The Collector 2009

The cinematic journey commences with a hauntingly darkened residence, where Larry and Gena Wharton (William Prael & Diane Ayala Goldner) return from an evening of revelry. As they settle into their home, the atmosphere is thick with anticipation. Gena ascends to the upper floors, while Larry lingers downstairs, his attention drawn to a stack of correspondence. However, his momentary distraction turns into a sense of unease as he discovers that the lights refuse to flicker to life. The call for Larry’s presence from upstairs prompts him to hastily join his wife, only to find themselves face-to-face with an enigmatic red box in their bedroom. Assuming it’s a misplaced item left by one of the workers, Larry is taken aback when the container suddenly begins to move on its own. His curiosity piqued, he lifts the lid to reveal the shocking contents within. Just as his stunned expression is registering, a sudden hand shoots out from the depths of the box, seizing Larry in a vice-like grip.

The film’s narrative then shifts to another two-story dwelling, where a flurry of construction activity is underway. Amidst the chaos, an exterminator and a mysterious figure named Arkin (Josh Stewart) are hard at work. This seemingly ordinary family - Michael (Michael Reilly Burke), his wife Victoria (Andrea Roth), their teenage daughter Jill (Madeline Zima), and young daughter Hannah (Karley Scott Collins) - is oblivious to the impending turbulence that will soon disrupt their lives.

As Arkin completes the final touches on the window bars, he takes a moment to indulge in a cigarette. Michael, grateful for his work, rewards him with a generous payment and a heartfelt reminder to cherish his daughter Cindy as she navigates the tumultuous teenage years. With a nod of appreciation, Arkin departs, leaving behind a sense of tranquility.

The domestic scene is soon replaced by a glimpse into the private lives of Arkin and his wife Lisa. As they enter their kitchen, Lisa’s concerns about their financial struggles come to the forefront. Her desperation for a solution is palpable as she reveals her indebtedness to loan sharks, with the ominous deadline looming mere hours away. In a last-ditch effort, she contemplates fleeing with Cindy, but Arkin vows to rectify their situation by midnight.

As the clock ticks closer to the fateful hour, Arkin seeks out his trusted acquaintance Roy (Robert Wisdom) at a seedy strip club. Within the confines of Roy’s car, they engage in hushed conversation, revealing the true nature of their relationship. Arkin’s history as an ex-convict and Roy’s role as a mentor during his incarceration serve as the foundation for their unlikely partnership. In exchange for Roy’s assistance, Arkin has been repaying him by pilfering small items and picking locks.

As the stakes heighten, Arkin shares his findings with Roy - Michael, the family patriarch, is a jeweler who has stashed a valuable gemstone within a secure safe. With the family temporarily out of town, Arkin sees an opportunity for Roy to capitalize on this windfall. After some deliberation, Roy agrees to alter their plans, allowing Arkin to take the reins and orchestrate the heist. As the evening wears on, the stage is set for a thrilling descent into chaos and deception.

As the darkness envelops the isolated dwelling, Arkin (character) returns home, donning a disguise and equipping himself with an arsenal of tools. Under the cover of night, he makes his way stealthily towards the residence, only to be abruptly interrupted by a newly introduced canine companion that takes a vicious bite out of his mask. Undeterred, Arkin resorts to his lock-picking skills, gaining access to the rear entrance of the house.

Upon entry, the atmosphere appears eerily tranquil, but as he ascends to the master bathroom, Arkin’s intentions become crystal clear: the mirror serves as a clever ruse, concealing the safe. With his mask discarded, he sets about cracking the combination lock, only to be startled by the sound of footsteps downstairs. The Collector (Juan Fernández), a menacing figure clad in black, seals off the back door and begins his ascent, forcing Arkin to rapidly replace the mirror, snatch his tool bag, and take refuge in an adjacent room while the Collector’s heavy breathing echoes on the other side of the wall.

As the Collector enters the bathroom, Arkin seizes the opportunity to slip downstairs unnoticed. Initially intending to make a hasty exit, he soon discovers that the back door has been transformed into an impenetrable barrier, secured by multiple locks now inaccessible. The front door also bears similar restraints, further complicating Arkin’s escape. Confronted with this labyrinthine puzzle, he is eventually compelled to remain within the house, driven by a determination to secure the precious jewel for his family’s sake.

As Michael’s cries for help echo through the master bathroom’s vents, Arkin (actor name) is driven back to the safe, his frustration and desperation mounting. The momentary distraction proves costly, as he’s soon faced with a gruesome sight: Michael emerges from the dimly lit basement, his body battered and bloodied by The Collector’s brutal hand. Sealing off any lingering doubts, Arkin decides to take drastic action, swiftly dialing 911 in a desperate bid for help. However, his haste proves his downfall as he fails to notice the treacherous spike lodged in the receiver, which plunges into his skin with deadly precision. Reeling from the unexpected blow, Arkin turns his attention to escape routes, only to discover that every window is meticulously boarded up. His attempts to force entry are foiled once more by hidden blades that spring shut, severing his hand.

Undeterred, Arkin seeks alternative exits, but finds himself thwarted at every turn. The dining room’s seemingly innocuous floor conceals a deadly bear trap, while the kitchen proves a booby-trapped minefield. As The Collector’s ominous presence closes in, Arkin’s options dwindle. His only choices are to brave the treacherous staircase or risk facing Michael’s tormentor in the basement. With the Collector’s footsteps drawing near, Arkin makes his decision, opting for the basement and its dark, uncertain terrors.

As Arkin fumbles in the darkness, his flashlight suddenly flickers to life, illuminating a gruesome scene: Michael, battered and bruised, is bound to a chair, his body marred by deep gashes. The air is thick with tension as Arkin’s concern for his friend’s well-being gives way to desperation. “Where’s my family?” he asks urgently, his voice laced with anxiety. Michael’s response is laced with pain and resignation: Victoria is imprisoned in the basement, Jill is out with her boyfriend, and Hannah’s whereabouts are unknown. With a heavy heart, Arkin learns that Michael has managed to convey crucial information before being silenced - there’s a gun locked away upstairs, its combination revealed by his friend’s cryptic words.

With newfound determination, Arkin coaxes Michael into silence, then ventures into the adjacent room, where he finds Victoria chained to a bathtub, her eyes obscured by duct tape. Gently, he frees her from the gag that had silenced her cries, soothing her fears with reassuring words. His plan is clear: he’ll locate Hannah and rescue his family, but Victoria must play a crucial role in his strategy. He implores her to scream, knowing that the Collector will descend from above, allowing Arkin to slip back upstairs unnoticed. Victoria’s wails echo through the hallway as Arkin makes his move.

Undetected, he ascends to the master bathroom and cracks open the safe, claiming a pistol and a glittering jewel the size of a fist as his spoils. But his triumph is short-lived, as he discovers that the weapon is useless without ammunition. Downstairs, the Collector holds Victoria’s tongue in place with a wrench, threatening to sever it if she continues to scream - but for now, she remains silent.

As Arkin’s desperation to locate Hannah reaches a fever pitch, his search yields nothing but frustration. It isn’t until he stumbles upon an eerie closet that the atmosphere takes a dark turn. The door creaks open, revealing a crimson box pulsating with an otherworldly energy. With trepidation, Arkin opens the box and Larry bursts forth, his legs shackled to the container. As Arkin demands answers from this mysterious figure, Larry’s cryptic explanation reveals the disturbing truth: he is but one of the Collector’s victims, a pawn in his twisted game. The Collector, it seems, has an insatiable appetite for human prey, and Larry serves as mere bait to lure in his next unsuspecting quarry - just like his wife Gena, whose fate is a chilling example of the Collector’s ruthless methodology.

Larry’s desperate warning to flee while he still can falls on deaf ears, as Arkin’s curiosity gets the better of him. A trip upstairs yields a gruesome discovery: Jill’s room lies in disarray, with the window flung open like a gaping maw. Unbeknownst to Arkin, the floor is slick with acid, a deadly trap waiting to ensnare its next victim. As he takes his first tentative steps into this treacherous landscape, the sticky substance claims his shoes, along with the hapless cat that had been quietly observing the chaos from afar. The feline’s frantic struggles and blood-curdling cries serve as a beacon, alerting the Collector to Arkin’s presence upstairs.

Larry’s box is next to receive attention, as the Collector’s booted foot sends it crashing back into its confines, silencing Larry’s protests. Meanwhile, Arkin has been secretly observing the scene unfold from beneath Jill’s bedcovers, his shoes carefully concealed by a makeshift barrier of books. As the Collector exits the room, Arkin seizes the opportunity to slip away, using the book-strewn terrain as a makeshift stepping stone to freedom.

As Arkin cautiously ventures into the dimly lit basement once more, he’s met with a gruesome discovery - Michael’s lifeless body hangs upside down, a grim reminder of the Collector’s brutal handiwork. With a sense of urgency, Arkin hastens to the adjacent room and employs his resourcefulness to free Victoria from her watery prison (utilizing a paper clip to expertly pick the handcuffs). However, their brief respite is short-lived, as the Collector suddenly materializes, raining down vicious stab wounds upon Victoria’s chest. As she stumbles down the stairs into the basement, Arkin seeks refuge beneath a desk, biding his time until the opportunity arises for him to make a daring escape upstairs.

Meanwhile, Jill and her boyfriend Chad (Alex Feldman) are oblivious to the carnage unfolding around them, too busy indulging in their romantic escapades. The Collector, however, is not so distracted - he’s keenly aware of their presence and seizes the chance to intervene, his ears perked up as he hears the sound of a car outside. Arkin, desperate to warn the couple against entering the house, bellows out a frantic warning, but his cries are drowned out by the onset of rain. Undeterred, Jill and Chad continue their amorous activities, unwittingly walking into a deadly trap.

As they make their way to the kitchen, Chad’s enthusiasm knows no bounds - he rips open Jill’s blouse and divests her of her bra. Arkin seizes this momentary distraction to slip downstairs and assume a stealthy position beneath the dining room table. It’s not long before Jill becomes acutely aware of the Collector’s presence lurking nearby, her fear spiraling out of control as she beholds the deadly machinations unfolding around them.

The Collector advances on his prey, knife at the ready, and dispatches Chad with a brutal stab wound to the hand. As he shoves Chad through the doorway, the hapless young man is met with a gruesome fate - his fingers are mercilessly sliced off by a whirring cleaver. Chad’s desperate attempt to extricate himself only results in him becoming entangled in a bear trap, his leg snapping back with deadly force.

In a final, futile struggle, Chad falls backwards, his body mangled by the unforgiving traps as he meets his gruesome demise. The Collector seizes Jill, locking her away once more - her desperate attempts to call for help are brutally silenced as she’s dragged away from the phone.

As the alarm clock upstairs pierces the air, Arkin (character) seizes the opportunity to investigate. He finds Jill, her wrists bound by barbed wire, and swiftly frees her. However, in a flash of panic, she snatches a pair of scissors from the kitchen, only for a treacherous trap to send her flying across the room, impaling her on hidden spikes concealed behind a projector screen. Undeterred, Arkin ascends the stairs, removes the boards from an upstairs window, and with a swift punch, shatters the glass. Leaping down to the ground, he takes off in a sprint only to be halted by the desperate cries of Hannah emanating from an open window. His gaze flicks back to see the Collector closing in on her, having been alerted by her screams. Arkin makes a hasty retreat to the house, but the Collector beats him to it, cornering Hannah on the staircase. Just as all hope seems lost, Arkin bursts into the scene, pistol-whipping the Collector and whisking Hannah away to her room, where he locks the door behind them. The sound of the Collector’s futile attempts to break down the door echoes through the air.

As they wait out their would-be captor’s wrath, Arkin devises a plan to turn the tables. He and Hannah remain elevated above the floor, anticipating the moment when the door would burst open. And burst it does, the fish tank giving way under the force of the impact, sending shards of glass and water cascading onto the floor. In the ensuing chaos, Hannah pushes her TV unit onto the wet surface, creating an impassable barrier. But just as they think they’ve gained a reprieve, Larry’s lifeless form crashes through the door, electrocuted by the Collector’s sinister design. The Collector then begins hurling knives at Arkin with deadly precision, forcing him to dodge and weave for his life.

In the ensuing mayhem, Arkin manages to escape with Hannah to another room, only to find himself on the receiving end of a gruesome fishhook through his eyebrow. As he assesses the damage, he’s struck by the sight of hooks dangling ominously from the ceiling. The Collector seizes this opportunity to use Larry’s lifeless body as a battering ram against the door, determined to gain entry. Arkin responds by sending Hannah sliding down a laundry chute into the safety of the basement, but not before the Collector breaks through the door and snatches him up in his grasp. As they engage in a fierce struggle, Arkin manages to rip off the Collector’s mask, revealing his true face. However, this momentary victory is short-lived, as the Collector regains control, knocking Arkin unconscious and reassembling his mask with a malevolent grin.

In a desperate bid for freedom, Arkin (played by John Cusack) finds himself confined to the dingy basement, his hands shackled and his back bearing the painful weight of several fish hooks piercing his flesh. It is here that The Collector (character name not provided) awakens him with a deliberate slash across his forehead, rendering him momentarily stunned. As Arkin’s gaze falls upon Hannah (played by Mary Beth McDonough), cowering beneath the desk, he implores their tormentor to spare her life. The Collector, however, is drawn to the direction of Arkin’s gaze and approaches the desk with calculated steps. Enraged by Arkin’s insolent remark, The Collector inflicts further brutality upon him, slicing his chest and knocking out a tooth in the process.

Meanwhile, outside, the sound of sirens pierces the night air as Jill (played by Kate Walsh) triggers a 911 call. As The Collector departs the basement, he leaves Arkin to suffer at the mercy of his captors. The responding officer (character name not provided), upon witnessing the carnage within the house, is met with a gruesome tableau: Chad’s lifeless body, brutally mangled beyond recognition. Seemingly unfazed by this discovery, the cop cautiously approaches the rear of the property, only to be attacked by the dog, which tears at his throat with deadly ferocity. The Collector then seizes the opportunity to claim the officer’s life, snapping his neck with calculated ease.

As Arkin (played by John Cusack) manages to wrench himself free from the fish hooks, he and Hannah are left to confront the grim reality that Victoria (played by Jane Doe) lies lifeless in the bathtub. The Collector’s sinister plan is revealed as they discover the tub filled with gasoline, a chilling precursor to his intention to set the house ablaze. With the cop’s shotgun now at his disposal, The Collector and his canine companion prepare to unleash chaos upon the property.

As desperation sets in, Arkin resorts to drastic measures to escape the basement confines. He secures himself to Hannah and embarks on a perilous journey through the laundry chute, pulling her up just as a snarling canine closes in. Undeterred, he concocts a plan to distract the dog by setting ablaze a toilet roll and placing it within striking distance of the beast’s head. The ruse proves effective, as the dog perishes amidst the flames. Arkin then turns his attention to the Collector, engaging in a brutal hand-to-hand combat that culminates with him knocking the shotgun-wielding antagonist down the basement stairs.

The Collector, unfazed by his defeat, recovers and blasts his way out of the house, only to realize he’s been duped by Arkin’s cunning. The true extent of Arkin’s deception is revealed as the Collector finds himself face-to-face with a mirror image - Arkin and Hannah having cleverly concealed themselves behind him. Seizing the opportunity, Arkin manipulates the chandelier’s wire, unleashing a deadly onslaught of metal and glass upon the Collector.

As they emerge from the house, Arkin and Hannah flee together, pursued by the wounded Collector. They eventually reach a road, where Arkin spots an approaching police convoy. With Hannah safe by his side, he ventures into the middle of the road to flag down the authorities, only to be struck by a speeding cop car.

Dazed and battered, Arkin gazes upon Hannah as the Collector closes in, his instincts screaming for her protection. In a heart-stopping moment, Arkin realizes that the man attempting to kidnap Hannah is actually a police officer. As the officers safely escort Hannah away, Arkin finds himself loaded into an ambulance, where he’s left to ponder the chaos that has unfolded.

Just as the house explodes in the distance, Arkin confides in a police officer about the Collector’s true identity. The authorities, now aware of their quarry’s appearance, set off to apprehend him. However, fate has other plans, as a van careens into the ambulance, sending it tumbling through the air before crashing onto its side.

The Collector emerges from the wreckage, his malevolent intentions unrelenting. He infiltrates the ambulance, striking down the paramedic with a deadly precision and freeing Arkin from his stretcher. As the Collector taunts him, Arkin pleads for mercy, only to be dragged to the back of the van and deposited into a crimson-red box - a gruesome fate that’s been orchestrated by none other than their former colleague, the exterminator.

As the final curtain call fades into memory, a new narrative thread begins to unfurl, weaving together disparate elements in a tantalizing tapestry of intrigue. High above the red box, the enigmatic Collector settles in for a leisurely perusal of a slide show, the soft glow of the images casting an otherworldly ambiance across his impassive features. Meanwhile, deep within the crimson container, Arkin’s anguished cries echo through the metal confines, his futile attempts to break free punctuated by the Collector’s nonchalant intervention: a swift kick that silences the imprisoned prisoner, much like the dark magic that had ensnared him in the first place. The Collector’s detached demeanor, however, belies a deeper fascination with the events unfolding beneath his watchful gaze, as if he were orchestrating some grand symphony of chaos and control.