Villain 2020

As the curtains open on this gritty thriller, we’re introduced to Mickey (Bill Skarsgard) and Jules (Maika Monroe), a volatile couple entwined in a criminal underworld. The sparks fly as they execute a high-stakes gas station heist, but their excitement is short-lived as Mickey’s hasty work leaves the cashier unconscious, rendering the register inaccessible. In a moment of desperation, Jules hands Mickey a snack to “sweeten” the deal and salvage the situation.

Their getaway plan involves fleeing to Florida, but their impromptu road trip quickly hits a snag when their vehicle runs out of gas - a cruel irony considering their recent thievery. With no immediate solution in sight, they’re forced to abandon their car and embark on a trek to find an alternative means of escape. The duo’s journey takes them to a seemingly idyllic neighborhood, where they attempt to break into the first available residence. However, Mickey’s attempts are foiled when he discovers the front door is secured by a deadbolt.

Undeterred, Jules produces a crowbar, and together they force their way inside. As they settle in, trying to formulate their next move, they indulge in some recreational cocaine use, which sparks Mickey’s plan to siphon gas from the homeowners’ vehicle and transport it back to their own car. In search of a hose to facilitate this scheme, they stumble upon an eerie discovery - a young girl (Blake Baumgartner) shackled to the basement floor.

Jules is moved by the girl’s plight, but Mickey remains skeptical, urging caution. Eventually, he relents, and they work together to free the captive. Their actions are soon discovered by the homeowners, George (Jeffrey Donovan) and Gloria (Kyra Sedgwick), who initially present a friendly facade. However, when Mickey aims his gun at them, George calmly intervenes, attempting to defuse the situation once he realizes the true nature of their intentions.

George proposes a deal: take what you want and leave without involving the authorities. But Mickey’s determination to rescue the young girl, whom the couple affectionately refers to as “Sweetiepie,” is unwavering. The homeowners reluctantly comply, leading Mickey and Jules back down to the basement. As George frees Sweetiepie from her shackles, she bites Mickey’s wrist in a desperate act of self-defense. In response, George delivers a crushing headbutt that sends Mickey crashing to the ground.

In a shocking turn of events, Mickey finds himself bound to a bed, helpless against the advances of Gloria, who seems to have a peculiar fascination with maternal figures. Her attempts at seduction are met with growing unease by Mickey as she flashes images of her supposed son, “Ethan”, on her phone. Meanwhile, Jules languishes in the dimly lit basement, tied to a support beam and desperately seeking connection with Sweetiepie, but to no avail. This desolate state persists for approximately two days, during which Jules confides in her captive companion about her troubled past - the abandonment she suffered as a child. Mickey, seemingly succumbing to Gloria’s affections, yet takes a bold step when he asks permission to touch her; instead, Gloria uncuffs him and presents an opportunity for escape. However, his attempted getaway is thwarted by George, who appears with a menacing gun and forces Mickey back into the basement, this time retying Jules alongside him.

As the duo plots their escape, Mickey exploits Jules’ distinctive tongue stud as a makeshift tool to pick the locks on their restraints. Despite initial hesitation due to the anticipated pain, Jules agrees to remove the stud with Mickey’s assistance. The pair successfully frees Jules, but when she attempts to retrieve Mickey’s cuffs, the stud breaks inside his mouth. Quick-thinking Jules makes a break for it, leaving Mickey bound and vulnerable. George descends into the basement, only to find Jules gone, and responds by issuing an ominous threat: if Mickey doesn’t produce proof of Jules’ whereabouts within a certain timeframe, the authorities will be summoned. Satisfied with Mickey’s assurance that Jules is indeed on her way to meet him, George relinquishes his restraints.

As they make their way towards the front door, Mickey walking under the watchful barrel of George’s gun, Jules unexpectedly reappears with “Ethan”, a porcelain doll that has become an unsettling obsession for Gloria. Jules brandishes the doll, demanding George release Mickey in exchange for sparing Ethan’s life. However, instead of complying, Gloria seizes George’s gun and fires at Jules, narrowly missing her target. The stray bullet sends Ethan crashing to the floor, his head shattering into pieces. Consumed by grief, Gloria frantically attempts to reassemble the doll as George continues to hold Mickey and Jules hostage.

As the evening unfolds, George and Gloria (played by actors’ names) meticulously orchestrate a sinister dinner party, securing Mickey and Jules to chairs with an air of calculated precision. The aroma of Gloria’s homemade shepherd’s pie wafts through the air, enticing the captives as they partake in the meal. In a macabre display of morbid curiosity, Mickey and Jules inquire about the enigmatic Sweetiepie, prompting George to reveal the dark truth: she was kidnapped due to Gloria’s barrenness, and her inability to form a maternal bond with the child. However, this twisted fate led Gloria to commission George to eliminate Sweetiepie, viewing her captivity as an act of mercy. As Mickey and Jules begin to feel the effects of the excess medication, George matter-of-factly discloses his plan: to dose them with heroin, staging their demise as a tragic tale of two junkies who succumbed to their addiction.

Just as George’s sinister scheme is poised to unfold, a sudden interruption in the form of a police officer arrives at the doorstep. The discovery of Mickey and Jules’ abandoned vehicle near the gas station robbery scene has raised suspicions, prompting the cop to inquire about the evening’s activities. George’s attempts to assuage the officer’s concerns fall flat as his gaze lingers on the broken door, betraying his nervousness. Gloria hastily stashes Mickey and Jules away in their gym, concealing them from prying eyes. As the officer descends into the basement, George prepares to take matters into his own hands, but a call from his colleagues sends him back outside, foiling his plans.

Meanwhile, Jules manages to regain consciousness, procuring cocaine for herself and Mickey to revive their spirits. With George and Gloria none the wiser, the pair orchestrates an ingenious ruse, convincing the older couple that they’ve fled the scene. As George and Gloria depart in search of their captives, Mickey and Jules emerge from the shadows, poised to exact a measure of justice.

As the night wears on, tensions simmer beneath the surface. Gloria’s frustration boils over, leading her to confess her desire to abandon the charade and embark on a journey, leaving Mickey and Jules behind. However, this epiphany is short-lived, as Mickey and Jules prepare to make their escape, only to find themselves agreeing to liberate Sweetiepie from her captive state. Her freedom is secured when Mickey tenderly apologizes for his earlier outburst, following the child’s defiant bite.

As George and Gloria return home to find their keys missing alongside their beloved pet, Sweetiepie, they’re met with an inexplicable sense of chaos. The usually reliable garage door remote is nowhere to be found, leaving the couple frustrated and at a loss. George’s impromptu decision to take matters into his own hands leads him to the garage entrance, where he confronts Mickey and Jules. With his gun drawn, he demands they step out of their vehicle. But before things escalate further, Mickey utters his final words of affection to Jules as he speeds away, leaving George to suffer a brutal and devastating hit. The once-vibrant Mickey meets his demise, while Jules is left mourning by his lifeless body.

In the aftermath, a disfigured and enraged George emerges, only to be met with resistance from Sweetiepie, who seizes control of the situation by grabbing his gun. As George attempts to cajole her into surrendering the weapon, she instead delivers a fatal shot to his skull. The scene shifts as Gloria reemerges, luggage in tow, oblivious to the carnage that has unfolded around her. Jules is paralyzed with indecision, unable to bring herself to end Gloria’s delusional torment. It’s Sweetiepie who finally finds her voice, offering an olive branch of sorts and accompanying Jules on a journey that will ultimately take them to the sun-kissed shores of Florida.

The film’s final tableau unfolds like a nostalgic home movie, capturing Jules and Sweetiepie’s idyllic day at the beach. As they frolic in the waves and bask in the warm sunlight, their small souvenir shop, lovingly dedicated to Mickey, serves as a poignant reminder of the duo’s resilience and newfound sense of belonging.