Tailgate (2019) - full transcript

A cocksure, road-raging family man finds himself pursued and terrorized by the vengeful van driver he chooses to tailgate.

If you want your phone back,
come and get it.

Hey, stop.

Help.

Help. Help me.

Stop.

Help.

Stop.

No.

No, please. Please, please.

Please. I'm sorry.
I will never do it again.

The time for apologies is behind us.



TAILGATE

Look, dad. Dad, look.
- Get in the car.

Look, dad, look.

There. Look, Robine, look.
Look, look.

Jesus, dad, come on.

Where's mom?
- She had to poop.

Do you think this is normal?

Such a heavy suitcase
for one night away. Come on.

Wait.
- Lock the front door.

I can't find the candles.
Milou, did you see them?

Dad, phone.
- Not now.

Probably grandma again. Wanna bet?
- Why do you think that?

She called this morning too.
- What about?

About what kind of bread
I'd like at breakfast.



He didn't answer then either.
- You don't call about things like that.

Call your mom back.
- If it's important, she'll leave a message.

Oh, come on.
- Watch out for your head. There.

Jesus, Hans.
- You can't say no to a device.

Give it to me.
- Let's get going and then you can call back.

We've got plenty of time for that
on the road.

I feel bad for grandma.

Hi, grandma.

Hi, sweetheart.
How's it going over there?

Dad says you have to leave
a message if it's important.

Robine?

Ro...

Well...

Oh, come on. It's rude to tell on Dad
and to hang up on grandma.

We should have been on the road
half an hour ago.

Milou speaking.
- What was going on?

That wasn't right. I don't have to accept that
from Robine and your dad.

Milou, tell me,
are you guys in the car yet?

Dad, are we in the car yet?
- What do you think, Milou?

As if calling to ask about that
gets us there in a hurry.

What gets us there in a hurry?
- Ladies, seatbelts.

Stop.
- Forgot my sunglasses.

No way. Forget it.
- It will only take a second.

I'll leave without you.

That was close.

Idiots.

What are you looking at?
- What's the speed limit here?

I believe you could have gotten up
a little earlier today.

So we'll get there an hour later.
- An hour later? With my mother?

They have all the time in the world.
- They're waiting for us with a full table.

My sister already cancelled as well.
- At least we're coming.

Then Joop will have to take his medication and
take a rest. So no, we won't be an hour late.

I'll tell them to start without us
if we don't make it in time.

You wouldn't call
if they were your own parents.

What do you mean?
- You would have made sure we'd left on time.

Jesus, that's petty.
- Yes, petty, isn't?

Very petty.

Look, Milou.

Milou, look.
- No, I'm doing something.

I almost have the hundred.

My turn.

No way.
- You've been on it for 40 minutes.

And 20 this morning.
Know how much that is?

40 and 20 minutes is an hour.

No, it isn't.
- Yes, it is.

Give it to me.

Give it.

Hey, what's going on?
- She hit me here.

She took my tablet.
I almost had the hundred.

Stop it. That's enough. OK?

It's busy enough on the road.
I don't need your whining on top of it.

Milou, put on your seatbelt.
- Give that tablet back.

But you guys only let us play
on the tablet for an hour.

Her hour is done.
A deal is a deal.

Milou, are you the mother?
- No, of course not.

Well, you sound like it.
- Exactly.

Do I sound like that?
- No, no...

Give that tablet back, Milou. Now.

Give it back.
Let go, retard.

That's very bad.
Your sister isn't a retard.

Let go.
- Let go, Milou.

It isn't fair.
- It is fair.

I'm almost at the hundred.
- Guys.

Guys, this isn't nice.

Finish the game
and then give the tablet back to Milou.

I didn't have it for 20 minutes this morning.
- I don't care for how long.

Let go.
- Let go, Milou.

Get back, fatso.
- Excuse me?

Sorry. I wasn't talking to you, honey.

Mom is a fatso. Mom is a fatso.
- Mom isn't fat.

That's what dad said.
- Almost a hundred. Such a waste.

Who cares?
- Stop it.

Fucking retard.
- What was that?

Now you're saying it yourself.
- Sorry, but this is incredible.

I get punished.
- Are you OK, darling?

Milou, I told you a 100 times
to put your seatbelt on in the car.

Come on.

Sorry, sweetie.

Are you OK?
- It's OK, honey.

It doesn't hurt?

Hans...

Not so close, please. If he has to brake,
we'll be right on top of it.

Keep a distance.
- Yeah, yeah.

Can I have your attention
for this case?

What's going on
right in front of us?

Answer 1: He's phoning.

Or texting.
- Or texting. Very good.

Answer 2: He's eating fries.
- Yummy.

With mayonnaise on his steering wheel.
- Exactly.

Answer 3.
- Woman behind the wheel.

That's so lame.
- Sorry.

Answer 4: A grandpa behind the wheel.

Very good, Milou. Very good.

A scared senior citizen
behind the wheel.

Hans, Hans...

Answer 5: Something's stuck
under his gas pedal.

Very good. Answer 6: He's trying
to set his navigation system.

Stop.

Jesus. Holy shit.

That was nearly an accident.
- No, sweetie. Everything under control.

Don't!

Keep your distance.
What's that idiot doing?

Don't stay behind him.

Pass him.
- Yeah, I'm...

Don't.
Don't provoke people unnecessarily.

I didn't start it.

So you were 50 kilometers
over the speed limit, I understand.

Still 20 over, by the way.

Diana speaking.

Hello, Diana.

Is everything OK over there?
- Sure.

Where are you?

It's busy on the road.
- So where exactly are you?

Not inside...
- Where we are?

Where are we?
- On highway Al.

That's cruel.
- Well, I don't have to know exactly.

How long do you think
it will still take you?

How long will it still take?

About.

The more she calls,
the longer it takes to get there.

Should I say that to her?

Yes, yes. Tell her.
- Right...

Trudy, it really is very busy on the road,
so we don't know exactly.

Well...

The thing is that I made oatmeal soup...

...and I'd like to know
when to put it on the stove.

Shouldn't I tell her
to start without us?

Can't be helped with this traffic.
- No.

Another 30 minutes.
We still have to stop for gas.

Hans thinks we'll be there
in 30 minutes.

Really? That long?

Yeah, I'm so sorry,
but it is what it is.

We'll go inside.
- OK.

Dad.

Do you want the receipt?
- Yes, please.

Can we have coins for the snacking wall?
- The snacking wall?

What does mom say?
- She wants a snack too.

Before we eat rabbit food
at your mom's all weekend...

There you go.
- Thank you.

Please, dad.
- Please.

There.

Thank you.
- OK. Goodbye.

Good afternoon.
- Good afternoon.

Preferably in a dark
and safe place.

Somewhere where cats and people
can't find them.

Did you know there's a species of rats
that can't swim?

It's true, they exist.

The mature animals shove their young
in front of them into the water.

Know what?
They walk across them.

It's true, right across...

...to get to the other side
Safely and dry.

While those young rats
are in agony in the water...

...until they drown.

That's what I call cruel.

I don't know what you want
with this story...

...but if you're trying to draw
a fun comparison...

...between those animals and
one of us, you'd better stop.

We don't need to hear
these kinds of things from you.

How long do you think
the breaking distance is...

...Of a car going at
a 100 kilometers an hour?

That's it. We're not interested in you.

Come on, guys, let's go.

And how much distance
do we keep from each other?

Hey, hello.
Are you deaf or something?

Just let me pass. Move.
- Hans, Hans...

No, let me.
May I pass?

May I pass?
- Hans, don't.

And do you happen to know
what a solid line means?

Do you happen to know
why some people...

...Keep driving on the left side
like a senior citizen with dementia?

Hans, stop it.
- I'm talking to this gentleman, OK?

What's your opinion?

That your dad wants me to exceed
the speed limit at all costs...

...because he wants to drive too fast?
- It's not up to you to decide...

...Now fast I drive.

It's no concern of yours.

Isn't it?

This is useless, Hans.
Leave that man be.

Guys, we're going to the exit.

Come on, let's go.
- No, I...

Wait in the car.

Wait in the car.

Come.

Did you brake to fuck with me?

I advise you to apologize.

Why would I apologize to you?

So you can get back on the road safely.

So I can get back on the road safely.

Fuck off.

I think you're the one
who shouldn't get back on the road.

Fuck. Honestly...

I don't understand
what you were hoping to achieve.

What were you trying to prove
to that man?

Ladies, don't pay it any mind.

That man never finished high school.

And now he's getting older, his job
gets taken over by younger people.

At home he probably has no authority
over his wife and children.

So the only thing left to him...

.IS his pride.

Do you understand now?

Very clarifying talk, Hans.

Why are you acting like that?
So you explain it to them.

Well, I think there's little to explain.

That man is simply angry
because you were tailgating him.

That has nothing to do
with his job or his wife.

So why does he address you
and not me?

Because he had something to say.

So what did he have to say?
- Something to do with hamburgers.

He asked why mom fed us this junk.
- Did he ask that?

He said that mom would regret this
in 30 years...

...when Robine and I have cancer.

Did he really say that?

He's a total moron.

Mom?

What does it mean when something isn't...

I mean, when something
isn't yours to decide?

What do you mean, sweetie?
- Well...

If that man isn't allowed to say...

...that we'll get cancer from hamburgers...

...who is allowed to say that?

You mean that it isn't up to you
or up to someone to decide that.

A hamburger won't give you cancer.

Did you just throw that out?
- Jesus.

Sweetheart...

No, don't throw it away.

Are you crazy?

What is this?

This is our exit, isn't it, dad?
- Yes, dad, this is our exit.

Shall I call your mom
to say we're nearly there?

I asked you something.
- What?

Shall I call your mom
to say we're nearly there?

No.

No, don't.

It matches the time
you said we'd arrive.

Does it?

Do you know if your mother wants
to go to that concert tomorrow?

Please, not to one of those concerts.
I hate them.

Did she say anything about it?
How long it lasts?

Hans?

Hello.

What's wrong with you?

Grandpa will light his pipe inside.
Wanna bet?

They'll remove him
from the concert hall again.

Where will grandpa be removed from?
- No, I'm asking you.

Are we going to that concert
your mom talked about?

A concert? In that little auditorium my father
was removed from for lighting his pipe?

Duh, I just said so.

It's red.

Hans, stop.
No, Hans, stop. Stop.

A fine. Jesus.
We've been flashed, dad.

Jesus. What's up with you today?
- Sorry.

Want me to drive?
- No need.

We're nearly there, anyway.

Mom?
- Yes, sweetie?

Robine, turn around. Now.

He's behind us.

Who's behind us?

It's him.

It's that man.

Dad, he's driving behind us.
- No one's driving behind us.

Look.

That's him, right?

How could he have...

Do you think he followed us?

Did you know this?

You knew it, didn't you?
- I wasn't sure.

What are you doing?
- Calling emergency.

Isn't that a bit premature?
- I don't care.

Put that phone away.

Put that thing away.

What are you doing?
- It's OK.

Keep going.
- First I'll ask what he wants.

I don't want you to. Don't.
- Calm down.

I want you to keep going.
- Where to?

To your parents.

Just think. Then he knows
where we're staying.

He doesn't need to know that.

So?
- Leave it up to me.

I'll take care of it.

Hans...

Are you following us?

I'm creating favorable
circumstances, actually.

Well, well...

Explain.

Then you don't have to make an extra detour.

You're following the route
you'd been planning to take anyway.

In other words, minimal exertion.

Now you're going to apologize.

To me.

And then you go back to your vehicle
and that's all.

I still don't think I'm the one
who has to apologize.

You are.
- OK, pal, listen...

We can stretch this out into a long
'You are, I'm not'.

But we're not going to do that.

You want apologies
and you're not going to get them.

You think you can pass judgment
on what I do, but it's not up to you.

Do you get that?
- So who is it up to?

If you can't do it
and I'm not allowed to?

Well...

I think we have the police for that.
- The police.

So shall we call them?

Or is the missus already doing that?

Fine, call them.
The more the merrier.

I'm waiting. I'm not going to call them,
you can do that yourself.

Are you sure?

Are you very sure you want me
to call the police and not you?

Just do it. Come on.

I've got a problem.
- Yes, you really do.

Here.

Dead.

Try it.
- No.

I believe you.

Here.

I'm advising you for the last time...

...to just apologize instead of
having me calling the police.

You've obviously had a problem
with them before...

...seeing as you don't dare to call them.

Call them.

Go ahead.

Call them.

I'm waiting.

Oh, my God.

You don't dare, do you?

Go ahead, call.

Give it back.

Give me my phone.

Give me my...

Oh, no.

Give me my phone.
Give it to me.

Stay in the car.

Let go of him.

Stop it.

Let go of him.

Let go of him.

Let go of him.

Are you OK?

Yeah.

He's got my phone.

What does he want?
- Well...

Does he want an apology?

Hans...

Give him what he wants.
Say you're sorry.

No.
- Just do it.

No one has to know.
I promise I won't tell anyone.

No.
- Hans, Damn it.

What are you trying to prove?

Stay in the car, I said.

OK.

OK, I apologize.

In the car.

I'm apologizing to you.

The time for apologies
is behind us.

I just made my apologies.
I want my phone back.

Open up.
- Just leave him.

Leave that man.

Open up. For God's...

I'll write down his license plate number.
We have to call the police.

Open up!

Seven...

In the car, now!

Close all the windows. Drive.

Don't breathe in.

Open the windows.

Stop.

Stop.

Did you breathe it in?

Here...

Wipe it off and rinse it. Rinse.

Yes, here. Over here.

Cold...

Cold...
- Very good.

He's coming.
He's coming this way.

Here. Don't run. Stay together.

Stay here.

He's staying there. Come back.

Come.

Damn it.

Come here.

Hop.

We can get in, come.

Get in the car, now.
- Now.

Drive, drive. Drive!

He's coming.

Steer to the left, to the left.

Windows, window,
- Close the windows.

Close the windows.

Steer to the left.
- Yeah, yeah.

Ease up on the gas.

Mom, drive.

Push.

Ease up. Do what I say.

Mom, drive.
- Reverse.

Reverse.
- Yeah!

Turn.
- I'm trying.

Turn those wheels.

More.

More.

Dad. Dad.

Dad.

Dad.

Hans, come!
- Dad, come!

Go, go, go.

Fuck.
- Did it get in your eyes?

Watch out.

Fuck.

Where's the police station here?
- Don't have one.

Where to then?
- Downtown.

Where?
- Keep straight.

Tell me where to go.
- Straight and then right.

Where's your phone?
- God damn it.

Fuck off.

Stroink
pearl of the province

THE SCHOOLS HAVE STARTED AGAIN

Emergency operator.
Which service do you require?

Where should I turn right?
- Yes.

What 'yes'?
- Turn right here.

Can you hear me?
- Not here.

At the big intersection.
- How should I know?

Emergency operator,
can you hear me?

He's coming again.

Left here?
- Yes, left.

Sit, can you hear me?

Hold on.

No, not in here.

Is this a dead end?
- Back.

Stop.

I said: Go back.
- No way.

It's too late now.
- Emergency number.

Emergency operator.
Which service do you require?

The police.

Hey, what do you think you're doing, bitch?
Get out of the car.

Get out of the car.

Watch out.

Idiot. Stop it.

Mom. Horne.

Reverse search.

He was wearing white coveralls. And...

...weedkilling.

Or pest control or something.

He had a long story about rats
that aren't able to swim.

My wife...

...wrote down his license plate number.

Can you read this?

I can ask my wife...

Just tell me what's going on.

I'll do that later.

I just wanted to let you know
that it will take a while.

This might be his last birthday.

I know.

Then it is what it is.

Unknown number.

Hans speaking.

Where are you?

Can't we triangulate him
before we block my phone?

That depends.
- On what?

That differs from phone to phone
and provider.

And we can't do that right away.
We need permission first.

What's that smell, dad?
- Is this OK?

What?

Can it go up in flames?
- So what do you want me to do?

That I stop?
- No way.

Please, don't stop, dad.
- Calm down. OK, guys?

That man has gone home by now.

He isn't going to wait by the roadside
until we pass.

Look.

Is that him?
- It's him.

What are they doing?
- Stop, dad.

Those yokels know
it concerns a white van.

So should you stop?
Why not drive right behind them?

What are you doing? Drive.

It isn't him, guys.

It isn't that man.
It's a different van.

No need to panic.

Everything's fine.

When should I get up?
- Same as usual.

When you wake up. Otherwise
I'll come and call you. Lie down.

Who's coming?
- Hans and Diana.

And the kids.

Hans?

Your son.

And do we know those other people?
- Yes. Comforter on top.

The comforter on top, or you'll get cold.

I don't feel cold.

Is that OK?
- Yes, it's fine.

Getting dressed.

Just get some rest.
I'll call you in an hour.

Who's coming?
- See you later.

Hello, madam.

I'm looking for Hans.

Does he live here?

He's my son,
but he doesn't live here.

I found his phone at a parking lot
in the woods.

I searched on the phone
and that's how I found you.

Grandchildren?
- That's right.

I've got another one.

Well...

As it happens, my son's visiting
in a minute. He'll be happy.

Shall I take it?

I'll give it to him,
then you don't have to wait.

I don't think that's proper.

Why don't you think that's proper?
- I think it's proper...

...to give this phone to your son myself,
since I found it.

Sorry, I don't follow you.

Do you have running water?

Of course I do.
Everyone has running water.

Oh, my God.

I have to rinse it as soon as possible.
Do you have an outside tap or a hose?

You have to see a doctor.
- No, I have to rinse this first.

Those are the directions.
It burns.

OK, come inside. But be quiet,
because my husband is asleep.

I'm going to call my daughter-in-law.
I'll be right back with a towel.

Did you raise Hans?

What kind of question is that?
- What do you mean?

Well, of course. That's what parents do:
raising children.

So are parents also responsible
for the upbringing of their children?

Well, yes.

And are parents also responsible
for the behavior of their children?

Why do you want to know all this?
- Do you think they are responsible?

Yes, but first I have to make that phone call.

Who is responsible for children
after they start living on their own?

Well, that's obvious.
They themselves.

If a son can't bear the responsibility
for his behavior...

...should the parents be held accountable?

I think you should leave.
- Or would you rather blame someone else?

Get out.
- Why are you avoiding an honest answer...

...even though you know quite well
you are responsible?

If you don't leave now,
I'll call the police.

You're behaving just like your son now.

Joop, call the police.
The emergency number.

Help.

Joop.

Is Joop his father?

Help.

Did Joop receive your permission
to father a child in you?

Know what?
We'll discuss it with Joop.

Joop.

Let go.

You're just making it worse, madam.

Joop, turn the key.

Turn the key. Lock the door.

Oh, dear.

Leave my husband alone, bastard.

Who is that man?
- He can't help you.

So this is where you begot him.

It's over there. That house.

But I was thinking...

...stop here.

It's better if my mom doesn't see you.

Why did you want us to join you?

For on the way.

But thanks very much
for your trouble, though.

Are you sending them away?

Girls, promise that you won't tell grandma
about that man.

Not about that man, or his van,
or his gas mask or poison gun.

And you certainly shouldn't tell her
that he has my phone.

If grandma asks about it, just say
my phone was stolen. Understand?

Hans, I don't like this.
- Why not?

You can't expect us
to spin your parents that line?

At the first setback,
Trudy suffers from heart arrhythmia.

You know that.
So is that what you want?

Is that what I want? Of course not.

So what do you suggest?

I think we should go to a hotel.

What?
- You heard me.

First she wants to go to Joop and Trudy
as quickly as possible...

Then we're finally there...

...and then she doesn't want to after all.

Sorry...

Girls, the man from that van has
no idea where we're staying tonight.

So there's no need to worry about that.

Just park the car.

Otherwise we'll miss dinner
and are eating fast food again.

Here.

Ring the doorbell, Milou.

Maybe they're still asleep.
Ring it again.

Grandma, are you here?

Wait.

Mom?

Dad. We're here.

Grandma, are you here?

Mom, we're here.

There.
- Did you see anyone?

No, they're still resting.

We need 76.

Someone woke up.

Go and tell grandma we're here.

Grandma?

Grandma, are you there?

Grandma?

Are you awake?

What do you see?

Grandma?

Milou, is that you?

Go and get your dad.
As quickly as you can.

Dad, dad. Mom.

What's wrong?
- Grandma's locked up.

We have to get dad.
- Locked up?

So where is grandma?
- In the bathtub.

Hans?

Hans.
- What?

Hans.
- What?

Hans, Jesus, where were you?
- Why? What's up?

They're locked up.
- Locked up?

Did they lock themselves up,
or were they...

No, no.

Fuck off with your fucking spray-gun.

I'll call the police.

Hey, what do you want?

Tell me what you want?

This makes no sense.

Diana?

Where is that guy?
- I don't know.

Is he upstairs?
- Maybe he's downstairs.

Fuck.

Hans?
- Diana.

Hans?
- What's going on?

Mom, please lock the door.

Lock that door.

Hans, are you there?
- Before that man comes in.

Hans?

Trudy?

Do you have the doorhandle?

Are you OK?

Who are you?
- Where's Hans?

Diana?

Stop, stop.

Stop.

Diana?

Mom?

Mom?

Where is he?
- Where were you?

Where is he?

Are you OK?

Are you OK?

And Diana?

What?
- Diana? Is she OK?

Go and wait at the neighbors'
until the police arrives.

I'm coming up.
- We've barricaded the bedroom door.

So what about me?

Hans, don't come here.

The police is coming.
Wait at the neighbours.

Oh, man, you look like shit.

What is it? Is he over there?

Hans, don't.

Careful.
- Fuck.

Mom.

Mom.

He's got me.

Pull me up. Mom.

He needs to go in the shower right now.

No, no, no.
- We have to remove the poison.

No. The window...

No, you need to go in the shower.

No, I don't want to go in the shower.

Hans...
- I don't want to.

In the shower.
- I don't want to.

Now.

Come on.

Get up.

Come on. You can go
and sit in the van.

2601, we didn't find any suspects inside.
Anything unusual out there?

No. I think they're just locals.

2402 negatief.

We are looking for him
in the back yard.

My colleague asks if we
have to go to the forest.

2601, over.

Where's mom?
- I'm going to get her now.

Why don't you wait here
and I'll be right back.

A car is on its way right now.
Did you get that message?

You didn't ask for this.

It was your father and your mother.

2601, the garden is clear.

Two colleagues went into the forest...

Are you OK?

You don't need to be worried.
That man is gone. He won't come back.

Hey...

Don't I get a kiss?
- I should have been at the office already.

Robien has soccer at five o'clock.
- I know.

You'll pick her up, right?
- I will. Have a nice day.

Ciao.
- Bye.

Robine, Milou, hurry up. To school.

Dad, go home.
- This isn't cool.

I'll decide that for myself, OK?

See you this afternoon, dad. Bye.
- Wait a minute.

Don't run across.

Stop. It's red.

Stop.
- No, then we'll be late.