Crypto (2018) - full transcript

When junkie photojournalist Jake (Harmon) takes work as watchman of a remote wilderness lodge alongside veteran handyman Sparky, he shoots and develops his own photos - which begin to reveal spectres of his haunted past and uncertain future.

(SILENCE)

(WIND BLOWING)

(TWINKLING CHIMES)

(LIGHT DRAMATIC MUSIC)

Identify departure,

regional navigation craft

on altitude at your discretion.

(AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL CHATTER)

(ENGINE RUMBLING)

Hello?

(AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL CHATTER)

This is Masset airport on

122, Tesla seven, go ahead.

(AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL CHATTER)

(STATIC OBSCURING SPEAKER)

(DOOR CREAKING)

(ZIPPER ZIPPING)

(MAN SIGHING)

Old habits, am I right?

Thanks.

(COUGHING)

Made by a friend, burns

a little when you piss

but hell of a fine drunk.

(ITEMS RUSTLING)

Thanks, sweet pea.

You a regular here?

About that time.

You going to

Sportsman's Lodge too?

Sure, kid, I'm

flying you there.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

So, you're the new watchman.

No, I'm just filling

in for couple of weeks.

Photographer, photojournalist.

Fuck me, they must be

desperate. (CHUCKLING)

Yeah, well, just trying

to get some quick cash,

some good shots.

First time to Haida Gwaii?

Yeah.

Man, islands at

the end of the sky.

Ice age missed 'em, you know?

The legends are,

some of the strangest

I ever fucking heard.

Oh and watch yourself,

low salmon run this year.

Bears are hungry.

(PLANE ENGINE HUMMING)

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

Hey, hey, hey, Kohler, woo!

Hey, ya old cocksucker!

(MEN LAUGHING)

Hey buddy!

You gotta watch

out for this guy.

Last time he had a couple of

drinks he tried to fuck a deer.

That didn't happen,

Kohler, geeze.

- You must be Jacob.

- It's just Jake.

Call me Sparky.

Seriously?

(LAUGHING) Yeah.

There's some

goodies in the back.

Oh, great, okay.

You boys stay out

of each other's bunks.

(MAN LAUGHS)

That ain't funny, Kohler.

(MEN LAUGHING)

(TENSE MUSIC)

(ENGINE HUMMING)

These the only shoes you got?

What?

What, are you a size

nine, nine and a half?

Yeah, nine and a half.

Let's see what we got.

(ENGINE HUMMING)

(TENSE MUSIC)

(RUSTLING)

(KNOCKING)

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

(BIRDS CALLING)

Haida Gwaii forms a

dagger-shaped archipelago

of over 150 islands.

Located 90 miles from the

west coast of British Columbia

and just over 60 miles

to the Alaskan Panhandle.

Haida Gwaii's first settlements

date back over 13,000 years.

It's considered by some

scientists the Pacific route

taken by the first humans

that migrated to the Americas.

During the Ice Age, glaciers

receded from Haida Gwaii

2000 years earlier

than the mainland.

Nicknamed the Galapagos of

the North, the islands make up

a unique biocultural zone

with many ancient plants

and animals found nowhere

else in the world.

(CRICKETS CHIRPING)

(TENSE MUSIC)

(FRIGHTENING CHORD)

(CHUCKLING)

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

(KNOCKING)

Jake, time to get going!

Fuck.

Shit.

(KNOCKING)

Yeah, fuck, I'm up, I'm up.

(WATER SPLASHING)

(SOFT MUSIC)

(PEOPLE SPEAKING FAINTLY)

Hang on there Sparks, I've

got him on the line right now.

Oh sure, get back to me

on that count by tomorrow

if you can darling, over.

Very good,

thanks, Donna, over.

Anything for you, honey buns.

(KISSING)

(SPARKY LAUGHING)

I don't want you going

hungry down there.

Especially with the

new kid joining you.

Oh baby.

Oh hey, you tried on

those PJs I sent you?

You know they're not

real silk but they sure...

I got to get back to you

tomorrow, over and out.

Hey.

Boots and everything

fitting all right?

All a perfect fit.

Right, cool.

I got a lot of work to do, so.

Welcome to Sportsman's

Lodge in Quinna Sound.

Opened in 1911, originally

it was called Sporter's Lodge

until she burnt to the

ground, was rebuilt in 1955.

What's with the dead trees?

We got some heavy

winds this time of year,

bit of a dust up but

firewood is free.

You take a shower?

Yeah, why?

With soap?

No, fucking gasoline.

You take a shower,

I recommend no soap,

nothing with perfume.

Bugs love it.

No one to impress up

here anyway. (LAUGHING)

Mostly what we do this

time of year is repairs,

groundskeeping,

winterizing, you know.

What's this for?

I'm a photographer.

Oh, well, you should get some

real nice pictures up here.

What you do there,

you cut yourself?

Heat rash jerking off.

(CHUCKLING) Okay.

This here's the water tank.

We pump the water up

from the well through

the chlorine system.

But when the temperature

drops below zero

the pipes'll freeze.

One winter we went three

weeks without running water.

And I'm not gonna let

that happen again.

See?

(MACHINE RUNNING)

Hey, hey, what's

that shed used for?

It had a leak,

I had to emptiy it out.

I've been looking for

a place to maybe store

some darkroom equipment.

There's nothing pretty about

it, but you wanna fix it up,

you can use it.

That'd be great.

It's real nice

to have you around.

I'm not in as good a

shape as I used to be,

so having a little help

this time of year is just real n

No problem.

This here's the

hardware store.

Got a few projects on the go.

Obviously we do our own building

and marine repairs here.

Now, have you ever done any

repair work before, Jake?

Took a lawnmower

repair class in school.

Ah, good work with that.

Whatever you say, Zippy.

Oh, good one,

the name's Sparky.

This is a genny, it's

water cooled and requires

a constant top up with diesel.

And these things

sometimes get loose

so you gotta check 'em out.

Oh yeah, this one's

loose right here.

You wanna give it a whirl?

Come on, give that a whirl,

come on, there you go.

Now easy now, damn it,

you're stripping it now!

Just take it easy there, okay.

Aw damn it!

(TENSE MUSIC)

(KNOCKING)

(COUGHING)

Jake, hey.

You caught me having

a little puff here.

My homegrown, it

helps with the hips.

Sure it does.

What do you have there?

A little tobacco and hash.

- Thanks.

- Yeah.

Been out here

for a while, huh?

12 seasons.

Been guiding and doing winters.

Four straight, year around.

No shit.

You ever miss the

real world then?

Real world?

Come on, Jake, I have

everything I need up here.

It must get

lonely, doesn't it?

Sometimes.

Had this cat that hung around.

But I ain't seen him lately.

In that case, how often do

you and Donna see each other?

- You two are...

- Donna?

No, no, no, Donna, she's

up in the headquarters

up in Alaska.

How about yourself, Jake?

You have a special

girl back home?

Seriously, sounds like

she was wet for you

though, Sprinkles.

Hold on now, Jake, Donna's

your superior and no.

I'm telling you, never

even met face to face.

So you're telling me

you never busted through

those cobwebs, that's

what you're telling me?

Come on, Jake.

You're getting a bit

disrespectful here.

I'm just saying,

think about it.

(OWL HOOTING)

(TENSE MUSIC)

(GRUNTING)

(CRUSHING)

(CRUSHING)

(DEEP RUMBLING)

(TENSE MUSIC)

Sparky!

Oh hey, Jake.

What the fuck, man?

Oh sorry, man, the

damn martens are chewing

up my lawn again.

Think I got 'em though.

Congratulations.

(EERIE HUMMING)

Hey, hey.

(SOFT MUSIC)

The islands' inhabitants

developed a culture made rich

by the abundance

of land and sea.

(GULLS CRYING)

Noted seafarers, they occupied

more than 100 villages

throughout the islands.

They were skilled traders.

The islands played an important

role during the maritime

fur trade era of the late

18 to early 19th centuries.

Haida Gwaii is home to

an abundance of wildlife.

There are nearly

7000 rare species.

Most notable is the Queen

Charlotte black bear.

A native subspecies known

for its exceptionally large

jaws and teeth.

(BIRD CAWING)

(ANIMAL CROAKING)

(SOFT MUSIC)

(LONG SIGH)

(LONG SIGH)

(RUSTLING)

(WIND BLOWING)

(RUSTLING)

(ELK WARBLING)

Fuck!

(HEAVY BREATHING)

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

(BEAR GROWLING)

(JAKE YELPING)

(JAKE PANTING)

(DEEP SIGH)

(RUSTLING)

(EERIE MUSIC)

Well, think I know what

happened to your cat.

Little White Lightning?

(COUGHING)

More, more.

(SPARKY LAUGHING)

Should have read your

fucking horoscope today, kid.

(TENSE MUSIC)

(FIRE CRACKLING)

(BIRDS CAWING)

(WATER POURING)

(METAL RATTLING)

(SPITTING)

Fuck's sake.

You ever fire one

of these before?

No.

Wanna learn?

Okay.

(SOFT MUSIC)

Water level's

higher than normal,

hike up your socks, Jake!

Hey, watch those ones,

they're real slippery.

Come on, Jake!

(LAUGHING)

Yeah, laugh it up.

My foot's fucking freezing.

It's all part of

the adventure, buddy.

(BIRD CALLING)

Another watchman and I set

this up a few years back.

It's a great place

to let off some steam

and learn to protect yourself.

Rule one, always the treat

the gun as if it were loaded.

All right.

Whoa! (LAUGHING)

Rule two, be careful where

you point the damn

thing, all right?

Rule three, keep your finger

off the trigger, all right?

Aim down the sights,

square your feet up a bit.

There you go, now you

aim, and then you squeeze.

(CLICKING)

Just like that.

- I think I got it.

- Okay.

There you go.

Okay, square your feet,

aim your front foot

towards the target.

(SHOT FIRING)

Fuck!

You could have

warned me about that.

You all right?

There you go, okay, same thing.

This time old the butt

right against your shoulder

like that, nice and tight

so you don't get a kick

like that again, okay?

All right, it's all you,

this time.

(SHOT FIRING)

Yeah, you see that?

- Oh my god, buddy.

- Whoo!

You've earned that, holy shit.

(ANIMALS CHIRPING)

Kohelr said something

about these islands.

Said strange things happen here,

you know what he

was talking about?

I've never been a

superstitious guy personally.

Never seen anything to give

those old stories any credence.

What do you mean?

What if you saw something

you couldn't explain?

(TENSE MUSIC)

Think I'd keep that to myself.

(SHOT FIRING)

(SPARKY YELLING)

Jesus, Sparky, what the fuck?

(SPARKY LAUGHING)

Got him!

One more down. (GROWLING)

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

(JAKE SIGHING)

(LIQUID POURING)

- Sparky.

- Hey.

Going to head out,

get some shots, thinking

maybe I could borrow the rifle?

Tide's changing, I'm

dropping a couple rods.

I actually wouldn't

mind coming on the boat

with you sometime, getting

some shots on the water.

Sure.

Another time?

The rifle then.

Not sure that's

a good idea, Jake.

(DOOR CREAKING)

(MOTOR HUMMING)

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

The islands are home to

large forests with a wide

variety of ancient trees,

including the spruce,

western red cedar,

yellow cedar, shore pine,

western hemlock, mountain

hemlock, and red alder.

And then there's the rare and

magnificent golden spruce.

A naturally occurring genetic

mutation causes the needles

of some Haida Gwaii spruces

to have a golden hue.

Lacking pigment to protect its

leaves from excess sunlight

the golden spruces should

have withered and died

but instead they

have flourished.

(RUSTLING)

(GLASS SHATTERING)

(PEOPLE CHATTERING)

(RUSTLING)

(CHILD GRUNTING)

Anna.

Anna!

Anna!

Anna, wait, Anna, wait please!

Please don't leave me.

(SCREECHING)

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

(JAKE GRUNTING)

Fuck!

(ELK SQUEALING)

(BIRD CAWING)

(RUSTLING)

(SHOUTING)

Ah!

Day off.

Come on, we're going fishing.

(REEL CREAKING)

You know why fish make

lousy hockey players?

What?

Because they're afraid

of the net. (CHUCKLING)

You're a funny guy, Sparky.

Thought you were

just going for a walk.

Yeah, I passed out.

Well how the hell

far did you get?

Because I looked

all over for you.

What's wrong with you

there, you got a rash?

Just allergies.

You know it's just you and

me out here, no one else.

So the next time

you go for a walk...

Why don't you just mind

your fucking business, friend?

Hey, hold it there, Jake.

I need your friendship like

I need a kick in the teeth.

Do your damn job.

And I know you been sneaking

supplies from my shed.

- I see everything around here...

- I'm sick of your shit!

(PLANE ENGINE ROARING)

Hey, you cocksuckers.

(CHUCKLING)

Sorry to interrupt you

there, nice glassy day.

How you doing, Kohler?

Oh, me?

I need a drink.

Holy hell, Sparky.

You been working the

piss out of him or what?

He had a rough day.

No shit.

(MAN PANTING)

- And got another one.

- Thank you sir.

(KOHLER LAUGHING)

(MELLOW MUSIC)

(LIQUID POURING)

(RUSTLING DROWNING OUT SINGING)

They tell you boys about

the storm?

Another blower?

Not another pussyfart.

They're calling

for category three.

God damn, how long?

Day after next, southwesterly.

It's gonna be one dirty whore.

It's in the air.

Only one thing to do.

Get liquored.

(GLASSES CLINKING)

How many you need?

- (SIGHING) Two.

- Two.

- One?

- Yeah.

Shit.

(BIRDS CHIRPING)

You sure you're

okay to fly, Kohler?

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

Fuck, fuck, fuck!

(LIQUID TRICKLING)

(RUSTLING)

Fuck!

Come on, baby.

(BLOWING HARD)

(PANTING)

(DISTORTED SPEECH)

(SHOUTING)

(THUNDER CRASHING)

(STATIC CRACKLING)

I'm on with him right now.

I can't tell if he can read me or not.

Sparks, are you reading me?

Sparks, do you read me?

Can you read me, over?

(STATIC CRACKLING), over.

Say again Donna, over.

We've been tracking it.

The forecast... (STATIC CRACKLING)

Can you please say that,

come again Donna, over.

The forecast is

saying that it is headed

straight for you, hurricane

confirmed, category three.

We've been tracking it

every hour and it's only

getting nastier, over.

Copy that, Donna.

Don't worry about

me, we'll talk to you

in the morning, darling.

I'd better get a status

report in 24 hours.

Or I'm going to worry, over

and out.

(ITEMS CLATTERING)

The fuck is this?

I'm sorry about this, Jake.

What's your

fucking problem, huh?

Did you forget already?

I must have hit you harder

than I thought, huh?

Sparky, listen to me, I

don't know what you think

you saw but you gotta let me go.

You came at me with a

goddamn knife, think I saw!

Jesus Christ.

You think I did

this to myself, huh?

I am really trying to

give you the benefit

of the doubt here Jake.

Can't believe you tied me up.

Like I said, I feel

real bad about it.

- Do you?

- Yeah.

It was for your own good.

You're outta control, bud.

I mean, you insult me, you

damage company property,

you steal load supplies

and you lost the rifle.

I don't know what you're

smoking or snorting

but you are not gonna

jeopardize my home here.

You wanna hurt

somebody or yourself?

Not on my watch,

not at my lodge!

Now, again, I'm real

sorry to say it.

Because of right now,

you are suspended.

Your place here in the future

is questionable at best.

Understand, huh?

Now.

Nothing's flying in or

out 'til after the storm.

Kohler was right, calling

for a category three.

Now I have to batten

down the hatches.

Unfortunately, I

could use your help.

I just wanna know

that I can trust you.

- What does that mean?

- It means yes.

Yes what?

That you can trust me.

I'll admit, maybe I was a

little bit out of it before

but I'm okay now.

I promise you, Sparky,

you can trust me.

Jesus Christ, man. Just get

me the fuck out of here.

I just need a cigarette.

I'm gonna untie your hands.

The rest you can do yourself.

Sure.

Easy.

(SIGHING)

(ENGINE HUMMING)

Wanna top it up?

Goes right down there.

(SOFT MUSIC BOX MUSIC)

You got a bunker?

This place is

full of surprises.

(TENSE MUSIC)

Spent many a night down here.

(GULLS CAWING)

That's good.

Okay, got it.

That should do it.

You want me to take over?

No, I got this.

Whatever you say, boss.

Marine forecast, hurricane.

Force wind warning in effect

through Tuesday afternoon.

West winds 35 to 45 knots,

gusts up to 60 knots.

After midnight, rain.

(THUNDER RUMBLING)

It's accelerating quickly.

Landfall less than an hour.

We should get underground.

Just need to grab something

from my room quickly.

Yeah, sure.

Don't make me come get you.

(THUNDER RUMBLING)

(TENSE MUSIC)

Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!

(GLASS SHATTERING)

(PANTING)

(RAIN PATTERING)

No!

You can fix this.

(CLATTERING)

(CREAKING)

(SHOUTING)

(THUNDER CRASHING)

What'd you do to

yourself now, Jake?

Nothing.

Those are supposed to

be the emergency supplies.

Well, they're being put to

good use then, aren't they?

You either have very bad luck

or you're the stupidest

goddamn idiot I've ever met.

I need your opinion

like I need another

needle in the cock.

So you never leave here, huh?

Never wash your fucking clothes?

Never shower, it's the

same pair of underwear

for the last four fucking years?

Better hygiene than

someone else at this table.

Ah, well, nobody to

impress up here, right?

Is that what you told me?

Anyway, you'll have to get

some aftershave at least

when you finally

hook up with Donna.

Christ, don't start in on

Donna again.

She's a saint.

Sure she is.

You still wanna play?

Hm?

Thank for your help today.

You were really helpful

and I appreciate it.

(LIQUID TRICKLING)

Oh.

Wanna tell me

what's on your mind?

I've heard it all and then some.

Why don't you start with

here you found that knife?

I wish I could.

You know, living up here

puts things in perspective.

Some people come up

here and the islands

find the best of them.

And some, they find the worst.

Before I came here,

I worked on big

fishing trawlers.

We were on this run

in the Bering Strait.

I was asleep in my

bunk, skeleton crew.

We were working

double shifts and this

young deckhand took over watch.

He was barely into puberty.

A rouge wave hit us

without warning, a monster.

All the glass on the bridge

broke and the pressure

from the water threw this

kid down onto the cabin deck.

Broke his back and

one of his legs.

I carried him out.

(SIGHING)

We drifted for 15 hours

before I realized he'd

stopped breathing.

Back home I couldn't shake it.

People always had

something to say or they'd

just stare at you.

I needed to get away.

This place is quiet, peaceful.

I haven't driven a car in years.

I can't remember the last

time I was stuck in traffic

or carried a wallet

around, heard a phone ring.

And I do not miss

any of that shit.

(LIQUID TRICKLING)

(SIGHING)

Devil always gets his due.

(SOFT MUSIC)

He may not have got me on

that boat, but when he does,

I'm gonna be right

here on Haida Gwaii.

(RUSTLING)

What you got here?

Nudie pictures, huh?

What are these

supposed to be, Jake?

You know I had

to get away too.

Got nothing to go back to.

Is that what you wanted

to hear, Sparky?

That everyone I love is

either dead or fucked off

a long time ago?

That everything I own

I brought with me here

on that plane?

I think about ending it every

fucking goddamn day like it's

a fucking hobby.

But I tell myself to

keep going for the work,

but guess what?

No one gives a shit about

my work, it's firestarter.

And now this.

This is fucking different.

I need you to listen

to me, Sparky.

I could have kept this

to myself but I am being

straight with you here, straight

as a goddamn arrow, okay?

Shit man, it's like living

in a fucking nightmare.

What are you saying, Jake?

I'm saying I don't know

how, Sparky, but I know

you are gonna die.

(EERIE HUMMING)

(THUNDER CRASHING)

What are you talking about...

Listen, you leave here,

you're a fucking dead man...

(THUNDER CRASHING)

And what if I stay?

Sparky, don't do this!

Listen to me, Sparky...

Stay the fuck away from me!

Sparky, wait.

No more Jake, I'm

done with your shit.

Listen to me, Sparky!

Please, okay, you're gonna

die if you go out there.

Sparky!

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

Sparky, Sparky!

Sparky!

Sparky!

Sparky, wait!

(TREE CRACKING)

(SPARKY GRUNTING)

Sparky!

(BEAR GROWLING)

Hey over here, over here!

(SPARKY GRUNTING)

(BEAR GROWLING)

(GRUNTING)

(THUNDER CRASHING)

(SOFT MUSIC)

(HORN HONKING)

(CAR CRASHING)

(BEAR GROWLING)

Come on, I'm right

fucking here, come on!

(BEAR ROARING)

(SOFT MUSIC)

(PAINED GROANING)

Jake?

Jake?

(SOFT MUSIC)

(WOOD CREAKING)

(SOFT PANTING)

(STATIC CRACKLING)

(PANTING)

(BREATH HITCHING)

(SOFT MUSIC PLAYS)