Drown the Clown (2020) - full transcript

Claire Sable?

Yeah, that's me.

Mrs. Benet is ready to see you now.

It looks as though you
haven't worked in a year.

Why is that?

Okay.

Claire!

I'm very sorry for your loss.

No!

Thank you for coming in, Claire.

It's a pleasure to meet you



and we'll give you a decision
by the end of the day.

Thank you, it was nice to meet you.

And you as well.

Goodbye.

Have a good day!

Sleeping already, are you?

You know it.

I wonder how this got here.

Yeah, that is a mystery, isn't it?

I found you!

Hide and go peek.

Whoa, she was in there the whole time?

You didn't see her?

Oh, look, your friend gave you away!



I love you, mommy.

Yeah, that's your voice.

I love you, mommy.

Did you move the clown doll last night?

I take it you didn't get the job.

Not even close.

So, you ready for this first day or night

or whatever they call this shift?

Yeah, graveyard shift, all right.

Well, try to hang on to this one,

because you're the only one

keeping us in this
apartment at this point.

Get some rest.

There's always tomorrow, right?

I guess so.

Okay.

Bye.

See you.

I thought I told you

to do that over a week ago.

Get off my back.

I take care of enough of stuff!

I don't do a thing?

How about I take care of the bills,

the taxes, I fix the house up?

I have to do this

when I get back to work everyday

and you don't do a thing.

It's always my responsibility.

I don't do anything,

that's what you're saying?

No, I...

Good evening.

Evening, I'm Claire Sable.

It's my first night of guard duty.

Thanks.

Are you all right?

Oh, I dropped my candy.

Oh, are you?

Gus Sullivan, head of security here.

I'm Claire Sable.

I'm gonna be working for you.

Oh, not working for, working with.

There's not a lot to this job.

Just trying to keep your
sanity during the lonely nights

is a job in and of itself, I guess.

- Candy?
- No, thank you.

Seems like this is a good job to have.

I mean, this is the country's

oldest and best marine-themed
water park, right?

Yeah, I think the last
kid who had this job

died internally when he realized

he'd be doing it for the next 60 years.

I think he quit or committed
suicide or something.

Come on, let me show you
to your work station.

You can leave your shit
in one of the lockers,

but it's just you and
me, so it's a small crew.

Clown's Cove Waterpark.

I hear that damn thing in my sleep.

Water slides and water rides.

A cruise ship, sea port, and harbor.

Water garden, restaurants, and gift shops,

as well as marine exhibits.

Shows and signature water rides.

Just you and me
monitor this whole building?

If we get around to it.

Coney the Clown
and friends have been...

We get power outages from
leaks from time to time.

Here's your work station.

Central command, front and center.

Looks expensive.

Yeah, you don't wanna

spill your coffee here, that's for sure.

Ugh, where's this water coming from?

- Hello.
- Hi.

Oh, hey, I'm just
showing her the ropes.

Just wanted to check in

to see if you guys needed
anything before I head out.

Nope, we're good.

She seems like a good choice.

Well, I have my phone by my side

in case you need anything, okay?

God, there's so much water.

Hey, can I use the restroom quickly?

This isn't grade school.

When you gotta go, you gotta go.

Hey.

Oh, hi.

The last few people are leaving,

so I'm ready to show how
the security system works.

Sure, I'll be right there.

You okay?

You look like you've just seen a ghost.

My daughter Lily, she
used to love clowns,

this clown in particular
and his water parks,

and she's probably happy to
know that I work here now.

She probably would want
to meet him or something.

- I'll be right back.
- Sure.

I love you, mommy.

Last one just left.

All you gotta do is log
in, put in the access code,

and hit arm.

And they stay locked until morning,

unless there's a fire, then
they automatically unlock.

So, what's next?

That's it, we just monitor
until something goes wrong.

Do we do rounds or do
we check up on things, or?

If you want to, be my guest.

Relax, kid, boring but
it's a pretty sweet gig.

Did you move that clown doll from my desk?

Huh, why?

It's missing.

Maybe you misplaced it or something.

Yeah, maybe.

I don't think so, though.

Try some mouth-watering pizzas

or our new beer battered fish and chips.

Fresh cod fish drenched in a beer batter,

fried to golden perfection,

and served with homemade tartar sauce,

lemon wedges, and crispy fries,

or fresh Atlanta salmon

which was grown right
here in the compound,

served with roasted garlic mashed potatoes

and sauteed spinach,

or maybe you're hungry for
something more traditional,

like our colonial style...

I love you, mommy.

I love you, mommy.

Your keycard will only let you in

where you're supposed to go.

Sorry?

I know you tried to
access the restricted level.

It showed up on the log.

I'm sorry, I could have
sworn I heard a child.

Once in a while, you'll hear
strange things from there.

It comes with the job.

What's in there?

Not sure.

I just know that we
don't have access to it.

I love you, mommy.

What?

What?

Why are you down here again?

Yeah, that is strange, but
there's nothing we can do

because it's coming from
the restricted level.

No way in hell are we getting in there.

There's a bunch of leaky
pipes all around the building.

I'll put in a call for
the plumbing department

to come in later this week.

But that doesn't explain

how this patch got moved down there.

It could be mice or something.

I'll place a call for
the exterminator as well.

Mice?

It's not just the seahorse patch.

I saw something down in the
restricted level in the vent.

Well, what did you see?

Uh...

I saw my child's clown doll.

Let me show you something.

I think this is what you've
seen down in the vents,

and this is where it may have come from.

What?

Who's is this?

This is our company's mascot.

We have a few of them
lying around the building.

I love you, mommy.

I love you, mommy.

Mama?

Claire!

Looks like we actually get
to do something tonight.

Some movement was detected
in the loading bay area.

We should go check it out.

I'll check the lower level.

Meet up with me after you check the upper.

- But I could...
- Go!

I love you, mommy.

I love you, mommy.

Get off me!

Are you okay?

Hey, you got her?

Is she okay?

Yeah, it's great that
Claire's okay and all,

but how the hell did you
get into this building?

Are you feeling any better?

Who are you?

I'm Chance Sage, it's nice to meet you.

Claire Sable.

Excuse me, but you are not a guest here.

Why the hell are you in this building?

So, uh...

This will be the awkward part.

You're one of those god damn

environmental nuts, aren't you?

Look, I have no quarrel with you.

It's with the company you work for.

Why are you trying to
get this place shut down?

Are you kidding?

Thank you, Gus.

Okay, let's try to keep
this as low-key as possible.

Him.

Put your hands behind your back.

Jesus.

Come on, let's go.

What were you planning to do?

Oh, he's tried to break in here before.

This was just his first
successful attempt.

He's trying to ruin the
good name of this company.

Or reveal your cruel
and abusive practices.

Please come this way.

Do you even know what you're guarding?

Why don't you ask them what's down there?

I'm sorry you had to
come all the way out here.

It won't happen again.

Okay, I live in the
high rise a block away,

so it wasn't the end of the world.

What the hell happened to you?

I saw something in the vents.

Yes, that something was just arrested.

I'm surprised it took you
both so long to find him.

No, I saw something else.

I saw the clown doll and
it was being controlled.

Enough!

I realize that you're going
through a rough patch,

but when you come to work,

you need to leave your problems
at the door, understood?

I understand.

Good, now if the two of you don't mind,

I'm gonna go home and get some rest.

I have a very busy day tomorrow.

The clown doll is missing!

What?

Lily's favorite toy, Mr.
Coney, the clown doll, is missing

and I saw it in a vent at work last night.

I see.

So, your first night went well?

I thought you lost it at work.

I mean, I thought I did.

I really wasn't thinking
that clearly, though.

Well, just check and see

if they have a lost
and found or something.

The room doesn't have to
remain perfect, you know.

I'm going down to the market
to get some cigarettes.

Do you want anything?

You didn't happen to move a clown doll

in my apartment last night, did you?

Is there no way we could get in there?

Even if it was an emergency?

Into the restricted area?

Absolutely not.

Someone is trying to get my attention

and all signs point to the one place

no one is allowed to go.

Even if I wanted to let you in,

I don't have the clearance to do so.

Is there any other
room that's near there?

The only one near there
is the electrical control.

Do we have access to that?

Please, Gus.

It's my child's favorite toy.

Let's make this quick.

We're actually not
supposed to be down here

unless there's a power outage.

Well, here you are.

I don't know what you
expect to find down here.

There has to be a vent system
leading into the next room.

Okay, but just look.

Don't actually touch anything.

That's the training space
for the marine performers.

The performing sea life?

They have to train them for the shows

before they're moved out to the park.

This is so god damn ridiculous.

They're actually the
biggest draws for the parks.

Have you seen what they
can do outside of water?

Didn't we cause enough
drama in the vents yesterday?

Can either of you please tell me

what you are both doing down here?

So now the clown doll is missing,

and I swear to you, I
saw it right in here,

being dangled in front of me last night.

We saw water coming out
of this one on the footage.

Whoever took my clown doll
is in the restricted area,

right behind this door.

Leaked water has nothing
to do with your missing doll.

No, but the footage proves

that somebody moved the
seahorse from the security floor

- and into the vent.
- Who?

The two of you were the
only ones in the building.

Whoever took my clown doll.

The only part you have on
camera is some leaking water.

We found that man in the vents.

And I'm sure he didn't
take your clown doll.

Gus, I was just coming back to tell you

to leave loading bay three unlocked

for an overnight shipment.

I'm not making this shit up!

Do you even hear yourself?

There have been several leaking pipes

or unexplained leaks around the building.

And?

I am telling you what I saw.

Do not make me regret hiring you.

I would hate to make a
bad situation even worse.

If you can show me any proof

that what you're saying is true,

but I don't see that anything
unusual is happening here,

so there's no reason to break protocol.

So if I find some kind of
footage or proof of what I saw,

then can we open up this level?

May I remind you that
we are not paying you

to sneak around the facility,
looking for some toy?

Don't worry, there won't
be any more searching around.

Good.

I'm going to try to go home
tonight and I'd like to

make sure not to have
a repeat of this again.

Have a good night.

I will try and I'll see
you both in the morning.

Can I help you?

Yes, I followed you here.

You followed me here, why?

Why were you sneaking
around in the vents?

Just trying to get into
that place where you can't go.

The restricted area?

If I can get in down there
and expose what they're doing,

I can get them shut down.

So you're trying to sabotage them?

I'm trying to expose them
for what they truly are.

Torturers and murderers.

Have you had any luck figuring out

exactly what goes on down there?

Why are you so interested in this?

I saw my child's
favorite toy down there.

Someone stole it from me.

Did you bring your child to work?

No.

You are the only other person
willing to go near that place.

Please, I just wanna know
I'm not going out of my mind.

Caring for our young is
programmed into each of us,

or it should be.

I think somebody's down there,

trying to get in touch with us.

They want to tell us something.

I can get in, but I need
your help on the inside.

I can't do that.

My job is on the line.

How do you expect to get down there?

They're not just gonna let
us walk in with permission.

I'm sorry, I don't even know why I came.

Do you believe a mother

would do anything for the
sake of her offspring?

The toy belongs to your offspring, no?

Do you even know what you're
protecting down there?

What they do to these animals?

They put them through hell.

Human happiness is a fragile thing.

Losing a life can destroy
that in an instant.

Don't you think the same thing can happen

to these intelligent creatures?

So it's not just me.

This has happened to someone else.

Why are you trusting
someone you just met?

He believed me.

Why would he lie?

Do I really have to spell
it out for you, Claire?

What?

If he needs no proof,
it's because he's doing it.

He's trying to manipulate you.

He is not your friend.

Why would he be trying to manipulate me?

Because he wants access
to the same place you do.

Why are we not even allowed
to glimpse at that level?

Do the guards at Area 51

or the Pentagon get to take a peak?

This is not Area 51.

No, it's not, but it is a
multi-million dollar facility

we've been instructed to protect.

Like it or not, Claire, we're
not getting onto that level.

And hopefully no one else will either.

Hey, yeah, it's me.

No, the alarm is from inside.

I swear it was up there a second ago,

and I don't know why the alarm went off.

I saw the clown doll in the elevator.

What is your obsession
with the clown doll?

It is not an obsession, god damn it.

Someone's fucking with me.

We didn't have any problems
until you showed up here.

Check the tape for the elevator.

Do it, or I'll do it myself.

Gus, I've seen enough.

No, no, no, no, that image is cropped.

Somebody was above me,
dangling the clown doll.

Claire, why don't you have a seat?

Take a seat.

No, I want you to call the police.

I will call the police,

but it will be to have you
removed from the building.

I know you really needed this job,

Claire, but I've had enough.

I've tried to help you
out, but it's really clear

that you're just not
ready to be back at work.

No, I'm telling the truth.

You need to leave the building.

You have to look into this.

You're fired, now get out!

Claire, please don't
make me escort you out.

Gus.

I...

What happened?

Why are you here?

They fired me.

What?

Oh, why?

The clown is down there.

Lily is trying to tell me something.

I can't stand this shit anymore!

I can't pull you out of hell.

You have to try, but you don't!

And you keep this god damn nursery

as if she'll walk back into it any day!

Roy, Roy!

Don't touch that!

Lily's gone forever!

Nobody's sitting in this chair.

Please, please.

Leave her things alone!

- Lily's dead!
- No!

These things won't bring her back!

And they keep you from moving on.

I can't keep us both above
water forever, Claire.

You never did.

You only ever kept yourself afloat.

You didn't even remember
today was her birthday, Roy.

How long have you been in my home?

Answer me!

Honey, I don't even know you.

What are you doing?

It doesn't matter either way.

You weren't gonna jump, were you?

Okay.

Okay, if you have to know,
that pipe underwater over there

opens up and shoots out water

from the labs below the
building every night.

I was looking for a new way in down there.

Now you, what are you doing
out here alone at night?

I think I'm seeing a ghost.

What makes you think that?

My child's toy.

It's haunting me from down there.

You sure your child wasn't
in the building with you?

What I'm seeing is impossible.

I don't know what I saw.

I know there's no
way I can convince you,

but I think we wanna both

enter that place for the same reason.

What?

We both have a nurturing side.

We're different from each
other, but we both have it.

Is that why you do this?

Animals, they can be intelligent too.

They feel pain exactly like we do.

Most even, most of them
even feel emotions too.

What did you find down in those vents?

I believe you.

Your child's doll is down there.

You're not alone, Claire.

Someone is trying to get my attention.

But who?

Who can it possibly be?

I don't know, but I
think we should find out.

Besides, what have you got to lose?

Hi, Gus?

Yes?

I left my purse upstairs.

Can I come up and get it?

Where did you leave it?

I can bring it down to you.

It's my purse and I need it

to use the restroom, if I could.

Hang on, I'll be down in a minute.

- Thank you.
- Sure, just make it quick.

I'll just be a second.

Oh, God.

Are they trying to train them?

That sound, oh no.

What is this place?

These are the animals for
the new act in the water shows.

They're shocking babies to
train them for the water shows.

Okay, come on, let's go.

You can't hide this!

You guys are in a mess of trouble.

You're trespassing on
private restricted property.

They were torturing them.

Are you new to this planet?

We eat meat, that's how we live.

You guys are finished here.

Come on, let's go.

I believe I was guarding this.

That's great and all, let's go.

Coming this fall for October's

spectacular octopus event.

Brand new, never before seen

trained octopus, raised from birth.

This new addition will
give families the chance

to see the sea's smartest creatures.

Come this way.

Wait in there please.

Where are you going?

Neither of you are in any
position to ask questions.

So how bad is it?

What did she see?

Almost everything through the glass.

How could you let this happen?

Oh, it's not my fault, okay?

We just can't keep going
through people like this.

How long has that been there?

Just saw it now.

How the hell could it
have gotten out again?

How the hell did you not see it

with all these cameras all over the place?

Oh, I don't know, maybe it can only

flatten itself like a pancake
and slide underneath doors.

Damn.

You know the clown doll is down there.

You know I'm not crazy.

Lily must be trying to tell me something.

But they didn't see it.

We'll get the police.

They'll see what's down there.

They'll shut the place down.

What makes you so sure?

Chance, you saw what's down there.

This is a multi-million
dollar corporation,

and in this multi-million
dollar corporation,

whatever we saw down there could
be considered legal by law.

So that's how it escaped.

It used a robotic claw to get out.

The squid learned a thing or
two since it last escaped.

It is not a squid!

Are you sure she saw everything?

She saw enough.

She knows what's going on here.

Soon enough, she's gonna know

it's been controlling that clown doll.

What's her home number?

All right, all right.

Yeah?

Oh, all right, give me like 15.

Sure, okay.

Yes, I'll be there soon, okay.

What's up?

Looks like we're gonna have to

cut play time short tonight.

Talia will be here in a moment.

So, what's this all about?

Did you get yourself fired
or is this a promotion?

I have no idea.

I thought the police would be here by now.

Well, it's late, so why don't we

make this as fast as possible?

Great.

Claire, how would you like to

work for our company life-long
by signing this contract?

You mean guarding your secrets.

Yes, I could use your help,

and your friend could be involved as well.

You've gotta be joking.

It's a good position.

It has full benefits.

You'll have life insurance,
health insurance, pension.

Okay, what you're asking us to do is?

The only thing we ask is
that you sign on with us

and then we can all go home.

What if we refuse your offer?

Well, I can simply call the police.

I'm sorry, are you threatening us?

No, but I'm offering
you an easy and simple way

to get out of a very bad situation,

and I would suggest that you
take it, just like Gus has.

Like I said, this is a sweet gig,

and it's about to get even sweeter.

Claire, this is what we've
been waiting for, come on.

What about the torture?

What about the murders
they're committing downstairs?

So we have already phased
out orcas and the whales

and the dolphins from our shows because of

the misconceptions of the
public about animal cruelty.

This is torture.

It's no different than what goes on

in animal testing labs
all across the country.

They're still alive
and they're feeling pain.

What we do here is not illegal!

Just unpleasant.

What's down there?

Don't lie to me.

You knew all along I was really

seeing Lily's clown doll, didn't you?

Who is haunting me with it?

That question and many others

will be answered as soon as we know

you're going to be part
of our team for sure.

I'll give you a few moments
to get everybody on board.

Okay, great, so let's just sign that

so we can get the hell out of here.

And you're just okay with protecting

what they're doing down there?

Shut the hell up, who the
fuck is this guy anyway?

Someone is down there with Lily's clown.

Doesn't that mean anything to you?

Like what?

Like an animal ghost is
trying to tell you something?

Or like Lily is coming back from the grave

to say, "Please protect the animals."

Holy shit, listen to yourself.

It's been over a year, Claire.

- Lily's dead.
- I know that.

Yeah, but your obsession

with her death is driving you crazy.

I'll never get over it, Roy.

Yeah, I won't either,
but if we wanna have

any kind of life, signing this contract

could set us back on the right track.

This is really difficult.

It shouldn't be.

You're doing the right thing, Claire.

I haven't done anything yet.

Don't fuck this up, Claire.

We could really use the security.

Why, so you can pretend
to keep looking for a job?

Listen to me!

Get off of me!

- Claire!
- Roy!

- Let me go!
- You need to wake up

and face reality, Claire!

I'm telling you to let go!

What the fuck?

You're nuts.

You're actually nuts.

Chance!

Ow.

Hey!

Aw, shit.

Claire!

Come on, come on.

Hey, stop!

Clair, hold on!

Stop, come here!

Here, here, here.

What the hell is wrong with her?

She'll come to her senses, trust me.

There's no way to get
down to the restricted level

except for that stairwell
and the main elevator.

Shit.

It's biometric.

It's only gonna open for them.

We could get in through the vents,

go to the labs, and
release the baby squid.

Why panic?

We know where they are.

You know the water drains
to the harbor each night.

If she breaks the safety glass
to the baby octopus tank,

she could be sucked out to sea.

So the main tank for the baby
squid, it's below the labs?

There's a sheet of
plexiglass between them

and the outside drainage pipe.

I'm gonna go through the tunnel

and get the vent open to the pier.

Find a way to unlock
the door from the inside

like you did before.

We're splitting up?

This is a two person job,

and I finally have a second person.

Okay.

They must have gone down here.

I don't understand
what's gotten into her.

Shit.

Claire?

Are you all right?

She may not be.

The only way to get back
there is without a card.

So this passageway
was here the whole time?

Okay, let's make this quick.

We're breaking all sorts of protocol.

Watch those two carefully,
especially that one.

We don't want them getting
into anything funny down here.

Claire?

Chance?

Claire?

Oh God.

So what do we do now?

Aw, shit.

Come on, how the hell
do we get down there?

Claire!

- Come over to the door!
- Claire!

We only have a few minutes
until the remaining water

is sucked out into the harbor.

Okay, let's go, let's go.

Come on, hurry up, hurry up.

Come on.

Let's go, let's go.

Oh my God.

Claire, can you hear us?

Okay, get back.

Kick harder, get that thing off!

Oh my God, she's in there!

Harder!

Come on, hurry up, hurry up.

It's almost off.

Claire, Claire, hold on!

Let me give you a hand!

Just go, go.

Help!

We're losing
time, let's go, come on!

Get in there!

Give us a hand!

Pull, now pull, guys, come on!

Claire!

I can still see her.

Come on, come on, get off!

Come on, Claire, come
on, let's get this off!

Okay, here we go.

Claire, Claire, Claire!

You've got it!

Claire, reach for my hand!

What are you doing?

- Claire, grab my hand!
- Come on!

Claire, reach for my hand!

Claire, get
out of there, come on!

Give me your hand.

Claire, reach out, come on.

Keep reaching, come on!

Claire, come on,
Claire, take his hand!

What are you waiting for?

Just give me your hand!

Come on, this way!

Claire, you're gonna drown!

Claire, come on, Claire!

Give me your hand!

What's the matter, Claire?

Let the doll go, Claire!

Claire!

You have to
give us your hand, Claire!

Reach for my hand!

Claire!

Forget the doll!

Claire!

Claire!

She's gonna drown.

Claire, you're gonna drown!

Claire, come back!

What did mommy do?

What's that sound, mama?

Why did you come from the water?

Claire?

Claire.

- Oh, hey.
- Hey.

Hey.

See you around.

So all along, the
octopus was just trying to

get you down there to break the plexiglass

and let her offspring escape to sea.

Turns out those experiments
below crossed the line

for even the most hardcore
meat-eaters and hunters.

It's amazing what you can get used to

when you've been exposed
to it for a while.

Sometimes, you gotta let go of

what seems normal to do the right thing.

Yeah.

I'm finally letting myself do that.

Well, let's go, come on.

We got a lot to plan
for this next protest.

Yeah.

I love you, mommy.