An Act of War (2015)

1
Sanchez.
What's this kid's name again?
Hello.
Jacob?
Who's this?
Sweetie, it's me.
Mom?
You don't sound too good.
I'm okay, baby.
I'm just tired.
Yeah.
Hang in there, you'll be okay.
Has your brother been by lately?
- No.
- But I... I thought...
- I don't want him coming over here. No.
- I just...
No.
Ma, I gotta go to work.
Okay.
Ma, I'll come visit you
real soon.
Jacob.
Yeah.
I want you to know
how proud I am of you.
For everything you've done.
Get some sleep now.
I love you, sweetie.
I love you so much.
Everything all right, Jacob?
Everything's going okay by you?
You sure about that, son?
Yes, sir.
I'm late heading home.
If you need anything,
you let me know, all right?
Take care of yourself, son.
Well, Wednesday night
is my only night off, Frank.
I can't give you
another night off, Nicks.
I don't want another night off.
It's just that,
every day is the same.
I like it that way,
but Wednesday nights I gotta kinda reset.
And it throws me off
a little bit.
All right.
I'm gonna give you
Wednesday nights.
I'll move Tito to the day shift.
Thanks, Frank, I appreciate it.
You think I give a fuck
about you?
I don't give a shit about you.
You're making my life easier.
Tito falls asleep
halfway through
the fucking picture anyway.
At least with you,
I don't got to worry about that.
You don't fucking sleep.
Do I know you from somewhere?
Uh, um, no.
Am I confusing you
for someone else?
Do you know a guy named Pete?
Pete? No.
You mind if I sit down?
Did you know that marijuana
was the most commonly used
illegal drug
in the United States?
That a hundred million Americans
have tried it at least once?
And, uh, twenty-five million have
smoked it within the last year?
I get it.
What?
Why you came over here.
I get it.
You get what?
You're, um...
You're a salesman.
Oh, no, no. No.
No, it's okay.
Look I...
That's not the reason why I came over here.
I really did think that, like,
uh, that I'd seen you somewhere before,
but I guess not.
Anyway, if you're looking
for a good time...
You know, I can...
You know I can get you anything.
Anything you need.
I'll keep that in mind, uh...
Oh, my name is,
my name is Marlon.
Jacob.
But, uh,
everyone calls me Nicks.
It's a pleasure
to meet you, Nicks.
Can I get you a cup of coffee
or something?
Oh, no.
Don't get me wrong, I would...
I would love to have
a cup of coffee but I...
I don't think
that's a good idea.
Why not?
With, um, the people here...
They don't...
They don't really
like me that much.
What do you mean
they don't like you?
Just forget it, man.
You know I'm afraid to ask
myself this question,
but I ask myself
this question sometimes.
You know, like,
if I owned this place,
would I want a person
like me to be in here?
I mean, look at me, man.
You know.
You know.
The way I comb my hair and
the stylish clothes I wear.
It is like...
I mean, can you blame them, really?
I mean...
You know?
Not everybody's like them.
Not me.
You know, there's some good left
in the world if you look for it.
I'm gonna end this thing
right now.
Is there anything
I can get for you, sir?
Yeah, there is actually.
I need a cup of coffee
for my friend.
Your friend?
Yeah, my friend.
He's my friend.
What's so hard to believe about that?
He's a nice guy.
Is there a problem with him sitting
and having a cup of coffee with me?
Well, of course not, sir.
Got you that goddamn coffee,
didn't we?
Sugar tits.
Marlon, I think you're the most
interesting person I've ever met.
Shit, I got to go.
Yeah?
Yeah, um, they have, uh,
the shelter.
It serves food at 6:00 a.m. and
when food is gone, it's gone, so...
I can get you
something to eat here.
Oh, no, I couldn't.
You've done enough for me.
Really, I insist.
Oh, maybe some other time,
you know?
If you want to buy me dinner,
Thursday would be great.
Um, they have
a great strip special.
Whatever you want.
All right, I'm gonna
hold you to that.
I hope you do.
It was a pleasure, Nicks.
Likewise.
All right, I'll see you around.
Thanks for the coffee.
Yeah, sure thing.
Can I get my check, please?
Wait one second,
I'll be right back.
Um...
Oh, you're early.
Oh, all right. I'll, um...
I'll get him out of here.
Wait around the corner.
All right,
I'll see you tomorrow, Vinnie.
Well, come on.
I was thinking maybe you could
come over to my place next week.
You know,
I always charge more for outcalls.
I mean, for dinner,
or something.
You know,
it doesn't always have to be about this.
It doesn't always
have to be about what?
Sex.
Just sayin',
it doesn't have to be.
I don't think
it's going to happen.
I'm just not interested
in getting involved with
any of my clients like that.
I'd like to think I was more
than one of your clients.
All right.
I'll come over next week.
And we'll see where it goes.
Okay?
I'll see you next week.
Hey, Sully, how are you?
How am I?
Terrible. That's how I am.
Seventy years old, three kids,
and not one of them had the decency to
call their old man on his birthday.
Can you believe that shit?
It was yesterday, right?
- What was that?
- Yesterday.
Yeah, yesterday, yesterday.
I'm the reason those
little fuckers are alive.
And they had the nerve
not to call me
on my 70th birthday.
Yeah, I'm sorry to hear that.
I bet you call your father every
year on his birthday, huh?
You're a good kid, Nicks.
So, what is it?
16 millimeter, right?
- Yeah, 16.
- Let me see where it is.
I got it here somewhere.
Here you go.
Ah, no, no, no, no,
you get me next time.
My register's broken.
You're a good friend.
Hey,
beautiful footage, by the way.
- Thanks, Sully.
- Mmm-hmm.
So Nicks, tell me,
how's that girl of yours?
Ivana?
She's great.
I was just over at
her place before.
You havin' fun, huh?
Ooh, I'd love to hear
all the juicy details.
But I don't want you thinking
I'm a dirty old man, you know?
You're a lucky guy, Nicks.
You hold onto her.
Don't let her get away,
you know?
Not everybody's so fortunate.
I will.
You got something for me?
Can I have that one
ready by tomorrow?
Sure, you got it, kid.
Thanks, Sully.
You be safe out there, huh?
So, tell me
what happened to you.
Nicks, what happened to you?
I don't want to talk about it.
- Just tell me...
- I don't want to talk about it.
We were ambushed.
Coming from all sides.
It seemed like it lasted hours.
Probably only a minute.
They started coming down
toward us.
I was laying next to
a good buddy of mine.
I'd been with him since basic.
I tried calling his name,
he didn't respond.
I turned him over, he had...
a bullet in his neck.
So much blood,
was covering his entire face.
His...
His eyes were open,
he was staring straight back
into my eyes.
And I'm staring at his,
but he was already dead.
There was only two of us left.
Me and this kid.
He was 18, maybe 19 years old.
He was just a kid.
They dragged us to an old truck,
threw us in the back,
and drove us out to a compound.
Started questioning me,
looking for a platoon
of Army Rangers
hiding up in those mountains.
I couldn't talk,
I couldn't jeopardize
30-something of them
to save two of us.
When they realized
I wasn't gonna talk
they started
working on this kid.
And they started...
Chopping him up piece by piece.
They told me I could stop it
if I spoke, but I couldn't.
And he was...
He was screaming.
And now I'm back.
And not a day goes by
that I don't blame myself
for that kid not coming home.
Can you believe
these cocksuckers?
They trade four
prospect pitchers
for one old washed-up,
wife-beatin' drunk
who only one seven games
in Toronto last year.
Can you believe that shit?
They spend all that money on
that brand new fancy stadium,
now they expect us
to come out for that?
Put some fucking winners in the field,
then we'll come out.
- 16 millimeter, right? Yeah.
- Yeah, 16.
Got it here somewhere.
Here you go, son.
Great stuff, by the way.
What do you got?
This one's kind of
personal, Sully.
So, if you could, you know...
Let me guess.
You and your girlfriend, right?
Yeah, something like that.
Hey, no problem.
Because if it's delicate nature,
I promise I won't go
sneaking any peeks.
I got to make sure the exposure
is sufficient, that's all.
You know, you've been leaving this
place a fucking mess every night?
You better get
your shit together.
All right.
I don't want to fucking hear it.
I know it's you leaving
this place a pigsty.
Either get your act together,
or you get the fuck out.
Yes, sir.
Fucking kids today!
Hey, man.
How's it hanging, brother?
Hey.
It's, um...
- Marlon, right?
- Yeah, it's Marlon, that's right.
Have a seat.
You want coffee?
Sure.
Thanks.
What do you for a living?
I mean,
if you don't mind me asking.
I'm... I'm a projectionist.
Did you know that
marijuana usage
is a ritual part of religious
traditions throughout the world?
In Islamic countries,
it's accepted alongside tobacco
and coffee while alcohol
is strictly prohibited.
That's the way it should be
all over the world.
Weed ain't ever kill nobody.
That's an interesting thought,
I guess.
So, what are you looking at?
Huh?
That guy standing out here.
Uh, I don't see anything, man.
Standing out there looking
straight at us.
Uh, sorry man, I don't...
I don't see anything.
You don't see him?
He's staring straight at us.
Jeez! Chill man.
I got bad eyes.
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
I see him. I see him.
You know him?
No.
Well, let's go talk to him.
You know, find out what he...
What he wants.
Just forget it.
Okay.
Remember when I said
I can get you anything?
You know,
I can get you anything.
You want something?
I can...
Are you taking off?
There's some things
I just gotta do.
I'll be seeing you.
Sure.
Hey, Sully.
How you doing, son?
All right.
I was just in the neighborhood.
I thought I'd stop by,
see if I could get my film.
Yeah, sure.
I got it right here for you.
Everything all right, Jacob?
You sure?
Yeah.
Nicks,
I know I only develop your film.
Who the fuck am I, right?
But if you ever need
anybody to talk to,
I'm here for you.
What's going on, Sully?
Nothing.
Sully.
I know you told me not to look
and I had
no intention, but, uh...
I, uh...
I caught a glimpse
of some of your film.
I trusted you.
I was simply checking
the exposure, that's all.
I trusted you.
I didn't intend
to look at it, man.
It just happened.
Sully, I trusted you.
Nicks, I don't know what to say.
I mean, I'm truly sorry, okay?
I'm concerned about you, kid.
- How much do I owe you?
- Nothing.
Don't fucking piss me off,
Sully.
How much do I owe you?
I don't want your money, kid.
Nicks, you don't have to
do this, you know.
It was a mistake,
I didn't mean to.
- Nicks, Nicks, please, huh?
- Fuck you.
I'm sorry.
A 22 year old man,
described by officials
as a vindictive social outcast,
faces a federal court
hearing on charges
stemming from
the attempted assassination
of a US House Representative.
Public defenders are
requesting that the suspect,
who makes his first
court appearance...
next Monday afternoon,
will be represented
by the same attorney
who defended the man responsible
for the Oklahoma City bombing
over a decade ago.
Wait, stop.
- What?
- The sound.
- What?
- Wait.
What the fuck is this?
It's nothing.
It's nothing?
You think I'm an idiot,
don't you?
Oh, my God.
The only reason I fucked you is
because I felt sorry for you.
You make me sick.
You're so pathetic.
Don't say that.
I say whatever the fuck
I want to say.
And you know the story
you told me?
You were the weak one.
You could have saved that kid,
but you didn't so you could save yourself.
Get out!
Ivana, it's me again.
I don't know what else to say,
I'm sorry.
I thought we had something.
I thought I was good for you.
Anyway, call me back
when you get this.
You know, I love you.
Hey, Nicks, how you doing, man?
You don't look so good.
You need some sleep.
- You want one?
- Sure.
One for him, too.
Is that guy still following you?
You know how you always ask me
if there's anything I need?
Like what?
You know, you know.
How do I know
you're not a snitch?
I'm just joking with you, man.
Whatever you want.
- What, what do you got?
- What do you want?
I don't know, something strong.
I got what you need.
I gotta warn you.
It's some addictive shit, man.
I don't care.
Just give it to me.
Everything
is gonna be all right.
Everything
is gonna be all right.
Everything is gonna be
all right.
What the fuck do you
want from me?
Take this.
What's this?
Just take it.
I don't even know who you are.
You don't know who I am?
I don't wanna know you.
Just take it.
Stay away from me.
Stay the fuck away from me.
Stay away from me.
What the fuck?
Why won't you talk to me?
Why won't you take my phone calls?
- Leave me alone!
- Huh, why won't you talk to me?
Leave me alone, you freak!
I never want to see you again!
Ivana!
Do you realize what you've done?
Do you realize how many
refunds I had to give?
Just take it out of my paycheck.
It's not about the money
I lost tonight.
It's about the fact that
those customers
will never come
to this theater again.
I don't know
what happened, Frank.
Something's going on with you.
You're not right.
Not that you were ever
right to begin with.
You look like shit,
you smell like shit,
I want you out of here.
I'm sorry, Frank.
Frank, I'm sorry.
Clean the machine
and get the fuck out.
You're sick in the head,
you know that?
You need fucking help.
Don't come back here no more.
I need more.
No, no coffee.
I need...
I need more.
More what?
More what... What the fuck else
would I be talking about, man?
Chill, man. Chill.
I only...
I only got a little bit.
Give me what you got.
All right, all right.
Hold on a second.
Give it.
Give it to me.
You're making this shit
seem obvious, man.
If you don't give me that
goddamn shit right now,
I will slit your fucking throat
and piss down your neck.
Pick your fire, pick your fire!
You could have saved that kid,
but you didn't
so you could save yourself.
I got to warn you.
This is some addictive shit, man.
You're sick
in the head, you know that?
You don't know who I am?
Son, are you okay?
Hello?
Jacob, is that you?
Yeah.
What the fuck's
going on over there?
I've been trying to call you
for the last three days.
I can't talk right now, Tom.
What the hell's wrong with you?
You sound like shit.
Yeah?
Yeah, seriously, Jacob.
- What the fuck's your problem?
- What's my problem?
What's my problem, Tom?
A lot of shit!
That's what the fuck
my problem is!
Well, talk to me then.
Jesus, how am I
supposed to know,
if you don't tell me anything?
- It's you.
- It's me...
- What's me?
- You following me, Tom?
Following? Following you?
What the fuck are you
talking about?
Are you following me?
Tom, you following me?
You fucking following me?
All right, you know what,
I'm coming over.
I won't be here.
Ah, fuck it.
I can't get through to you,
so I'm just gonna say it.
Mom's dead, Jacob.
She died a couple days ago.
Look, I didn't want to have to
tell you like this,
but I know how much you hate
me coming over there, so...
We all knew it was coming.
I just wish she could have
seen you before she went.
She's gone, man.
She loved you, you know that?
She was proud
of everything you've done.
Look, I know I haven't been much
of a brother lately, but...
But is there anything
I can do for you?
Anything at all?
Do you realize
the risk involved?
You're asking for
classified material.
If anyone knew that
I had given you these,
I wouldn't just lose my job.
I'd face time in federal prison.
No one will know I have them.
Yeah.
Anyway, I wasn't worried
about getting caught.
Put yourself in my shoes
for a minute.
It takes you three days to
get your brother on the phone.
Once you do, he sounds like
a fucking lunatic.
Accusing you of shit.
And then, to top it all off,
he ask for interrogation reels
of serial killers...
What the hell
am I supposed to think, huh?
You asked if you could help.
Yeah, I did.
Well, just tell me
what you need them for then.
Hmm?
Jacob, come on.
What do you need them for?
I'm just trying to
understand, Tom.
- That's it.
- Mmm-hmm.
Understand what?
The world we live in,
it's such a sick place.
I'm not commending it,
but I'm not gonna pretend I don't see it.
'Cause I see it everywhere.
And I'm just trying
to understand.
That's... That's it.
I don't know, man.
Okay. If I do this,
I want you to promise me
that you're going to
cut this shit out.
All of it.
This... This isolation,
this self-destructive
bullshit.
You got to move forward, Jacob.
It's killing me here, man.
Not a day goes by where I don't wish
it were me who was sent over there.
I'd give anything to see things
the way they used to be.
Please, Tom,
just get me those reels.
Let me see what I can do.
Hey, Nicks, how you doing, man?
Okay.
Well, good.
Maybe we can sit down,
I can buy you a cup of coffee?
No, Marlon,
let's not pretend that our relationship
is anything more than
what it is.
What do you mean?
What I mean?
The only reason why I'm here is
because you got something that I want.
What's that, a sense of humor?
You're not cute, Marlon.
You're not funny.
What you are is a worthless,
homeless, piece of shit
- pushing trash to kids.
- Watch it.
I don't sell to no kids.
Give me the shit.
I want you to know, because of you,
I'm hooked on this shit.
I warned you, man.
I told you it was addictive.
You know what, Marlon?
I'm gonna personally see to it that
you get exactly what you deserve.
Remember how I told you there's
some good left in the world?
You'll see.
I've always seen
optimism in life.
The joy.
I've always found beauty,
until recently that is.
The earth itself
is overflowing with elegance.
Sophistication. Refinement.
But those who inhabit it are far
from the world on which they stand.
The worst thing that ever could
have happened to planet Earth,
human existence.
The world flourished for millions of years,
but now it rots.
And the tenure of man
is to blame.
I'll no longer tolerate the
abuse I've endured from society.
Society makes me sick.
During those eight years,
how many victims were there in all?
Forty-nine.
We've become reliant on what we
hear to determine what we think.
News stations tell us what to believe,
what to stand for.
Advertisements tell us what we must have,
what we cannot live without.
All the while we stray further and
further from what truly matters.
How many of them were men?
None.
All women?
And children.
As we strive for
progress in the war overseas,
the one back home
grows more unrelenting.
Violence headlines
every front page.
Duress lines
every street corner.
As the masses turn desperately
to a single man
to suppress an age-old
quandary of inequality.
The world should be
ashamed of itself.
It's become a frightening place.
No place for a child,
no place for innocence.
I bound their
hands behind their backs.
And then I strangled them.
Did you rape them?
Yes.
All of them?
Yes.
The fate of evil
is predetermined.
Junkies, whores, rapists,
they'll all burn in hell.
But what will the fate
of a vigilante be?
I suppose there is only
one way to find out.
I've seen the worst in man.
I know what the world needs.
It needs protection,
it needs a hero.
Someone to end the affliction,
to stop the bleeding.
Someone to show the scum
that they've only existed
because we've allowed them to.
Someone to give the filth
what they deserve.
Someone who will stand for this
not a second longer.
There's no turning back.
My mind's been made.
I consider the execution
of the journey
I'm soon to embark on
a sacrifice to all of mankind.
As the souls,
soon to be taken from them,
will not be of a loss,
but of a tremendous gain.
A man is capable of anything,
once he's lost his conscience.
The door's open.
Come on, Tito.
Tito, I'm busy.
Hey, Nicks, how you doing?
What are you doing here
so early?
You wanna go outside?
I'd like some privacy.
Nicks, where...
Where are we going?
Now listen, Marlon, I feel
bad about what happened.
You were only trying to help,
it wasn't your fault.
You don't have to say that.
That's nice... Nice of you to say.
But you don't have to say that.
No, I feel awful about
what happened and I...
I got you something over here
to show you how sorry I am.
Okay.
Did you know that
marijuana is a valuable aid
in the treatment of a wide
variety of clinical applications?
These include pain relief...
I'm coming.
Wait right here.
Yeah, hold on one second.
Speak into the recorder.
I don't care what you say.
Just say it.
Say anything. Just say it.
Say it.
Say it.
Say it!
Okay, I... I don't understand...
I can't...
- I can't...
- That's it.
That's all I needed.
What... No.
Feel my pain.
I loved you.
You realize things
you never have before
when seeing them
for the last time.
The world looks different.
Similar to the way I remember
seeing it as a child.
Clean. Safe.
Untouched. Not afraid.
This tape is meant to be
shared with the world.
It's meant to serve
as my vindication.
I hope that my story
inspires you.
I hope that my actions
have given you hope.
I hope it provokes all of
mankind to leave the world
a better place
than when they found it.
But most importantly,
I hope that you finally
stop living in fear.
Sometimes it takes a man with nothing
to lose to start a revolution.
But a man with nothing to lose
has nothing to live for.
And I myself cannot
live with that burden.
There's good left in the world.
There really is.
Sanchez.
What's this kid's name again?
Detective Nicks,
you don't know how sorry
I am for your loss.
Tommy,
your brother left behind
a recording.
Seems he used it like a diary.
Towards the end
of the recording,
he admits to killing four people
prior to taking his own life.
He told us who they were,
where they worked,
where they lived
and where he left their bodies.
I sent a couple of men out this
morning to locate them, but...
Uh...
There were no bodies.
The only person your
brother killed was himself.
I took a ride over to the place
where your brother worked
and questioned the owner.
He told me that in his 20
years of owning that theater,
he's never had a night manager
and never employed anyone
by the name of Frank.
In the recording your brother
claimed that he met someone
for coffee every morning
after his shift.
I spoke to the waiter
who works the graveyard shift.
He said Jacob never had company
and was always by himself.
He had been seeing a girl
for the last few months,
so I stopped by her apartment,
but it was empty.
The landlord told me that he rented the
place out to Jacob several months ago
and he never saw anyone else
coming and going from the unit.
We found a huge amount of film
in your brother's apartment.
I went to the place where he got it
developed and questioned the owner.
He said that one night,
while processing some of Jacob's film,
something unusual
caught his eye.
And he couldn't help
taking a closer look.
What was it, sir?
Yeah, my friend.
He's my friend,
what's so hard
to believe about that.
Got you that goddamn coffee,
didn't we?
I don't know
what happened, Frank.
She works late, besides
that's what I got you for.
Ivana!
Marlon, you are the most interesting
person I think I've ever met.
Everyone calls me Nicks.
Why don't you take
my phone calls?
I don't want to talk about it.
Now listen, Marlon, I feel
bad about what happened.
I need something strong.
I thought we had something.
I thought I was good for you.
What you are is a worthless...
I'd like to think I was more
than one of your clients.
homeless piece of shit.
Do you know, because of you,
I'm hooked on this shit.
Ivana...
Get out!
These people didn't exist.
They weren't real.
Not one of them.
Tommy,
do you know the man
in this picture?
You're brother claims this man had been
following him for the past couple of months.
Where did you find this?
In your brother's apartment.
So, you know the people
in the picture?
Yeah, that's me there
on the left and...
my little brother, Jacob,
there on the right.
And the man in the middle?
That was our father.
Hmm.
The day this picture was taken was
the last time we ever saw him.
He shipped out and was killed in
combat a couple of weeks later.
From what I remember,
he was a good father.
He and Jacob had this
special bond.
They loved movies.
I hated them.
My brother was a war hero,
you know?
He was a POW for eight months.
They tortured the poor kid
every day for eight months
and he told them nothing.
And when he got home, I...
I'd never been so happy
my whole life.
You know, I quickly realized
that he wasn't the same.
He looked like Jacob and...
And he sounded
like Jacob, but...
it wasn't him.
They killed him.
His body came home, but...
He was already gone.
Again, my deepest condolences.
Tommy, I'm gonna do whatever
I can to keep this quiet.
There will be an
ongoing investigation,
I can't stop that,
but I can promise you
that I will do everything
to keep this as
low-key as possible.
Yeah.
And, um, the reels, sir?
Hmm.
Well, I don't know anything
about any reels, Tommy.
But if I did,
I'd say they've been
taken care of.
Thank you, sir,
for everything.
Lieutenant,
can I hear the tape?
Speak into the recorder.
I don't care what you say,
just say it.
Say anything. Just say it.
Say it. Say it.
Say it!
That's it.
That's all I needed.