The Seed 2022

As the fourth anniversary of her father’s passing approaches, Emma Grossman (Mckenna Grace) continues to navigate her life under the watchful eyes of her aunt Angela, her husband Robert, and their infant son Cade. Though she appears to be a typical teenager, juggling school, friendships, and romantic interests, beneath the surface lies a calculating and ruthless individual, masking her psychopathic tendencies with a convincing veneer of normalcy. Her daily existence is punctuated by seemingly random acts of cruelty, such as mercilessly killing a dog in the woods, all while newspaper reports obfuscate a string of mysterious deaths.

As Emma prepares to audition for the school dance team, she orchestrates a sinister plot to eliminate Cade, leaving the back door open for him to wander into Angela’s pool. Though Angela intervenes just in time to save her nephew, she unwittingly blames Robert for his laxity, setting off a chain reaction of consequences.

As Robert begins to suspect Emma’s involvement in Cade’s near-drowning, he becomes the target of her malevolent intentions, narrowly avoiding death when Emma sabotages his car. Instead of confronting him directly, she revels in his suffering, demonstrating a callous disregard for human life. Fearing institutionalization if her actions become public, Robert demands that Emma attend boarding school and keep her distance from their family. This ultimatum only serves to fuel Emma’s resentment, as she plots her next move.

The arrival of new student Kat disrupts the dynamics within Emma’s social circle, as Kat reveals her own history with Emma, recalling instances of bullying in grade school and hinting at a deeper understanding of Emma’s troubled past. Meanwhile, Emma’s friend Steph is elected captain of the school dance team, a position Emma had coveted. Seething with jealousy and hurt pride, Emma exacts a brutal revenge by murdering Steph’s dog and stealing her medication, ultimately triggering a fatal seizure.

As Angela stumbles upon incriminating video evidence, she confronts Emma about her actions, only to be met with a calculated denial. It is not until Emma confides in Brian, the property caretaker who had a tumultuous relationship with David before his untimely death, that the truth begins to unravel. Brian shares David’s haunting words: “She’ll do it again,” though he never knew what this ominous prediction referred to. This revelation sparks a dawning understanding within Angela, as she comes to realize that Emma is responsible for the string of murders and is afflicted with antisocial personality disorder.

In a stunning display of self-awareness, Emma discovers her own psychopathic tendencies after reading the Hare Psychopathy Checklist online, responding with an unsettling sense of validation and excitement. As the facade crumbles, Emma’s true nature is laid bare, illuminating a trail of destruction that threatens to engulf everyone around her.

As Emma’s sinister intentions unfold, she cunningly lures Kat to her residence under the guise of revealing a profound truth, only to spike Kat’s hot chocolate with a deadly dose of poison. Seizing the moment, Emma swiftly dials 9-1-1, fabricating an elaborate ruse that Kat is recklessly torching the property, and simultaneously sets ablaze the kitchen, fueling a catastrophic fire. Meanwhile, Robert stumbles upon the chaotic scene, driven by the distressing cries of his helpless infant son, Cade, which echoes through the smoldering staircase. As he valiantly ascends to rescue Cade, Emma has already fled, leaving behind an eerie recording of her child’s anguished wails, taunting Robert with her malevolent presence.

As the inferno ravages the house, Angela bursts onto the scene, branding Emma a monstrous fiend before rushing into the burning building to attempt a daring rescue. Alas, she arrives too late, and both Robert and his child succumb to the toxic smoke. The authorities, arriving on the scene in hot pursuit of the blaze, are met with an unsettling tableau: a house reduced to ashes, two lives extinguished, and Emma’s cruel victory evident in her cold, calculating demeanor.

In the aftermath, as social workers strive to reunite Emma with Cade within the foster care system, she gazes out the office window, her face contorting into a wicked, triumphant smile, a chilling testament to her unrepentant malevolence.