1
[ramping ambient music]
[metal sign swings]
Hello?
Are you all right, miss?
What can I do for you?
Well, first I want
a licorice lace,
'cause I haven't seen
any in about ten years
and I used to love
them as a kid.
And I'm looking for my friend.
She moved here about
nine months ago.
Do you recognize her?
Oh...
[laughs]
No, sorry, I'm just kidding.
Yeah...
This is the girl that moved
into the lighthouse.
She comes in here
from time to time.
She's not quite
this girl anymore.
Well, how do I get
to this lighthouse?
[woman singing
in foreign language]
Oh, hi.
It's Maya, right?
It's Amy.
You've grown.
Well, it looks like you've finally
learned how to cook then.
It's a nice place, isn't it?
Very distant.
Maya's grown.
What do you want?
You Beth, Jesus.
I didn't even get
a chance to say goodbye.
Had to find out where you were
from Charlie in accounts.
How's he doing?
Oh great, yeah,
he's getting a new puppy.
What kind?
I don't know.
What are you doing?
God, you're like
a five year old.
Why are you here?
I just wanna talk to you,
Beth.
Just one night
and then I'll go.
We can't leave things
how we... left them.
Anyway, took me
ages to get here.
And it looks like you need
a little bit of a hand.
You're really good at making
it look like I have a choice.
It's what I'm best at.
[siren blares]
[continues blaring]
That's what I meant.
In about two minutes your road
home will be underwater.
[groaning]
Thanks for helping me
with my bag, by the way.
You brought it.
[old-timey music plays]
Well, if you've lost your mind out here at
least you've still got your taste in music.
Need something
to fill the void.
Not now, Maya.
Maya, go.
What do you want?
Jesus, Maya!
[sighs]
Go on.
She still not talking?
We try not to talk about it.
[silverware clanks]
Oh, you've got a dog?
Had.
Oh, sorry.
What kind of dog was she?
It's a bit dark in here,
should we open the curtain?
Don't. We like it shut.
Okay, that's a bit weird.
I think I see things
all the time.
Probably just driftwood,
or a whale.
Lighthouses are more about people
looking this way than us looking out.
Very educational.
In a past life I used to tell
people about things.
How has the advertising game
survived without you?
Has it?
I left people
like you in charge.
It's still around.
I actually left the company
a couple of months ago.
I didn't wanna keep walking past your old
office and making small talk with people.
No one said anything but I wasn't
very popular after you left.
How's Maya?
She's in her room.
She's amazing, you know.
You can always tell that she's thinking,
there's a lot going on in there.
Look, I don't really
know what I'm doing.
No, it seems like it.
I'm sorry, I should
have said something.
Yeah, you should.
Christ, I wasn't gonna hang around to
explain to everyone how it gets...
how it gets better
every day...
So you just moved out here
to the arse end of nowhere?
It's definitely
a change of pace.
You could say that again.
Quiet at least.
No gossip.
So that's it?
Just you and Maya?
How long?
You're not coming back,
are you?
You left, didn't you?
Yeah, I don't mean
back like that, I mean...
You know, people, schools.
How is Maya's schooling?
I'm homeschooling her.
What? Beth, come on, Maya needs
to be around kids her own age.
She needs help, professionals,
specialists,
people who know stuff.
I know stuff.
We tried, okay? It didn't work.
So you stopped trying.
I'm sorry.
It's getting late.
I should go and
make the sofa up.
We can chat in the morning.
Thanks for letting me stay.
[screaming]
[muffled screaming]
So, erosion.
Hey, Maya. Maya?
Paying attention?
Good.
So you see these cliffs
way back here?
They used to be all the way out
there over thousands of years ago.
Before the lighthouse.
Before us. Before anything.
Maya.
You see the way
the waves hit them?
Every time they hit, they break off
teeny, tiny pieces that we can't even see
and the cliffs become
smaller and smaller
as the waves knock
them off more and more.
Amy?
So what happens to
the teeny tiny pieces?
Good question.
So the little pieces become
sediment at the bottom of the sea
and sometimes they wash up onto
the coast and they form beaches.
Basically erosion is when
something big breaks down
little by little
and ends up somewhere else
and Amy if you're going to turn
that into a Freudian metaphor
I swear to God
I am going to slap you.
You said it.
When are you going to start
teaching Maya something else?
I mean, come on, erosion?
What about... snow?
Shakespeare?
Anything?
I thought this would
be something nice.
No, you thought this was gonna make you
like you knew what you were doing.
Okay, grab that.
So, you know what this is?
This used to be
somebody's house,
a crustacean that
lived in this rock pool.
Do you like rock pools?
So do I. I love rock pools.
I used to play in them all the
time. They were so much fun.
[wind blows]
- Get inside.
- What, why?
Don't ask, just go.
Maya, let's go.
What, Beth?
Now.
[woman singing
in foreign language]
I had a weird childhood too. You
won't tell your mum, will you?
Thanks.
Christian?
You're living in his house?
Hey, Maya.
Oh, cool. I used to be
really good at drawing.
Okay, bit too soon.
That's fine.
Just show me when
you're ready, yeah.
Does that kind of thing
happen a lot with your mother?
It's weird 'cause...
when I met your mum it was at
this marketing conference thing
which is basically a room full of boring people
talking about boring things for a living.
But your mum got up on stage
because she was doing a talk
and the whole room felt silent 'cause
she just had this energy about her
and she made you feel like she was
taking to each person individually
and she was up there
talking to us about
the secret of,
I don't know, whatever.
And halfway through I realized
that I was laughing.
And I was the only
one laughing,
I looked around the room and everyone was looking
at me like I was some sort of crazy person
but Beth just carried on.
It was like she was trying to
make me laugh but just for me.
By the end of it, obviously,
she'd got everyone around
and everyone was standing up
on their feet and cheering.
I was at the back so
I popped out to the loo and,
when I walked in she was
in there but had her back to me.
And I realized that she was
just throwing her guts up,
over the toilet,
just vomiting.
Sorry, that was probably a really
weird story to tell you wasn't it?
Look, what I'm saying is
your mom is so clever and...
and so controlled or she likes to
think she's in control all the time.
She likes to believe
she's in control.
I think at the moment
she's having a...
a bit of a tricky time.
I just need your help
to look after her.
Do you think you
can do that? Thanks.
[thud]
Beth!
[indistinct whispering]
Amy.
Where've you been?
What were you doing
by the cliff edge?
[yelling]
Are you hearing what I'm saying?
[quietly]
Yes.
Then what were you doing?!
Why were you following me?
Crab pots.
Look, this place is...
I think we should leave.
I'm not going anywhere.
You can go if you want.
We can't stay like this.
What are you doing here?
I'm trying to help you.
Why?
Go get cleaned up.
There's no one else here for miles,
except you, me, and my daughter.
Where's Maya?
This is ridiculous. She can't
have gone far, can she?
Cliffs, rocks, you said it yourself,
if when the tide comes in...
Yeah, but she's never
disappeared before, has she?
No. Maya! Maya!
Christ, are you drunk?
Let's just find Maya, okay?
Okay, she hasn't run
off before, though, has she?
What are you getting at?
Well, just that if you're...
How can you have
one eye on her...
I know how to look
after my daughter.
Yes, but after what
happened yesterday...
Maya! The only thing
that's changed is you.
Beth, come on, what are
you not telling me?
Maya!
Why did you come
down here, Maya, why?!
Why?
[exhales]
You can't leave me
like that, Maya. Why?
It's okay.
[music playing softly]
I think we should
go back and bury it.
[dog screaming, neck breaking]
Maya. Maya, what's wrong?
Oh my God. It's okay.
It's just a bad dream,
you're going to be okay.
What's wrong? Is she okay?
She's just having a nightmare.
[heavy breathing]
How often does she
wet the bed?
She doesn't.
[stops breathing heavily]
[screaming]
[man] The good news is we didn't find
anything physically wrong with Maya,
apart from the rather nasty
panic attack and she's calm now.
Due to the severity of the attack,
and your unusual living situation,
I am going to prescribe
some emergency medication
in the event that you
can't get back to us.
Of course, we'll have to wait for the test
to come back to get the complete picture
but as far as we can tell
she's gonna be just fine.
A good night's sleep,
and someone to keep
an eye on her for
a few days should suffice.
You look like that
wouldn't hurt you either.
Maya... doesn't talk.
She hasn't made a sound
since her father died.
She doesn't make a sound when
she laughs or cries either.
I tried everything
to get her to speak.
I've taken her to therapists,
psychologists, hypnotists, nothing.
But last night she screamed at the
top of her lungs, it was deafening.
There's no physical reason
why Maya shouldn't speak
or make any of the noises
on the usual scale.
Sometimes when a child
undergoes trauma at a young age
they can take a little while
feeling comfortable communicating
and I think this is
on that spectrum.
Do you think she'll
start talking now?
Well, there's no overnight cure but,
with patience, most cases catch up.
You should probably inform her
school if they're not already aware.
Children like Maya need a little extra care
and attention to stop them falling behind.
You may want to consider a specialist learning
center if you're willing and able to move.
I'm homeschooling her.
She... doesn't do well
with large groups of people.
Well, she's still very young, and
with the right encouragement,
it may be best for her to endure more
socialization, however daunting.
I'll bring her
through to you now.
Oh, whilst it's not the sound you were hoping
for, it is a start, wouldn't you agree?
I wonder what she's
gonna sound like...
when she starts talking again.
Maybe like you.
Silent.
[laughs]
She had a very pretty voice.
- Yeah?
- Yeah, she used to read out loud all the time.
She had a great vocabulary.
We used to sing together.
I love singing.
I know you do.
You do?
Yeah, I used to hear you humming
from my desk all the time.
[laughs]
That doctor says everything is gonna
be fine. She's gonna be okay.
But you don't think so?
Would you think it was weird
if I stayed to find out?
Don't come in until I tell you.
Maya, stay with Amy.
I'll be back in a moment, okay?
Stay outside.
[heavy breathing]
[gasps]
This is where Christian
grew up, isn't it?
Did you break in here?
What, no,
this was someone else.
Look, what is happening here?
There's no one
in the house now.
I must have...
Let's just forget
about all of this.
This, this, this?
After what he did
and you leave his stuff here
like a fucking museum?
- It is his house!
- No, he's dead!
And good riddance!
Look, are we safe here?
Maya, it's all right, Maya.
There's nothing to be afraid of,
I checked everything.
There's nothing to worry about,
because, there was nothing.
[grunting]
Beth.
[Beth moans]
Beth.
Maya?
What are you doing
with a knife?
Maya?
Maya.
Give me the knife.
Maya!
[screams] Fuck!
Oh God! Maya!
Maya!
Maya!
Maya.
[gasps]
[Beth] Maya, come back!
Have you seen someone
in the house?
Someone standing over
your bed at night?
I think I've seen him too.
[piano music]
[birds chirping]
[light chatter]
[man]
This shit again, really?
I've finished with her.
She knows that.
Didn't even ask you to leave
the fucking company
because I figured you'd do it for
me, for Maya, our little girl?
- Christian, I...
- How many chances is too many, Beth?
How many times is enough? 'Cause
I'm starting to lose count.
I'm sorry, okay?
We'll be fine, I promise.
Just give me one more chance.
I planned a surprise for you.
Wanted us to celebrate.
Is it still worth it?
Of course.
C'mon. Show me the surprise.
This is nice.
Thank you.
I'm sorry.
No, you're not.
I mean it.
Please, Christian, just,
forgive me this one last time and I
promise you this will never happen again.
You make it sound
like I have a choice.
You do.
You've always got a choice
and I'm just so grateful that
you're using that choice
to take me back, for Maya.
I've been thinking about this,
you know.
Did you know that you can
predict 87% of
US presidential elections
just based on height alone?
- It's called the halo effect.
- I know what the halo effect is, Christian. Listen...
No. You can predict 87%
of elections because people always
assume that tall people are capable.
They think pretty
people are kind.
They think being good at something
means you'll be good to other people.
We just see something good and think
more goodness will grow from it.
Like good and bad
are just on a scale
and if you're enough steps along the
rest will just take care of itself.
And that's you, Beth.
People convince themselves
that you're special.
That you're so charming
and intelligent
that you have to be somewhere,
deep down, a good person.
And then we want you
to like us...
but you're not.
You're mean and narcissistic
and controlling
and a drunk.
And it's much worse for Maya.
And you're so blinding
for the rest of us.
But for her,
you're her mother.
People waste their whole lives
wanting their parents to love them
and you've already got two
of us completely lost.
There are probably more.
Don't know, I'm guessing.
There isn't anyone else.
You're so convincing
that she will sacrifice everything
just to be there for you
because she thinks
you're perfect
but you're not.
You just suck people in
and you wouldn't sacrifice shit
for anyone, not even her.
I can't see it.
And I know you.
So what do you want me to do?
Change. But you're not
going to, are you?
And I'll probably keep
falling for it as well.
Now what chance does Maya stand
with parents like us, eh?
[muffled screaming]
[heartbeat]
You think it's Christian
don't you?
Look, I've seen
some things.
Someone, I don't know. It's always,
out of the corner of my eye but,
I think, I think
Maya's seen it too.
Look, I... went back
and buried that dead dog.
Look, you just,
you just have to tell me.
You have to tell me, otherwise I'm just
gonna take my stuff, and take Maya.
No.
We can't stay here.
Not like this.
[sighs]
If there is something out there,
there is something you
are not telling me about.
Look, what we did was wrong.
And now we're being
punished for it.
Fuck that.
Fuck that and fuck you.
He tried to kill you, Beth.
He pulled you over a cliff
into the ocean and then, what?
You drag your daughter
out here to his house,
which is literally surrounded
by cliffs and the ocean.
Do you understand
how insane that is, Beth?
You are the biggest
risk out here.
[softly]
What?
Risk to whom?
[scoffs]
Okay, maybe there isn't some,
anything like, uh...
Maybe I was wrong about the dog, but
the first thing that needs to happen
is that you need to
get rid of Christian's stuff.
All of it, all gone.
Beth, he is dead.
You are keeping him alive.
So that's it?
You just want me to get...
to destroy everything and then
when Maya asks me about her father
I tell her what? Nothing?
Yes.
Or lie.
That's not a truth
anyone deserves.
Look, you have to
burn it, Beth.
All of it.
I can't.
Yes, you can. You can.
This isn't you,
you're better than this.
You have to.
Please stay? Please?
Fine. I'll do it.
It has to be you.
Fine.
Fine.
You know what? Why wait?
[sobs]
Oh.
I just saw someone come in here.
Beth.
Maya, please just speak to me.
Say something Maya, Please.
Beth. Beth.
Maya, what do you
have behind your back?
Show it to me.
Now!
- Just give it to me.
- Beth!
Where did you get this?
Did you go into the storage?
[sobs]
You said everything, right?
It's scary sometimes isn't it?
My mum used to be my favorite
person in the whole world.
She was a nurse and
she always knew what to do.
And then she got sick herself.
She didn't know
what to do anymore.
And some days
I'd get home from school
and she'd open the door to me
and look at me like I was
some sort of stranger.
Sometimes she'd just...
shut the door in my face,
and, little by little,
I could see the person who I
loved the most in the world
was going away.
[gasping]
[gasps]
[gasps]
[indistinct whispering]
[banging]
[gasps]
No.
[gasping]
[gasping for air]
[silence]
[gasping]
Oh, clever girl. Come on then.
Beth?
Beth?
Beth.
What, what's going on?
[heavy breathing]
[sighs]
Beth, don't, please,
please just talk to me.
Tell me you're still there.
It'll be okay.
[cries in pain]
[struggles]
[coughs]
Maya!
- Baby, I'm so sorry!
- Maya!
You must believe me,
I would never hurt you!
- [bottle smashes]
- [screaming]
[banging]
[heavy breathing]
[Beth] Amy.
Amy, please, it's me,
I'm okay now.
Christian's gone,
I beat him you see.
We can be together again.
Just like before,
just you and me...
and Maya.
We can be a family.
Isn't that what you want?
[sobs]
Amy?
Amy?
You'll have to
come out eventually.
[laughs maniacally]
Maya.
[Beth] Maya?
Where are you?
[shouts] Maya!
[door slams repeatedly]
Maya.
Don't cry, I'm here now.
Maya.
Maya, you trust me, don't you?
It'll be just the two of us
again soon, I promise.
[grabs knife]
Beth.
We're leaving.
We're not going anywhere.
This place isn't sick.
It's you.
Maya, come!
Come.
[panicked breathing]
I'll kill you before
I let you take her.
[siren wails]
[moans]
Maya.
Come on, Maya,
come on, let's go.
[siren wails]
[moans in pain
as knife comes out]
[gasping]
[siren continues wailing]
[groaning]
Maya!
Maya!
[shouting]
[groaning]
Hi. Good day at school?
Come on then, chatterbox,
in you get.
[door closes]
[Maya] Mom?