My Sisters (2020) - full transcript

A women's support group becomes the target of a misogynistic brotherhood.

Sure.

I remember an old
saying, there is safety in numbers.

Momma used to say that
before we'd walk to school.

Of course, it's totally BS.

If safety were that simple, we
wouldn't have to live with our guard up.

Everyone would play nice. Make
friends. Build their armies for safety.

Nope. But we are just a number.
So she wasn't completely wrong.

Mom?

I did something...

I did something
I can't take back.

Nobody has to know.



Got any sixes?

Uh-uh. What do I get?

- What do you want?
- You know what I want.

Is it a boy or a girl?

You know I'm not telling so you
might as well go ahead and pick a card.

Tsk, I tried.

You're not going to offer
anything?

Just 'cause it's her problem
doesn't make it mine.

Okay.

This is a game,
but it's also prep

for whether or not we're there
for each other out there.

Nah.

She doesn't need a lecture.
She's got it all figured out.

The plan was to split up.



Yeah, but she took
the combination with you.

Oh, come on!

- Yeah?
- Can I lend a hand?

Uh, yeah, I...

- I was actually just about to cut this.
- No, no, no, girl.

Uh-uh. Put those away.

- When's your birthday?
- Huh?

- Your birthday. When is it?
- Um...

People can never remember
their combination

so they usually
just put their birthday.

Oh, it's my friend's.

What's her birthday, then?

- I...
- Alright.

One, two, three.

- There you go.
- I'm not gonna lie.

I did not think
that was going to work.

I know. Have a good day.

Thank you!

Are you freaking kidding me?

Alright, I'll find
them. What do they look like?

What do you mean you don't know?

How'd they get in
the first place?

Whoever this is,
they messed with the wrong guys.

Going around back.
South end all clear.

You guys got anything?

- Sorry.
- Great.

A sincere apology, uh...

- It really just warms the heart.
- Okay, game over.

Let's get started.

This is me
playing well with others.

Don't get me wrong. These
ladies are my life, but sometimes...

I guess, it just goes to prove
the truism.

Can't live with 'em and...

I would be dead
without them so...

Come in!

Alright. Let's begin.

As you know,
this is a gathering of women,

for women,
aimed at supporting women.

And we aim...

To expose wrongdoing and
bring justice to those in harm's way.

Right. So, Keira, take us away.

What's on your mind this week?

I hate men.

Everything's about them.

The conversation is about them,
my body is about them,

what I choose to wear
is about them...

I'm just tired.

And I want a...
I want a life again.

I wanna be done with all this.

Cry me a fuckin' river.

It can be hard to go back to,
hmm, normal.

We are here for you, but,
honestly, you need to suck it up.

We all want a happier life
than what we got.

I mean, the minute you girls
start softening up, we're done for.

You know what? You want to quit?

Go ahead. Be my guest.

Go back to a life
where you're not in control.

We're here for each other,

but we are also here to kick each other
in the ass when we're moping around.

What do you...
what do you want, huh?

My sympathy?
Sympathy never saved anyone.

No, I'm good.

Hi, I'm part of a community
safety group doing some research.

May I ask you some questions?

- Mrs. Martin?
- Yes?

I'm from an organization doing neighborhood
watch research in surrounding streets.

Do you mind
if I ask you a few questions?

Lacey Garcia?

-Oh, I'm sorry. Is it Matthews now?
-Who are you?

I work for the housing
safety commission.

I'm here to ask you a couple of
questions about the safety of your house.

Do you feel safe
in your neighborhood?

I mean,
I walk after dark and stuff.

Right.
Uh, what about in your home?

Uh, you mean from burglars
or whatever?

Uh, I guess so.

You should talk to my husband
about that.

This is more
of a subjective evaluation.

Any concerns
with the structural integrity?

No?

It's for our records. Have you
experienced any danger within your home?

What do you mean?

I just mean like theft,
robbery...

No. No, nothing like that.

Okay. I noticed your kitchen window
was cracked. Was that from an incident?

No.

We've never had a break-in.

What about design flaws?

- Like support beams you can run into in the middle of the night?
- I don't... I don't know.

Looks like you might have had
a run in with one.

Oh. Well, it's... I don't know
if it's the house, though.

I sleepwalk and so sometimes I
have a run-in with the bathroom door

or kitchen counter
or something like that.

Well, that sounds painful.

Any other form of danger
within your home?

No. No, nothing like that.

- Thank you for your time.
- Mm-hmm.

I'm sorry, what organization
did you say you're with?

Who the hell are you talking to?

I can come back
at a better time.

What have I told you
about letting the air out of the house?

I'm sorry.

What the hell do you want?

Just here to ask a couple
of questions about the safety...

Get the hell off my porch.

- Shelsie?
- Hmm?

Did you have any more thoughts,
or...

I'm sorry. I totally spaced out.

- You stressed?
- Uh, yeah. A little.

About a secret
you're trying to keep?

It's okay. You can tell Keira.

Shelsie got that new job.

Yeah. Receptionist in the E.R.

Nice. I mean, we're a team.
Share.

Yeah, I will.

It doesn't start
for a couple of weeks so...

You doing alright, Miss?

Who's asking?

- Deon.
- Doing just fine.

Seems like it.

Oh? And what would I say about
you if we're judging looks?

True, true. Been out in the sun.

- You and me both.
- Doesn't look like it.

Not that type of sun, baby boy.

Two type of heatstroke.

The one they give you
and the one you give right back.

You look like
you can deal it out.

Been in the sun all day but didn't
get a sunburn till you been right there.

Come on, Deon.
I strike you as an easy woman?

- Just making conversation.
- Hmm.

Anyway, I hope it stops going
"just fine" for you real soon.

Yeah, you, too.

Don't know what you mean.

It's going great for me.

Meet me here tomorrow
for dinner?

Excuse me?

I'll be here at seven
if you want to grab a bite.

Do you have something for me?

Perfect.

- So we're good?
- Easy for you to say.

You had a smooth exit.

- Was it a good exit?
- Yeah.

This is huge.

Formerly, we could only observe
from a distance.

But with more evidence,
some of us had trouble sitting by.

So now our investigative
approach is more aggressive,

targeting the wives of men who
are part of different fraternal societies,

some less aggressive
than others,

but all with the belief
that men are superior.

As you know, we've been focusing
more on the Freeman Society.

There's a lot that we still don't
know about them, their leadership.

But we do know that their
membership requirements are,

you must be a man,
you must have a wife,

and you must exercise your
authority in your household.

We've uncovered a lot.
We've done good work.

But we seem to have drawn
some attention from this group.

- What?
- Shelsie found that on her doorstep.

We're going to have
to be a lot more careful.

Many of the Freeman Society
members are powerful businessmen,

not to mention politicians
and also the laymen,

who are often, brutes.

We can't take anything
for granted.

We're out in the open now.

Mom?

Mom,
would you just say something?

Seriously, Mom,
this is over the top.

Okay.

I can't make you talk, but you
can't keep me from talking so...

I keep screwing things up
with some friends of mine.

I mean, I cover my ass
so I don't look bad but...

It feels like lying,

which is making me
a little paranoid.

You didn't follow her?

What am I supposed to do
with this home video?

It's home addresses I need.

Good.

You gonna share?

Um, yeah, there's a guy
who crossed lines with me.

Um, for a while
it was just things he said.

At first,
I thought they were compliments.

But, then, something started
not feeling right.

I felt uncomfortable.

I'd catch him staring at me.

After a while,
he tried to touch me. He...

You know how good it is
to say these things.

Even just to remind yourself.

It stimulates your fight
for justice.

Yeah, well, one day,
something snapped, and I left.

Is that all?

There are so many women in my
life who could've done something

or said something,
and they didn't.

So I don't owe any woman
anything.

Look who's opening up.

Wow. Wow! Right on time.

Sorry, ladies.

No, you've got
important places to be.

Uh, I actually did, though.

I'm so paranoid right now, Mom.

I wonder
if I'm just doing it to myself.

I mean, did I write the note
and leave it on my porch?

Did I slash my own tires?
Did I...

I don't know.

I think I'm losing it.

Mom?

Mom?

Hey. I'm sorry, can I help you?

- Uh, apartment 203?
- Yeah?

Uh, something about
a broken light bulb?

Um, I mean,
yeah, I have a dead bulb,

but did I call you guys?

Look, lady, I have no idea. I just go
where the property manager sends me.

Do you want the bulb changed
or not?

Um, I think I'm good.

Okay. That's great.
Yeah. Another bullshit job.

Guess I'll just drive across
town to the next bullshit job.

That'll be great.
Yeah. Love this.

I mean,
do you have the bulb with you?

Yeah, I have like, uh,
six of them right here.

Uh, okay, um, come on in. My roommate
probably called, forgot to mention it.

- You sure?
- Yeah, yeah, totally. Come on.

Right through here.

- Do you want anything to drink?
- No, no, I'm good.

- Uh, is your roommate home?
- No.

I just figure we could, uh, ask her,
you know, end the great mystery.

Well, I'll just replace the bulb
and I'll, uh, I'll be out of your hair.

Appreciate it.
I have a lot of hair.

So, um, you unscrew
a lot of light bulbs in a day?

Uh, you know,
not as many as I'd like.

Usually, I'm on the roof somewhere,
fixing an AC unit or some crap.

There we go. Light.

- It's that easy.
- Yeah.

Well, you know, don't ever,
uh, hesitate to call.

Thank you. And I'm sorry
about all the trouble.

- No, it was no trouble at all.
- No, really.

Do I need to tip you
or something?

- No, that's, uh, that's not necessary.
- Okay.

Um, I will take that glass
of water, though.

I mean,
if it's still on the table.

Yes. Definitely on the table.

- Here you go.
- Thanks.

It's a beautiful place
you've got here.

Thanks.

Guess I'd better be going.

Sorry for the, uh,
inconvenience.

Mom? I did something.

I did something
I can't take back.

So, you gonna tell me
why we're out here?

- Do I need a reason?
- Kind of.

You looked really intriguing.

I looked a mess.

Well, I guess we're all
entitled to our opinion.

Mm-Hm.

So, uh,
seems like you work a lot.

Oh, is it the vacant
expression or the gray hairs?

You got drive.

Most people with drive
don't slow down.

Yeah, well,
there's a lot going on.

So, yeah, I guess
that's why we're out here.

To slow it down.

Tsk, well, works for me.

Uh, this is me.

- Thanks for the lovely evening.
- No, thank you.

Yeah. I'll see you around.

That's it, pretty boy?

Ain't gonna ask for my number?

You strike me as a woman
who knows what she wants.

And you'd definitely be letting
me know if you had some interest.

Is that right?

Oh, snap!

- Ready to go.
- Alright!

Take that, Mr. Observant.

Will do.

Being a victim.

My least favorite thing
about being alive.

The all-knowing cynic
makes it sound like a choice.

But who on Earth
would ever choose this?

So, what do you do?

I, uh, I...
I work for a non-profit.

- Oh, yeah? What kind?
- Advocacy?

- Okay, changing the world.
- Ah, well, trying.

It's never enough.

Well, that depends
on what enough is.

Huh?

You ever notice how we're always
moving the touchdown zone on our goals?

Just as we finally reach
for the one we're working for,

we move the finish line
so that nothing is ever enough.

Oh, where are those napkins?

Mm. This food's good.

Oh, thank you!

Okay, I'm going to need some
serious breath mints after this.

You got any, uh, mints in your
bag of magic wonder over there?

Oh!

You don't go feeling around
in a girl's purse.

Oh, okay.
Shoot, I... Okay, I'm sorry.

I guess I was just...
I crossed the line.

It's alright.

You know I, um...

I really respect
the way you stand up for people.

Now, that means something.

There you go. Your freakin' mints.

What does it mean,
we're out in the open?

I mean, what are we going to do?

The whole point of what we do
is that it stays anonymous.

We need to figure out how they
pegged us before we get nailed.

How can you be so...

I mean, the rest of us do this
out of passion or whatever,

but you're like a pro,
it's unnerving.

I'm just like the rest of you.

No, but,
how are you so unintimidated?

Special Forces.
You were in the military?

- How old were you?
- 19.

Whoa. It's young.

- Mm-Hm.
- I guess you killed a lot of people.

No, but I should have.

I think we're going to need
to lay low after I drop the motherlode.

That's actually a great title.

- Maybe we should call it that.
- We've been calling it that.

- Oh. It's a thing?
- It's been a thing.

- Actually a thing.
- Mm-Hm.

Clever.

We just have to get it to
our contact. She'll do the rest.

Nah, I don't think
we should do this.

- We've been working on this for three years.
- I was there.

- We've risked a lot.
- Yeah, but we're exposed.

The election is in one week.
We don't have a choice.

After we do this,
we can lay low.

Take a break. Live life.
But we have to do this.

After how the job went,
I'm not comfortable.

You're not comfortable?

Tell us what you did.

- What?
- Tell me.

Tell me you stuck
to the plan to a T.

- I was chased.
- Oh, come...

- I got away.
- Oh, my God, but did they see you?

Did they recognize you?

Did you drop your ID
with your address on it?

How'd they find you? And
are they after all of us now?

- Give me a break.
- Shelsie, there is no break!

Are you kidding me?

If they're following you...

What happened?

Look, I'm not the one with
a history of screwing up jobs.

- Keira.
- Hmm.

- Mara.
- Hmm?

How was your last project?

Please, please, just...
just leave me alone.

Please,
I can contact powerful people.

I... know people with money,
I...

Please, just...

Now, that is how
you're supposed to beg.

Not this sorry-ass moaning.

I know. I know,
it doesn't come naturally.

Asking implies that you don't
already know everything.

It's not very macho.

Hmm.

Hmm.

Hmm.

If it's not weakness incarnate,

at the very least,

it's a cosmic wrinkle in the
tapestry of your preeminence.

Hmm.

Well, whoop-de-freaking-doo.

You shouldn't have touched
that sweet wife of yours.

Mm.

It was alright.

Anyone looking for any sixes?

Atona was...

But game's over.

- Ah!
- Oh, my!

- Sorry. Sorry, I didn't...
- Are you serious?

- I'm so, so dead right now.
- Yeah.

Literally, I'm dead. Hearing
the actual voice of an angel.

- Really?
- Yeah.

Did you hear it?

She stopped.

No, I... see, look, I know
you think I'm crazy, right?

- You are crazy.
- But I literally just saw her.

- But you're crazy.
- Well, at least I'm not dead.

But what if I am?

She didn't stop singing,
I just went to the bad place?

Oh, my God!

Never to see
the light of day again.

- Please stop.
- No. I can't.

I'm slowly sinking deeper
and deeper into darkness.

I need...
I need someone to pull me out.

Deon.

Oh, if she was just here
with a voice of melodies,

a silken voice with a prayer
of melodies!

- Wow, silken. Okay.
- She could pull me out.

She could save me.
Her voice could save me.

She could pull me out
of this place, please.

Oh, please. Please sing.

Fine.

♪ I can see the pain
Behind your eyes ♪

♪ While you ask yourself why

♪ You told me
Please stop before you cry ♪

♪ And I realize...

Listen...

♪ You can only help someone
So much ♪

♪ But I know how the road
Can get tough ♪

♪ When it feels like
You can't pray enough ♪

♪ And the world goes silent

♪ When it feels like
You're walking alone ♪

♪ Fighting for life to hold on

♪ So hear me when I say
You're not alone, no ♪

Damn.

Okay, seriously, what the hell
are you doing in advocacy?

Get out of there.

No, seriously, get out of there.

- Those kids can fend for themselves!
- Stop.

But seriously?

I have been thinking
about quitting.

- Wow. Work?
- Yeah.

I don't know. It's... it's been
such a good thing for me...

But I don't think I need that
work anymore to feel purpose.

Wow.
How long you been working there?

- Three years?
- Yeah.

Yeah.
So, I have a meeting soon...

and I'm going to let
the team know.

- Okay, tomorrow?
- Yeah.

Tell them I'm quitting.

Keira, wait.

What I said before,
I was out of line and I'm sorry.

Yeah, but... but you're right.

You don't even
know why you're right.

You know how Atona's like...

"Don't move on anybody
until you've done the research."

Well, I did.

It was clear this wife was getting
beaten. Her concealer was weak.

And I wanted to give this wife
beater what he deserved and I did.

So by the time I realized that
she was the one having an affair

and it was actually
her boyfriend

that was beating her,
not her husband...

it was too late.

For a long time,
for a long time...

for a long time, I tried to move
on from it, much less let it go.

But now, I think I'm able
to forgive myself.

To move on.

But this foolishness
is gonna mess us up.

We all gotta wrestle
our own demons.

And yours is whatever you're
keeping tucked down there.

One of these days,
you're gonna have to let it out.

So, check this out.
I got that bag I wanted.

Wait, the like 800 dollar one?
How?

Remember that guy I was telling
you about? Prince charming?

Yeah, the like old-fashioned guy
with super-tight Levi's

and a face like what's-his-name
from Tangled?

- Exactly.
- He bought it for you?

Well, you know, we went out
for dinner the night before last

and let's just say
we didn't say goodbye at 10PM.

Oh, snap.

Yeah,
so this guy sleeps like a rock.

Like a rock
under a pile of rocks.

So, when he went to sleep, I,

you know, I saw his wallet
peeking out of his jeans and I just...

- Wait. You took his money?
- Visa.

Bree, they can track that stuff.

I know, which is why
I created a fake account,

saved his card, ordered it
from the library later that day.

I don't get it.
Was he mean to you or something?

No, he was amazing.

Isn't that a little wrong?

Like you're a freaking saint,
Shel. Give me a break.

Hey, Mom, um...

I was wondering
if you ever had situations

where your friends
weren't really your friends?

Okay, this is stupid, Mom.

Yeah. Hmm. Okay, coming.

- Shelsie? I'm Atona.
- I know.

Look, I'm really glad
you've been able to make it.

I feel like talking out your feelings
with all these trusted women,

it helps so many of us.

Yeah.

I get the feeling that there's
something that you're not sharing?

- What?
- Um...

Well, you talk about sports and
activities and schedule like anxiety,

but it... it doesn't really
feel like the thing.

I don't know what you mean.
You don't even know me.

Was that your boyfriend
on the phone?

I don't have a boyfriend.

Your fiancé, then?

Yeah.

Is he the one that hits you?

Wow, that's overstepping
a little, he would never...

Don't give me that bullshit,
girl.

I can see the concealer
on your eye.

And on your forehead.
And on your arm.

I can smell the bruising.

I know nice girls like you because
I used to be a nice girl like you.

My boyfriend, and then fiancé,
and then husband,

he used to take advantage
of that every single day.

So, you listen to me, and you listen
close, because I don't know you,

and you have no reason
to believe me,

but that sorry piece of shit
of an excuse for a fiancé?

He's not your lover.
He's not your friend.

He does not care about you.

He is not sorry
like you think he is.

You are not precious to him.

You are just a piece of meat
for him to hit.

Anyway, there's a small group
of us who meet here on Fridays,

and we do more than talk
about our feelings.

If you're interested.

You write any others?

Uh, yeah,
but most of them are sad.

- Sing me one.
- What?

Sing me a sad song.

♪ Footsteps on the sidewalk

♪ Of the life I've left behind

♪ Searching every hollow where

♪ The love I lost might lie

♪ Everything around me

♪ Says we're gone

♪ There's nothing left
Within me ♪

♪ But his song

♪ But I've the faintest memory

♪ Of a sacred place

♪ But you're the phantom
Telling me ♪

♪ That you can keep me safe

♪ But there's a hollow where

♪ The burdened hearts
Laid bare ♪

♪ The eyes upon you stare

♪ Upon your pieces

♪ Broken, lying there

♪ You're lost but do not care

♪ For one has found you

♪ And found what peace is

♪ But, alas, I cannot find

♪ Hollow in my mind

♪ The hollowness is mine

Hey, baby.

Hey, momma, how are you?

I'm alright. How's school going?

Um, good?

All A's except for the classes
that I keep skipping.

Oh, and how many is that?

Like, four?

Wow.

- Okay?
- Mella says hi.

Hey, how's my little
pumpkin-munchkin?

She's good, she's here,
she just...

Oh, what's the matter?

Nothing.

She just... she wants to be mad
and maintain the intellectual integrity

of her ten-year-old tantrum,
apparently.

Ten-year-old? Uh...

Yep! I guess that explains that.

I missed her birthday.

Hey, I'm so sorry, baby.

How can I make it up to you?
Mella?

Why didn't you text me?

Look, ma, I can't take responsibility
for your relationships with your kids...

so I'm just going
to change the subject.

- Uh, a recruiter came to school today...
- Hmm-hmm.

...for the Marines?

It would mean free college,

so I thought it might be
worth looking into.

No, you may not go
to the Marines.

Huh?

No, you may not join
the Marines.

So are you going to pay
for my college tuition?

Okay, first of all, watch that
tone with me. I'm your mother.

Oh, so I guess that respect
principle only goes one way.

Secondly,
you know what I've sacrificed.

You know what I've been through.

You know that's not the life
that I want for my daughters.

- No.
- Yeah, that's why I want to do it.

No. You will not.

How do you know, huh?

How do you know what I want? Uh, you're
not around. All we do is skype once a week.

Does that give us a relationship
now? Huh, you know my life now?

And... and what is so important that it keeps
you in another city away from your kids?

- Rissa.
- No, look.

Rissa, I...

I... I promised myself that I
wasn't going to get angry, so...

-Rissa...
- I gotta go.

- Rissa, wait.
- I love you, momma. Bye.

music playing]

Are you going to stand out here
the whole time?

- Yeah, it's called chivalry.
- It's called creepy.

And what are the other ladies
gonna think?

Look at that uncreepy,
chivalrous,

incredibly handsome gentleman
of a guy.

And what if I came
to the ladies' room

in the first place
for a little privacy?

- I'll just take a stroll.
- Thank you.

Wrong room, boys.

Excuse me?

You know who we are,
little girl?

The man ruining my night?

About to ruin your night and,
perhaps, a few other things.

Now,
there's no need to play coy.

- How'd you find me?
- You?

Don't you mean us?

Maybe you should ask
that little friend of yours.

She might be able to explain you
how this brought us to you.

As the old book says,
"An eye for an eye."

Hey,
baby, need a search party in there?

What the hell?

Please, please, please, please, oh,
please, please come to the mall bathroom.

Please, my boyfriend...
my boyfriend's been stabbed,

please, please,
please come quick.

Hey... Oh, my God!

Oh, my... Oh, my God! Please.

Please don't do this to me.
Please don't do this.

You called me your boyfriend.

Hey. Hey. Hey, hey, hey,
listen to me.

Listen to me.

You can't tell them about me.

Please. Please, you can't,
you can't tell them about me.

- Tell... tell... tell who?
- The police.

The police.
You can't tell them about me.

What? What are you talking...
What?

You're the best thing
that's ever happened to me.

Just... Just stay awake, okay?

Okay?

Just stay awake.

Knock-knock.

Hey.

- Hey.
- It's a nice place.

How many floors
has this place got?

- 12.
- Geesh.

I have something for you.

I can't help you.

The Freeman Society
is giving millions

to a senatorial candidate
known for misogyny and abuse.

And it's not just the senator.

It's Attorney Generals, it's
representatives, it's judges.

It's, uh... it's private
photographs of women,

taken without their permission,

circulated
without their permission.

It's... look, it's this,

a ranking system rating women
by who's the most screwable.

I've got the handwriting,
I've got the photographs,

I've got names,
and you don't want the scoop?

What's going on here?

Atona, I haven't heard from you
in years.

And then you call out
of nowhere?

Where have you been?

- Busy?
- I can see that.

Congratulations.

- I can't take it.
- Why not?

Because, uh, it's not smart.

Smart?

I don't understand
why you'd risk this.

I finally found something
that makes me whole again.

Something I believe in.

I get that.

I don't understand
why you'd risk this.

I need this world to be one that I'm
not afraid for this kid to grow up in.

There's no getting around that.

Atona... is it a boy or a girl?

It's a surprise.

- A lot of grit, you ladies.
- Who are you?

I think you know who I am.

You and that journalist girl,

close friends
as I understand it?

Believe me, it took a lot of coaxing
to persuade her to turn you away.

You could say
we just got there first.

So how many girls
have you gone through?

- How many teams?
- I haven't gone through anybody.

People move away.

Sure.

Atona Alamon. Psychiatrist.

PhD in Cycles of Abuse.

So you landed on a pretty liberal
philosophy of social action, huh?

To abuse the abuser?

I don't believe
in any kind of abuse.

Then what do you call this thing
that you do?

Men disappearing in the middle
of the night, turning up dead?

And not just a few
here and there.

Self-defense.

Right.

To defend one woman
is to defend all women.

I was defending myself.

It's not self-defense.
It's a preemptive strike.

No, it's not preemptive.

In many cases,
it's far, far too late.

Call it what you will but
you are playing with fire, girl.

And this shit
will get you killed.

Better me than another woman.

Not into Darwin, I guess?

If you want to stop us,
why not just kill me?

You really don't understand us pig-headed
chauvinists like you think you do, huh?

I... don't want to kill you.

I want to watch you lose.

I want to ravage your mind
by decimating your team,

and I want to watch it
destroy you.

So I'm going to say this once,
real slow.

Stop, or I will kill
every one of your girls,

including that one.

Where were you guys?
Why the emergency messages?

We're wrapping up here.

What? I just got here.

No.

I mean, for good.

- We're done.
- Done?

We've gotta get
out of town. Different cities.

I'm... I'm gonna be out
of the country for a while.

How long is a while?

Thank you, ladies.

It's been the greatest honor of my
life to protect and serve with you all.

No. No, this is all wrong.
You can't leave?

This city needs you,
these women need you.

We don't have a choice.

So, we'll be more careful.

- We're way past that.
- I don't understand.

You don't understand.

Tell us what happened.

What happened?

I was running.

We had screwed up
and they were after us.

They were close and I didn't
know if I could shake them.

I didn't...
I didn't know what to do.

Why didn't you tell us?

It doesn't make
a difference now.

Wait! Wait, wait.

You think you know who I was
when you found me, but you don't.

How could you?

I keep everyone out.

It wasn't my fiancé beating me.

It was my dad.

The one who crossed the line,
who did things.

One day I just snapped.

He... he started...

taking off my pants.

I pushed him back. I warned him.

But he came at me anyway.

And I hit him.

I just... didn't mean to hit him
so hard.

And, of course, my mom walks in
right then, and sees he's bleeding out.

Never there when I needed her,

but there to witness my lowest,
lowest moment.

Mom.

I tried to tell her.

But she never believed me,
she never listened.

- You're lying!
- No!

She wouldn't believe
what happened.

She jumped on me.

Mom, stop!

She tried to kill me.

She's literally
choking me to death,

so I reach for anything
I can grab to get her off me.

Mom?

I knock her out.

Mom.

So, when I joined this group,
it's not because...

I don't give a crap about
justice. I needed a family!

You became that family.
You're who I needed.

I still need you. I couldn't risk
losing that. I couldn't tell you.

So, what, you're just leaving?

It's gonna be a girl.

Mara, you can't leave.
These assholes can't beat you.

I mean, you're Army,
you're Special Ops.

It doesn't matter...

if your brothers outnumber you
and hold you down.

What?

I was 19 when it happened
the first time.

Mara, did you...
did you report it?

Yeah.

This world is not meant
for women who speak up.

But, I mean, you bounced back,
you're here, you're unbreakable!

I guess not.

Hey, Mom.

Um, I...

The Earth is full of monsters.

We're all stumbling around
in the dark.

And we don't know
whether they find us,

or if by some happenstance
of stumbling, we find them.

But worse than being found
and devoured

is the danger of becoming
one of them,

the haters and the participators
in doing wrong or doing nothing.

So...

Be careful if you lift a finger
to harm one who trusts you.

Someone is watching.

Think hard
before you lose control

because if she's limping,
I'll see it.

If she's bruised, I'll know.

And if she doesn't show her
face for days, that's even worse.

So you better pray to God,
your lady doesn't trip and fall...

because there won't be hell
to pay.

There'll be you and me.

I came to this looking for
a family, needing a family,

demanding a family,

expecting someone else
to protect it.

And now I've destroyed
the family I'm closest to.

But I'm not alone in this world.

Now, I realize a family
that was here all along...

even if they don't know
I'm here.

Now, I will be the one
to protect them...

My sisters.

So, I was like, "Why not?
Let's do it in 24 hours.

Let's do a full feature film
in 24 hours. I am with it."

Oh, and then he's like,
"Guys, I got a thing to say.

We're going to do it in a day."
And I was like, "Eh?"

I didn't think
it would come off in one day.

I was like there's going
to be some pickup shots,

you know, things will spill
over, things will run late.

We'll run out of time.

I didn't know what to expect.

I didn't... I had never done a shoot
that was, you know, so ambitious.

And he said he wanted to do a feature
film in a day and I was like, "Okay."

I just didn't... I thought...

like it takes days to shoot
a five-second commercial.

So, I was like,
"How, who, what?"

I thought, "Can that be done?"
I mean, I don't know.

I thought movies took
like months and months to film.

Yeah, I was, uh, shocked.
I was like, "That's insane."

When he said to me, "Hey, we're
going to do this feature film in one day."

I was like, "It's not possible."
Uh, I don't know what...

I don't know what's going
to happen, but...

Immediately I think I was
just like, "What? 24 hours.

Like the... you can't! No."

I was watching. I knew that it
was a really truncated time frame,

but I did not know it was
24 hours. That was intense.

Then when he told me
that the entire thing was shot

in like the course
of a weekend or 24 hours,

I was very blown away.

I definitely was not sure
how he was going to pull it off

because he was talking about how
we're going to shoot this all in a day.

And I was like and probably said
what a lot of people said,

which is, "You're crazy, I don't
know how you're going to do that.

Um, but if anybody can do it,
it's you."

It was really cool,
like I'd never, nobody...

I've never talked to anybody
who even attempted that before.

I was like, "Uh, what?"

My expectations
going into the day were that

"There's no way that we're going
to be able to make this happen."

My expectations were, "We
won't be able to do it."

I think my biggest stress was I
really expected my baby to come early.

And the actors really blew me away in that
we would do a take and I would just sit there

and be like they did
the entire scene, top to bottom.

And then, uh,
and then we did it.

And I think it was incredible because
I really expected it to be a shit show.

It totally like shaped
my perspective of possibilities.

It gave me the confidence
to say like,

"Okay, so it is possible
to produce feature film,

cinematic quality storytelling
on a very limited timeframe."

The energy was super positive.

The story needed to be told
and so it had this urgency.

And so that's where the idea came
from, like the story needs to be told ASAP.

We don't have three years.

Uh, last question.
Are you ready for the sequel?

No.

Especially when I can rely
on those other three women.

I just had a baby.

And having to be such a female
led thing is really...

it's just so like,
it's just so nice.

We found that... that
sisterhood, ultimately, you know.

And... and so at the...

You know, even when the cameras
were off, it was just like,

"Okay, great,
you guys want to go get food?"

Or, "Hey, you want a ride home?"

Or it was just...

We were actually sisters
in the end of it all.