The Shrine (2010) - full transcript

After a young American backpacker goes missing in Europe, a group of journalists link his disappearance to a remote village in Poland. They travel there hoping to get the story, but as they unravel the secrets behind this mysterious village, they are suddenly pursued by hostile locals. Unable to escape, they soon become the next victims of ritualistic human sacrifice. Forced into the gruesome reality of true survival horror, the journalists soon discover that this village hides a much darker secret than they could ever imagine.

I read your article.

Article?
More like a blurb if you ask me.

It was well written.

Spare me the sympathy, Marcus.

Come on, Carmen.

How long you gonna be
bitter about your work?

Its bullshit.

I write one controversial story and I'm
pushed down to the bottom of the food chain.

You probably shoulda left it alone,
you knew it was gonna get you in trouble.

Can we just stop talking
about this please?

OK.



Well, what do you want to talk about?

Maybe the fact that you spend half
your time with me typing on the phone?

Or the fact you keep breaking
our plans after we make them?

Because, I'm good with either.

Where's this coming from?

Forget about it.
I'm gonna get going.

No! Seriously, what is this?

You think that this is fun for me?

It seems like every time we hang out,
your mind is somewhere else.

I am swamped with work right
now Marcus, you know that.

Yeah so am I, but I turn
it off when I'm with you.

- You gotta give a little.
- Oh, so now I'm selfish?

- Yeah, kinda.
- Ok, I think that's enough.

Yeah.
Yeah, I think it is.



I'm outta here.

Marcus...

Bees?

Yeah.

Bees.

A farmer in Orchid Meadows, Omaha claims
that none of the bees are returning to the hive

and that only 20% of the
crop is being pollinated.

Why don't we try something else?

I think I've got a lead in
the Eric Taylor case.

Look

A young man goes back packing across Europe
and goes missing, it happens all the time.

- Its a dead case.
- No, there's more to it than that.

He was last seen leaving a
motel in Kozki, Poland.

Sara and I have have been doing some research.
We found record of 5 tourists that have gone missing

in the last 50 years, while
traveling through the exact same area.

Carmen, how many times
do I have to tell you?

Just listen ok? The strange thing is
that shortly after they disappear

their luggage turns up in random
cities all over eastern Europe.

Now I spoke to Laura Taylor,
Eric's mom ...

she recently received a phone
call from the Prague airport

claiming they have Eric's luggage.

There's no record of him ever entering the Czech Republic.

That doesn't sound like fresh concrete evidence to me.

Have you ever been
to an airport?

Luggage gets lost all the time.
Not interested.

And Carmen

I do not want you and Sarah wasting
company time, with this missing person stuff.

Are we clear?

- Hello.
- Hi, Mrs. Taylor.

- I'm Carmen Berk.
- Carmen, its so nice to finally meet you,
please, call me Laura.

This is Sara Titasal, she
is an intern at our company.

- Hello Laura.
- Its a pleasure, please come in.

Eric had been planning
his trip for over a year.

He was... Never much into school.
He always just wanted to travel.

And where are the police
with this now?

Its an absolute joke.

I contacted the Koski police,
they say they found nothing.

I contacted the police here ...

and after waiting days for
them to get back to me

they call me to tell me that Eric is now
officially on a missing persons list.

And that his case has been
moved to a different department.

You mentioned you've been contacted about
Eric's luggage, have you been able to claim it yet?

Yes, it's upstairs in his room.

All his clothes are there, his books,
his journal, his hotel receipts.

Did you tell the police that?
I mean, there could be evidence.

Yes, of course, I called
them right away.

They told me that they were
too backed up to come.

That they would get to it,
when they could.

Would it be ok if I take a
look at Eric's luggage?

There could be something
there that may help us.

Yes, of course, please.

Will you forgive me if I
don't escort you up?

I find it difficult to
be in that room.

I understand.

Thank you

It's upstairs on the right.

- I'll make some tea.
- I'll help you.

That was Eric and his cousin, when they
decided they wanted to get tattoos.

I told them they were crazy, but ...

Eric really wanted one.

- Is this your husband?
- Yeah, that's my Jim.

He passed away five years ago.

- I'm sorry.
- It hurt Eric a lot.

Laura, can I borrow this
for the time being?

Its Eric's journal. But I'd really love
to spend some more time with it.

I don't see why not.

I don't imagine the police will
want it any time soon.

Thank you for your time.

The last journal entry..
Alvainia.

Leave me alone.

Look, I hate fighting with you.

Well obviously we're fighting for a reason.

I know and, and I agree.

My head hasn't been in
this relationship lately.

But I want to fix that.

Which is why I think you
should come on this trip.

I appreciate that. But if were going to take
a trip together, why don't we go to the
Cayman Islands or something?

Because there is no story in the Cayman Islands.

- Right... right.
- Come on Marcus.

I think your a great photographer and
I want you to shoot this.

Tell you what, I'll leave my
BlackBerry in the hotel.

I do not know, Carmen it sounds
a little dangerous.

- Could be.
- I'm not kidding.

I'm surprised that Dale would even allow this,
this sounds like a police matter.

Yeah, well the police ain't doing shit.

I'm going no matter what. I have to,
I've already booked the tickets

Just think about it, alright?

I gotta get back.

Here's the contact info for Carl Pierson,
he's the farmer with the dying crops.

There's another farm house just
east of him with the same problem.

These bees are literally just dying off.

Anyway. He looks forward to
meeting the two of you.

This should be a good experience for you Sarah.
Are you excited?

Yeah... very excited.

- Well. Keep up the good work girls. Rock and Roll.
- Rock and Roll.

Marcus
Yeah? Okay, great.

Oh no, we should have everything prepped soon.

No we'll break up the details later.

I'm really glad your doing this.

Ok talk to you soon
bye.

Okay, were good to go.
Marcus is gonna shoot for us.

Listen, I want you to start checking
out motels in Poland.

- Start with the one Eric was staying at in Kozki.
- Alright

I can not believe were doing this.

- Were gonna have to start brushing up on our Polish.
- Already a step ahead of you.

So, what else we know about this place.

Not much.
They make their own clothes,
they grow their own food.

Apparently the lands known for growing mushrooms.

It doesn't look like Eric was in Alvainia for very long,
there's only a few journal entries.

Hey listen to this one.

There's something odd about this village,
the people seem very odd and distant.

There are no motels or hostels, so
I'm roughing it in an old barn.

I've noticed some kind of smoke looming
above the tree line on the outer edge of the village.

I thought it was a fire at first,
but it actually seems to be more like a fog,
just sitting there.

Was this kid eating the mushrooms by any chance?

That must be the turn up ahead.

Well.. I guess were here.

Pull over here, well walk.

Eric wasn't kidding about this place.

Oh my God, that's sick.

Come on, hes just a farmer.
Need I remind you where hot dogs come from?

- You said they teach English in school here right?
- Yeah that's what I read.

Hi there. Those are beautiful.

Do you speak English?

Yes.. Little.

My name is Carmen,
that's Marcus, and Sarah.

- What's your name?
- Lidia.

Lidia, that's a very pretty name.

Thank you.

We are journalists from America.
Do you know America?

Yes, cheeseburgers.

Yes, cheeseburgers.

Have you ever traveled outside
Alvainia, Lidia?

No, not allowed.

That's too bad.
Do you like it here?

No? How come?

Listen Lidia, we're looking for a young
man, his names Eric Taylor, have you seen him?

- You have to go.
- Have you seen this man Lidia?

Let's keep moving.

Is this town Christian?

I do not know, it
seems really strange tho.

Look at that guy, there treating him like royalty.

Holy shit..
Speaking of strange.

That's it, that's gotta be what
Eric was talking about.

Well how can that be? Its still here.

What the hell is it?

I'm not sure,
but its the last thing he wrote about in his journal.

I say we check it out.

I don't understand how it can just be sitting there,
in that one part of the forest?

I can see why Eric was intrigued.

- I'm sorry, do you speak English?
- You, go.

We are looking for someone,
maybe you can help us.

Get your hands off me
hey!

English yeah? You are English?

So go to England.

Go.

Alright, were going.

Relax.

There is nothing for
you here English.

- Pull over Marcus.
- What? Why?

Just pull over for a minute

- We have to go back.
- What, are you kidding me?

Those guys looked like they
wanted to kill us.

There hiding something up there in that forest.

No, they wanted us out of there the minute we got into town.

No, that guy followed us half way round the village

it wasn't till we started walking towards the fog
that he came after us.

That was the one place they wouldn't let us go
and the last place Eric may have been.

You don't think that's a major coincidence?

Carmen, we can't.

- We have to.
- Why?

Because if we don't.. My career is done.

Dale does not even know we're here,
he thinks we are in Omaha

covering some bullshit story.
If I go back empty handed

I'm finished

Are you fuckin serious?
You never got a go ahead?

Wait ...
you didn't tell him?

Hold on a sec.. You knew about this too?

Look, there hiding something up there in
those trees and I want to find out what it is.

We came all this way, we can't just turn back now.

Please Marcus, I need this.

We check it out and that's it.
Ok

You should have known better,
than to get her mixed up in this.

- She wanted to be here here.
- She's not your kid.

It should be straight ahead from here,
I'm pretty sure the church is off that way.

Yeah this feels right.

This is so strange.

Hows it not moving?

It's so dense.

- It's too dense.
- What do you mean.

I can take a photo of what
ever this is from here,

but there's no way I can get
a decent shot its so foggy.

- Lets head in, check it out.
- What difference does it make Carmen?

We can't shoot what we can't see.

We didn't come all the way up here
so we could take a photo of some cloud
sitting in a forest Marcus.

Not exactly the story I'm looking for.

Yeah, well the story your looking
for is gonna get us caught.

Oh my god! Would you stop worrying?
No one even knows we're here.

Yeah, no one in the whole fuckin
world knows were here.

Jesus Carmen.

OK, what the hell?
Where is she?

I don't know, but we should definitely
be getting the fuck out of here.

Were not just gonna leave
her here Marcus.

I didn't say that.

Alright, wait here.
I'll go see what's going on.

Hold on.
I'll go check it out.

No Marcus.

I brought us here.
I'll go.

Be careful.

What happened?

- Where is Carmen?
- She is looking for you.

Carmen!

Carmen, she's here.

Carmen!

Are you alright?

Are you hurt?

Hey!

Are you hurt?

No, I'm alright.

We should go.

What did you see?

I saw a statue.

Yeah, I saw it too.

Lets talk about this on the
way back to the car.

Carmen, leave it alone
lets just go.

Lidia, what are you doing here?

I know where your friend is.

You know where Eric Taylor is?

Yes.

I show you.

Come, follow.

I really think that we
need to get out of here.

We're going.

Come on.

In there.

In here.

Oh my God.

Jesus.

Ok guys, Eric has to be
in one of these.

Here gimme a hand.

Its Eric.

Yeah that's not coming off. It feels like
its attached to the center somewhere.

That symbol... its the same
one from the church

Lidia, what have they done to him?
Why's he wearing...

She's gone.

- She locked us in.
- What? Why would she do that?

Probably because it was part of
her fucking plan Carmen!

Well, can you get us out?

There's somebody down here.

- I got it, come on.
- Let's go.

We should go.

Yeah no shit, but where's
the car from here?

Lets head back this way.

- Hey, you ok?
- Yeah

There was a bit of path up here,
we just gotta find it.

Wait!
Stop.

Oh fuck!... lets go.
Come on

- Wait! Wait!
- Marcus hold on!

- We can't stop here.
- Where are we even going?

- I don't know, but not here.
- Can you run?

In a sec

We can't stay out in the open

- Go to that barn.
- Come on!

Come on, get inside.

Sarah!

Can you see them?

Marcus?

No!

Just keep quiet.

We never should have
come here, Carmen.

This whole fucking thing
was a mistake.

I'm sorry.

This is all my fault, I...
I shouldn't have been so selfish

I just wanted a good story

Please Marcus

Please, I'm so sorry
for everything.

Oh my God.

Lets get out of here!

Go Sarah!

Hurry!

Come on!

Carmen!

Wait here.

Sara, I'm right here.

What have you done?

Marcus wait!

No, no, no.
We keep moving.

Don't touch me.

We need a car.

We're gonna go to that farmhouse.
We're gonna get a vehicle.

We're gonna get the hell out of here.
You don't have to run any more, OK?

Lets go.

Come on.

I have to get the keys,
I'm gonna go inside... You wait here

No. No, I'm coming with you.

Stay behind me.

I'm not gonna hurt you.

I need your truck, I need
the keys to your truck.

Calm down, we just
need your keys.

I don't wanna hurt anyone

you just give us the keys,
and we will leave

the keys, where are they?

Relax.

Don't move.
Who else is in the house?

Shut up.

In the other room.

Now!

Move!

I said move.

English? You speak English?

He said you must leave.

Where are the keys
to the truck?

I... I do not know.

Ask your father where they are,
or I'm gonna pull this trigger.

He needs to tell me now.
I am not fucking kidding!

The kitchen...
They're in the kitchen.

Please come,
I show you.

Alright,
lets go

I'm sorry, but I have to.

Please!
The woman, she is evil.

She has seen the statue.
Please!

Are you alright?

I have tasted the blood and flesh
of fallen angels.

There is no redemption.

Your men are weak.

Help me Marcus.

He will take you where
you need to go.

What is it up there?
In the trees?

This is curse.

Left here on our land
from long ago.

It can not be undone.