Darkness Falls (2020) - full transcript

Elizabeth.

Who are you?

How did you get in?

Do exactly as I say.
Come here.

Unless you want me
to go to Frankie's bedroom.

Did you understand...

what I said?

Put it down.

Now.

There you go.

Adam...



What do you want from us?

Just swallow these.

- Uh-huh.
- No. No.

Adam.

Are you listening to me?

Are you listening to me?

Hear this.

You can swallow these...

or I can go down the hall...

and visit your son Frankie.

Understand?

You wanna make this easier, or...

There you go.

Almost through.



I count four more.

One.

Down it goes.

Two.

Three.

There.

That wasn't too hard,
was it?

Frankie... you lucky boy.

Shh.

Blade.

We shouldn't be here, Jeff.

Jesus, Kelly.
We've been over this ten times already.

Yeah, I know. But your theory is
holding on by a fucking thread.

No wonder Captain Martel
ignored your request for...

Captain Martel is gonna
be retired,

so he can't hold out on us
in less than a month.

I'm not gonna
bet our future on him.

Who is it?

LAPD. Just wanna ask you
a few questions.

Told you he was here.

What're you doing?
I'll fucking kill you!

Oh, yeah?

All right.
I'll drop you off first,

and then I'll take
this sweetheart in.

Tomorrow's a big day.

You need your beauty sleep.

Put your head down.

You sure you don't
want my help?

No, I'm good.
Thank you... Captain.

Hey, don't jinx it.
And listen, do me a favor.

Liz wants me to get home safe
tonight, so I'm gonna drive.

All right.

- Thank you.
- Mmm-hmm.

Careful.

- Hey, buddy.
- I had a nightmare.

That's no good.
Come here.

You okay?

I dreamt a bad guy
came to my room.

A bad guy?

Okay, well,
I can promise you

that there are no bad guys
in your room, okay?

What do you think that is?

Mommy made you a surprise.

She did?

Well, if it's a surprise,
you're not supposed to tell me about it.

Okay, let's take
a look at this.

"I'm so proud of you."

It's beautiful.

So bright.

Hey.

Let's not tell Mommy
you told me, all right?

- I promise.
- Okay, good.

Now, come here.
Let me get you to bed.

Let's go find Mommy.

Where's Mommy, hmm?

Where'd she go?
Is she hiding on us?

Where is she?

Maybe she's in the living room.

Nope, not in here.

Let's go check the bedroom.

Oh, where could she be?

Is she in here?

Oh, my...

What is it?

Nothing, buddy.
She's not here.

Okay, Frankie.
Listen to me for a second.

I need you to go
to sleep for me.

Right now, okay? Okay.

Liz. Liz.

We have a Code 1056

at 10622 Magnolia Boulevard.

Hey, guys, let me see the body?

- For a second.
- Yeah, sure thing, Detective.

I guess his new tie
didn't fit right?

Come here a second. I...
I don't know if I heard you right.

Say it again. Huh?
Is this a fucking joke to you?

- Hey, man. I was just...
- Hey, Detective! That's enough!

That's enough!

Okay.

- With all due respect, sir...
- I'm good.

I'm good.

What's his problem?

His wife killed herself
three months ago.

He's been prowling 1056s
ever since.

What's 1056?

Suicide scenes.

Oh, Christ, poor dude.

Yeah, well...

Just take care of the body.

You asked to see me,
Your Highness?

Don't call me that.
I didn't steal your job.

I took the damn job

because you threw it
down the toilet.

Two more men filed
reports against you.

Oh, yeah?

Uh, which two?

They call you
"The Suicide Guy," Jeff.

What do you want me to say?

Look.

All you've been doing
since it happened

is skulk around
suicide scenes.

It doesn't make any sense,
and I won't condone it any longer.

You've gotta get back
in the saddle.

Let me team you up
with a new partner,

assign you to a homicide case.

You have a gift, Jeff.
Don't waste it.

I am working a homicide case.

- Elizabeth took her own life.
- No.

She didn't.

We've been through this
a hundred times...

She didn't have a single
reason to kill herself.

You know that.
That's not who she was.

With all the respect
I have for her,

her work as an artist
was very tormented.

- We don't know what was going on...
- No, I know!

She was my wife.

She was my best friend,
so I know.

And what about Frankie, hmm?

I mean, what he said that night,
the nightmare he had.

A man in his room.
Do you think he made that shit up?

And the two guys that I saw
on the way in that night.

I asked everybody
in the fucking building,

nobody knows who they are.

This is shady.

It's not shady...

it's crazy.

Okay.

Freeze! Put your
hands in the air.

You got me, buddy.
Come here.

- Oh...
- I heard the shower

- and knew it was you.
- Oh, you're always right.

Can you come play?

Yeah. Let me just talk
to Grandma first, okay?

- And then we can play.
- Yay!

I'll be right back, all right?

Hey, Mom.

Hi.

We haven't seen you
in a while.

At least you took a shower.

Yeah.

You're still not going back
to that apartment?

No, I can't.

Well, then sell the damn thing
and move on.

This is a terrible example
for your son!

You cannot keep coming
back here like this.

Look, Frankie...

He's a kid, okay? He doesn't
notice stuff like this.

Oh, he doesn't?

That's how little you know
about your son.

He notices everything!

And besides...

- I notice, Jeff.
- Well, you're my mother.

And you understand
what I'm going through, right?

Two months ago, I understood.

Now it is just self-destruction.

I need one thing
from you, Mom.

Be there for Frankie.

I can't be, not yet.

You won't bring her back
by killing yourself.

There.

I said it.

Yeah. You said it.

Are you okay, Dad?

Yeah, buddy.

I'm good.

I love you.
You know that, right?

Give me a hug. Come on.

Yeah.

I gotta go, okay?

- Anderson.
- Jeff, it's Capt... It's Kelly.

You gotta get to the hospital.

Now.

Kelly, what's going on?

Get moving. I'll brief you
on the way.

Miss Wilson?

I'm Detective
Jeff Anderson, LAPD.

I know you're going
through something...

unimaginable right now.

I already, uh, told everything
to your colleagues.

But I need to hear firsthand
what happened to you.

In your own words.

Um, my boyfriend, Mike,

had left to go home.

I heard the
apartment door, and...

I thought maybe it was him.

Maybe he forgot something.

But then, two guys...

came in...

Um...

The older one's...

in his 60s.

And...

He looked like
he hated my guts.

The younger guy
was in his 20s...

and he had a gun.

Um...

Older guy...

handed me a bottle
of sleeping pills.

And...

He, uh...

told me, uh...

"Take them."

'Cause he knew where
my mother lived.

And then...

Mike did forget something.

And then, uh,

the next thing I remember is...

waking up in this room.

Where is Mike?

Um...

- This wasn't...
- I'm Jane.

So, call... Call me Jane.

Jane...

No.

No, don't say it. Don't.

- Don't say it.
- They shot him.

He didn't make it.

I'm sorry.

- Jeff...
- No.

I don't know what
to say. This is...

No, this is exactly what I've been
saying for the last six months!

Look...

You understand
what I have to do, right?

I do.

- Where's it at?
- Upstairs.

They started here...

and there.

- Yeah.
- Daddy?

Frankie, hey.

Hey, buddy. What're you doing?
Is Grandma with you?

Are we still going
to Disneyland?

No, buddy. I'm sorry.

I totally forgot about that.

Can we go tomorrow?

No, no, no, no. Daddy's got
a lot of work right now.

Are you looking for a bad guy?

Two of 'em, actually.

What did they do?

They did some bad things.

Did they kill Mom?

Frankie.

Let Granny have the phone.

I'll talk to Daddy for a minute
and you just go inside, okay?

Good boy.

Are you crazy?

Talking about this
with your son?

Mom, hey.

Look, I didn't check
my caller ID, he surprised me.

Frankie has been looking forward
to going to Disneyland

with you today for weeks.

You promised him, Jeff!

Yeah, I know. Mom, Mom, look.

I'll make it up to him,
I promise.

That's not how
little boys think.

They need a father
who they can trust

and who they can depend on,

not one that makes
empty promises.

I got to go, Mom.

I miss you.

- What have you got?
- I have a theory.

You always do.

I found 19 prominent women
who committed suicide

by slashing their wrists
in their bathtubs,

after ingesting sleeping pills.

All of them
in the Los Angeles area.

And I only went back 10 years.

Guys, give me a second.

What do you mean
by "prominent women"?

Doctors, lawyers, artists,
politicians, you name it.

Now, these women were featured
prominently in the news

in the weeks preceding
their suicides.

Are you saying all these women
were murdered by our two suspects?

Probably not all of them.

- Okay, which ones then?
- How the fuck should I know?

I mean, there's no crime scene,
there's no evidence, nothing.

These guys are pros.

That's your theory?

Two men are simulating
women suicides on a large scale.

Prominent women.

If your theory's correct,
how come no one's ever noticed?

Kelly, I noticed...

and nobody believed me,
but I understand that.

There's no apparent motives.

There's no clues. These are not
even identified as murders.

And there are over a thousand
suicides a year in this fucking town.

So these are perfect crimes?

As close as they get.

What's their motive?

I don't know yet.
But they hate women,

that's for sure.

Look, I need a team, Kelly.

There's way too much information
to process, I need help.

Jeff, I can't do
that sort of thing anymore.

It's not just you and me
in a car in stakeout mode.

Okay. Right.

I hate you.

I hate you.

I hate you!

I came as soon as I could.

Thanks. Come in.

My God, Jeff.

What have you been doing?

I tried to think like they do,

and now I know
how they operate.

And then they're gone.

Just like that.

Okay.

Let's just say
your theory is accurate.

Mmm-hmm.

What do we do about it?

Okay, look, I made a list

of the women that I would
kill next if I was them.

- How'd you do all this?
- I told you. Look at this shit!

- Are you kidding me?
- Jeff.

For two weeks,
I've been doing this.

Jeff, you are scaring me.

Look, it's fine. It's okay.

But these women need to be put
into protective custody today.

Okay, well, you're asking
for the impossible.

- Fuck you!
- Do you know how much this would cost?

- Who cares how much it costs?
- Putting a dozen women under

- constant police surveillance.
- Yeah?

- And for how long?
- Until they attack, Kelly!

Jeff, that could be
a couple of months.

- Yeah.
- If you're right.

No, I'm fucking right.

Look, believe me.

I would love nothing
than to protect these women,

but this?

This represents
thousands of man hours.

So many other cases would never
be solved because of this!

Hey, this is your part
of the fucking job!

- I didn't ask...
- "Captain." No, you fucking stole it from me!

That's what happened.

- Let's be real for a second.
- Okay, Jeff.

What am I supposed
to tell the Commissioner?

That my former partner,
who's barely showed up at the precinct

since his wife committed suicide

- six months ago...
- Yeah.

...has developed a theory
about two men

who are suiciding famous women?

That's not exactly
how I would put it, no.

- We need proof.
- Mmm-hmm.

- Jeff.
- Mmm-hmm.

Concrete evidence...

that at least some of this
is true.

These men
don't leave evidence, Kelly!

What do you think
I'm fucking telling you?

You're smarter than this.

They're fucking perfect at this!

Figure it out!

Don't let 'em catch you.
Come on.

Get that boy! Get that boy
right there.

Come on, you...

Look what the cat dragged in.

He looks happy.

Well, today is a good day.

You know what I've been saying
for months about Liz?

What, that she didn't
kill herself?

I don't wanna talk about it.

- Mom, Mom, Mom.
- No!

I was right.

And I can prove it now.

Are you serious?

Two men have been killing women...
for years.

They killed Liz.

Oh, my God.

Are you sure?

How close are you
to catching them?

Mom, I'm so fucking close.

If you really think that you
can catch these sons of bitches,

you do whatever you have
got to do to catch them.

If that means that you can't
spend time with Frankie...

I will explain it to him,

and we're gonna wait for you.

This is a defining moment
in your life.

I'm sorry I didn't believe you.

Thank you, Mom.

She loved you so much.

Dad!

- Hey! Come here, buddy.
- Give me a hug.

What're you doing here? Are we
going to Disneyland today?

No, buddy. Not today.

Did you catch
the bad guys already?

No... but I will.

I know, you're Batman.

Go play with your friends, okay?

Okay.

I love you, buddy. Go ahead.

Yeah?

We just received a call from
a woman named Amanda Tyler.

She claims a man's been
stalking her,

watching her from his car
for days now.

What the fuck does
that have to do with me?

Amanda Tyler is on the list
you gave me.

So what, do you work
in Dispatch now, Captain?

I asked to be informed
of anything

that comes up about the women
on your list.

So you did tell
the Commissioner about this?

Why would I do that?

This is just
between you and me.

You're there right now,
aren't you?

Of course I am.

Are you staking out
all these women?

Well, the best I can
with a one-man army.

Imagine if someone found out

you were doing
illegal police surveillance?

Look, I'm doing this mostly
on my free time, okay?

Yeah, tell that to the jury.
You gotta leave her be, Jeff.

At least for the time being.

Yes, ma'am.

Are you fucking kidding me?

Okay.

Pick up the phone,
pick up the phone.

Jeff, it's no use.

Kelly, listen to me.
Send backup here.

- Right away.
- What are you talking about?

They're here.

- Now?
- Yes, right now. Do it.

Hey! Don't fucking move!

Listen.

Put your hands
behind your head. You too.

Do it!

Who's Elizabeth?

Drop the gun.

- I said, drop your gun.
- Do as he says.

You can still save her.

Now.

Turn around.

- On your fucking knees.
- Ow.

You didn't answer my question.

Who's Elizabeth?

My wife.

Detective Jeff Anderson.
LAPD Homicide.

Like Elizabeth Anderson.

Yeah, the painter.

You were so nervous
about that one

- because her husband was a cop.
- Mmm.

Rightfully so.

I remember.

There was a young boy, too.

So we killed your wife.

How'd you know we'd be here?

I tried to think like you.

Well, you're just a regular Magnum
PI, aren't you, Detective Anderson?

All right, I'm sick
of this shit.

Wait!

They're here!

You need help.

Okay, okay.

You're gonna be okay.

This is the way out of here.

It's all right.

Stop right there!

Don't go back to the house.
We go with the contingency plan, take off.

Mark Witver,
freelance building contractor,

who was married
to Felicia Connor, deceased.

She committed suicide.

Same bathroom setup
as the victims.

And the young one is their son?

Adam Witver. He was five
when his mother killed herself.

Five.

House is clear, Captain,
but you gotta take a look at the basement.

Watch your step.

Jeff... I'm so sorry.

We shouldn't have doubted you.

It's okay.

Your hands were tied.

We need to find your son.

You need to find my son.

Count me out of it.

Family's everything.
Right, Jeff?

Yeah.

So what is it with you?
Why don't you tell me your story?

I want to hear it.

Well...

Roll out the old family tree,
my father...

Well...

He was long gone
by the time I was born.

My mother raised me alone.

I was a difficult little shit.

I think I resented her
for my father not being around.

But, any case,

raising me alone turned out to be way
too fucking much for her to handle.

She killed herself...

when I was nine.

Found her in the bath,
drowning in her own blood.

And right next to her, there was
an empty bottle of sleeping pills.

And I remember reading a notice
again and again...

trying to find an explanation
for what happened to her.

One of my mother's friends
reached out to Child Services

and offered to take care of me.

It turns out, she thought that
I had driven my mom... crazy.

Crazy enough
to take her own life.

So, she decided that she had to
put me back on the right track,

which included...

beatings and unjust punishments.

Humiliations.

I took things
into my own hands.

Captain?

One morning, I called the
police, I was 12 or something.

And I told them...

"I found her dead
in the bathtub."

Never felt better
in my whole life.

Why are you telling me all this?

You think that justifies
what you did to these women?

Huh?

To my wife?

I'm telling you this because...

I respect you for being
smart enough to get me here.

I want you
to understand who I am.

And two...

By tomorrow,
I'll be out of here.

And you'll never hear from me again.

Wow, is that a fact?

You don't think we do what we
do without a contingency plan,

do you, Detective Anderson?

Jeff, you need to come with me.

Now.

Here we go.

What?

Jeff...

What are you doing here?

Where are we going?

I told you. Your dad
wanted me to pick you up.

I'm his new partner.

So we're going to see Dad?

- Absolutely.
- Cool.

Why didn't Grandma come with us?

She had to run some errands.
Don't worry.

Meantime, we can have some fun
just the two of us, right?

Come on.

Left.

21.

- We don't have a choice.
- You know how this works.

Hey, they have Frankie!

You're asking me to release
a fucking serial killer!

- Listen to yourself!
- What is wrong with you?

We will play him.
Plant a tracker.

And what if
he gets rid of the bug?

What if they kill
Frankie anyway?

Let's just go in there
and get something out of Mark.

'Cause he will be over the
fucking moon to help us.

Where the fuck are they?

Uh-oh. What has Adam done now?

- He took my son.
- Frankie?

Wow, they grow up so fast!

Stay over there.

Good. I'm good.

Mr. Witver.

Mr. Witver!

I'm Captain Alderman, and I'm
the officer in charge here.

What, female police captain?

Wow.

You don't see that every day.

Wait a minute.
Oh, whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a minute.

Now, if I remember correctly,
when we got interested

in your wife, you were studying
for the whole captain thing.

So that means...

She took your job?

You better make sure your balls
are still attached.

Look, if you cooperate with us,
and help us find his son,

we'll convince the DA
to take it into account.

And they'll knock a couple of
hundred years off my prison term?

Please, bad Captain.
Let me give you the lay of the land.

We'll give him back his son

in exchange for my immediate
release from this shithole.

You know perfectly well
that's not gonna happen.

Well, then you're gonna have to
buy a small wooden box.

Motherfucker...
You're gonna die.

- Jeff!
- You know that?

Jeff...

All right, Jeff,
what are you gonna do?

You gonna shoot me right here?
That'll be perfect.

That'll end well for you.

Think for one fucking second.
I die, he dies.

You understand me?

Jeff...

Put it down.

What's gonna happen.

You're gonna get out of here,
and I'm gonna get my son.

Back off, Madam Captain,
back off!

You two are gonna
walk me right out of here.

You understand?

Let's go.

I'm sorry.

Go ahead, Jeff.

Move.

Car keys, Jeff.

The car's at the crime scene.

Madam Captain?

You know, I feel for you, Jeff.

I took your wife,
this woman took your job.

You got nothing left.

The least I could do is
give you back your job.

- I'm gonna...
- Think about your son!

- Back off.
- Yeah?

Fuck you.

When is my dad coming?

Soon. He just texted me
to say he's running late.

He's always late.

Kind of sucks that your dad is
never there for you, huh?

I don't know.

My mom was like that.

I always hated her for it.

My mom died.

Yeah, mine too.

Kind of seems like
we got a lot in common.

I think we're gonna be
buddies, you and I.

A lot.

I never had many friends.

Your wife didn't
kill herself, did she?

When I met Felicia,
I was just doing odd jobs for a living.

She, on the other hand,
was finishing law school.

Love at first sight.

Didn't think it through
very much.

We married six months
after we met.

She then got a job
at some fancy law firm,

and started to change
from day fucking one.

I thought she was
gonna leave me.

But she got pregnant.

That's right.

After Adam was born,

we thought that it would put some
cement into the cracks of our marriage,

but instead, it just...

started some sort of
unhealthy competition

between her career
and our family.

So you killed her.

I enjoyed every second of it.

And that was the start
of a very long series.

I like to think my mother was.

Stop.

This is where
you get out, buddy.

Just tell me where my son is.

How would I know?

I wanna see him, now.

Calm down. I'll release him
as soon as I find Adam.

- You have my word.
- That wasn't the fucking deal.

That was exactly
the fucking deal.

You release me,
I release Frankie.

Call Adam. Do it, now.

Jeff, you're not putting this
together, see?

I'm the one calling
the shots here.

Are you kidding me?

Did you really think
I was gonna let you go?

Get Adam on the phone.
Do it.

Now!

- Dad.
- Adam. It's me.

I'm being, uh, detained...
by our old friend, Detective Anderson.

But you stick to the plan.
You keep that boy...

Adam. Hey.

Fuck!

Okay.

Your rules.

What's going on?

Your dad called.
Unfortunately, he can't make it.

Why did you call him "Dad"?

Just a little joke...

that we have
between each other.

- Can I talk to him?
- No, he's busy.

You know how he gets.

Can we go back
to Grandma's house?

- I don't like this place.
- Fuck it, Frankie,

your grandma asked me to take
care of you until tomorrow, okay?

She called you?

Why don't...

you swallow this?

Makes you get
a good night's sleep.

And then when you wake up tomorrow,
I'll take you to your father. I promise.

Grandma told me never to
accept anything from strangers.

I'm not a stranger.
I'm your dad's partner, remember?

Then show me your police badge.

I don't have it
with me right now.

And I don't believe you.

This is my gun.

Do you believe me now?

Good boy.

What now?

I'm gonna text you an address, you're gonna
come right away and you're gonna bring my son.

You know what, you're
getting ahead of yourself.

You're a cop.

You killed my wife, and my partner.
You took my son.

Do you think I give a fuck,
a single fuck, about being a cop?

Dad, Dad, what do you
want me to do here?

No matter how many times
you hit me,

you're never gonna get us to do

anything we don't wanna do.

Really?

Okay. You asked for it.

No!

Dad! Dad!

I'm gonna text you an address,

and you're gonna be here
in an hour.

Jesus fucking Christ!
Jesus fucking Christ!

That looks like
it kinda hurts.

Doesn't it strike you
that you and I are a lot alike?

I think you're losing
blood to the brain.

I killed your wife,
tore your life apart,

you became obsessed and started
living by that obsession.

I made you, Jeff.

Just like the women
in my life made me.

You're not gonna make it out of here alive.
I want you to know that.

Let's see what Adam
has to say about that.

Aren't you ashamed
of what you made him?

I'm very proud of him.

Never forget,
he grew up without a mother.

Where's Frankie?

You okay, Dad?

I'll live.

I wanna see my son, now.

You release my father,
and I release Frankie,

it's as simple as that.

Now!

By the way, we became
good friends, Frankie and I.

We got a lot in common.

Don't you think I know
what you're doing?

I don't buy your
bullshit mind games.

Get out of here, Adam.

Let me tell you
what happens next.

We part ways,
Adam keeps Frankie...

you bring me before a jury and
you let my lawyer go through

all the irregularities
of my arrest.

I take my chances with the
judge, and you lose your job.

In the meantime, Frankie gets to spend
some quality time with Uncle Adam.

He'll make
an excellent apprentice.

He has the best
possible background.

No! Stop!

I'm gonna keep counting, and each time
I reach three, he loses another limb!

One!

Two!

Three!

Wait, wait, wait! Wait.

You just killed your own son.

Dad! No!

Dad! You motherfucker,
he was everything to me!

Tell me! Where's Frankie?

So you got nothing left to exchange,
and I got nothing to fucking lose!

I guess that makes us dead men.

Daddy! Please help me!

Help me!

Help me!

Fuck you! Fuck you!

Why?

Why did you help him
kill all those women?

My father raised me that way.

So go ahead, do it.

Do it!

Daddy?

Do it!

- What are... What are you doing?
- Frankie! Frankie, come here!

Okay. All right.

It's over. It's over.

Okay? Okay.

It's okay, buddy.

I'm gonna put you
in the car, okay?

I just need you to
go in the car.

All right? And put
your seatbelt on for me. Okay?

Yeah, good boy.
Good boy.

Just put that on.
All right?

I'll be right back.

Get up. Get up!

Move. Move!

Your father was everything
to you.

Let's see how you manage
without him.

Why are you throwing it away?

I'm done with it, buddy,
I don't need it anymore.

Hey, Frankie,
where are you going?

You catch bad guys, Dad.
That's your job.

People need you.

Close the door.

Put your seatbelt on.

You ready?

Let's go.

What, are you just
gonna leave me here?

I love you.