She Will 2022

As aging actress Veronica Ghent (Veronica) arrives at a secluded retreat in the Scottish Highlands with her personal nurse Desi by her side, she’s met with an unexpected scenario - a group retreat filled with staff members and patients. The raging storm and lack of cellular service only add to Veronica’s frustration as she realizes she’s trapped. Despite the initial discomfort, Veronica and Desi opt for the seclusion of a woodland cabin, where Veronica begins experiencing haunting visions of past trauma suffered at the tender age of 13 while working on the iconic film “Navajo Frontier” with the renowned director Eric Hathbourne (Eric).

As these dark memories resurface, Veronica’s subconscious conjures vivid dreams of women gathered around a blazing pyre in the forest. In these surreal scenarios, seemingly sentient mud collects at her feet, foreshadowing the strange occurrences that soon unfold. The next morning, Desi stumbles upon mounds of mud inside their cabin, leaving them both perplexed.

Tirador, an art instructor, leads Veronica and the other patients in an outdoor painting activity, sharing the area’s mystical reputation for its therapeutic soil, believed to possess healing properties due to the high concentration of human ashes from women who were wrongfully accused and burned at the stake. Veronica becomes captivated by this mystical mud, which inspires her to create a unique piece that reflects her own turbulent history.

As Veronica’s nighttime visions continue, she discovers an uncanny ability to project her presence remotely. She psychically appears in a TV studio where Eric is promoting his “Navajo Frontier” sequel and upcoming knighthood on a late-night talk show hosted by Podrick Lochran (Podrick). Veronica’s unseen presence compels Podrick to pose invasive questions about Eric’s controversial relationship with the underage Veronica, leaving Eric stumbling over his responses before he unwittingly consumes tainted water. The following morning, Veronica awakens covered in dirt and imperceptibly transformed.

While Desi delves into a historical tome on the area’s rumored witches, Tirador leads a peer critique of the paintings created earlier. However, Veronica’s supernatural abilities take center stage when she causes one man’s hand to spontaneously combust after he flippantly uses the term “patriarchy” as a dog-whistle for “hysterical women.”

After a heart-to-heart conversation with Veronica, Desi ventures into the local pub to meet Owen, a retreat employee who had previously expressed interest in her. Unfortunately, Owen drugs Desi and subjects her to a heinous assault in the woods. Using her dream-walking ability, Veronica exacts revenge by causing mud to swallow Owen into the ground like quicksand, foiling his nefarious plans.

In this eerie atmosphere of mystery and retribution, Veronica’s inner demons continue to unfold as she grapples with the darkness of her past and the supernatural forces that seem to be guiding her.

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The morning after, Desi awakens from a disoriented haze to find Veronica slumped against the cabin wall, her usually radiant presence now diminished by the weight of exhaustion and uncertainty. As Veronica slowly regains consciousness, she presents Desi with a symbol of their bond - a necklace that serves as both a reminder of their connection and a catalyst for the tumultuous events that are about to unfold. With an air of resignation, Veronica implores Desi to depart and never return, her words dripping with a sense of finality that only adds to the poignancy of the moment. Desi’s emotional response is palpable as she tearfully departs, leaving behind a sense of foreboding that hangs in the air like the whispers of the forest.

In another instance of dream-walking, Veronica confronts Eric (name not provided), her anguish and resentment manifesting as a manifestation of swirling ash that envelops him, ultimately causing his downfall from a precipice. The subsequent investigation into Eric’s demise paints it as a tragic suicide, a finding that only adds to the tragedy.

Desi’s decision to defy Veronica’s wishes and return to their cabin is motivated by a desire to save her friend from the abyss of despair that seems to be consuming them. As Veronica’s dream self attempts to transcend the veil between worlds, Desi manages to revive her and guide her back into reality. The gratitude in Veronica’s eyes as she thanks Desi for returning to her side serves only to underscore the depth of their bond, and the two women subsequently leave the retreat behind, their fates forever intertwined.