Moloch (2022) - full transcript
Betriek lives at the edge of a peat bog in the North of the Netherlands. When she and her family are attacked by a random stranger one night, Betriek sets out to find an explanation. The more she digs, the more she becomes convinced that she is being hunted by something ancient.
-Oh?
Yeah?
-Oh.
-Oh.
-Hm.
-Mmmm.
-Hallo, hallo, hallo, hallo.
Really glad you could come
on such short notice,
by the way.
-No problem.
I'm excited to see it.
-Yeah.
So, we don't know how long
she's been exposed
to the outside air...
- Okay.
-But locals found her
about four days ago.
They thought it was recent
'cause it's so well preserved.
Oh, watch your step here.
Oh, I believe you know Lennard.
-Hi, Lennard.
Good to see you again.
- Good to see you.
- Is Radu around?
- Yeah, he's around somewhere.
- Good.
-I can't say
what an honor it is...
-What is going on with that?
I saw it on the way in.
Unfortunately, they
found the man who was digging
in his own pit this morning.
- Dead?
- Hm-mm.
Yeah, they say he died
of hypothermia.
A heart attack,
resulting from hypothermia.
That's terrible.
And the pit?
-Well, we're not allowed
to check it out yet.
-Oh, of course.
-Shall we?
So, we've tried to protect
the site from the elements
as well as we could.
I hope it's satisfactory.
-Yeah, okay.
Okay.
Sorry.
Sorry.
That is incredible.
Look at that.
Isn't she beautiful?
Mum. Hey!
Mum.
Hey.
-Nee.
Mama.
Mama.
Mama.
Wat?
-Sir, can I help you?
Yes, yes.
-We had someone walking around
the house
this morning.
- One of ours?
-What he's trying to say is that
the next time
something like this happens,
this person will probably not
receive a very warm welcome.
-Ah, okay.
So that's what he's saying?
-Something like that.
-Mooi.
So... listen.
I'm sorry that this happened.
I will make sure to tell my crew
not to go exploring
on their own. Okay?
-Are you guys
digging for treasure?
-Yeah. Something like that.
-Ja.
-Ja?
Okay.
I have another one.
When, after the plane is landed,
and people jump out
of their seats,
grabbing their luggage,
like they're
in a terrible hurry.
But then, of course,
the doors don't open
until 15 minutes later.
And they all stand there,
just cramped together
in the aisle
like a bunch of idiots.
I fucking hate that.
That's a good one.
Yeah, that's a good one.
-Thanks.
No worries.
-Shouldn't you join them again?
-Nah, we're doing fine.
I could just sit here
and exude authority.
- Okay.
- Yeah.
-Yeah.
Oh, what about people
who take everything
that's even remotely
considered free?
-Okay.
-You know, like, um...
ah, like those bags of sugar.
They-they don't need them,
but they take them anyway.
Is this about your mother again?
-Oh, my God.
She is terrible!
She collects those things
like a hamster.
Yeah, and when we have guests,
she presents them
with this whole array
of sugar bags
which she stole.
Wow.
- Yeah, she gets under my skin.
- Uh-huh.
-As your local guide,
I would advise you to try the...
Witte Koppenjenever next.
It's absolutely delicious.
-Oh, um, I'm pretty sure
I had several of those already
and I'm not sure that I can
sit here and exude authority...
I think I'm getting
a bit too relaxed...
Men who keep
their socks on in bed.
-Socks, yeah.
Bloody philistines.
You know what?
I think I have to call it a day.
-Are you okay?
Ah, for helvede!
What have you done to me?
-Don't fight it.
Lovely.
Yeah, we would just drive
and play gigs everywhere.
Sometimes for like five people,
but that was fine too, you know?
Does your daughter remember it?
No, but she likes his voice.
I played her some songs
of us in the car.
He had a very beautiful
singing voice.
So does she, actually.
-No chest pains,
no fatigue, no nothing?
-No.
-His heart just said fuck it.
No more oxygen for this asshole.
How's the head?
-Trying to avoid
sudden movements.
You know, I am usually better
at handling hard liquor.
- Yeah.
- I'm Danish and all.
-Of course.
Of course.
There must be like
a million guys out there
waiting for a chance
to make you happy.
Well, I'm sorry to inform you
that I'm not really considered
relationship material
around here.
-Come on.
-No, seriously.
They're all afraid.
Family curse.
- Family curse?
- Yeah.
-'Cause your husband died?
-Yeah, that...
and some other stuff.
It's a boring story.
-Nutshell.
-Well, my grandmother
was murdered when I was a kid
and they never found out
who did it.
Wow.
-My dad went a bit crazy
after that,
started drinking, lost his job.
My mum became
emotionally unavailable.
And nowadays, she's suffering
from this mysterious illness
nobody really seems to know
how to deal with.
I escaped it all for a while
when I went to New York.
But then Neil died,
leaving me with this little
firecracker called Hanna.
-Jesus.
That sounds
like a... a proper curse.
-Yeah. Doesn't it?
-This is me.
Well, thank you
for telling me all of this
before we spend
a whole evening together.
Well, usually,
it takes a little bit longer
for disaster to strike, so...
I'll stay out of your way.
-Yes, please.
-I'll see you around.
-Ja?
-Oké.
-Mama!
-Oké.
- Mama?
- Uh-huh.
-Ja.
Wel...
-I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I took some of your milk.
-That's okay.
-Just, uh...
Just wait here. Okay?
-Please.
Please.
-I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
They're making me do it.
-Go away.
Please.
-Mama!
Hi.
-Hi.
Again, I'm so sorry
to hear what happened.
It's unbelievable.
Known the guy for ages.
He wouldn't hurt a fly.
The whole crew liked him.
I don't know what could've
gotten into him.
-They understand.
It's not your fault.
You couldn't have known.
This man, I'd say he's
no older than 40, 45 maybe.
-Yeah.
-So, in 1991...
he would have been 10, 15.
-Yeah.
And living in Romania.
-Can we talk?
Upstairs?
Boy, you're pretty brave
coming here.
See how we're super cursed?
It's pretty obvious, huh?
-Hey. Hey.
-Come here.
Hey.
Hey.
Hey.
Hey.
-Just a minute.
-Hey.
-I'm here with my mum.
- Okay.
- You are going to see that man.
-Uh, Radu?
- Hmm.
- Yeah.
-Did they say anything about
why he could have done it?
-No. Well, he hasn't
woken up yet, so...
- At camp, they were saying, uh...
- Betriek!
-What?
-Um, they were saying
that he was digging.
-Digging?
-On his own.
Away from the site.
Such a strange
coincidence, right?
Betriek!
-What are you doing tomorrow?
Hey, right on time.
-Not this place again.
-Bad memories?
Do you see the old man
sitting over there?
- Who?
- Him.
His son was the guy who died
in the bar a couple of days ago.
Just after he dug something up.
What was it?
What was it?
-A woman.
- A woman?
- No, sorry.
A very old... very old woman.
Hundreds of years.
A bog body.
-How old, exactly?
-We're still running tests.
But old.
What?
-Come.
I'm not sure
that I understand correctly.
But are you saying that
your son knew where to dig
to find this woman?
- Cheers.
- Cheers
-We are a very sensitive family.
My father, me,
but especially Micha.
He always know things.
-So, could it be that
it was whispered to him?
Where to dig?
-Eh...
Helen's whispers.
She talks about this.
The legend... of Feike.
Yeah.
Excuse me.
-What's going on?
Uh, s-sorry.
So, who's Helen?
I can't believe you don't know.
-What?
-You science boys,
you're uninformed.
Come on.
-He's sort of the villain
in this whole legend of Feike,
like there's something evil
out there in the bog,
whispering horrible things
to anyone who listens.
It's a stupid story...
just to scare kids
away from the bog.
-Like a boogie man?
-Yeah.
Some people take it
pretty seriously, though.
You'll see.
Oh, we have our annual
celebration in a few days
and it's... including the school
musical, it's ridiculous.
-And do you?
- What?
- Take it seriously.
-No.
I hate the story.
My dad said he heard it once.
The whispers.
Actually,
I think I heard it, too.
In the hospital.
What?
-What do you want me to say?
I mean, come on.
-Nothing.
Just say nothing.
Just tell me about this woman
you guys are digging up.
- I want to know.
- No.
I'm not gonna tell you anything
if it makes you
all paranoid and weird.
-What... Sorry, paranoid?
-Yeah.
-A guy came into my house,
where I live,
where my family lives.
He tried to kill us, and then
he got his brains bashed in,
in front of me.
- I know.
-Yeah, so don't...
-Don't what?
-Don't treat me like a nutcase.
-That's not what I'm doing.
You're traumatized,
and it may have altered
your perception of things,
that's all I'm saying.
- Fuck you.
- What do you mean, fuck you?
-Fuck... Fuck you.
Stop the car.
Stop the fucking car!
Betriek.
Betriek!
Where are you going?
Betriek.
Betriek!
- No!
We need to go back to the camp.
-Yeah, fuck off!
You're drunk!
I didn't mean it that way.
Please, come on.
Come on.
Come on, we need to
turn back, please.
Come on.
I can't leave you here!
Come on.
Just stop, please.
-Ah, ah!
-You think it's funny?
-Yes.
Jonas!
Where have you been?
I've been trying to reach you.
Let's get inside.
It's not going to work.
-Her throat has been cut.
-Yes. Just like the others.
-There are more?
Four, to be precise.
All women.
That's amazing.
-Their throats have
all been cut vertically?
As far as we can tell.
-These were found in the new
holes, the ones that Radu dug.
-You're kidding me.
-Wait with the press statement
until we find out more, yeah?
- Sure.
- And, Sonja...
could you look
something up for me?
-Ja.
Wat?
-Uh?
-Here it is.
The legend of Feike.
Many centuries ago,
there was an evil lord, Walter,
and his bitter wife, Helen,
who treated their people poorly
and lived in tremendous wealth
whilst others
were left to struggle.
Together, they commanded
a household
with dozens of servants.
One of them was a young girl
called Feike.
It wasn't long before
Walter started developing
lustful feelings for the girl.
Eventually, the worst happened.
Feike got pregnant.
When Helen found out,
there was no shelter
from her fury.
"It wasn't him!" she screamed.
"He was under a spell,
taken over by her heathen mind."
And so Feike was named
a sorceress.
A witch.
Awaiting her fate
in the dungeon,
she prayed to God for help.
But it was
a different god who listened,
a heathen god, Moloch.
The god of child sacrifice.
"I will help you escape a fate
unworthy of a soul
so beautiful, my child,"
the god whispered.
"But beware, this vengeance
will become a cage of its own
and I will claim what's mine...
Your offspring,
even those yet unborn."
And thus, a deal was made
and sealed
with the mark of Moloch burned
into the girl's forehead.
The next day,
Feike stood at the stake.
"Repent!"
the mistress shrieked.
"Confess your guilt
and repent," she insisted.
"Repent!" she repeated
for the third time.
But Feike courageously
answered, "No.
It is you who shall repent."
She freed her hand, and before
anyone could act...
she cut her own throat.
As Feike's last breath
left her body,
Helen's wretched soul
was evicted from hers.
From that moment on,
Helen's living and breathing
flesh would belong to Feike.
As the lord's wife,
she exercised her influence
over his rulings.
Before long, happiness
and prosperity had returned.
To this day, Feike is celebrated
as a true heroine
and a beacon of light.
-She cut her own throat?
-Yes.
-Vertically.
-Um, it doesn't say.
-Hallo?
-Yeah. Hi.
It's... It's Jonas.
Hi.
-Hi.
I was wondering,
am I gonna see you
at the Feike party tonight?
-Yeah, uh...
I'll be there a bit later.
Around 8.
I can't come right now.
There's something I have to do.
-Hey, I, uh...
could you call me back?
Where is she?
Hey.
He went to the party, I think.
Hey.
Jonas!
Jonas!
- What else did she say?
- I don't know.
She seemed really distraught
about the situation.
She's really lucky
she didn't damage anything.
I-I was extremely nice to her,
mind you.
-She's been through a lot.
-Yeah, I know,
with the attack and all.
-It's not just that.
Her husband died,
grandmother was murdered,
and now the old...
- Her grandmother was murdered?
- Yeah. Uh...
- You're not gonna tell me
somebody slit her throat,
are you?
-Why would you say that?
- Holy shit. Did someone...
- I don't know.
-Do you think
it's still happening?
-What?
-The sacrifices.
She was rambling something about
her family being in danger.
Is that why she freaked out?
They're still...
They're still
sacrificing people to this god?
Moloch?
Are you okay?
I'm sorry. I got carried away.
This is ridiculous.
-Can I borrow your car?
-I came by foot.
Why?
-I need to go.
-You're going?
W-Why?
-Sorry.
-Jonas!
Nee!
Mum.
Fuck!
Mum?
No!
-Police, please.
Hello?
Betriek.
Betriek.
-Thank you for meeting me here.
I'm only in Holland for a day,
so...
Yeah, it's been crazy.
-It's nice.
- Yeah?
- What is it?
-It's the guesthouse.
Yeah, it came with the place,
so...
But it's not...
It's not getting much use.
-It's nice.
-If you want, you and Hanna
are more than welcome
to come and stay.
I can imagine the both of you
could use some time
away from here,
change of scenery.
You could bring your violin.
Uh... maybe record
an album or two.
Thank you.
-No. I sold it.
-You sold it?
-Yeah.
I think it's best to have
some stability now, you know?
Stick to the familiar
with Hanna.
-Yeah, yeah.
Of course. I understand.
How is she doing?
She's plowing through.
-Glad to see that both of you
are coping so well.
-Yeah.
-Yeah.
You probably should talk
to someone as well.
I mean, professional.
-Well, I have my mantra,
and it seems to work.
I don't know how to translate.
It's, uh, something like...
"Just keep going."
Yeah.
Blik op oneindig.
-Well, it sounds like
a good mantra.
-Yeah, works for me.
What's yours?
-Uh, I don't know.
I'm having trouble focusing
lately, if I'm being honest.
- Oh.
- Yeah.
Tomorrow they have scheduled
a lecture for me in Paris, so...
I'm in trouble.
Yeah.
-Well, I'm sure you'll be fine.
-Yeah.
- So...
- So...
-Well, it was really nice
seeing you again.
Hanna!
-Okay.
Yeah.
If you reconsider,
please call me, huh?
I think it would be good
for the both of you.
In fact, I would really enjoy
the company.
-Okay.
Stop worrying.
Yeah?
You look tired.
Take care of yourself.
-Okay.
-We'll be fine.
With these things,
sometimes it's best to just...
leave it be.
There's your mantra.
-Leave it be.
-Yeah.
Leave it be.
Hanna.
-Oh!