Sundown (2021) - full transcript

Neil and Alice Bennett (Tim Roth, Charlotte Gainsbourg) are the core of a wealthy family on vacation in Mexico with younger members Colin and Alexa (Samuel Bottomley, Albertine Kotting McMillan) until a distant emergency cuts their trip short. When one relative disrupts the family's tight-knit order, simmering tensions rise to the fore in this suspenseful jolt from writer/director Michel Franco.

Wake up!

- Come on!
- Come on!

There's no way
he's gonna get in.

It's not cold.

She's looking at you.

- She's not his type.
- She could be my type.

- She wasn't looking at you.
- Could've been.

- Mm.
- Stop it.

Hello. Good evening.

These are our premium steaks
for tonight.

We have the 200 gram rib eye
and the 400 gram cattle prod.



I give you doubles.

Ooh.

- Mum?
- Hmm?

Joining in?

- Uh...
- There's only two of us playing. Come on.

Just a sec. Just a sec.

- Wait, wait.
- Are you working?

I am.

- Get off your phone!
- Just a... No...

This is stupid.

- No work.
- I don't want to play.

- Ten minutes, no work.
- Why?

I... This is the first time
I took my phone, in a day.

- Nearly.
- Mm.



Well, you're not
getting it back.

Not until you play.

- Come on!
- Are you playing?

This has nothing to do
with me.

We're talking to you.

- Come here.
- Come on.

- I never liked dominoes.
- All right...

- Come on, give me my phone.
- We'll restart the game.

- Pfft!
- Come on!

You want a picture?

No, thank you.

You're right. He does
look better from a distance.

Okay, come on,
come on, let's go.

Thanks for coming with us.

Hmm.

I'm happy to.

The kids are having fun.

- Morning.
- Morning.

Uh, which one has tequila?

These two over here.

Ah. Thank you.

It's a pleasure.

Hello.

I have your margaritas.

Can I take
these empty bottles?

Sure.

- Thank you.
- It's a pleasure.

Mm.

It's strong.

What are you doing?

You are such an asshole.

There's nothing in it.

Hello, Mum.

Hi.

Yes! Wait, wait, wait...

I can't hear you. Hello?

What?

Richard?

Where... where are you?

Um... Okay.

Uh...

We... We'll be there
as soon as...

Mum?

We'll be there
as soon as we can.

Mum?

- What's going on?
- Uh, it's Mum.

They're taking her
to a hospital.

Uh, start packing.

Mum!

- Come on, Mum.
- What's going on?

- Start packing!
- Just start packing, Colin.

Be quick.

Your suitcases
are in the back.

Bye, sir.

Hello? Can you hear me?

What?

What?

Hey.

Yeah.

So, what's happened?

I see.

All right.

No, I understand.
I understand.

Is she dead?

- Thank you.
- You're welcome, sir.

Sir, we have sorted out
your flights.

Unfortunately,
we couldn't avoid a layover

in Mexico City
and then one in Madrid.

Thankfully,
it's only one in Mexico.

And only two hours in Madrid.

We need your passports.

Thank you.

Can I have your
passports, please?

Thank you.

Thank you.

Have you given them
your passport?

- Yeah.
- Okay.

- I don't have my passport.
- Mum...

You don't have
your passport?

- Sir, I need your passport.
- I don't have my passport.

Where is it?

We're already boarding.
We need your passport.

- What did you say?
- I don't have my passport.

- What the fuck? You don't...
- What?

I left it at the hotel. Um...

Okay, we can put you
on the next flight.

- Thank you.
- No, no, no! We'll wait!

- We have to go now.
- We will wait! No!

The plane is already
boarding, okay?

- I can't believe it!
- Mum...

Get her on the plane.

We need
to pass security.

Mum, come on.

How can you leave
your passport?

Come on.

Fuck!

We will follow
your luggage, okay?

We will wait for you.

Come this way.

Taxi?

Hotel.

What hotel?

- Hotel.
- Whatever?

Okay.

Hotel, very, very good.

You like chicas?

Table dance.

Look at it.
This is a beautiful girl.

Hold on just a second.

Luisa!

Can I have a room, please?

Yes.

Hold on.
You first see the room.

- Want to show you?
- Okay.

Okay.

- How much?
- Four hundred pesos.

Thank you.

Okay.

Amigo,
if you need anything, you call me.

This is my phone number.

- Okay.
- Okay?

- Gracias.
- Thank you.

- Fine.
- Okay.

- You're only going to pay for what you drink, okay?
- Okay.

Anything else you need,
let me know.

Okay, thank you.

Hang on, hang on.

Hang on.

Hi, how are you?

Yeah.

No, I'm...
No, I looked in the safe.

We looked in the safe. We...

It's not there. I thought
it was there, it's not there.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

No, they're still looking.
They're still looking.

We're still looking. Yeah.

No, I... I'm...

I have to fix this
at the consulate and, um...

It's closed till Monday, so...

I'm sorry.

It's the best I could do.

If they give
you a new passport on Monday,

you could fly back
straight away.

- Yeah.
- You could arrive on Tuesday,

and we could have, uh,
the funeral on Wednesday.

Yeah, yeah. Hopefully, yeah.

Or maybe you could get an emergency
permit to fly, something like that.

Yeah, well, I'll try my best.

I'm going to have Richard
e-mail the death certificate.

Get things going, you know?

Okay, yeah.

Where are you?

Um, I'm at a hotel
by the consulate.

How safe is it there?

Oh, it's fine, don't worry.

Yeah.

Hang in there.

I will.

How are you and the kids?

Uh...

We just can't believe
she's gone.

Yeah, no, I know. I know.
Nor can I.

Right.
We're on the next flight.

Okay.

Bye.

Bye, love.

Hi, Neil. How you doing?

Everything good?

Hey, what's up?

My friend.
My friend.

Hi.

Oh, man...

- Your hotel very good?
- Yeah.

- You like there?
- Yes.

Okay.

All right. It's...

a nice day, right?

Hmm?

Uh...

No.

You want me to open?

- Okay.
- Yeah.

Thank you.

- Aqui.
- Gracias.

- Vacation?
- Mm-hmm.

Yes.

Where are you...
where are you from?

London.

- Oh.
- Mm-hmm.

Mm.

Berenice.

Is where you're from?

Okay. Neil.

She's Jenny.

- You want to see?
- Yeah.

I'm with Richard,

going through
the funeral arrangements.

Richard is going to send you the death
certificate and other documents...

to take them to the consulate.

And if they don't attend to
you, then just give him a call.

I need you to help me
make some decisions.

Sorry.

- My friend...
- No, it's fine.

- Drunk.
- You wanna sit?

- Yeah.
- Okay.

Hello.

Hi.

Hi, sweetheart.

No, no, no, I'm just grabbing
a quick bite, but, um...

I know it's urgent.

I'm... just
by the consulate, but...

Yeah, I'll be...

I'll be... there
as soon as possible.

I know, and I do.

I wanna come home, too,
of course I do, but...

She told you that?

She told you
she wanted to be cremated?

Well, they're not family, so,
it's got nothing to do with them.

So, whatever you choose to
do, I'm with you.

Whatever you feel.

Yup.

Absolutely.

You sound awful.

- Salud! Salud! Salud!
- Cheers.

What's going on?

Could you answer
the fucking phone?

I need you.

Where's my stuff?

Where's my...

I don't know.

So, you should go there.
You should go to Paris.

- Mm-hmm.
- Go to London, where I'm from.

Uh, Rome. Beautiful!

Rome.

Uh, yeah,
you should go there.

Mm-hmm. Mm...

You...
no woman?

No.

- Wife?
- No.

You? Do you have a partner?

Do you have a husband?

- No.
- No?

- No, no. No husband.
- Mm-hmm.

Do you have children?

No, no children!

Okay.

- You?
- No.

I have, uh, a niece.

And, uh, my sister's children.

My sister has a niece
and a nephew.

That's what we call...
we call...

And I love them.

I love them very, very much.

- But no, none.
- No.

Okay.

Bye-bye!
- Bye!

- Gracias.
- Gracias.

What the fuck
is going on?

I've been calling and calling.

I thought
you needed help. I...

I was really worried.

What are you doing?

Do you realize
what I had to go through?

The funeral...

the people...

and all that on my own!

What are you doing?

What are you doing?

Hey.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.
Can I come and see you?

- I'll wait here.
- Okay.

- Welcome one more time.
- Thanks.

- Can I have a buggy?
- Okay.

- Alice Bennett.
- Okay.

Okay, let's go.

I thought
you weren't going to come.

Why?

For the same reason you left
me with all of our problems.

The fact that
you've been hiding.

I'm not hiding.

You never came back
for your passport.

You never went
to the consulate.

Did you even lose
your passport?

Mm-mm.

What do you want?

Do you want...

do you want our money?

Do you want my money?

Is that why
you're doing this?

No.

Then why are you
doing this?

I'm not interested
in money.

What's the matter
with you?

Nothing.

Don't you want to see
the children?

Yeah, of course
I do. Yeah.

When?

I don't know.

Well, then,
just come home!

If you want me to give up
my share, I'll do it.

Just have Richard sign...

Send the papers,
I'll sign them.

I'll sign anything.

Okay?

Yes, Richard? Um...

Richard says that, um,
if you're willing to sign,

he can be here,
prepare the paperwork and come.

Okay.

- Okay.
- Okay.

Shall we have dinner?

What?

Are you hungry?

Just fuck off!

Hi, Richard.

No, I'm... I'm fine.

Go ahead.

When's the reading?

Okay, well, um...

You're representing me,
you'll be there for me, I'm...

I'm not interested
in the money, Richard.

The money is hers.

Yeah.

No, I...

I know, but it's... it's...

The business is hers,
she's always...

she's always run the business.

It's for her to...
her to decide.

- You wait here?
- Okay, Neil.

- Hi, Richard.
- Good to see you.

How are you?

I'm good.
How are you?

I'm fine.

- Thanks for coming.
- Shall we sign?

We have to be at the airport
in 40 minutes.

You leave today?

I thought you'd be with us
two weeks ago.

Neil...

you do realize
that in signing this,

you are relinquishing
everything.

Your sister is granting you
a monthly stipend,

but it's on condition that you maintain
monthly contact with the family, through me.

All right, so...

What sum should I write in?

Ten thousand a month?

He'll live nicely on that
in Acapulco.

Ten thousand.

Will you come back
with us?

May I sign?

Yes. Here.

And there.

Uh, I'll wait
in the van.

Thanks, Richard.

There.

And here.

Call an ambulance!

Remember the guy
who came to get beers?

We went
to eat something afterwards.

Albert Thompson
from the consulate.

Okay.

Where's Berenice?

I'm not sure.

Why am I here?

Oh, um...

- You don't know?
- No.

"Today, the British Embassy
in Mexico confirmed

"the crude assassination
of Alice Bennett,

"heiress of the multi-billion
pound swine production

"and slaughterhouse business
in the U.K.,

"who was killed in a kidnapping
attempt in Acapulco, Mexico.

"Brother, Neil Bennett, was seen
on numerous occasions with killers,

"Guerrero and Anderson,
found at the scene.

"But their getaway driver, Jorge
Saldana, better known as Jorge Campos,

"was located several hours
later by authorities."

Where's Richard?

Heard they
wouldn't let him in.

My sister has children...

Richard has spoken to them,
but I'm not sure that...

I saw the documents
that you signed.

The ones leaving your share of
the inheritance to your sister.

You two being the sole heirs of the
fortune made from the slaughterhouses

and the pig production
businesses...

- and the...
- I need to talk to Richard.

- He's looking for a lawyer.
- He's a fucking lawyer!

A Mexican lawyer.

Why didn't you go home
for your mother's funeral?

The embassy has requested you
are placed in your own cell,

and they are requesting the
presence of a legal team in London

in order
to get you out of here.

How long are you staying?

Until you're released.

We've got a very good lawyer
coming from Mexico City.

How are they doing?

Colin's very perturbed.

Alexa won't answer my calls.

It's very messy, Neil.

Why were you staying
at that hotel?

Were you involved
with anything? I mean...

Excuse me. Will you
just give us a minute?

I've actually been
instructed by the consulate

not to leave
you two alone, sir.

I'll be leaving with you
in a minute.

I'll see you outside.

How are you feeling?

If... if we explain...

your condition...

How are they?
How are they really?

Gracias.

No. Tell me when.

Oh, hang on, hang on.

Hang on.

To the airport.

Thank you.

Will you take me
to the hotel?

Hola.

- Hi.
- Hey.

The kids are here.

They need to talk to you.

What the fuck?

I'm sorry, love.

- It's okay.
- You're not sorry!

You're not...

What the fuck!

Wait! Just wait there!
Get out...

Neil?

Just go. Go, go, go.

Go. Go to them. Go.

- Okay.
- Okay?

- Yeah, yeah.
- Yes?

Hi.

The family business
will become yours...

Colin and Alexa.

All of the banking,
the properties...

the business outlets,
the farms, everything.

Neil will continue to receive
his lifetime pension...

which your mother
had agreed to.

He will also receive £100,000
as a down payment.

And his health insurance
will be paid for his lifetime.

Can we sign?

Yes.

Just sign
and then just pass it.

Are we done?

Wait a moment.

We're done.

Come on, Alexa.

Neil? Hey! Hey! Neil?

Neil?

We want to transfer you to Oncology
Center in Mexico City, okay?

Excuse me.

I compared
your medical records

that your insurance company
sent to us

with the test
that we just ran.

The cancer
had already metastasized.

We found a new growth
in your frontal lobe.

So, I recommend we start
chemotherapy right away.