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Curvature (2017)
(woman's voice) If you
could go anywhere, any time, anywhere. (man's voice) There's nowhere else I'd rather be. [serene music] [gentle digital alarm] [electronic swelling sound] (man's voice) Did those guys give you enough time off? Because I can talk to them if you want me to. A week was fine. You sure it's a good idea for you to be back in the office this soon? Right now, my choice is to go to work or lie at home and stare at the ceiling, so... These things take time to process, that's all I'm saying. I will be... processing what he did for the rest of my life. Helen, I want to help you. I-I don't see how you can do that. And there is also something else that I would like to ask you. Everything your husband and I have been doing, all of our years of... researching and dreaming and planning and building... You want to keep going without him. I wanted to ask you first. We both know how strongly Wells believed in this project. Yes. Well, he would want me to finish it. To follow through, and I truly believe that. And like you, I will miss him every single day. But at least I can do this: I can get our ideas, his ideas, out in the world. Helen, do I have your blessing to do that? Thank you. It's what he would've wanted. [whale sounds playing over headphones] (muffled voice) Helen? Helen? Helen! Dice of destiny! I'm sorry, what did you say? It's your roll this week! Alex I... My lunch hour is in your hands. Six times four. Six times four... twenty four. Not bad. [serene music] [indistinct chatter] (sighs) Wanna show 'em how it's done? I'm over the hill. I wouldn't even know where to start. Oh, how are you honey? You want some tea? Scratch that. I have some whiskey. Sound better? Much. I can't believe it still works after, what, five years on a shelf? Six. Oh... Okay, mostly works. I was sure you were going to fail me for this guy. Wells had to beg me not to. Hm! Funny. You know, you could come to the lab sometimes if you wanted to. Build things for fun. For fun? Sure. Why not? Listen, Florence. - You don't have to... - Oh please. Don't even worry about it. Here. Any time you want. [thunder crackles] [peaceful music] [haunting music] [heavy wind sounds] [mysterious music] [stove starter clicks] [phone rings] [phone continues ringing] (woman's voice on phone) Get out. What? (woman) Now, Helen. Wh... [phone rings] Who is this? (woman) Stop wasting time! What are you talking about? (woman) In about five seconds, you'll see a black BMW coming down the street. Do not let the man in the car catch you. My car's gone. I don't understand. (woman) Get out before he can see you. (woman) Shit! (woman) Get back. Stay low. How do you know? [knocking] (man's voice at door) Mrs. Phillips, I just want to talk to you. (woman) Don't listen to him. Who is he? (woman) There isn't time. Stay in the kitchen. [lock clicks] [tense music] [shallow breathing] (woman) Around the corner. [tea kettle whining] [tea kettle continues whining] (woman) Easy... Now! Wait! Back of the house! Turn right! [glass crunches] Agh! (woman) The house on your right, behind the wall. Now. (woman) Easy. [car honks] (woman) Trust yourself and nobody else. [melodic phone ringtone] Yeah? (man's voice on phone) Anything new? Well, she's alive. (man) And she's okay? Physically? Yeah. (man) But... Ahh, she took off running. Wouldn't let me talk to her. (man) She ran away? Why? Who knows why she's doing anything right now. I want to bring her in. Find out where she's been. (man) No, leave her alone. Don't you want to know who she's been talking to? (man) All I care about is that she's okay, that she didn't hurt herself. - But... - I said, leave her alone. (Kraviz) Fine. Ah! [tense music] Alex? Jesus. Where have you been? I saw... I-I went to bed last night, and when I woke up this morning it was a week later and I was wearing these clothes and I don't remember anything! Whoa, whoa. Slow down. Where were you all week? I don't know. I was hoping you could tell me. I haven't seen you since last Friday. Are you serious? Yeah. You said you were going out to the cabin for the weekend. At first when you didn't show up on Monday, I figured you just stayed out there. I remember you telling me that. Okay, well, did you go? I have no idea. I remember I went to the university lab after work, and then I went home and I went to sleep, and then after that I woke up this morning and then... Nothing! Have you talked to anybody this morning? No? Nobody's called asking about me. No, nothing. Here, take it easy. Come on. I missed the whole week of work? I called your house, your cell, the cabin phone. I went by your place too. Nothing. What happened? I don't know. I was so worried about you. Everybody was. Because I was missing. Yeah. And because of Wells. Say it. It's only been a month since... Since it happened, okay? People were afraid for you. That's all. Anyway, come on. Let's go. Go where? The hospital. No, no. I need to figure out where I've been and what I've been doing. Helen... I need you to take me to the cabin. Now? Why? Okay, you don't have to come, but let me borrow your car. Where's yours? It's missing. And so is the key the cabin. And maybe the answer to what happened is just sitting out there waiting for me. [tense synth music] I forgot how creepy this place is. Less people, more deer. Better for hunting. You never told me you hunt. I used to. I'm having problems picturing that. I'm my father's only child. What's he gonna do? I tried to teach Wells but he was hopeless. True city kid. Your car's not in here. [eerie music] Okay. We're going to the hospital now. No, maybe something will trigger my memory. I just need to concentrate. Helen, I understand you want to do things your way, but we need to get you help. I don't know why you're being so weird today. [sharp metallic noises] Hey! You were just.. gone. I think I'm okay now. You need a doctor. Someone who can explain what's happening to you. I don't think a doctor can explain what's happening to me. [tense music] That was definitely your car. Give me your phone. Why? Just humor me, okay? So? [phone ringing] (Helen's voice on phone) Alex? Hello? Are you there? Hello? Alex? Who is this? (Helen) You called me. Where are you? (Helen) You're with her, aren't you? How do you know... (Helen) I'll send you a message when it's safe. Wait! She called me this morning to warn me. Maybe... maybe that woman's impersonating you. Stealing your identity. It wasn't someone impersonating me, that was me. Obviously that's impossible, so can we please think of another answer? How much do you know about what Wells was working on when he died? Tell me, Mr. Griffin, any change in your condition? Nausea come back? Headaches? Yeah, they come and go. And the dreams? Still unusually vivid? Yeah. But they're just dreams. Let's talk about your memory. Any improvement there? It's just... Nothingness. A big fat gap. How far back does the gap reach? About a week before the experiment, maybe more. And that includes the 36 hour loop? I-it's a complete blank. It's like it never happened. Okay, thank you. We need to find Helen. I thought I made it clear... We have to assume Wells told her about this project. She disappeared for a week. We don't know where she's been, who she's talked to. We've no idea what she's told people about whatever it is you're doing here! And what? You want to interrogate her? I just want to talk to her. It's unnecessary. Let her show us that. I'll be the first to apologize. (Alex) I want to believe it. I mean, what engineer wouldn't? But? Only the simple fact that the laws of physics tell us that time travel is probably impossible. Why do you think Wells was so secretive about his work? It wasn't because they were building toaster ovens. You said they started sending volunteers back a few months ago, right? Yeah, a maximum of 36 hours. Then why? Why if things were going so well? Why would Wells commit... Why would he do what he did? Why now? I'm sorry, I... I shouldn't have asked. The volunteers were having all these problems with amnesia, like I am right now, and Wells was so frustrated that he couldn't solve it and... You know, maybe that's... I'd seen him depressed before, and it wasn't like that. At least he didn't seem like that, but, I mean clearly what the hell do I know? If I... I'd paid closer attention. If I hadn't been so consumed in my own work, maybe... He rejected life. Our life together. He rejected me. It makes me so fucking angry at him. He came here alone that night. He wanted to work on some bug with the prototype, get away from the lab. Clear his mind. He was... upset about something. He was, I could tell, but... I didn't let him go. The next morning I called and... and I called and... when he didn't pick up I, I drove out here, and then I... Then I found him. I found... Listen to me, okay? You know I've been there. Right where you're sitting right now. I've been there. We had breakfast together that morning. I knew Caroline was gone. A blood vessel in her brain. And afterward, the world just kept on moving but I was stuck in the land of "what ifs." Could I have done this? Why didn't I do that? Why didn't I see it coming? That was three years ago. And it's taken that long for me to realize it's okay, I'm still alive. You're suffering, blaming yourself, living in the past. It doesn't help him now. [melancholy piano music] [thud] Ow! [beeps] [beeps] [sound of lock releasing] Jesus! That's not for hunting, is it? It was our first date. The combination, my first date with Wells, day-month-year. We went to this dive bar at grad school. We used that combination as a code. Nobody else would know it. He left this thing for you? No, I would've seen it the last time I was here. So you think it was... the other? I don't know. [clock ticking sound] [clock ticking slows] [mysterious synth music] [garage door closing] [metallic noise] [watch ticking] No fucking way. I don't wanna ask. Wells left me a message. [computer beeps] [computer alert sounds] [computer alert sounds] Gotcha. Tell me what this is. I don't know. Something to do with optics, right? It's the mathematical description of the optimal frame rate of a video camera, once you give it a set of lighting conditions and lenses. Am I supposed to be more excited about that? Okay, listen. Wells and me, we had a game. Sort of like our own version of Pictionary or charades, but for math nerds. One of us would start out writing a series of equations. A physics problem, some descriptive mathematical formula. The equations would represent a specific physical phenomenon. For example: An equation describing the motion of a baseball pitch. The goal of the game is for the other person to guess the object as quickly as possible. So the pitch equation would mean baseball. Got it? You guys really were a pair of dorks, huh? And proud of it. These equations here mean video camera. It's written exactly how Wells and I used to do it. There's a camera hidden in the house, but that's not all. I remember seeing this board the day that Wells died and I didn't solve it then. The solution was blank, and that's how I left it. [tense music] Watch it! Watch out! Isn't this all a little Spy Versus Spy? Wells wanted me to find that message. You don't have to believe me, but help me anyway, okay? I believe you. Then start looking. How'd you get these? Bribed the manager. It was her third trip there this week. There she is. Take a look at her shopping list. Timers, digital scale, pressure cooker. Want to hazard a guess? I know what you want me to say. Fine, I'll say it for you. Your girl there. I think she wants to blow something up. That's ridiculous. [melodic phone ringtone] What? Well this is interesting. [pensive music] [digital beeping] What did you see? Wells protected the footage. I don't think it was Wells. She got here first. She solved the equation. She found it and watched the footage and then locked the camera. We should tell Thomas about this. About everything. He could help. Wells was paranoid for a reason. Besides, the other me watched this footage, whatever it is, right? And I didn't go to Thomas then, did I? If there really is another you running around out there. Do you have a better theory? Let's say there is a time machine. That lab has to be sealed up tight as bank vault. How did you just walk in and take the machine for a joy ride? I don't know. Look, we can sit around and wait for everything to make perfect sense, but I'm asking you to help me right now. When I really need it. What do you want to do? I want to find her. Hm. You really think you're going to need that? Helen's not dangerous. Maybe you don't know her as well as you think you do. So what happens if you two are in the same place at the same time? Is the universe gonna collapse? God, I hope not. [tires screeching] Did you hear that? Oh shit! What are you doing? [knocking] (Thomas) Helen? Helen, it's Thomas. Helen, just let them in. You haven't done anything wrong, okay? They're here to help. How do you know that? (Thomas) I just want to talk to you. Wait a second! (Kraviz) Helen, we've got you on tape! The pressure cooker, what are you going to use that for? I don't know what you're talking about! (Thomas) We saw you, Helen. What do you want from me? (Kraviz) Alex, help your friend out here. You called them. What the fuck? Please. Let them help you. (Kraviz) Enough! You've got ten seconds to open the door. Put that thing down! - (Kraviz) Ten, Nine.. - Open it. Not unless you put the gun down. Do it! Six! Five! Four! Three! Two! One! Drop the gun. And then what? Give it to me. Helen, have you lost your mind. No! What are you doing? Don't be stupid! Drop it! Drop it! Drop it, drop it, drop it! Okay, okay. Easy. Alex. What, and you're going along with this? I'm sorry, I can't trust you. You're making an awful mistake. You called him. You wouldn't listen to me! You wouldn't let me help you! I thought he might know what to do. I trusted you. I'm sorry but this, this is getting out of control. You can get out of the car right now if that's what you want, but I'm going to find her, I'm going to figure out what's happening to me. Why I sent myself back. So what's it going to be? I think I've already decided. [sighs] You happy now? I didn't mean to pull the trigger. You just missed that guy's head by two inches. That was an accident. But a version of me is out there, buying sniper rifles and pressure cookers, which I'm assuming they think is for a bomb. It's like there's this thing out there I can't control doing stuff in my name. You know, ever since I was a kid, I had this dumb phobia of being blamed for something that I didn't do. And now it's happening. Except the kicker is is I probably did do it. It would be funny if it weren't so fucked up. [phone notification sound] It's from you. What does it say? "I need you to understand why I can't let him live. Not after this. Watch the footage. Vis Viva. Helen." She left the camera for you. For us. The password must be something that we both know. Something private between us. Yeah. Alex. Do you see that? Shit. - Fuck that. - Helen... Slow down, slow down, slow down! [cough] Fuck. [tense music] What happened? Can we track her again? [computer beeps] Yeah, she still has my gun, but they can't be on foot anymore. I'm going wherever this thing's going. [wooshing noises] [computer beeps] Alex. One night, please. 50 Bucks. We only need it for a couple hours. Not that kind of hotel. We'll pay for the night. So, the message is for us. It's got to be something that we share. Just us. Read me your message again. "I need you to understand why I can't let him live. Not after this. Watch the footage. Vis viva. Helen." "Vis viva..." The living force of a system. The conservation of energy. You remember our old god debates, right? Yes. Do you still believe? I'm still trying to. This has to be our clue. We need to think back. Reconstruct our conversations. I remember I envied your belief so much after Caroline died. But I couldn't suddenly pretend I trusted in some afterlife just because it was going to make me feel better. Do you remember what you told me? I quoted Galileo. "Mathematics is the language with which God wrote the universe." I sat with that idea. I wondered, what is the afterlife in terms of physics or chemistry? And it's the conservation of energy. It's the conservation of matter. It's the idea that Caroline's essence or soul or whatever you want to call it, that it went somewhere. It didn't just disappear. Galileo's phrase became my mantra. The bridge between my head and my heart. I never thanked you for that. I was so sure of myself when I said those things to you. I-it's different now, feeling them for myself. [projector whirring] (Wells) Black ops assassinations in Syria. What does that have to do with our science? You are being willfully naive. (Wells) 99.9 percent of the CIA itself doesn't even know about our project. Do you think that story won't make some journalist's career? Do you know what I would call leaking information like that, Wells? Treason. Maybe I'll just have to sabotage the prototype myself. Hey, I don't want to work with these guys either, but we can't stop now. What was our pledge? - Oh come on. - What was it? That we would never use this technology to alter the past. That's right. This was always about proving it could be done. Not about doing it. But we are scientists! We're not philosophers, we're not politicians, and the job of a scientist is to advance science, and whatever happens to those advancements, it's not our responsibility. They changed the terms on us! There is nowhere else we can go for this funding and you know it. We drop out of the assassination program by the end of this week, or I go to the press. - Wells, please... - End of story. No... (Wells) Look. You remember why we started all this? It wasn't for the money. It wasn't to win the God damn Nobel. It was for the joy of doing something that nobody thought was possible. [melancholy strings music] That lying piece of shit. I could kill him. I should fucking kill him! Oh my God. That's it, that's what she's doing? What, trying to kill Thomas? The email, she told us! "I need you to understand why I can't let him live..." What if I did it already and I just don't remember now? What, and then sent yourself back? Why? To stop her! To stop myself to... What if I realized that I was wrong? That I didn't want to be a murderer? And I couldn't go back far enough to save Wells, but I could save myself. And this was the only way to reverse it. One night. [GPS beeping] [tense synth music] I need to find her. If you were her... You are her, so where would you go? [lock clicking] [door lock opens] Go! The window! [frantic music] Ah! Oh, you picked the wrong dog in this fight, my friend. Fuck you. Where's she going? [rock music playing in bar] And that's why all of us, physicists, engineers, chemists, we need to read novels, see films, engage with philosophy. Science doesn't happen in a void. We need nuance. We need context. Mm. Just because you can do something, doesn't mean you should. Not if it's going to hurt anybody. People should never be sacrificed for progress. What if sacrificing a few people now could save thousands later? What do you do then? That assumes we know what's going to happen in the future. And we can never know that. So what, we're supposed to live like insects, reacting moment to moment? If we try to do the best possible thing in each of those moments then... Sure. Ethical insects. Hey, something to live up to. [serene music] Helen, you finished? Florence, hi. I, I left my backpack here. Do you mind if we... Sure. You are being enormously unhelpful. What else do you want me to say? The truth. You can't expect me to believe that you believe there are two versions of Helen running around right now. Helen believes it. Does she have any proof? You see two Helens in one place? No? Or maybe she gave you some stock tips or predicted the Powerball numbers. Oh. She just... convinced you? Told you a good story and you bought it. Well hey man, I wouldn't blame you. Crazy people can be very persuasive. It's the passion they bring with everything, you know? Helen's not crazy. But she is grieving. She is paranoid, and she is delusional. The stress of Wells' suicide has driven her over the edge. It wasn't a suicide! Excuse me? Thomas Dettmann killed Wells. You know what? You're worse than Helen. I'll show you. You've been so strange about this. I don't quite understand. What do you mean? Well, you bolted in here this morning. The way you locked the door in my face like that. I'm so sorry. When are you going to show me whatever it is you're building in here? It's not that interesting. She was... I-I was here. You're sure? What? What kind of a question is that? When was the last time you saw me? I dunno, fifteen minutes ago? [tense music] Hey! Hey! I'm sorry. The machine only goes back 36 hours. Not far enough to save Wells. Well fuck me. Helen's seen this? So that's what she wants, then. To get revenge on Thomas. Not this time. Look, even if that machine does what you say it does, there's no way she broke in an used it, so stop with this two-Helens shit and tell me what her plan is. Forget Helen! We should be going after him right now. One way or another, we'd better find him before she does. His house or the lab? We're just going to have to guess. [playing piano] [car engines starting up] [tense music] Hey! Hey! Back off! You gotta be kidding me! The lab. Yeah. Thomas! Sir, we have a situation. Put your weapon down. What are you doing here? Saving you. Inside. Lock up the lobby. [electronic lock beeps] You can go, I'll be fine. So, you're saving me. From what? I killed you once already. I'm not going to let myself do it again. Again? I used the prototype. I came back. Please stop this. Let us help you. The way you helped Wells? What? I know what you did. Wells was depressed. He was sick. We all know that. You ruined my life. You killed your partner, my husband. You killed him, for what? - For your fucking ego? - That's insane. It's the truth. And I killed you for it. But that made me a murderer like you. So I sent myself back to save your worthless life. Then where are you? Where is Helen the assassin? I don't know. That's because what you're saying is impossible. It's just another fantasy. No. Listen to me. To use the prototype you would have to sneak into this facility without a single person noticing. Then you'd have to know where we keep the machine and you'd have to know how to operate it. Even if Wells was reckless enough to have told you all of these things, it still doesn't matter. Do you know why? Because you are standing right in front of me, right now. Do you understand? You never got anywhere near that machine, and you never will. You were right about Wells. He was going to destroy everything. So, he had to go. Oh, you fucking coward! Wells had become a self-righteous prick, so I was simply doing everybody a favor. [electronic whining noise] Fuck! [electronic lock chirping] [alarm sounding] [electric lock continues chirping] This was always your plan. [rumbling] [brief orchestral swell] [coughing] Are you okay? [serene music] [gentle alarm sounding] Hey. Hey yourself. You ready for lunch? Oh, yeah. I just need to finish something. I'll meet you downstairs? Yeah. Somewhere out there right now, we're doing everything all over again, aren't we? I think there's a version of us that will always be doing everything all over again. So we're the lucky ones, huh? We get to leave the loop and keep going? Better not waste it, right? Hey Helen, you got a package. Oh, thanks Roy. (Helen) W-wait, wait wait wait. Speak to the camera. (Wells) I couldn't believe it. We, we just sent a little piece of titanium back. It worked! It fuckin' worked! (Helen) So, for posterity's sake, from the man who invented the time machine, where, sorry when, would you go? - What are you gonna see? - No, no, no. It's not gonna be like that. But if you could go anywhere. Any time, anywhere. Well, I know that I wouldn't go backwards. Regret, nostalgia, those are just versions of death. - You know? - As upbeat as always. - [Laughs] - Come on. Past, present, or future? There's nowhere else I'd rather be. Really? In all of space and time? Us. Right here. That's all I want. Um, prove it. Rahh! [upbeat music] [watch ticking] [mysterious music] |
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