Flower 2018

Seventeen-year-old Erica Vandross finds herself at the center of a dangerous cycle when she and two friends secretly film an encounter with a police officer, then extort $400 because she is underage. The trio operate as vigilantes who often trap pedophiles, a pattern that pulls Erica deeper into a morally gray world even as she tries to help her family. She is seriously saving up to bail her father out of jail, where he awaits trial for a casino robbery attempt.

Erica’s family dynamics add pressure to her choices. Her mother, Laurie Vandross, is not disturbed by Erica’s promiscuity, but she is disappointed that Erica does not warm to her new boyfriend, Bob Sherman. Meanwhile, Luke Sherman, an emotionally unsettled 18-year-old and Bob’s son who has just rearoused from rehab, moves in with them. Erica’s initial indulgence toward Luke—offering him oral sex which he rejects—gives way to a fragile friendship that becomes a fragile lifeline amid the household tensions.

Tension shifts into a darker orbit as Luke’s past trauma surfaces. At a bowling alley, Luke panics upon spotting his middle school teacher, Will Jordan, the man he once accused of sexual assault. Will was never charged because of inconsistencies in Luke’s story, a detail that gnaws at Luke even as Erica and her friends begin to see Will as a new target. After a tense moment, Erica interrupts Luke’s suicide attempt, pulling him back from the brink.

The plan to confront Will evolves into a dangerous game. Erica and her crew decide to pursue Will Jordan as their next mark, and Luke reluctantly agrees to join. A shopping trip turns into a risky flirtation, as Erica flirts with Will in a grocery store and later in his car in the parking lot, despite knowing she is underage. Will’s awareness of the power imbalance hangs over the moment, and Erica ends up pulling back rather than crossing a line. Her friends see it as a betrayal, accusing her of sabotaging the plan because she seems drawn to him.

A reckless scheme escalates with illegal consequences. The group crafts a new plan: Erica trades oral sex with a drug dealer for roofies, intending to lace a beer and render Will pliable. She visits Will’s house with a six-pack, apologizes for the previous night’s events, and they talk. A model of the Eiffel Tower on his coffee table triggers him to recount a painful history of being fired and divorced after a false molestation accusation. As the night spirals, Erica tries to back away, but Will drinks the tainted beer and reacts violently.

The aftermath hits hard and fast. Luke rushes in as Will’s grip tightens, and he knocks Will onto a glass coffee table, smashing it. Erica and the others help move Will to the couch while two of the girls strip down and photograph him for blackmail. They flee when Luke fears Will’s breathing has slowed, leaving Will behind as the garage door is spray-painted with the word “pedophile.”

The morning after seals a grim turn of events. Police arrive at the Vandross home, accusing Erica and Luke of vandalism and informing them they cannot locate Will. They return to Will’s house and find him dead, the Eiffel Tower model impaled in his back. The realization hits hard: Erica and Luke decide to flee to Mexico, hoping to avoid arrest.

On the run, uneasy truths surface and loyalties shift. Luke reveals that he was not molested by Will; he had walked in on Will molesting a classmate, but feared telling anyone would do no good, so he lied to prevent more harm. The revelation strains Erica’s trust even as Luke shows a sincere, if misguided, desire to protect others.

A tense return toward accountability. Luke drives Erica to her father’s prison, offering bail money, only to have her learn he was bailed out days earlier and did not reach out. Faced with a choice between perpetual fugitivity and turning themselves in, Erica decides to return home, while Luke agrees to come along—yet a police car sides them on a dirt road, challenging their resolve.

A final confession under pressure and an ending that circles back to love. On the road, Luke confesses his love for Erica. They abandon the chase, stop the car, and share a moment on the ground as the police close in. In a quiet coda, one month later, Erica visits Luke in prison just before her house arrest begins. Despite everything, they remain hopeful and in love, navigating a world where justice and affection struggle to coexist.