses and stays on Emilia’s face as she stares at the cash, her expression unreadable.
“This isn’t freedom,” she says quietly.
“It will be,” Caleb insists, but his voice lacks conviction.
The cracks in their relationship deepen as they argue. Emilia accuses Caleb of dragging her into his mess, while Caleb fires back that she had a choice. The camera never leaves her face.
“Did I?” she shouts, tears streaming down her face. “Or did I just fall for someone who knew exactly what buttons to push?”
Caleb sounds wounded: “You think I don’t love you?”
“I think you don’t even know how,” she replies, her voice breaking.
“I miss when you were my best friend” she trails off… “Before love came to kill us.”
The sounds of violence erupt behind her. Caleb has thrown everything off the motel dresser. Still, the camera stays on Emilia. Her sadness creeping in like a predator stalking its prey. The tears continue.
“I’m willing to stay because I’m sick for your love. I wish I could hurt you back. What would you do if you couldn’t get me back?! I almost lost you today. I might lose you tonight, tomorrow, or ten seconds from now, Caleb. It’s killing me. The love.”
---
The warehouse was a labyrinth of steel and shadows, its towering walls echoing every sound like the ghosts of all the bad deals that had gone down there. The flickering light from a single bulb overhead cast jagged shadows on the faces of Emilia and Caleb as they knelt on the cold concrete floor. Their hands were bound behind them, blood smeared across Caleb’s temple where one of Price’s men had struck him. Emilia’s chest heaved, her breath sharp and shallow, her tear-streaked face defiant despite the fear brimming in her eyes.
They’d tried to run. Caleb had stashed the stolen cash in the trunk of a rusted sedan, convinced they could make it to Mexico before Price caught up. They had driven through the city like ghosts, avoiding the main roads, their conversation stilted and tense.
“What’s the plan when we get there?” Emilia had asked, her voice brittle.
“We start over,” Caleb had said, gripping the wheel.
“You think it’s that simple? He won’t stop, Caleb.”
“We’ll make him stop,” Caleb muttered, though the conviction in his voice faltered.
Then the black SUVs appeared in the rearview mirror. First one, then two, then three, their headlights glowing like predatory eyes in the night. Caleb had cursed, swerving onto side streets, the tires screeching. The chase was relentless, the sound of engines roaring through the abandoned streets. Emilia screamed as the car skidded on a sharp turn, crashing into a lamppost. Before they could recover, Price’s men descended, dragging them from the wreckage.
Now, in the warehouse, Caleb shifted, testing his restraints. His knuckles were raw, his breathing labored. Emilia’s gaze flicked toward him, a silent plea for reassurance. He met her eyes briefly before looking away. For the first time, he had nothing to say.
The clink of boots on the concrete floor echoed through the space. The sound was slow, deliberate. Marcus Price emerged from the shadows, his presence suffocating. He was dressed immaculately, a dark trench coat draped over his broad shoulders, his expression calm but unreadable.
Price approached, his polished shoes stopping just short of Caleb and Emilia. He surveyed them like a painter appraising a ruined masterpiece, his lips curling into a faint, humorless smile.
“You know,” Price began, his voice smooth and steady, “I always liked you, Caleb. You reminded me of myself when I was younger—hungry, ambitious, just reckless enough to make people take notice. I saw potential in you. Hell, I gave you the keys to the kingdom. And this...” He gestured to their bloodied, disheveled forms. “This is how you repay me?”
“Let her go,” Caleb said, his voice hoarse but steady. “She didn’t do anything.”
Price laughed—a deep, guttural sound that echoed off the steel walls. “Didn’t do anything? Oh, she did something, all right. She made you soft. You used to think like me. You used to be somebody. Then this—” He jabbed a finger toward Emilia, his voice sharp as a blade. “This distraction comes along, and you forget who you are.”
Emilia straightened, her voice cutting through the silence. “He’s better than you’ll ever be.”
Price’s gaze snapped to her, his smile fading. “Better? You think loyalty makes you better? You think love makes you better? Let me tell you something about love.” He crouched down to her level, his face inches from hers. “Love is a leash. It keeps you tethered, keeps you weak. And when it breaks, it leaves you choking on the floor.”
He stood abruptly, his tone rising. “I built this world! I gave it structure, order. You think you can just walk away from that? Steal from me and vanish into the night? No, no, no. That’s not how this ends.”
Price motioned to one of his men, who approached with a gun. The sound of the safety clicking off sent a shiver down Emilia’s spine.
“You know what the worst part is?” Price said, pacing now, his voice filling the cavernous space. “I would’ve let you go, Caleb. I would’ve turned a blind eye. But then you made it personal. You made me look weak. And in this business, weakness is a death sentence.”
Price turned to face Caleb, his expression hardening. “So here’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to die. She’s going to die. And I’m going to make damn sure everyone knows exactly what happens when you cross Marcus Price.”
Caleb struggled against his restraints, desperation seeping into his voice. “You don’t have to do this, Marcus. It’s not too late to end this without more blood.”
Price cocked his head, amused. “Oh, Caleb, you still think you’re in control, don’t you? That’s the problem with people like you—you think you can talk your way out of anything.”
But as Price raised his hand to signal the execution, a loud crash echoed through the warehouse. One of Price’s men stumbled backward, clutching his throat.
It was Emilia. In the chaos of Price’s speech, she had quietly worked free of her restraints and grabbed a steel pipe from the floor. Her eyes blazed with fury as she swung again, this time connecting with the wrist of the man holding the gun.
“Get down!” she screamed, and Caleb, despite his shock, obeyed.
The warehouse erupted into chaos. The camera tracks every movement with precision: the clang of fists against metal, the echoing gunshots, the spray of blood against cold steel walls.
Price, ever composed, dodged a swing from Caleb and drew his own gun. His aim was steady, his expression calm as he fired. The shot striking him in the throat, sending him stumbling, then falling, then choking and finally, nothing.
“You think you can win?” Price roared, his voice filling the space. “You think love will save you now?”
Emilia, battered but unbroken, lunged at Price. Her hands clutched the gun, twisting it out of his grip. The camera lingered on their faces as they struggled, the tension palpable. Price’s calm facade cracked, his expression twisting into fury.
“You don’t have what it takes,” he snarled.
But Emilia did. With a scream of rage, she turned the gun on Price and fired. The shot echoed like a thunderclap, and Price staggered, blood blooming across his chest. He fell to his knees, his coat pooling around him like spilled ink.
---
The camera moved in tight on Price’s face as he looked up at Emilia, his breath shallow. His lips curved into a faint smile, the ghost of his former arrogance.
“You think this is over?” he rasped, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. “You’ll see... Love doesn’t save anyone. It just kills slower.”
His head lolled forward, his body collapsing to the ground.
Emilia stood in the wreckage of the warehouse, her body bruised and bloodied, but alive. The faint sound of sirens grew louder in the distance. The camera once again zooms in on only her face.
“We have to go,” she heard Caleb say, his voice as strong and seductive as the night they met.
Emilia nodded, but her eyes lingered on Price’s lifeless form. “He’s right, you know,” she whispered.
“What?”
She turned to Caleb's lifeless body, her gaze steady. “Love does kill. But it’s the only thing worth dying for.”
She limped out of the warehouse into the dawn, her silhouette framed against the rising sun. Emilia drives away from the city, Caleb’s bloodied jacket beside her. She looks at the duffle bag of money, taking in the weight of everything it represents.
In the final scene, Emilia sits in a diner, staring out the window at the endless stretch of road ahead. Her voice narrates: “Love doesn’t end. It just leaves its mark. And some marks never fade.”
Monday, June 16, 2025
Release: Cedar Ridge
Cedar Ridge
Genre: Drama
Director: Derek Cianfrance
Writer: Joshua Collins
Cast: Lucas Hedges, Hailee Steinfeld, Spencer Treat Clark, Abigail Breslin, Josh Hamilton, Peyton List, Charlotte Ann Tucker, Lainey Jane Knowles
Budget: $23,000,000
Domestic Box Office: $19,049,195
Foreign Box Office: $12,895,135
Total Profit: -$14,889,441
Reaction: Writer Joshua Collins is 0-for-2 at the box office this season so far, but he will still have one more film due later this season in Round 9.
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"The emotional blows in Cedar Ridge hit hard because they’re earned. There’s no melodrama here. Pure, crushing loneliness with just enough flicker of hope to make it through the next scene." - James Tubbs Jr., Vice Magazine
COMIC BOOK GUY (SEASON 4)
Welcome to Comic Book Guy - the ultimate, no-holds-barred dissection of Hollywood’s comic book (and adjacent) offerings, brought to you by yours truly: a scholar of superheroic lore, a connoisseur of cosmic conflicts, and a guy who owns two replica Batarangs. This time we are looking at Season 4's lineup, which featured an archery-loving playboy, a muscle-bound prince, and Gotham’s favorite brooding detective. Let’s fire up the hyperdrive and break these down with all the love (and snark) they deserve.
GREEN ARROW
Wes Ball’s Green Arrow is like Cast Away meets The Dark Knight — if Tom Hanks replaced Wilson with a makeshift bow and went full Robin Hood. Armie Hammer, pre-scandal, channels rich-boy-turned-survivalist vibes with surprising flair, while Vanessa Kirby’s Black Canary delivers sass, sonic screams, and some much-needed chemistry. Clive Owen chews scenery as the Dark Archer, but the real MVP here is Zhang Ziyi’s ruthless China White, who steals every scene she’s in. It’s a gritty, action-packed origin story with just enough charm to make you forget it’s essentially CW's Arrow with a bigger budget.
MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE
Masters of the Universe gives us Alan Ritchson as He-Man, wielding swords and biceps with equal enthusiasm, and Callan Mulvey’s Skeletor delivering a perfectly unhinged villain origin. The film leans hard into epic battles and ‘80s nostalgia, with Dolph Lundgren’s cameo as King Randor a clever nod to the original. However, the plot’s a paint-by-numbers fantasy quest, and while Eleanor Tomlinson’s Teela kicks butt, the film forgets to give her much to do. Still, the transformation scene alone is worth the price of admission — "By the power of Grayskull!" has never sounded cooler.
BATMAN: GOTHAM KNIGHT
Joseph Kosinski’s Batman: Gotham Knight brings Gotham’s grimy underworld to life with stunning visuals and Jake Gyllenhaal’s intense take on the Caped Crusader. Caleb Landry Jones’ Joker is a chilling, unpredictable force, while Michael Pitt’s Black Mask oozes mob-boss menace. The film balances its sprawling plot with character-driven moments, and the inclusion of Bryan Cranston as Jim Gordon feels like a love letter to Batman fans. It’s a dark, gritty noir that set the bar high for future entries in this budding Batman cinematic universe - and things only go up from here for the franchise.
Sunday, June 15, 2025
Now Showing: Cedar Ridge
Cedar Ridge
Genre: Drama
Director: Derek Cianfrance
Writer: Joshua Collins
Cast: Lucas Hedges, Hailee Steinfeld, Spencer Treat Clark, Abigail Breslin, Josh Hamilton, Peyton List, Charlotte Ann Tucker, Lainey Jane Knowles
Plot: The film starts with Caleb Jones (Lucas Hedges cooking an elaborate Thanksgiving dinner. While on the surface it seems like any normal person fixing up a feast to feed an army, it does seem a little off-putting to see he only has a place set aside for himself. Once he sets the big turkey in the center of the table, he says, “Dinner’s ready!” and sits down to eat by himself. He intermittently changes the channels on the TV as he bites into his food. Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, The 1991 film: Dutch, Family Feud, Football, he settles on an rerun episode of ‘Home Improvement’ a Thanksgiving episode. He laughs along with the studio-laughter.
After he finishes his meal, he cleans up, putting the food and dishes away. He feels something in his pocket and pulls it out, his trusty pocket knife he carries with him. He sets it back in his pocket as he continues washing dishes and whistling.
Once finished, he makes his way into the basement: already staged for a suicide by hanging: a chair and a rope tied up around a support beam. He sets himself up and he takes that last moment of silence to nod as if to say he’s ready for it. He kicks the chair out from under his feet.
Just as he’s about the lose consciousness, a flash of a memory shows him in the passenger seat of a car, cruising down the road with his cousin, Elaine (Abigail Breslin) driving, and her daughter, Anwen (Charlotte Ann Tucker), holding her hand out the window, waving her hand in the wind. “Caleb, watch my hand,” she says. Caleb looks at her and smiles.
The memory is enough to jolt Caleb back to reality. He scrambles with one arm to get his knife while trying to buy some time with his other arm to relieve some pressure off the rope. He takes a few swipes at the rope, getting it weak enough to snap and have Caleb crash down. Coughing and choking as air flows back into him and color restores, red marks on his neck.
Caleb’s cousin, Charlotte (Hailee Steinfeld), Elaine’s sister, gets a phone call that wakes her up. Her husband, Rusty (Spencer Treat Clark) asks who it is. The camera stays on her face as she looks concerned.
Cut to Charlotte driving Caleb from his hometown of Bristol, Virginia to their home in Knoxville, Tennessee. He looks sad as he leans his head against the window. She asks if he’s alright. He says he saw ‘her’ last night while he did it and admits that he couldn’t do it. She asks who and he says ‘Anwen’ she glances at him and changes the subject, “You really should have joined us for Thanksgiving last night, you only live a couple hours away. At least you wouldn’t have been alone.” Caleb watches out the window as they pass a mental health hospital and mentions that she passed the place. She tells him she’s not gonna drop him into a nuthouse, reminding him that he’s family.
The car pulls into the driveway as Rusty steps out on the porch. The house is a nice country home on a large property, with chickens wandering around. He watches as the car comes to a stop. Caleb steps out of the car. While it may seem like an awkward reunion at first, Rusty shakes Caleb’s hand and notices a faint scar on his wrist, remains of another suicide attempt via wrist cutting. Rusty, not sure what to say, so he just says “come on in, Sadie’s been driving me crazy asking when you’d get here.”
Sadie (Lainey Jane Knowles), about 7, greets Caleb and sits in his lap as she shows him some new games and things on her tablet. Charlotte and Rusty set down at the dining table to exchange pleasantries with Caleb. Charlotte lays down the groundwork that he can stay for as long as needed, but he can’t be tying nooses up in the barn outback. Caleb chuckles and says he’ll be fine, “So much as long as I got Sadie here to keep me company.” Without delving into specifics, Rusty says its bullshit what Charlotte’s idiot sister tried to do to Caleb. Charlotte tries to keep the peace between Rusty and Elaine. “I never could trust her, she’s an addict. And Alan, that husband of hers? Something off about that guy.”
Caleb gets a brief glimpse of another flashback. He meets Alan (Josh Hamilton), Elaine’s husband. He has a bit of a standoffish presence toward Caleb on day one of his disastrous visit. Alan and Elaine spend most of their day and night hanging out in their bedroom watching TV and smoking weed. Caleb was already having a hard time: Khara, a woman Josh was talking to about dating, ended up more interested in his friend, Mike. To help clear his mind, Elaine offered to let Caleb smoke weed for his first time. After the high kicks in, Caleb stumbles through the hallway to crash on a bed. He wakes up for a moment to feel Anwen climb up into the bed with him. He mumbles about her going back to her room, but he’s still too groggy to put effort behind his words. What Caleb doesn’t notice however, is Alan passing by the bedroom door. His look hard to read.
In the present day, Josh sits on the back porch watching Sadie chase the chickens across the yard, enjoying a cup of coffee. Charlotte joins and she says Caleb should just pack up and move out here. Caleb is flattered, and Charlotte assures him, “It’ll be fun, we can fix you up with one of these cute Tennessee girls.” Caleb laughs, “Maybe she’ll have all her teeth and not hiding a methlab in her trailer house.” Charlotte playfully smacks his arm, “shut up.” Caleb tells her he’s not quite ready for any lifetime commitments, “and besides your sister was the last one to try to hook me up and she went with one of my pals instead,” Caleb looks back at Sadie’s playfulness in the backyard. “Shows you how much of a player I am.”
Rusty comes outside with a rifle, asks Caleb if he’s ever shot before. “I...play Call of Duty,” Caleb says with a nervous laugh. “You’re gonna learn today, my friend.” Rusty loads up the rifle in the back of his truck. Sadie tries to tag along, but Rusty tells her, “not just yet. Maybe for your birthday.” she scoffs, “thats what you said on my last birthday..” but she returns to the house.
The sounds of gunshots ring through the air. Close up on Rusty taking some shots at some cans. He hands Caleb the gun, teaching him the basics to not shoot himself. Caleb hesitates, understanding the power of the gun before even firing it. You can see in his tense body language how nervous he is to fire it. When he does, and hits a can dead on, an exhilarating feeling as Rusty looks proud.
Later on, Caleb sits on the porch swing staring off into the backyard. A moment of time in the flashback pops up.
Alan is sitting on the bed with Elaine. He tells her that he saw Anwen in bed with Caleb. Elaine is doubtful about something going on. Alan tells her he’s just looking out, and thinks he’s grooming her. Elaine tells him to just stop, and says she’ll talk to Caleb in the morning. When the morning does arrive, she brings it up to Caleb, saying someone his age really shouldn’t be sleeping in bed with a kid. He apologizes, explaining about how tried to tell her no, but he was just too baked to make a big deal out of it. Elaine accepts his reason, but reminds him to be careful. Caleb nods, excusing himself to use the bathroom. He takes a seat on the lid of the toilet and tears roll out of his eyes. Not because he couldn’t sleep in bed with a kid, just how he had been made to feel like something he is not. When he comes out of the bathroom, he still looks like he had been crying. Elaine sees him and asks “Are you seriously crying because I told you that you couldn’t be sleeping in the same bed with my kid anymore?” Josh replies, “No, I just..” he takes a breath, “I just want this.” he motions around the house, “nice house, family…” Elaine says, “Well you can start by not being weird around my kid.”
Current day, Caleb is still on the porch swing. He mimes loading a gun and pointing the barrel into his mouth. He’s about to pull the trigger, but Sadie comes outside to sit with him. She gives him a picture she drew and he assures her that he’ll keep it in his wallet in the same pocket as his knife. Sadie mentions how Anwen has a younger brother now, news to Caleb due to him isolating himself. Sadie asks Caleb when he’s gonna get her a cousin to hang out with. Caleb tells her that she’s more than enough for him. He looks out into the backyard and sees a silhouette of a person watching from the woods. Caleb tells Sadie to go inside and he runs toward the woods, yelling at the trespasser, but nobody is there.
Caleb goes back to the house, and asks Charlotte if he can take her car out. Charlotte agrees, but Rusty protests, concerned about letting someone on suicide watch go anywhere alone, much less with a car. Charlotte says it’ll be good for Caleb. Sadie asks her parents if Caleb is ok and they assure her that he’s fine.
Caleb takes the car out and ends up at a 24-hour gym. A few people are there, and one ends up being a young woman, Theresa (Peyton List). She helps him figure out how to turn an electric treadmill on, she takes notice of his charm. Another guy at the gym tries to hit on her, making her uncomfortable, saying she doesnt pick guys up at the gym. Caleb steps in and tells him to get lost. The guy challenges Caleb to a weight lift match. Caleb humorously asks 'dude what are you?' makes Theresa laugh. Caleb agrees to the match and humiliates the guy. Theresa asks Caleb if he wants to get out of there. He reminds her she doesn't pick guys up at the gym.and she humously says "I mean, I literally can't they weigh too much. they end up in a motel room to sleep together. She leaves her number for him when he wakes up and sees her gone. When he arrives back to his cousin’s house, they’re relieved to see him back and alive.
In the past, Anwen and Josh are playing a game on the computer while Elaine and Alan are nearby. Anwen asks Caleb if he can take her to the mall with the movie theater. Caleb mentions, “you aren’t going anywhere public unless you bathe first, stinkybutt.” he and Anwen laugh, but instead of listening to Caleb, Anwen asks Alan’s permission for Caleb to take her out and he agrees.
Its a nice time at the mall, wandering around, seeing a movie, Anwen playing on the bungee trampoline, riding on a small carousel. He watches her with quiet affection.
Present day, Caleb and Theresa are having a date in Gatlinburg. Site seeing, walking the skybridge, etc. They stop into a restaurant for a lunch break. He tells her a silly trivia about how sloths can hold their breath underwater for up to 40 minutes. Theresa laughs wondering how he knows that. He says it helps keep his mind occupied. She notices the scars on his wrists and tries to ask about them. He tells her its what happens when he’s not thinking about the amazing lungs of sloths. With an understanding nod, she says she’s glad he’s here.
He pulls his wallet out to pay the tab and Sadie's drawing comes with it. It gets Theresa's attention and she mentions its a cute picture. Theresa says he seems like a guy who likes kids. Caleb smirks, shaking his head. “Tolerant is more like it. And just the ones in my family. I’m not out here making balloon animals for strangers.” She laughs. “That’s good to know, at least you know how good of a dad you'd be.” She leans back, thoughtful. “I had an uncle like that—funny, protective. I could tell him anything, and he’d take me to the park every weekend. When my dad died, I wanted him to walk me down the aisle one day, but... he passed too soon.” Caleb’s expression softens. “I’m sorry.” Theresa gives a small, sad smile. “It’s okay. We all need something—or someone—to live for. I think he’d want me to remember that.” He places his hand in hers.
After the date, she drops him off at his cousins house. After exchanging goodbyes, she watches as Caleb gets out and he gets a big greeting from Sadie. She jumps in his arms and he twirls her around. He sets her down and joins her at chasing the chickens around the yard. Caleb notices Theresa still watching and waves at her. She returns a wave and drives away.
In the past, Elaine is getting some work done on her computer. Anwen and Caleb are watching a movie on the couch. Alan wanders in the room and tells Anwen to clean her room. She says she’ll do it after the movie and calls her by his name. He gets frustrated and demands she call him dad. She smirks and in a defiant moment of testing him, she says “ok, Alan.” Alan pulls her out of her seat, swats her on the butt and sends her out of the room. An uncomfortable silence fills the air for a few moments. Caleb goes to comfort Anwen, asking if she’s alright and trying to tell her not to upset her stepdad, but Caleb hears Elaine marching up the hallway shouting, “I will give her a bath, you don’t need to give her a bath..” the words confuse Caleb and he stares daggers at Elaine before leaving the room.
Later that night, with everyone asleep in their rooms, Caleb gets on the computer. When the screen turns on, he notices a tab open from messenger. It says “new message from Khara.” Out of morbid curiosity, he opens the message up. He reads blurbs of the messenger that show them talking about Caleb. Messages like “and he cried because I told him he couldn’t sleep with my 6-year old in his bed. You should have seen how pissed he was when I told him I didn’t want him to bathe her. What the fuck dude?!” and responses from Khara like “I knew there was something off about him, that’s why I decided not to date him and went with Mike instead. I didn’t think he’d be some kind of pedo. Eww.” Caleb’s heart sinking as he stares at the messages, “I need to get him away from her. If he touched her I swear to God…”
Caleb wastes no time packing his bags. He does take one final look at Anwen through the ajar door, a silent goodbye before he gently closes her door. He gets in his car and before he can start the engine, he puts his head on the wheel. He tries to take some deep breaths before giving himself a few slaps in his face.
Present day, Caleb sits in a chair in the living room, Sadie has fallen asleep in his lap as he holds her in a protective embrace. Charlotte takes a seat next to them. She mentions Sadie saw you brought home by a woman. He laughs and says Theresa. He says he may have met someone and didn’t need to bribe her to date him. Charlotte says that he’s a good catch, even if he doesn’t see it. Charlotte asks if she remembered the solar eclipse earlier this year. Caleb nods along. Charlotte tells the story that she and Sadie were with Elaine, Alan and Anwen. She explains how she just got a bad feeling about him. The way he looked at Anwen. She says she told Anwen how to use car keys as a self-defense weapon. Charlotte tells Caleb that she confronted Alan at the solar eclipse, and Elaine took Alan’s side, saying Charlotte was just trying to ruin her family. “Do you want to know what happened a few months later?” Charlotte asks. Caleb hesitates before answering. “What?” he asked. Charlotte says, “He raped her, Caleb.” Caleb’s entire body goes numb, Charlotte added, “And instead of facing the consequences of his actions, he killed himself.”
As 'Silent Night Holy Night' plays in the background, Caleb goes for a walk around the neighborhood, feeling the weight of what Charlotte told him. He checks out the Christmas lights and decorations for the houses. Snowmen built in some front yards. He can see through some windows decorated trees, and even a family decorating a tree together. He looks to the twinkling stars and says, "Sorry Anwen," before walking back to Charlotte's house.
The next day, Caleb is ready to load up and go home in Charlotte’s car as they head back to Bristol, Virginia. Caleb scrolls on his phone and sees an obituary for Alan to lay proof to Charlotte’s claim the night before. Caleb closes his eyes and he gets a dream/flashback of the aftermath of his return home from his last visit with Elaine. Khara had told Mike and Mike told the other friends. When Elaine finds out Khara spread the word, she gets mad, didn’t want anyone to say anything until she could talk with Anwen. The news just seems to spread among friends and locals. When Caleb gets home, his friend/roommates throw him out despite him trying to explain his innocence. His family won’t talk to him either. He confronts Elaine and she explains that she spoke with Anwen and the whole thing got blown out of proportion, that when she asked if Caleb hurt her, she said no. Caleb says, “Well, everyone thinks I’m a freak now. Fuck you,” he hangs up on Elaine, he pulls his pocket knife out, holding the blade against his wrist.
The image jolts Caleb awake, just as they arrive at his home. He thanks Charlotte for putting him up. She assures him he’s always welcome and to truly consider moving closer to them.
We get some glimpses into Caleb’s lonely life in Missouri again. He hesitates for a moment to call Elaine, deciding not to. In his basement, a part of the rope he used to hang himself at the beginning still dangles from the support beam. He cuts the rest of the rope down as a way to show he’s moving on from attempts on his own-life. As he watches some TV, he fishes out from his pocket, the picture Sadie for him. He smiles as he examines it before putting the picture away.
In a store, as Christmas music is heard on the store radio, Caleb is shopping, unaware of a couple of guys stalking him. When he leaves the store, they confront him. They say its the pervert out in the wild. Caleb tries to tell him he’s not out looking for trouble. They mock and ridicule him before one of them punches him in the face. One digs through his pocket trying to find his wallet and pulls out Sadie’s picture. His assailant insults him saying he’s sick and shouldn’t be walking around with a kid’s picture in his pocket. He tears it up in front of Caleb. They start to walk away, but Caleb tackles the guy who stole his picture, pummeling him with fists. His friends try to help, but they see the anger and pure hatred in Caleb’s face and step back. After everything: from wrongful accusations, what happened to Anwen, how he’ll never truly be safe in his hometown. The destruction of his picture was that last straw. Caleb leaves the guy beaten and bloodied.
Caleb shows up at Theresa’s doorstep with bags in his arms. When she answers, he says, “I never finished telling you about sloths.” She smiles and says, “I got all time in the world.” and steps aside to let him in.
Caleb, Charlotte, Rusty, Sadie and Theresa are all together at Charlotte's home to spend time together for Christmas. Caleb steps out to the front porch and sees a car pull up. Anwen opens the car door, sees Caleb and runs into his arms. He sees Elaine in the driver's seat and decides to take a moment to talk with her. He sees Anwen's baby brother asleep in his car seat. He asks if she is gonna come in and she says she's just dropping Anwen off to get some cousin time in with Sadie, "and well, I know things aren't really there for my sister and I," Elaine says. "I'm sorry about what happened with Anwen..Alan.." Caleb says, Elaine cringes at the sound of his name, but she says, "I'm sorry, I know I failed you—and Anwen—but I want to make it right. Letting you see her..I hope it’s enough for now," she says. Caleb smiles, "Well..it's a start."
With "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" playing in the background, Caleb finishes up the talk with Elaine and carries Anwen into the house as Elaine pulls out of the driveway. He watches her for a moment before heading inside. He takes a seat next to Theresa, holding and kissing her before Anwen and Sadie jump up into the seat with them. Caleb smiles, shakes his head and laughs as if he can't get two minutes with Theresa before the kids gotta jump on him. A smile grows on Theresa's face as if seeing a future with Caleb and their own little ones before her eyes.
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