The Secrets We Keep (2020) - full transcript
In post-WWII America, a woman, rebuilding her life in the suburbs with her husband, kidnaps her neighbor and seeks vengeance for the heinous war crimes she believes he committed against her.
["Betty, My Angel"
by Jerry Fuller playing]
[song fades]
[chattering]
- [boy] That was pretty big.
- [woman chuckles]
[dog barking]
Oh, wow.
Patrick, look at that one.
[laughs]
[boy 2]
Look at that over there!
Wow, look at this one.
Patrick, Patrick, can you catch it?
[man whistling]
[dog barks]
[man] Let’s go, Max.
- [Patrick grunts]
- [man] Sit.
[man whistles]
[man 2] All right, sweetie. Come on.
You wanna take the doll?
I bet this
totally messes it up.
- [whistling]
- [Max barking]
[man] Sit.
Max, heel.
Honey, stay here for a second.
Mommy will be right back.
[man]
Okay, Max, stay close.
Patrick, stay on the blanket.
Go, Max, in.
[car engine starts]
Hi, Maja.
You okay?
Hi, Sarah.
How’s Lewis doing?
Patrick?
Yeah, good.
Did you make it to
the parent-teacher conference on Monday?
I couldn’t make it.
[doctor] Take a look
at this waiting list.
Ever think
we’d get this busy?
I guess it’s good for business.
[scoffs]
Good for business. Right.
- You should tell your husband that.
- [doctor 2] Deep breath.
[inhales, exhales]
Good.
A lot of new guys
at the refinery these days.
- You seem surprised I’m one of ’em.
- No, not at all.
What do you do there?
- Shift manager.
- Shift manager?
It’s all right, Doc.
I don’t mind talking about it.
6th Marine Division.
Lost the legs in Okinawa, second landing.
- You serve?
- Medical Corps.
But they only
sent me over in ’46.
Can you lie on your back
for me, please?
Yeah, I was in
an army hospital in Greece.
Part of the reconstruction.
It’s awful what happened
to the combat vets.
Well, it’s not like
any of us chose it.
- [knock at door]
- Yeah?
Anything you want to add
to the order before I call it in?
Uh...
We need Thorazine,
Bentyl and some aspirin.
It’s already on.
And we’re running low on dressings,
so I put that on too.
Eddie, this is my wife, Maja.
- She helps run the office.
- Pleasure to meet you, ma’am.
We met at that army hospital in Greece
I was telling you about.
Couldn’t get enough of the local gals
so you brought one home with you.
- Yeah.
- Actually, I’m Romanian.
I was thinking maybe we could invite Eddie
over for dinner one of these nights.
He’s new at the refinery.
Oh, I don’t know, Doc.
I don’t want it to be awkward.
No, it’s not awkward. Come on.
You deserve a proper welcome.
- [chuckles]
- What do you say, Maja? Wednesday?
Sure.
Nice to meet you.
[engine starts]
[pop music playing on radio]
[TV playing quietly]
Why did you invite
that guy for dinner?
Why not?
You didn’t have to invite him.
Well, he’s new in town,
and he’s...
You know,
it must be hard for him.
He doesn’t need your pity.
You made him feel awkward.
- No, I didn’t.
- Yes, you did.
I don’t think so.
Yes, you did.
No, I didn’t.
Do you know that Mrs. Jackson
is arranging a lemonade contest?
Patrick’s class?
Can you believe it?
Everything in this country
is a competition.
Well, you know, some things
are acts of kindness,
like inviting a veteran,
an injured veteran, over for dinner
’cause he’s new in town.
Mmm. You just want to
save everyone, Doctor.
Maybe I do.
Some more than others.
- Really?
- Really.
- Really?
- Really.
[grunts]
Why don’t you
take them out?
- It took me one hour to put them in.
- Yeah?
I’ll make you
look pretty right now.
How?
How?
[chuckles]
Have you heard
about the glow?
Oh, you’re so ridiculous.
I’m ridiculous?
Look at you with these curlers.
Shut up. Get off me.
[both chuckling]
[breathing heavily]
[Patrick] Mommy, Mommy!
Shit!
I can’t sleep.
It’s too dark.
You’re lying on my glasses.
[laughs]
- [laughs] They’re in my butt.
- [Maja] Take your butt...
Daddy’s messing up
Mommy’s curlers.
We were wrestling.
[Maja] Daddy will be in,
in a minute.
- Just stay right here.
- Yeah, you stay. Don’t move.
- You can’t go in naked with Patrick.
- I know.
I’m getting
my underwear.
- [Patrick] Bear.
- [Maja] Very good.
- Clown.
- Good.
And what about
this one?
- Boat.
- Good.
- [with accent] Rabbit.
- Good.
He’s catching your accent.
The R’s.
No, he’s not.
- Is he?
- Mm-hmm.
Then you tell him
how to say it.
Rabbit.
- [without accent] Rabbit.
- Exactly.
Yeah. Always say it like Daddy
and your teachers, not like me.
- [with accent] A rabbit.
- [chuckles]
- [with accent] Rabbit.
- Oh, really?
- Very funny.
- [with accent] Patrick Reed.
I like that one.
[with accent] Patrick Reed.
[Patrick, with accent]
Rudolph the reindeer.
[with accent]
Rudolph the reindeer.
- Do you wanna do it instead?
- I would love to.
- Okay, go ahead.
- [Patrick without accent] Bear.
[Maja] How many eggs?
One...
two...
three.
[Maja]
What about over there?
[grunts]
Four. Four eggs.
We need a spare for this,
and I don’t have time.
Do you mind
going to Mitchell’s?
Sure,
I’ll do it today.
Okay. Let’s do it.
I’m still missing some files
for the new workers.
You mind
calling the refinery?
- Ask for them?
- I already did. I’ll call them again.
[grinding]
[man] No, we just moved here
from Virginia.
The weather’s a lot better here,
I can tell you that.
That’s, what? Five, six...
- [clerk] Seven.
- Seven.
[man] But I like knowing that
I have a good hardware store near me.
- Thank you so much. Have a good day.
- [clerk] Thank you, sir.
Have a good day.
[bell jingles]
[clerk]
You all right, Maja?
[bell jingles]
[chattering]
Thanks again.
You have a good
rest of your day.
[train whistling in distance]
[dog barking]
[man] What are you looking for?
[laughs]
What are you doing over there?
Come here.
[woman]
Hi, sweetie.
[man] So they didn’t have today’s paper.
I brought yesterday’s.
[man] I still don’t understand.
Did they find all the parcels?
I mean, it says here...
Then they don’t
have that number.
See?
- [gasps]
- It says here, but then you have the...
[barking]
[woman] Quiet, Max.
[barking continues]
Annabel.
I told you these aren’t toys.
[man] Do I have to
take the delivery tomorrow?
I mean, I have to be
at the refinery at 5:00.
[whispers]
I know, I know.
[man] I’m not taking the car.
I’m walking.
- Tell them I’ll be late.
- [woman] Come on, let’s go back inside.
- [man] Rachel!
- I said I’d call them later.
Where the hell
have you been?
You forgot
to pick up Patrick.
Um, I’m sorry.
I lost track of time,
and I thought school
must have called...
Yeah, his teacher had to
bring him home.
Did something happen?
- No.
- Then where were you?
With Diane,
I told you.
Diane? No. No, you didn’t
tell me anything.
Are we doing this again?
Is this where we are now?
No. I’m fine.
I’m sorry
I didn’t pick you up today.
Mommy had to
deal with something.
I played with Rick.
Did you play
with the football?
- Baseball.
- Mmm.
- You want to see how high we can make it?
- Mm-hmm.
Why don’t you use these?
[gasps]
[shuddered breathing]
[inhales]
- Can I get a bag for these?
- Oh, sure.
- What do I owe you?
- I’ll put it on your account.
[men chattering]
[engine starts]
Hello. I’m so glad you passed by.
My car broke down.
[sighs] I’m really not an expert,
but I’ll take a look if you want.
Would you?
This happened before.
I think I have some plugs
back here.
I just don’t know
what they look like.
I really don’t know much
about any... [grunts]
[Maja panting, grunting]
[grunting]
[cawing]
[crying]
[Maja grunts]
[groans]
[gun cocks]
What do you want?
What do you want?
Please... please.
Don’t look at me.
- Look away!
- [whimpers]
I have children. Please.
[groans]
[shuddered breathing]
What do you want?
[crying]
[chattering]
Hello.
- How is everything?
- Great.
They play
so nicely together.
I promised to take them
to the movies.
Oh, sure.
What’s playing?
Uh, Sleeping Beauty.
I have days like that too.
...we’d be a much healthier nation.
Okay, Irving. We’ll work by the cookie jar
and it’ll solve both problems.
- Wow. Did you see those...
- [door opens]
[Lewis] Hey.
- [Patrick] Hey.
- Hey, bud.
How was your day?
Good.
I went to Stuart’s house.
Nice.
- You have fun?
- Yeah.
[TV continues in background]
[man on TV]
Hello, Sarge.
[Sarge on TV]
Well, well, well.
[Lewis] What is it?
I always told you
that my family wasn’t in the war.
That we were living in Bucharest.
It’s not true.
I was in a German camp
for two years.
What are you talking about?
Why were you in a camp?
It wasn’t...
just my grandfather
who was a Roma.
A Gypsy.
It was my mother too.
And my father.
All of us actually.
I didn’t tell you because...
Why not?
When Romania joined the war,
they gave us to the Nazis.
And when the Nazis were losing later,
and the Russians came,
everything was falling apart.
Prisoners, guards,
everyone was escaping.
I was in a small group,
mostly women.
We were heading west,
back to Romania, back home.
We thought we made it.
We were sleeping when
some German soldiers, SS, found us.
They were drunk.
They shot some of us. They...
They did horrible things to the women.
Worse than you can imagine.
Why didn’t you ever tell me this?
I tried to deal with it alone.
I tried to make it go away
so you would never have to know, but...
Lewis...
he’s in the trunk...
of our car.
Just... Just... Whoa...
What are you talking about?
What? Who?
What the hell did you do?
What are we supposed
to do with him?
- We have to kill him.
- What? What are you talking about?
- Nobody saw me take him.
- No.
We’re not killing anyone, okay?
We’re gonna take him to the police...
- No. No, no, no.
- Yes. Yes.
- The police will investigate.
- We can’t go to the police.
- Then we’ll have to let him go.
- We can’t let him go.
- I kidnapped him. I tried to kill him.
- Shh! Quiet.
You don’t believe me.
I don’t know what to believe.
I mean, you never told me any of this.
You looked me in the eye and you told me
something very different. Right?
We’ve dealt with a lot of issues.
Psychiatrists, nightmares,
sleeping in the car.
Because of him.
[Patrick]
The show is done.
Mommy, the show is done.
Hey, bud, go brush your teeth.
Mommy will be right in.
Patrick!
[Maja] We have to bring him in.
He’ll wake up soon.
Okay.
Just for one night.
[Lewis and Maja grunting]
Okay.
Here.
Here.
[panting]
[man grunting quietly]
[muffled] Water...
Water...
[breathing heavily]
You don’t remember me?
What is your name?
Thomas.
Thomas Steinmann.
Doing a good job
hiding that German accent.
I’m not German. I’m Swiss.
Swiss...
Karl.
Someone called you Karl.
[stuttering]
My name is Thomas Steinmann.
I... I just moved to this town.
I work at the refinery.
I have a wife, Rachel...
two children.
I don’t know who you’re
confusing me with, but...
just let me go.
I won’t tell anyone.
I promise.
I got hit in the head.
I’m confused.
I won’t recognize your faces.
Just let me go.
I need to see my family again.
You will never see your family again!
Does he even
look the same to you?
[stutters]
Well, no, I mean...
Yes, his eyes.
I will never forget those eyes.
- We need to be certain.
- I am certain.
- [pounds table]
- Well, I need to be certain too.
I mean,
what’s the likelihood that a guy
that attacked you 15 years ago
halfway around the world, he ends up
two blocks away from our house?
Yes.
Yes, I know.
Exactly.
Maja. Maja.
Maja, wait!
Maja.
How dare you?
How dare you look me in the eyes
and deny who you are?
I’m not...
I will never
forget your face, Karl.
I remember your whistle.
You woke us up.
You hit me.
Your hands smelled of alcohol.
Your eyes, the way you looked at me
when you were choking me.
My sister...
My sister, Miriah, remember her?
Your Nazi friends dragged her away.
I must remind you
of someone.
The way I talk, the way I look.
Maybe my accent.
I was never in the war.
I was in Switzerland the entire time.
I worked as a clerk.
- Shut up!
- I have documents to prove it.
You have to give me a chance to prove it.
You’ll be an accomplice...
[footsteps climbing stairs]
Coward!
[echoing] You coward!
What if he managed
to get up from the chair?
He could kill us all.
He won’t. He’s tied.
You had a sister?
I don’t want to
talk about it now.
[vehicle approaching]
- [man whistles]
- [muffled screams]
[dog barking in distance]
I...
I have to go.
I have to go.
[rattling]
[grunts]
I was a civilian the entire war.
I lived in Zürich.
I met my wife there.
And we immigrated in ’46.
[grunts]
[grunts]
[Maja] Help!
[groaning]
[panting]
- [doorknob rattling]
- [lock clicks]
Help! Help!
[Thomas grunts]
[panting]
[lock clicks]
[dogs barking
in distance]
[Lewis] Shit.
Okay, I’m gonna go.
No, I’ll do it.
Did you hear that?
I think it came from over there.
- Did you hear it too?
- It woke us up.
You think we should
call somebody?
Nah. Let’s wait and see
in the morning.
Okay. Well, good night.
Good night, Jim.
I’m gonna check on Patrick.
[Thomas groans]
- [Lewis grunts]
- [groans]
[Thomas breathing heavily]
No. No.
Easy.
[Thomas groans]
[Lewis]
It’s dislocated.
Okay, I’m gonna
set it back for you.
- Okay?
- No.
- Yes. Yes.
- No, no, no.
- Okay, take a deep breath.
- [groaning]
I have children.
I have two little children.
My family depends on me.
What did I...
I’m not him.
How’d I be able to prove it,
if you refuse to even listen to me?
Mommy, can you cut my sausage?
- Good morning.
- Morning, Lewis.
Morning.
I’m gonna go to the clinic and check
the files of the new refinery workers.
No. Lewis,
don’t leave me alone with him.
Yes. And I need to tell Albert
I’m not going to be in most of the day.
If this guy truly is
one of the new ones,
maybe his file
will be in the office.
Right?
Yeah.
Yeah.
[hammering]
Hey, Todd, my apologies.
You’re gonna have to see Albert today.
I’m running late.
[receptionist]
Yes, sir, I have that down.
And how long?
[man speaks indistinctly]
Yes, it may be
a bit longer, but...
[chattering]
[muffled screams]
[screaming continues]
I hope that comes
with a good story.
Oh, it’s nothing.
I just... bumped my head.
Remember Maja was having sleeping
problems maybe nine, ten years ago,
you referred me to someone?
The psychiatrist from, uh...
Yeah. Yeah, yeah.
- Nussbaum.
- Mm-hmm.
I just tried to reach out to him,
but I couldn’t.
He retired.
Everything okay?
Yeah, she’s just having
nightmares again.
It’s not a big deal.
I can find him for you.
Anything I can do?
[mumbling]
[screams]
[panting]
This is insanity.
I’m a father. I have a...
[choking]
- Please stop.
- No more lies!
[coughing, spitting]
Why are you doing this?
It took me years
to put that night behind me,
to stop seeing your face
in my dreams.
I tried to forget you,
but you came here.
- My name is Thomas Steinmann.
- Oh, shut up.
I know who you are.
And you know who I am.
Zigeuner Fotze.
Zigeuner Fotze.
I would never say
something like that.
Zigeuner Fotze.
Say it.
Say it!
No.
Zigeuner Fotze.
Say it!
- Zigeuner Fotze.
- Louder.
- Louder!
- Zigeuner Fotze.
Scream it like you did then.
- Scream it!
- Zigeuner Fotze.
Zigeuner Fotze.
Zigeuner Fotze.
That’s right.
I’m the Gypsy cunt.
I never said that.
I never met you before.
[screaming]
[soldier speaking German]
[gunshot]
[speaking German continues]
[Thomas] What’s your name?
What’s your name?
My name is Maja.
Your name is Karl.
And my sister’s name was Miriah.
I want you to tell me
what happened that night.
Everything you remember.
I have nightmares about it.
But I only see fragments.
I remember...
If you only remember fragments,
how can you...
Shut up!
[crying]
I remember...
I remember being hit.
I remember seeing soldiers
dragging my sister.
I remember you.
I remember you on top of me.
Inside me.
But I...
I don’t know if I...
Did I run away?
Did I leave her there?
It’s running in my mind on a loop,
but I can’t piece it together.
Why my sister was shot
and not me.
Why I survived and she didn’t.
You have to help me remember.
If you do, I won’t kill you.
It’s your only way out of here alive.
[Lewis] Doctor, could it possibly be
that this is some kind of delusion?
I couldn’t possibly speculate
on something like that.
If I remember correctly,
she stopped coming in
after a few sessions anyway.
Why did she suddenly tell you all this?
We had a fight,
and she just said it.
Look, this...
She is talking about something
from 15 years ago.
More. More.
Can she be certain of the details?
How could she be certain
of the details?
Well, that’s a tough one.
Victims of trauma sometimes remember
the smallest details perfectly.
Other times they replay
the event in their mind
so many times
it becomes confused.
The memory of a memory,
essentially.
Very often the struggle to remember,
to piece together the event,
becomes the central focus
of the victim’s life.
In such cases,
it’s really impossible to tell.
[grunts]
[groaning]
Why are you
taking care of him?
Off.
[gasps]
I need to talk to you, Lewis.
I have information that’ll help you,
but I can only tell you, not her.
[Maja] You don’t
set the conditions here.
- You gave him our names?
- It doesn’t matter.
What do you mean?
Of course it matters.
Lewis? I need to talk to you.
I have concrete information.
- You said you want to know the truth.
- [Lewis] Tell me.
Wait a minute. Say it.
- Say it now!
- No! It’s about my family.
She would use the information
and hurt them.
You know it’s true.
I’ll tell it only to you.
We said we were gonna
do things together.
You torture him
when I’m not here?
- You call that torture?
- Yeah, I do.
I saw his file in the clinic.
He was born in Switzerland.
He was born there.
He took a new identity.
You don’t know that.
How do you know that?
You always do that! Doubting me.
And you’re letting him see it.
How do you think
he will ever confess
if he thinks you’re on his side?
I told you not to touch him
when I’m not in the house!
- [Maja] I was waiting for you!
- We had a plan! No?
We do things together.
Together!
Stay here.
What did you do to my wife?
- Nothing.
- What did you do to my wife?
Nothing.
I never met her before.
Never. I was in Zürich
the whole war.
I worked in
the Department of Transport.
Building C of the ministry.
You can check it.
Where’d you go
to elementary school?
Uh... Alfred Beale on Linden.
High school?
The Gymnasium down the street.
Sport und Wissenschaft.
Give me the names of
a few of your classmates.
I don’t remem...
[stutters]
Stefan, Jan, Hobie.
You don’t remember the names
of people in your high school?
Here’s who I went
to high school with:
Caroline Beale,
Jack Holland, Ben Rubins.
Okay, I can name more.
You want me to name more?
Stefan’s last name was Fröhlich.
Does it even matter?
[knocking at door]
[knocking continues]
Officer Brouwer.
- Jim.
- Hey, Maja.
Can you give us
a minute?
Sure. Sure.
[Jim]
It’s about the other night.
- What other night?
- I told the sheriff.
[girl]
I hope everything’s okay.
Can we go inside?
Sure. Sure.
Who was your supervisor
when you were a clerk?
A guy named Michael Nagel.
Michael Nagel?
How do I find Michael Nagel?
Where do I find him?
Zürich, probably.
- Probably?
- Yes.
- Sure. Look it up.
- Okay.
Michael Nagel.
Michael Nagel.
Michael Nagel.
Serves in
the transport department.
- Building C.
- Building C.
If I send him a picture of yours,
will he verify who you are?
Your name and that you were
with him during the war?
- I would think so, yes.
- You would think so?
It was 15 years ago.
You gonna kill me if he happened
to have forgotten me?
Give me something concrete
or I’m going upstairs.
Didn’t come home last night.
Didn’t show up at work this morning.
We have reason to believe
there’s foul play.
His name’s Thomas Steinmann,
and this is Rachel, his wife.
Hello.
They just moved
to Spruce recently.
So Jim White here is telling me that
the two of you heard
a weird scream for help last night.
It was actually
early morning.
Yeah, around 5:00 a.m.
Something like that.
But like I said, when I heard it,
it was like a real, "Help."
A real deep one.
"Help!"
Yeah, but it came
from down the street.
I was in the bedroom.
I ran out.
From the inside
it was hard to tell. Just the...
general direction.
[Thomas, muffled]
...only remembers fragments.
She’s making things up.
- She’s insane!
- Don’t talk about my wife like that.
Don’t ever say that again!
You were saying you had
something for me. Now say it! Say it.
- Calm down. Calm down.
- Just say it!
- [muffled shouting]
- Is Lewis home?
No, he’s at the office.
Do you need him?
I have something for you.
Just calm down.
I have a way for you to know that if you
release me, I can’t go to the police.
When I came to the US,
I had a visa,
and then I got naturalized
through my marriage to Rachel.
But Rachel was still married
to her first husband in Colorado.
We didn’t tell anyone
and got our marriage license
in Virginia.
We knew we broke the law,
but we had no choice.
It was the only way
for me to stay in the US.
I’m telling you this
so you have something on me.
If you release me,
I can’t go to the police.
We falsified federal documents.
We lied under oath to a federal officer.
My wife would go to jail. I’d be deported.
Our life would be destroyed.
This is your guarantee that
I don’t go to the police, see?
[Maja] So...
So why don’t you search
this street?
We will in a couple days.
We haven’t started
an official investigation yet.
[door slams]
Okay, I got something.
He told me...
Lewis?
I thought you were out.
Me too.
What are you doing home?
I was...
I was just cleaning
the basement.
[Officer Brouwer] I was just telling Maja
about the screams from last night.
Everybody’s kind of...
Yeah. Yeah,
she told me about that.
I... must’ve slept
right through it.
Uh, this is Rachel Steinmann.
- Her husband’s missing.
- Nice to meet you.
Hello.
The hell happen to you?
Oh, this is...
[chuckles]
Okay. Uh...
I think that’s all we need
for today.
- Lewis.
- Ed.
Jim.
Katie really wants to see you
at the clinic.
- Is tomorrow okay?
- Tomorrow? Yeah. Sure.
Just tell her to stop by.
Thank you.
Bye, Jim.
[exhales]
We’re gonna get caught.
So that’s her.
Yeah.
She must know something.
He couldn’t have hidden it
from her all these years.
You did.
I’m sorry.
What did he give you?
What?
What was it he wanted
to tell only you?
He told me about a clerk in Zürich.
He said it was about his family.
I told you what he said.
[vehicle approaching]
- [whispering in German]
- Shh, shh, shh.
[girl whispering
in foreign language]
[gasping]
- Rachel?
- Hello.
Hi, I’m Maja.
You were at my house.
Oh. Yes, of course. Yeah.
How are you?
I just wanted to come and say hi.
See if you need anything.
You’re new here
and your husband is a foreigner
in this country like me, so...
Thanks for offering.
How did you know
he was a foreigner?
Oh, Officer Brouwer told me.
He’s... German, right?
Swiss.
This is Patrick, by the way.
- Hi, Patrick.
- Hi.
I’m Rachel.
This is Annabel.
Annabel,
come say hi to Patrick.
Hi.
- Hi.
- You like dogs?
Why don’t you go
introduce Patrick to Max?
You wanna go
and say hi to the dog? Go.
He’s sweet.
He won’t bite.
So... no news?
Where are you from, Maja?
I’m from Romania.
I met my husband Lewis
after the war in Europe,
and then we moved here together.
Like us.
[baby cries]
Excuse me. I’m sorry.
Hey, come here.
You’re okay.
Come here.
You’re okay, buddy.
Yeah. There you go.
This is Tommy.
Say hi.
- Hi, Tommy.
- [chuckles]
[giggles]
Yeah, there you go.
Hello!
Hello.
I was in communications.
Civilian volunteer division.
It was part of the Marshall Plan
after the war.
That’s where I met him.
For me, it was an adventure.
I just wanted to get away
from there.
That’s what Thomas
always says.
Sometimes I think that’s why
he was eager to marry so fast.
You married fast?
Very.
He really wanted to
get out of Europe immediately.
Why?
I think for someone
that endured the war,
just had had enough.
He was in the war?
I thought the Swiss
were neutral.
Well, I think the violence
affected everyone there.
He was a clerk in Zürich.
[chuckles]
The least heroic role
you could imagine.
- [laughs]
- [Max barking]
Do you wanna stay for dinner?
I think the kids would like that.
Go get it!
[barking continues]
[Annabel]
...kids are gonna get it.
The dog thought
the human was gonna get it.
I... I think we have to
get back home.
I went to see his wife today.
Rachel.
Was that smart?
That son of a bitch.
He thinks he can
just put the past behind.
Start a new life and...
have a nice family.
You know what
I hate most about this?
When I first saw him,
my instinct was to move.
To run away.
’Cause we moved...
we moved around a lot when I was a kid.
The Romanians threw us
from one place to another.
And that man just...
suddenly comes here, and I should move.
I should move again.
Why didn’t you tell me this?
Why did you downplay
your heritage to me? Why?
Being a Roma...
was very hard.
We were of the caste, the group,
of Roma that are craftsmen.
Metal, wood, jewelry.
That’s how me and my sister survived
in the camp, ’cause we were good at it.
You never told me about her.
Miriah.
She was... three years younger.
She was my everything.
I had lots of brothers and sisters,
but she was my light.
It was me and her
who were in the camp together.
We survived
the whole war together.
And then...
it was only... the last days we...
Lewis.
Do I look like a...
Do I look different to you now?
Yes.
Yes?
And no.
You’re different,
but I mean...
it’s you.
I just need to get used to
this new person.
And your past.
All of a sudden,
your past is here too.
[Rachel] It took me two hours
to figure out how it works.
I’m not sleeping.
Too worried.
Maybe your husband
can prescribe something?
I can get you sleeping pills.
I have lots at home.
I have the same problem.
After the war.
Thomas too.
You should really meet him
when he’s back.
He’d be so happy to know
another European in this town, I’m sure.
We’re very similar.
You know, both of us
married Americans and...
got out of there
as soon as possible.
When you marry they say,
"Till death do you part,"
but you can never imagine
what that means, you know?
Till death do us part.
He’s not dead.
I know it.
That’s beautiful.
Look inside.
You’re Jewish?
Yeah.
I have no idea how he got it made
in Europe at that time
with everything that was going on.
He got it for you
when you were still there?
Yeah.
It’s very beautiful.
What?
What have you done?
You married a Jew right after the war
and took off to the States?
What?
Where did you get her that ring?
How do you know?
Did you steal your ring
in a camp too?
Let’s see.
You stay away from my family,
you crazy bitch!
[yelps]
[clicking]
[whimpers]
[gunshot]
[panting]
- [grunts]
- No. No, no.
[Thomas grunts]
Is this another ring you stole in a camp,
you Nazi pig, huh?
You stay away from my family.
Let me see your ring.
No! Don’t touch me!
Don’t touch me!
[grunting]
[shouts]
Let’s see if you stole this ring too.
I didn’t. I swear. I swear!
Tell me who you are, Karl.
What’s your last name?
My name is Thomas Steinmann.
I’m not the man you think I am!
No more lies!
- I have no idea...
- Last chance!
I just want to
go back to my family.
- I want my sister back!
- It’s not me!
[groans]
[moaning]
You crazy, sadistic bitch!
[moaning]
- [door closes]
- Maja?
- [moaning continues]
- Maja?
- Maja?
- Who’s there?
Lewis.
You want to sleep
at Albert’s tonight? Good.
Stay right here.
I’m gonna get your pajamas, okay?
Lewis. Lewis.
What’s that, Mommy?
It’s just some red paint.
Mommy’s okay.
Let’s...
Hey, I...
Okay, go in the room
and stay there.
Don’t move.
Don’t come out.
Lewis. Lewis, look.
Look. Do you see?
- What happened?
- Do you understand what this means?
Lewis, look. His ring.
It’s a Jewish star.
Like his wife, but he’s not Jewish.
Do you understand?
He stole it
like all the other Nazis.
[Thomas] No, I did it for my wife.
It meant a lot to her.
Do you understand
what this means?
- She wanted me to.
- Lewis, are you listening to me?
[Thomas]
I did it for my wife.
What are you doing? Why are you
helping him? Lewis, listen to me.
Enough!
Coward!
- Stop helping him! Why are you helping?
- I said that’s enough.
That’s enough!
[screams]
[panting]
- [soldiers shouting in German]
- [screaming]
- [gunshot]
- [indistinct shouting]
- [gunshots]
- [man whistles]
[indistinct shouting]
[screaming continues]
- [soldiers speaking German]
- [woman shrieking]
- [soldier grunts]
- [gasps]
[overlapping shouts in German]
[sobs]
[screaming]
- [woman speaking in foreign language]
- [soldiers yelling]
[soldier speaking German]
- [screaming]
- [gunshot]
[woman wailing]
[grunts]
[Maja] I know exactly...
I know exactly how it feels
to hold a secret that long.
The fear of letting it out.
Karl.
There was always a part of me
that was eager to let it out.
Always.
And I know you have that too.
I know you do.
I can see it.
[exhales]
Give me what I want, Karl.
Do it for your family.
For Annabel and Tommy.
If you do, I will let you go.
It’s your only way out of here.
You believe me, right?
You know it’s your only way out.
Yes.
If you die here,
who will take care of your children?
Will you really
do this to them?
Yes. I will kill you.
[door opens]
How’s Patrick?
He’s okay.
He’s a strong kid.
Albert’s niece is there,
so he’s good.
I was afraid
you wouldn’t come back.
We have to put an end to this.
Listen.
I got confirmation from Switzerland.
His story checks out.
He was really there.
He was there.
And...
I talked to Dr. Nussbaum.
And he said that in cases like this,
people can get confused.
- Lewis, please.
- It’s natural.
- No, it’s possible.
- You just want this to go away.
Thomas told me that his marriage
was based on false information.
When they met in Europe, she was
still married to another man in Colorado.
When did he say this?
When you were upstairs,
and I was alone with him.
You didn’t tell me this.
He gave it to me
so that we have something on him.
We can release him and know
he won’t go to the police.
We can get out of this, Maja.
Get our lives back to normal.
My life will never be normal.
Can’t we move on...
and put it behind us?
Even if it is him.
Can you forgive... for our sake?
[exhales]
Please? For our sake.
[sighs]
What do you want?
What do you want?
I want him to confess.
Why?
If you’re so sure it’s him, why?
I need you to hear it.
- I don’t need to hear it.
- Yes, you do.
I don’t need to hear it.
Imagine all this ending,
and you’re still not sure.
You’d always think I’m crazy,
and that I attacked an innocent man.
- I won’t.
- Yes, you will.
Maybe not today or tomorrow,
but if this stays unresolved,
you won’t be able to live with it.
I know you, Lewis.
[gasps]
Hi, sweetie.
You okay?
What’s wrong? Hey.
What’s wrong?
[Annabel whispers]
I just wish Dad was here.
Uh... Daddy will be back
in a few days.
Okay?
Do you know
what he told me?
He told me he bought you and Tommy
a really special present.
Don’t be rude.
Go play with Patrick, okay?
You know, Rachel, what you just did...
out there right now.
[breathes deeply]
I do that to Patrick all the time.
Ever since he was born.
I lie to him.
I lie to him when he...
when he asks about my family,
what happened to them in the war.
I even lie to him about who I am.
I... I feel like I’m protecting him, but...
He asks me all these questions,
and I don’t know what to say.
Annabel does the same.
It’s okay, I don’t know
what to tell her either.
Why not?
Thomas doesn’t
talk about his family.
Why?
I don’t know.
I’ve realized the past few days there’s...
so much that I don’t know
about Thomas.
I’m filling out these forms,
these police forms. I...
I have nobody to call
to say he’s missing.
His family in Europe, I don’t...
Just even to ask if he’s ever
done anything like this before
or just to talk.
I’ve tried to ask questions about
his family, but he doesn’t like it.
His past or it’s these nightmares.
He just explodes.
I don’t understand why
he has nightmares in the first place.
He wasn’t even in the war.
Sometimes I look at him...
I don’t talk about this,
so if you’d...
Could you please just not repeat
what I’m saying to you?
Yeah.
[Thomas]
I had to lie to Rachel.
It was to protect her
and the children.
Many Germans did it after the war.
They lied about being German.
I wouldn’t have even been able
to emigrate to this country otherwise.
I was in the army.
I was in the army,
but I never met you.
[Maja] Just stop.
Your wife told me enough.
If you keep lying to me,
you will die here.
If you tell me the truth,
you can go home.
You can have breakfast
with Annabel and Tommy tomorrow.
I don’t want to kill you.
But you have to stop lying to me.
We were sleeping
in that old, empty building.
[indistinct shouting]
My sister was
being dragged away.
Two men were holding me down.
Someone was pouring
alcohol on me.
My eyes were burning,
and I couldn’t see.
[shouting continues]
[panting]
I remember that I was running.
I was running, but I don’t know if...
- Did I leave her there?
- [man whistles]
I know you were there.
You have to tell me.
Why do you have nightmares, Karl?
What do you see in your nightmares?
Do you see my face?
Do you see my sister?
- [soldier] Karl!
- Do you see me run away?
[soldier speaking German]
[Maja] Karl.
Karl, look at me.
I don’t want to shoot you, but I will.
If you don’t tell me what you know,
I will kill you.
Did I leave her?
Did I leave her there? Did I...
Did I run away from her?
Did I run away? Did I run away?
- [Thomas grunts]
- Did I run away?
[echoing] Did I run away?
- Did I run away?
- We shot everyone.
We must have just missed you.
There were... Russians were nearby.
We had to leave quickly.
Rachel and the children,
they must never know.
[gasps]
They will never know.
[Thomas] When I saw you
the first time, I thought you...
I thought you were dead.
Dieter was undressing you.
Did I run away?
You never left.
I never left.
Some people
didn’t even resist.
I managed to not think of it
for... a long time.
But it kept coming back.
That horrible feeling.
It was like living inside a nightmare.
All the amphetamines...
I didn’t sleep for... five nights.
The year before,
I was in high school.
I don’t understand how
I could become that person.
I don’t understand how I could do that.
How I could do those things.
I don’t recognize...
I don’t recognize that person
that I was 15 years ago.
I don’t recognize him,
but I know I did it.
I did it.
- [gunshots]
- [Maja gasps]
[Maja shudders]
[gasps]
What did you...
[breathing heavily]
What did you do?
What have you done?
[Maja crying]
[breathing heavily]
Lewis?
[Lewis sniffling]
Hey.
[crying]
I don’t know how to do this.
I can’t do it.
- I can’t do it.
- Yes, you can.
Yes, you can.
This is done. This is over.
We must never
talk about this again.
To anyone.
Lewis.
You’re a good man.
You asked me to find a way
to let go, to forgive.
I couldn’t.
I didn’t.
You told me you didn’t need
to hear what happened.
And I didn’t listen to you.
And now we’re here together.
And we move on together.
Lewis, look at me. Look at me.
You go to work.
I’ll go to Albert’s.
I pick up Patrick.
Take him to school.
We move on.
[chattering]
- [speaks indistinctly]
- Good to see you, buddy. Happy Fourth.
[chattering continues]
[girl] Okay, I already took it.
You guys can put it on your side.
[indistinct]
[laughs]
[chattering continues]
[man] Jimmy.
Jimmy, come here.
[crowd oohing]
by Jerry Fuller playing]
[song fades]
[chattering]
- [boy] That was pretty big.
- [woman chuckles]
[dog barking]
Oh, wow.
Patrick, look at that one.
[laughs]
[boy 2]
Look at that over there!
Wow, look at this one.
Patrick, Patrick, can you catch it?
[man whistling]
[dog barks]
[man] Let’s go, Max.
- [Patrick grunts]
- [man] Sit.
[man whistles]
[man 2] All right, sweetie. Come on.
You wanna take the doll?
I bet this
totally messes it up.
- [whistling]
- [Max barking]
[man] Sit.
Max, heel.
Honey, stay here for a second.
Mommy will be right back.
[man]
Okay, Max, stay close.
Patrick, stay on the blanket.
Go, Max, in.
[car engine starts]
Hi, Maja.
You okay?
Hi, Sarah.
How’s Lewis doing?
Patrick?
Yeah, good.
Did you make it to
the parent-teacher conference on Monday?
I couldn’t make it.
[doctor] Take a look
at this waiting list.
Ever think
we’d get this busy?
I guess it’s good for business.
[scoffs]
Good for business. Right.
- You should tell your husband that.
- [doctor 2] Deep breath.
[inhales, exhales]
Good.
A lot of new guys
at the refinery these days.
- You seem surprised I’m one of ’em.
- No, not at all.
What do you do there?
- Shift manager.
- Shift manager?
It’s all right, Doc.
I don’t mind talking about it.
6th Marine Division.
Lost the legs in Okinawa, second landing.
- You serve?
- Medical Corps.
But they only
sent me over in ’46.
Can you lie on your back
for me, please?
Yeah, I was in
an army hospital in Greece.
Part of the reconstruction.
It’s awful what happened
to the combat vets.
Well, it’s not like
any of us chose it.
- [knock at door]
- Yeah?
Anything you want to add
to the order before I call it in?
Uh...
We need Thorazine,
Bentyl and some aspirin.
It’s already on.
And we’re running low on dressings,
so I put that on too.
Eddie, this is my wife, Maja.
- She helps run the office.
- Pleasure to meet you, ma’am.
We met at that army hospital in Greece
I was telling you about.
Couldn’t get enough of the local gals
so you brought one home with you.
- Yeah.
- Actually, I’m Romanian.
I was thinking maybe we could invite Eddie
over for dinner one of these nights.
He’s new at the refinery.
Oh, I don’t know, Doc.
I don’t want it to be awkward.
No, it’s not awkward. Come on.
You deserve a proper welcome.
- [chuckles]
- What do you say, Maja? Wednesday?
Sure.
Nice to meet you.
[engine starts]
[pop music playing on radio]
[TV playing quietly]
Why did you invite
that guy for dinner?
Why not?
You didn’t have to invite him.
Well, he’s new in town,
and he’s...
You know,
it must be hard for him.
He doesn’t need your pity.
You made him feel awkward.
- No, I didn’t.
- Yes, you did.
I don’t think so.
Yes, you did.
No, I didn’t.
Do you know that Mrs. Jackson
is arranging a lemonade contest?
Patrick’s class?
Can you believe it?
Everything in this country
is a competition.
Well, you know, some things
are acts of kindness,
like inviting a veteran,
an injured veteran, over for dinner
’cause he’s new in town.
Mmm. You just want to
save everyone, Doctor.
Maybe I do.
Some more than others.
- Really?
- Really.
- Really?
- Really.
[grunts]
Why don’t you
take them out?
- It took me one hour to put them in.
- Yeah?
I’ll make you
look pretty right now.
How?
How?
[chuckles]
Have you heard
about the glow?
Oh, you’re so ridiculous.
I’m ridiculous?
Look at you with these curlers.
Shut up. Get off me.
[both chuckling]
[breathing heavily]
[Patrick] Mommy, Mommy!
Shit!
I can’t sleep.
It’s too dark.
You’re lying on my glasses.
[laughs]
- [laughs] They’re in my butt.
- [Maja] Take your butt...
Daddy’s messing up
Mommy’s curlers.
We were wrestling.
[Maja] Daddy will be in,
in a minute.
- Just stay right here.
- Yeah, you stay. Don’t move.
- You can’t go in naked with Patrick.
- I know.
I’m getting
my underwear.
- [Patrick] Bear.
- [Maja] Very good.
- Clown.
- Good.
And what about
this one?
- Boat.
- Good.
- [with accent] Rabbit.
- Good.
He’s catching your accent.
The R’s.
No, he’s not.
- Is he?
- Mm-hmm.
Then you tell him
how to say it.
Rabbit.
- [without accent] Rabbit.
- Exactly.
Yeah. Always say it like Daddy
and your teachers, not like me.
- [with accent] A rabbit.
- [chuckles]
- [with accent] Rabbit.
- Oh, really?
- Very funny.
- [with accent] Patrick Reed.
I like that one.
[with accent] Patrick Reed.
[Patrick, with accent]
Rudolph the reindeer.
[with accent]
Rudolph the reindeer.
- Do you wanna do it instead?
- I would love to.
- Okay, go ahead.
- [Patrick without accent] Bear.
[Maja] How many eggs?
One...
two...
three.
[Maja]
What about over there?
[grunts]
Four. Four eggs.
We need a spare for this,
and I don’t have time.
Do you mind
going to Mitchell’s?
Sure,
I’ll do it today.
Okay. Let’s do it.
I’m still missing some files
for the new workers.
You mind
calling the refinery?
- Ask for them?
- I already did. I’ll call them again.
[grinding]
[man] No, we just moved here
from Virginia.
The weather’s a lot better here,
I can tell you that.
That’s, what? Five, six...
- [clerk] Seven.
- Seven.
[man] But I like knowing that
I have a good hardware store near me.
- Thank you so much. Have a good day.
- [clerk] Thank you, sir.
Have a good day.
[bell jingles]
[clerk]
You all right, Maja?
[bell jingles]
[chattering]
Thanks again.
You have a good
rest of your day.
[train whistling in distance]
[dog barking]
[man] What are you looking for?
[laughs]
What are you doing over there?
Come here.
[woman]
Hi, sweetie.
[man] So they didn’t have today’s paper.
I brought yesterday’s.
[man] I still don’t understand.
Did they find all the parcels?
I mean, it says here...
Then they don’t
have that number.
See?
- [gasps]
- It says here, but then you have the...
[barking]
[woman] Quiet, Max.
[barking continues]
Annabel.
I told you these aren’t toys.
[man] Do I have to
take the delivery tomorrow?
I mean, I have to be
at the refinery at 5:00.
[whispers]
I know, I know.
[man] I’m not taking the car.
I’m walking.
- Tell them I’ll be late.
- [woman] Come on, let’s go back inside.
- [man] Rachel!
- I said I’d call them later.
Where the hell
have you been?
You forgot
to pick up Patrick.
Um, I’m sorry.
I lost track of time,
and I thought school
must have called...
Yeah, his teacher had to
bring him home.
Did something happen?
- No.
- Then where were you?
With Diane,
I told you.
Diane? No. No, you didn’t
tell me anything.
Are we doing this again?
Is this where we are now?
No. I’m fine.
I’m sorry
I didn’t pick you up today.
Mommy had to
deal with something.
I played with Rick.
Did you play
with the football?
- Baseball.
- Mmm.
- You want to see how high we can make it?
- Mm-hmm.
Why don’t you use these?
[gasps]
[shuddered breathing]
[inhales]
- Can I get a bag for these?
- Oh, sure.
- What do I owe you?
- I’ll put it on your account.
[men chattering]
[engine starts]
Hello. I’m so glad you passed by.
My car broke down.
[sighs] I’m really not an expert,
but I’ll take a look if you want.
Would you?
This happened before.
I think I have some plugs
back here.
I just don’t know
what they look like.
I really don’t know much
about any... [grunts]
[Maja panting, grunting]
[grunting]
[cawing]
[crying]
[Maja grunts]
[groans]
[gun cocks]
What do you want?
What do you want?
Please... please.
Don’t look at me.
- Look away!
- [whimpers]
I have children. Please.
[groans]
[shuddered breathing]
What do you want?
[crying]
[chattering]
Hello.
- How is everything?
- Great.
They play
so nicely together.
I promised to take them
to the movies.
Oh, sure.
What’s playing?
Uh, Sleeping Beauty.
I have days like that too.
...we’d be a much healthier nation.
Okay, Irving. We’ll work by the cookie jar
and it’ll solve both problems.
- Wow. Did you see those...
- [door opens]
[Lewis] Hey.
- [Patrick] Hey.
- Hey, bud.
How was your day?
Good.
I went to Stuart’s house.
Nice.
- You have fun?
- Yeah.
[TV continues in background]
[man on TV]
Hello, Sarge.
[Sarge on TV]
Well, well, well.
[Lewis] What is it?
I always told you
that my family wasn’t in the war.
That we were living in Bucharest.
It’s not true.
I was in a German camp
for two years.
What are you talking about?
Why were you in a camp?
It wasn’t...
just my grandfather
who was a Roma.
A Gypsy.
It was my mother too.
And my father.
All of us actually.
I didn’t tell you because...
Why not?
When Romania joined the war,
they gave us to the Nazis.
And when the Nazis were losing later,
and the Russians came,
everything was falling apart.
Prisoners, guards,
everyone was escaping.
I was in a small group,
mostly women.
We were heading west,
back to Romania, back home.
We thought we made it.
We were sleeping when
some German soldiers, SS, found us.
They were drunk.
They shot some of us. They...
They did horrible things to the women.
Worse than you can imagine.
Why didn’t you ever tell me this?
I tried to deal with it alone.
I tried to make it go away
so you would never have to know, but...
Lewis...
he’s in the trunk...
of our car.
Just... Just... Whoa...
What are you talking about?
What? Who?
What the hell did you do?
What are we supposed
to do with him?
- We have to kill him.
- What? What are you talking about?
- Nobody saw me take him.
- No.
We’re not killing anyone, okay?
We’re gonna take him to the police...
- No. No, no, no.
- Yes. Yes.
- The police will investigate.
- We can’t go to the police.
- Then we’ll have to let him go.
- We can’t let him go.
- I kidnapped him. I tried to kill him.
- Shh! Quiet.
You don’t believe me.
I don’t know what to believe.
I mean, you never told me any of this.
You looked me in the eye and you told me
something very different. Right?
We’ve dealt with a lot of issues.
Psychiatrists, nightmares,
sleeping in the car.
Because of him.
[Patrick]
The show is done.
Mommy, the show is done.
Hey, bud, go brush your teeth.
Mommy will be right in.
Patrick!
[Maja] We have to bring him in.
He’ll wake up soon.
Okay.
Just for one night.
[Lewis and Maja grunting]
Okay.
Here.
Here.
[panting]
[man grunting quietly]
[muffled] Water...
Water...
[breathing heavily]
You don’t remember me?
What is your name?
Thomas.
Thomas Steinmann.
Doing a good job
hiding that German accent.
I’m not German. I’m Swiss.
Swiss...
Karl.
Someone called you Karl.
[stuttering]
My name is Thomas Steinmann.
I... I just moved to this town.
I work at the refinery.
I have a wife, Rachel...
two children.
I don’t know who you’re
confusing me with, but...
just let me go.
I won’t tell anyone.
I promise.
I got hit in the head.
I’m confused.
I won’t recognize your faces.
Just let me go.
I need to see my family again.
You will never see your family again!
Does he even
look the same to you?
[stutters]
Well, no, I mean...
Yes, his eyes.
I will never forget those eyes.
- We need to be certain.
- I am certain.
- [pounds table]
- Well, I need to be certain too.
I mean,
what’s the likelihood that a guy
that attacked you 15 years ago
halfway around the world, he ends up
two blocks away from our house?
Yes.
Yes, I know.
Exactly.
Maja. Maja.
Maja, wait!
Maja.
How dare you?
How dare you look me in the eyes
and deny who you are?
I’m not...
I will never
forget your face, Karl.
I remember your whistle.
You woke us up.
You hit me.
Your hands smelled of alcohol.
Your eyes, the way you looked at me
when you were choking me.
My sister...
My sister, Miriah, remember her?
Your Nazi friends dragged her away.
I must remind you
of someone.
The way I talk, the way I look.
Maybe my accent.
I was never in the war.
I was in Switzerland the entire time.
I worked as a clerk.
- Shut up!
- I have documents to prove it.
You have to give me a chance to prove it.
You’ll be an accomplice...
[footsteps climbing stairs]
Coward!
[echoing] You coward!
What if he managed
to get up from the chair?
He could kill us all.
He won’t. He’s tied.
You had a sister?
I don’t want to
talk about it now.
[vehicle approaching]
- [man whistles]
- [muffled screams]
[dog barking in distance]
I...
I have to go.
I have to go.
[rattling]
[grunts]
I was a civilian the entire war.
I lived in Zürich.
I met my wife there.
And we immigrated in ’46.
[grunts]
[grunts]
[Maja] Help!
[groaning]
[panting]
- [doorknob rattling]
- [lock clicks]
Help! Help!
[Thomas grunts]
[panting]
[lock clicks]
[dogs barking
in distance]
[Lewis] Shit.
Okay, I’m gonna go.
No, I’ll do it.
Did you hear that?
I think it came from over there.
- Did you hear it too?
- It woke us up.
You think we should
call somebody?
Nah. Let’s wait and see
in the morning.
Okay. Well, good night.
Good night, Jim.
I’m gonna check on Patrick.
[Thomas groans]
- [Lewis grunts]
- [groans]
[Thomas breathing heavily]
No. No.
Easy.
[Thomas groans]
[Lewis]
It’s dislocated.
Okay, I’m gonna
set it back for you.
- Okay?
- No.
- Yes. Yes.
- No, no, no.
- Okay, take a deep breath.
- [groaning]
I have children.
I have two little children.
My family depends on me.
What did I...
I’m not him.
How’d I be able to prove it,
if you refuse to even listen to me?
Mommy, can you cut my sausage?
- Good morning.
- Morning, Lewis.
Morning.
I’m gonna go to the clinic and check
the files of the new refinery workers.
No. Lewis,
don’t leave me alone with him.
Yes. And I need to tell Albert
I’m not going to be in most of the day.
If this guy truly is
one of the new ones,
maybe his file
will be in the office.
Right?
Yeah.
Yeah.
[hammering]
Hey, Todd, my apologies.
You’re gonna have to see Albert today.
I’m running late.
[receptionist]
Yes, sir, I have that down.
And how long?
[man speaks indistinctly]
Yes, it may be
a bit longer, but...
[chattering]
[muffled screams]
[screaming continues]
I hope that comes
with a good story.
Oh, it’s nothing.
I just... bumped my head.
Remember Maja was having sleeping
problems maybe nine, ten years ago,
you referred me to someone?
The psychiatrist from, uh...
Yeah. Yeah, yeah.
- Nussbaum.
- Mm-hmm.
I just tried to reach out to him,
but I couldn’t.
He retired.
Everything okay?
Yeah, she’s just having
nightmares again.
It’s not a big deal.
I can find him for you.
Anything I can do?
[mumbling]
[screams]
[panting]
This is insanity.
I’m a father. I have a...
[choking]
- Please stop.
- No more lies!
[coughing, spitting]
Why are you doing this?
It took me years
to put that night behind me,
to stop seeing your face
in my dreams.
I tried to forget you,
but you came here.
- My name is Thomas Steinmann.
- Oh, shut up.
I know who you are.
And you know who I am.
Zigeuner Fotze.
Zigeuner Fotze.
I would never say
something like that.
Zigeuner Fotze.
Say it.
Say it!
No.
Zigeuner Fotze.
Say it!
- Zigeuner Fotze.
- Louder.
- Louder!
- Zigeuner Fotze.
Scream it like you did then.
- Scream it!
- Zigeuner Fotze.
Zigeuner Fotze.
Zigeuner Fotze.
That’s right.
I’m the Gypsy cunt.
I never said that.
I never met you before.
[screaming]
[soldier speaking German]
[gunshot]
[speaking German continues]
[Thomas] What’s your name?
What’s your name?
My name is Maja.
Your name is Karl.
And my sister’s name was Miriah.
I want you to tell me
what happened that night.
Everything you remember.
I have nightmares about it.
But I only see fragments.
I remember...
If you only remember fragments,
how can you...
Shut up!
[crying]
I remember...
I remember being hit.
I remember seeing soldiers
dragging my sister.
I remember you.
I remember you on top of me.
Inside me.
But I...
I don’t know if I...
Did I run away?
Did I leave her there?
It’s running in my mind on a loop,
but I can’t piece it together.
Why my sister was shot
and not me.
Why I survived and she didn’t.
You have to help me remember.
If you do, I won’t kill you.
It’s your only way out of here alive.
[Lewis] Doctor, could it possibly be
that this is some kind of delusion?
I couldn’t possibly speculate
on something like that.
If I remember correctly,
she stopped coming in
after a few sessions anyway.
Why did she suddenly tell you all this?
We had a fight,
and she just said it.
Look, this...
She is talking about something
from 15 years ago.
More. More.
Can she be certain of the details?
How could she be certain
of the details?
Well, that’s a tough one.
Victims of trauma sometimes remember
the smallest details perfectly.
Other times they replay
the event in their mind
so many times
it becomes confused.
The memory of a memory,
essentially.
Very often the struggle to remember,
to piece together the event,
becomes the central focus
of the victim’s life.
In such cases,
it’s really impossible to tell.
[grunts]
[groaning]
Why are you
taking care of him?
Off.
[gasps]
I need to talk to you, Lewis.
I have information that’ll help you,
but I can only tell you, not her.
[Maja] You don’t
set the conditions here.
- You gave him our names?
- It doesn’t matter.
What do you mean?
Of course it matters.
Lewis? I need to talk to you.
I have concrete information.
- You said you want to know the truth.
- [Lewis] Tell me.
Wait a minute. Say it.
- Say it now!
- No! It’s about my family.
She would use the information
and hurt them.
You know it’s true.
I’ll tell it only to you.
We said we were gonna
do things together.
You torture him
when I’m not here?
- You call that torture?
- Yeah, I do.
I saw his file in the clinic.
He was born in Switzerland.
He was born there.
He took a new identity.
You don’t know that.
How do you know that?
You always do that! Doubting me.
And you’re letting him see it.
How do you think
he will ever confess
if he thinks you’re on his side?
I told you not to touch him
when I’m not in the house!
- [Maja] I was waiting for you!
- We had a plan! No?
We do things together.
Together!
Stay here.
What did you do to my wife?
- Nothing.
- What did you do to my wife?
Nothing.
I never met her before.
Never. I was in Zürich
the whole war.
I worked in
the Department of Transport.
Building C of the ministry.
You can check it.
Where’d you go
to elementary school?
Uh... Alfred Beale on Linden.
High school?
The Gymnasium down the street.
Sport und Wissenschaft.
Give me the names of
a few of your classmates.
I don’t remem...
[stutters]
Stefan, Jan, Hobie.
You don’t remember the names
of people in your high school?
Here’s who I went
to high school with:
Caroline Beale,
Jack Holland, Ben Rubins.
Okay, I can name more.
You want me to name more?
Stefan’s last name was Fröhlich.
Does it even matter?
[knocking at door]
[knocking continues]
Officer Brouwer.
- Jim.
- Hey, Maja.
Can you give us
a minute?
Sure. Sure.
[Jim]
It’s about the other night.
- What other night?
- I told the sheriff.
[girl]
I hope everything’s okay.
Can we go inside?
Sure. Sure.
Who was your supervisor
when you were a clerk?
A guy named Michael Nagel.
Michael Nagel?
How do I find Michael Nagel?
Where do I find him?
Zürich, probably.
- Probably?
- Yes.
- Sure. Look it up.
- Okay.
Michael Nagel.
Michael Nagel.
Michael Nagel.
Serves in
the transport department.
- Building C.
- Building C.
If I send him a picture of yours,
will he verify who you are?
Your name and that you were
with him during the war?
- I would think so, yes.
- You would think so?
It was 15 years ago.
You gonna kill me if he happened
to have forgotten me?
Give me something concrete
or I’m going upstairs.
Didn’t come home last night.
Didn’t show up at work this morning.
We have reason to believe
there’s foul play.
His name’s Thomas Steinmann,
and this is Rachel, his wife.
Hello.
They just moved
to Spruce recently.
So Jim White here is telling me that
the two of you heard
a weird scream for help last night.
It was actually
early morning.
Yeah, around 5:00 a.m.
Something like that.
But like I said, when I heard it,
it was like a real, "Help."
A real deep one.
"Help!"
Yeah, but it came
from down the street.
I was in the bedroom.
I ran out.
From the inside
it was hard to tell. Just the...
general direction.
[Thomas, muffled]
...only remembers fragments.
She’s making things up.
- She’s insane!
- Don’t talk about my wife like that.
Don’t ever say that again!
You were saying you had
something for me. Now say it! Say it.
- Calm down. Calm down.
- Just say it!
- [muffled shouting]
- Is Lewis home?
No, he’s at the office.
Do you need him?
I have something for you.
Just calm down.
I have a way for you to know that if you
release me, I can’t go to the police.
When I came to the US,
I had a visa,
and then I got naturalized
through my marriage to Rachel.
But Rachel was still married
to her first husband in Colorado.
We didn’t tell anyone
and got our marriage license
in Virginia.
We knew we broke the law,
but we had no choice.
It was the only way
for me to stay in the US.
I’m telling you this
so you have something on me.
If you release me,
I can’t go to the police.
We falsified federal documents.
We lied under oath to a federal officer.
My wife would go to jail. I’d be deported.
Our life would be destroyed.
This is your guarantee that
I don’t go to the police, see?
[Maja] So...
So why don’t you search
this street?
We will in a couple days.
We haven’t started
an official investigation yet.
[door slams]
Okay, I got something.
He told me...
Lewis?
I thought you were out.
Me too.
What are you doing home?
I was...
I was just cleaning
the basement.
[Officer Brouwer] I was just telling Maja
about the screams from last night.
Everybody’s kind of...
Yeah. Yeah,
she told me about that.
I... must’ve slept
right through it.
Uh, this is Rachel Steinmann.
- Her husband’s missing.
- Nice to meet you.
Hello.
The hell happen to you?
Oh, this is...
[chuckles]
Okay. Uh...
I think that’s all we need
for today.
- Lewis.
- Ed.
Jim.
Katie really wants to see you
at the clinic.
- Is tomorrow okay?
- Tomorrow? Yeah. Sure.
Just tell her to stop by.
Thank you.
Bye, Jim.
[exhales]
We’re gonna get caught.
So that’s her.
Yeah.
She must know something.
He couldn’t have hidden it
from her all these years.
You did.
I’m sorry.
What did he give you?
What?
What was it he wanted
to tell only you?
He told me about a clerk in Zürich.
He said it was about his family.
I told you what he said.
[vehicle approaching]
- [whispering in German]
- Shh, shh, shh.
[girl whispering
in foreign language]
[gasping]
- Rachel?
- Hello.
Hi, I’m Maja.
You were at my house.
Oh. Yes, of course. Yeah.
How are you?
I just wanted to come and say hi.
See if you need anything.
You’re new here
and your husband is a foreigner
in this country like me, so...
Thanks for offering.
How did you know
he was a foreigner?
Oh, Officer Brouwer told me.
He’s... German, right?
Swiss.
This is Patrick, by the way.
- Hi, Patrick.
- Hi.
I’m Rachel.
This is Annabel.
Annabel,
come say hi to Patrick.
Hi.
- Hi.
- You like dogs?
Why don’t you go
introduce Patrick to Max?
You wanna go
and say hi to the dog? Go.
He’s sweet.
He won’t bite.
So... no news?
Where are you from, Maja?
I’m from Romania.
I met my husband Lewis
after the war in Europe,
and then we moved here together.
Like us.
[baby cries]
Excuse me. I’m sorry.
Hey, come here.
You’re okay.
Come here.
You’re okay, buddy.
Yeah. There you go.
This is Tommy.
Say hi.
- Hi, Tommy.
- [chuckles]
[giggles]
Yeah, there you go.
Hello!
Hello.
I was in communications.
Civilian volunteer division.
It was part of the Marshall Plan
after the war.
That’s where I met him.
For me, it was an adventure.
I just wanted to get away
from there.
That’s what Thomas
always says.
Sometimes I think that’s why
he was eager to marry so fast.
You married fast?
Very.
He really wanted to
get out of Europe immediately.
Why?
I think for someone
that endured the war,
just had had enough.
He was in the war?
I thought the Swiss
were neutral.
Well, I think the violence
affected everyone there.
He was a clerk in Zürich.
[chuckles]
The least heroic role
you could imagine.
- [laughs]
- [Max barking]
Do you wanna stay for dinner?
I think the kids would like that.
Go get it!
[barking continues]
[Annabel]
...kids are gonna get it.
The dog thought
the human was gonna get it.
I... I think we have to
get back home.
I went to see his wife today.
Rachel.
Was that smart?
That son of a bitch.
He thinks he can
just put the past behind.
Start a new life and...
have a nice family.
You know what
I hate most about this?
When I first saw him,
my instinct was to move.
To run away.
’Cause we moved...
we moved around a lot when I was a kid.
The Romanians threw us
from one place to another.
And that man just...
suddenly comes here, and I should move.
I should move again.
Why didn’t you tell me this?
Why did you downplay
your heritage to me? Why?
Being a Roma...
was very hard.
We were of the caste, the group,
of Roma that are craftsmen.
Metal, wood, jewelry.
That’s how me and my sister survived
in the camp, ’cause we were good at it.
You never told me about her.
Miriah.
She was... three years younger.
She was my everything.
I had lots of brothers and sisters,
but she was my light.
It was me and her
who were in the camp together.
We survived
the whole war together.
And then...
it was only... the last days we...
Lewis.
Do I look like a...
Do I look different to you now?
Yes.
Yes?
And no.
You’re different,
but I mean...
it’s you.
I just need to get used to
this new person.
And your past.
All of a sudden,
your past is here too.
[Rachel] It took me two hours
to figure out how it works.
I’m not sleeping.
Too worried.
Maybe your husband
can prescribe something?
I can get you sleeping pills.
I have lots at home.
I have the same problem.
After the war.
Thomas too.
You should really meet him
when he’s back.
He’d be so happy to know
another European in this town, I’m sure.
We’re very similar.
You know, both of us
married Americans and...
got out of there
as soon as possible.
When you marry they say,
"Till death do you part,"
but you can never imagine
what that means, you know?
Till death do us part.
He’s not dead.
I know it.
That’s beautiful.
Look inside.
You’re Jewish?
Yeah.
I have no idea how he got it made
in Europe at that time
with everything that was going on.
He got it for you
when you were still there?
Yeah.
It’s very beautiful.
What?
What have you done?
You married a Jew right after the war
and took off to the States?
What?
Where did you get her that ring?
How do you know?
Did you steal your ring
in a camp too?
Let’s see.
You stay away from my family,
you crazy bitch!
[yelps]
[clicking]
[whimpers]
[gunshot]
[panting]
- [grunts]
- No. No, no.
[Thomas grunts]
Is this another ring you stole in a camp,
you Nazi pig, huh?
You stay away from my family.
Let me see your ring.
No! Don’t touch me!
Don’t touch me!
[grunting]
[shouts]
Let’s see if you stole this ring too.
I didn’t. I swear. I swear!
Tell me who you are, Karl.
What’s your last name?
My name is Thomas Steinmann.
I’m not the man you think I am!
No more lies!
- I have no idea...
- Last chance!
I just want to
go back to my family.
- I want my sister back!
- It’s not me!
[groans]
[moaning]
You crazy, sadistic bitch!
[moaning]
- [door closes]
- Maja?
- [moaning continues]
- Maja?
- Maja?
- Who’s there?
Lewis.
You want to sleep
at Albert’s tonight? Good.
Stay right here.
I’m gonna get your pajamas, okay?
Lewis. Lewis.
What’s that, Mommy?
It’s just some red paint.
Mommy’s okay.
Let’s...
Hey, I...
Okay, go in the room
and stay there.
Don’t move.
Don’t come out.
Lewis. Lewis, look.
Look. Do you see?
- What happened?
- Do you understand what this means?
Lewis, look. His ring.
It’s a Jewish star.
Like his wife, but he’s not Jewish.
Do you understand?
He stole it
like all the other Nazis.
[Thomas] No, I did it for my wife.
It meant a lot to her.
Do you understand
what this means?
- She wanted me to.
- Lewis, are you listening to me?
[Thomas]
I did it for my wife.
What are you doing? Why are you
helping him? Lewis, listen to me.
Enough!
Coward!
- Stop helping him! Why are you helping?
- I said that’s enough.
That’s enough!
[screams]
[panting]
- [soldiers shouting in German]
- [screaming]
- [gunshot]
- [indistinct shouting]
- [gunshots]
- [man whistles]
[indistinct shouting]
[screaming continues]
- [soldiers speaking German]
- [woman shrieking]
- [soldier grunts]
- [gasps]
[overlapping shouts in German]
[sobs]
[screaming]
- [woman speaking in foreign language]
- [soldiers yelling]
[soldier speaking German]
- [screaming]
- [gunshot]
[woman wailing]
[grunts]
[Maja] I know exactly...
I know exactly how it feels
to hold a secret that long.
The fear of letting it out.
Karl.
There was always a part of me
that was eager to let it out.
Always.
And I know you have that too.
I know you do.
I can see it.
[exhales]
Give me what I want, Karl.
Do it for your family.
For Annabel and Tommy.
If you do, I will let you go.
It’s your only way out of here.
You believe me, right?
You know it’s your only way out.
Yes.
If you die here,
who will take care of your children?
Will you really
do this to them?
Yes. I will kill you.
[door opens]
How’s Patrick?
He’s okay.
He’s a strong kid.
Albert’s niece is there,
so he’s good.
I was afraid
you wouldn’t come back.
We have to put an end to this.
Listen.
I got confirmation from Switzerland.
His story checks out.
He was really there.
He was there.
And...
I talked to Dr. Nussbaum.
And he said that in cases like this,
people can get confused.
- Lewis, please.
- It’s natural.
- No, it’s possible.
- You just want this to go away.
Thomas told me that his marriage
was based on false information.
When they met in Europe, she was
still married to another man in Colorado.
When did he say this?
When you were upstairs,
and I was alone with him.
You didn’t tell me this.
He gave it to me
so that we have something on him.
We can release him and know
he won’t go to the police.
We can get out of this, Maja.
Get our lives back to normal.
My life will never be normal.
Can’t we move on...
and put it behind us?
Even if it is him.
Can you forgive... for our sake?
[exhales]
Please? For our sake.
[sighs]
What do you want?
What do you want?
I want him to confess.
Why?
If you’re so sure it’s him, why?
I need you to hear it.
- I don’t need to hear it.
- Yes, you do.
I don’t need to hear it.
Imagine all this ending,
and you’re still not sure.
You’d always think I’m crazy,
and that I attacked an innocent man.
- I won’t.
- Yes, you will.
Maybe not today or tomorrow,
but if this stays unresolved,
you won’t be able to live with it.
I know you, Lewis.
[gasps]
Hi, sweetie.
You okay?
What’s wrong? Hey.
What’s wrong?
[Annabel whispers]
I just wish Dad was here.
Uh... Daddy will be back
in a few days.
Okay?
Do you know
what he told me?
He told me he bought you and Tommy
a really special present.
Don’t be rude.
Go play with Patrick, okay?
You know, Rachel, what you just did...
out there right now.
[breathes deeply]
I do that to Patrick all the time.
Ever since he was born.
I lie to him.
I lie to him when he...
when he asks about my family,
what happened to them in the war.
I even lie to him about who I am.
I... I feel like I’m protecting him, but...
He asks me all these questions,
and I don’t know what to say.
Annabel does the same.
It’s okay, I don’t know
what to tell her either.
Why not?
Thomas doesn’t
talk about his family.
Why?
I don’t know.
I’ve realized the past few days there’s...
so much that I don’t know
about Thomas.
I’m filling out these forms,
these police forms. I...
I have nobody to call
to say he’s missing.
His family in Europe, I don’t...
Just even to ask if he’s ever
done anything like this before
or just to talk.
I’ve tried to ask questions about
his family, but he doesn’t like it.
His past or it’s these nightmares.
He just explodes.
I don’t understand why
he has nightmares in the first place.
He wasn’t even in the war.
Sometimes I look at him...
I don’t talk about this,
so if you’d...
Could you please just not repeat
what I’m saying to you?
Yeah.
[Thomas]
I had to lie to Rachel.
It was to protect her
and the children.
Many Germans did it after the war.
They lied about being German.
I wouldn’t have even been able
to emigrate to this country otherwise.
I was in the army.
I was in the army,
but I never met you.
[Maja] Just stop.
Your wife told me enough.
If you keep lying to me,
you will die here.
If you tell me the truth,
you can go home.
You can have breakfast
with Annabel and Tommy tomorrow.
I don’t want to kill you.
But you have to stop lying to me.
We were sleeping
in that old, empty building.
[indistinct shouting]
My sister was
being dragged away.
Two men were holding me down.
Someone was pouring
alcohol on me.
My eyes were burning,
and I couldn’t see.
[shouting continues]
[panting]
I remember that I was running.
I was running, but I don’t know if...
- Did I leave her there?
- [man whistles]
I know you were there.
You have to tell me.
Why do you have nightmares, Karl?
What do you see in your nightmares?
Do you see my face?
Do you see my sister?
- [soldier] Karl!
- Do you see me run away?
[soldier speaking German]
[Maja] Karl.
Karl, look at me.
I don’t want to shoot you, but I will.
If you don’t tell me what you know,
I will kill you.
Did I leave her?
Did I leave her there? Did I...
Did I run away from her?
Did I run away? Did I run away?
- [Thomas grunts]
- Did I run away?
[echoing] Did I run away?
- Did I run away?
- We shot everyone.
We must have just missed you.
There were... Russians were nearby.
We had to leave quickly.
Rachel and the children,
they must never know.
[gasps]
They will never know.
[Thomas] When I saw you
the first time, I thought you...
I thought you were dead.
Dieter was undressing you.
Did I run away?
You never left.
I never left.
Some people
didn’t even resist.
I managed to not think of it
for... a long time.
But it kept coming back.
That horrible feeling.
It was like living inside a nightmare.
All the amphetamines...
I didn’t sleep for... five nights.
The year before,
I was in high school.
I don’t understand how
I could become that person.
I don’t understand how I could do that.
How I could do those things.
I don’t recognize...
I don’t recognize that person
that I was 15 years ago.
I don’t recognize him,
but I know I did it.
I did it.
- [gunshots]
- [Maja gasps]
[Maja shudders]
[gasps]
What did you...
[breathing heavily]
What did you do?
What have you done?
[Maja crying]
[breathing heavily]
Lewis?
[Lewis sniffling]
Hey.
[crying]
I don’t know how to do this.
I can’t do it.
- I can’t do it.
- Yes, you can.
Yes, you can.
This is done. This is over.
We must never
talk about this again.
To anyone.
Lewis.
You’re a good man.
You asked me to find a way
to let go, to forgive.
I couldn’t.
I didn’t.
You told me you didn’t need
to hear what happened.
And I didn’t listen to you.
And now we’re here together.
And we move on together.
Lewis, look at me. Look at me.
You go to work.
I’ll go to Albert’s.
I pick up Patrick.
Take him to school.
We move on.
[chattering]
- [speaks indistinctly]
- Good to see you, buddy. Happy Fourth.
[chattering continues]
[girl] Okay, I already took it.
You guys can put it on your side.
[indistinct]
[laughs]
[chattering continues]
[man] Jimmy.
Jimmy, come here.
[crowd oohing]