1
Anguishing groans from
an unidentified man.
More groaning, heavy breathing,
stifled cries.
Man's cries become louder,
more desperate.
Terrible screams.
It happened a year ago.
I wish I could tell this story
from beginning to end but
I don't remember it that way.
I do remember...
Freddy, you promised me
the gig was mine.
Well, I changed my mind.
I need someone whose name I can put
on the flyer and pack this room.
And that ain't you, pal.
Look, I got fired from The Void.
I need this shot, c'mon.
A real DJ gets this job.
I mean, what are you?
You're a nice guy,
but you ain't no real DJ.
Any idiot can be a iPod DJ.
At least tell me who you got?
What's up. How you're doing?
We're all set for you.
I'll give it an eye check.
What the fuck, Rekles?
Yeah, Rekles!
He's got Serato,
he actually mixes the music...
Plus he's got like
5,000 fans on-line.
What do you got?
Look, it's just business bro.
It's just business...?
Sound of angry gesture.
The rest of the story is in fragments,
bits and pieces that jump around.
I was hung up
on chance and faith,
trying to figure out why
I was going nowhere.
That's when she came along.
Eric, open up!
Eric, I know you're in there!
Come on!
It's an emergency!
We had a deal. I told you
not to come back tonight.
I know,
I need to stay here tonight.
Eric? Who's at the door?
Nothing, baby,
I'll be back in a minute!
Go the fuck away.
If you're in trouble,
I don't wanna be involved.
Eric, please!
I swear I'll call the fucking
cops!
OK, just let me get my things.
Signe, I'm dialing!
Stop, Jesus!
Just gimme my guitar.
And be careful with it!
My shoes!
Eric, fuck, I'm barefoot!
Christ...
The girl was in trouble.
But it wouldn't have been
my problem if Peter,
the guy she called first,
had picked up his phone.
Or Igor, the photog was probably
snapping shots downtown.
Steven couldn't see his part.
He started a midnight gym
routine
after she joked that his tits
were bigger than hers.
And calling Rachel was
pointless.
Their fling ended badly
after she told Rachel
she was just exploring.
Rachel felt used.
That left me,
I was last on her list.
We met five weeks ago
at The Void,
I thought she was into me.
I got her digits, called her.
Never heard back until...
Hello?
August?
Hi!
Remember me?
The Swedish girl
you met at the The Void.
You're the girl who
doesn't call anybody back.
Yeah, I know,
I've been real busy.
I was wondering if you
wanna grab a drink or something?
I've been at The Void,
but I didn't see you.
Yeah, cause I got fired.
Oh...
Maybe I can help
to cheer you up.
Just one drink. Come on.
It'll be fun.
I dunno...
Hey listen...
I'm leaving the States
and I'd really love to see you.
It'll be worth your while.
I promise.
What to do.
Something about this
didn't sound right.
Then I remembered...
What did my horoscope say?
OK...
Meet me at Happy Ending,
Broome and Forsyth, 20 minutes.
OK, 20 minutes.
OK.
Are you nervous?
Terrified...
of your fashion sense.
What's going on with the get-up?
I got locked out of my
apartment.
So...
you need a place to crash?
Tell me this, you're just
locked out of their apartment
in a trench coat and flip-flops?
Are you waiting
for somebody else?
No.
Are you sure?
I just don't really wanna be
here.
If you get me...
Do you get me?
August.
Wow...
If I'd have known you were
that type of girl,
I would've paid you up front.
What are you doing with my
phone?
Don't touch that!
I'm about to call the police
to report a robbery,
I ain't using up my minutes,
this shit is expensive!
Put that down!
Are you kidding me, right?
You're going through my wallet,
now you want to get back
because I have your phone?
- You're crazy.
- Listen, I just needed some cash.
I put it back...
You don't know
what you're doing, OK?
Look, I should be kicking you
the fuck out.
But now you got me curious.
What do you got here?
Naughty pictures?
Who were you fucking last night
before me?
Give it to me!
Don't! Don't!
August! August!
Is this real?
What the fuck I'm looking at.
It is fucking real?
Ahhh...
It's the real to see death
right on front of you.
By the time it was all over,
this will be another thing
Nicholas and I
would have in common.
Does your father know?
What about your mother?
Mom's in the cottage
in Connecticut.
And you don't know
where the girl went?
No.
Let's forget
about the girl for now.
OK...
What is
your daily morning routine?
I go for a run and I practice
my...
Practice what?
OK.
Clean this all up.
Go for a drive, clear your mind.
Come back in an hour,
excercise,
practice whatever it is you do.
If she calls the cops,
I got friends there.
Your father's got friends there.
If she contacts you,
you call me immediately, huh?
Meantime, let's see what
I can learn about this...
I didn't mean for this to
happen.
Nobody ever does.
Abuela, I'm starvin'.
Where's your brother?
I dunno.
I said it a million times.
Do I look like his keeper?
There will be no food
for anyone here
until your brother comes home.
It's Sunday!
He is supposed to be here.
It's 11:30. He was supposed
to be here at eleven.
If you don't show up on time
in this life,
you always be left behind
in the next.
Where are you going?
I gotta go eat.
I ain't living like this.
Abuela...
You can't get yourself
worked up like this,
Alright?
Alright?
Yo, Sparky...
What's up, nigga?
Yo, you see
my little brother around?
You sure?
Jsus!
Hey yo...
Wake your ass up!
Hello, Yuri...
Yeah, the new supply got done.
He had some family shit
to deal with.
Alright.
You fuckin' amateur.
Angel's first clue was
in his brother's profile status.
Jsus was dealing again.
But Angel knew
where to look for him
because in the Lower East Side
veryone has a friend in common.
Even though I didn't know it,
the girl and I
were already linked,
but the chain starts with Jsus.
He friend-quested everyone
he dealt drugs to.
Most didn't accepted.
I was one of the few who did.
I came over with my parents from
Nigeria to Newark NJ at age of 7.
Yeah, people really do
emigrate to New Jersey.
All I wanted is to be a DJ.
I met a girl named Alicia and
had a short run
when she got me gigs with
the coked-out trust fund set.
I dropped out of college cause we
had plans for New York together.
Until she dumped me
for a Rastafarian.
My parents practically
disowned me.
I got a job bar-backing at
The Void on Ludman Street,
But every night I dreamed that I'd
be spinning all over the world,
Berlin, Amsterdam, London.
But I never get there until I saved
enough to buy a Serato Scratch.
Then, I'd be legit.
So to get back to the girl,
there's a few more people along the way.
But there is no need
to remember them all,
except for this guy... Amir.
He's the only friend
I could always count on.
There is definitely no need
to remember Jeremy.
He lasted less than a month
at The Void.
He was fired for inappropriate
use of the restroom.
He would've gotten away with it
if they didn't wreck the sink,
causing the manager to check
the security tape.
And never mind about
his lady friend, Suzie Voight,
an aspiring fashion designer
over at the FIT.
Or even her roommate,
Ana from Bogot,
who moved here to intern
in documentary filmmaking.
Now this is where
it gets interesting.
Ana's co-worker Stephanie...
Stephanie, always told Ana about
a new guy she was seeing,
like the musician she met
a few weeks earlier named Eric.
I'll be back in a sec.
Eric had never told Stephanie
about his adventures in Stockholm.
Which brings us
full circle to the girl.
They met at a lounge
in Sdermalm
when Erick bought her
a drink after her set.
They spoke till dawn about
her love of music,
her need to find herself, and
her dream of living in New York.
Eric thought she was the one
and invited her to move into
his Lower East Side loft.
But the honeymoon ended fast
when they actually got
to know each other.
That's when he tossed her out.
For his own sense of closure,
he decided to delete her
from his "friend list."
But by then,
we were already directly linked.
And she was standing right next
to me in my apartment.
Is this fucking real?
No.
Bullshit,
because I know these guys.
It's none of your business, OK?
What the fuck.
- Who is it?
- Angel.
Fuck.
Who is it?
It's the fucking brother
of the dead guy on your phone.
Do they think I'm involved?
I don't even know the guy!
What am I going to do?
Hold on one second, man!
How...?
What are we going to do?
We?
You have to help me now, OK?
You have to help me.
Yo. What up? What up?
What took you so damn long, man?
My bad, my bad.
It's good.
Smells like sex in here.
You got a broad in here, man?
I thought I heard
a woman voice in here.
No, just me, how the hell
you'd get in the building?
Sure you're not having sex?
Hey, you better be
wearing protection.
There is a lot of shit out
there, man, you're a dirty bird.
You're dirty fucking bird.
Angel.
How you doing, man?
- Surviving.
- Surviving?
Surviving.
Why you surviving when
you can be living, man.
Yo, you and I should
get back in business.
August...
Those were good times...
I told you I'm done
with that shit, man.
And how you making ends meet?
This is past due, right?
Nosey motherfucker.
This one too, man.
You motherfucker, like yo...
I don't need you coming up here
and reminding me about this shit!
I know you're not here to talk
about business, so what's up?
- Straight to the point?
- Straight to the point.
I have some questions
about Jsus.
First, I gotta go take a piss.
Yo, Sparky, what you got?
Yeah, who's that nigga
that saw him?
Alright, I'll be there
in a minute.
Everything alright?
Jsus has been ghost.
We got a lead,
so I'm gonna go check it out.
If you hear anything,
let me know, right?
- Yeah.
- Right?
Yeah.
I'm gonna be the first one
to kick his ass
before my grandma gets to him.
- Bye.
- Bye.
Take your guitar and get out.
You gotta go.
- Let me think for a moment.
- No thinking.
If you want to think,
I can bring Angel back up here
and you can think with him.
Be careful with that!
It's important to me.
OK.
Right.
OK.
I'm asking you please
to leave my apartment.
Please.
What did you tell him?
Nothing.
I didn't tell him nothing.
OK, just let me explain, right?
I was broke.
This guy talked really rich...
I thought I'd go with him
and if things go right,
I'd have a place to stay
and I can figure things out.
So we're doing cocaine
and we had fun.
And all of the sudden,
this friend-dealer shows up...
And all I remember is that we
were high out of our minds and...
Then they started to argue.
Arguing about what?
Arguing about
who's going to fuck me first.
I freaked out!
I ran, I hid in the closet.
All I remember,
I was holding my camera
watching Jsus getting murdered.
I wanted to help him but I knew
I'm gonna get killed next.
So I ran out, I called all
the numbers in my phone.
I don't know why, out of all the
people, it had to be you!
This is my fucking life.
Shit always happens to me,
but no...
No, not this time.
If you need help,
you need to go to the cops.
No! I can't go to the police,
I don't trust the police!
By the way,
that guy is fucking nuts!
And he said his father
is powerful and rich!
You said
you know this Nicholas, right?
Yeah, yeah...
He's a fucker,
I'd have a job right now
if it wasn't for him.
He is a fucker.
August, we have the phone
and the video.
And he might want it...
He might even need it back.
OK?
Why don't you talk to him?
What do you mean "talk to him"?
Signe?
What do you mean "talk to him"?
What I mean is,
you seem like you need help.
So you either kick me out,
or you talk to him,
and we all get
what we really need.
- Fucking Christ.
- August.
I need some air and some food.
Hey...
How do I know you won't
just walk out and turn me in?
You don't.
If Angel came to talk to me,
that means he's talked
to everyone else on the block.
You're probably already fucked.
If he finds out I hid you here,
I'm fucked.
If he finds out I lied about
his brother, I'm super-fucked!
So as far as I'm concerned,
your sense of security doesn't
mean shit to me right now.
I didn't trust her.
What were the odds our fates
would cross this way?
That lead me to how
my money trouble started.
The guy's a better quarterback
his brother Patton.
Do you even watch football?
No, I think
he's better quarterback.
Fucking retard...
If was just community service I
got for sucker-punching a yuppie,
it would have been one thing.
It was a civil settlement that
really screwed me over.
Motherfucker!
I don't usually go Mohammed Ali
over stuff like that.
But that night I was
totally hammered
cause I was still upset by what
happened earlier that day.
Yo, where you at?
I just parked on Ave C.
Hurry up!
What's going on, B?
You know these windows
are illegally tinted, right?
Officer, I've been driving
for a year like this...
License, registration
and get out of the car.
Bingo.
Whoops.
Sugar for your coffee?
Turn around,
put your hands behind you back.
Jesus and I barely spoke
since his arrest.
Felt so guilty that
he got busted and I went free,
I got trashed just to get it
out of my head.
That lead
to punching the yuppie,
as the more I got wasted,
the deeper I drifted
into my mind.
It was also that night I got the
first tremors in my hand.
Too broke to see a doctor.
All this leads to Nicholas.
He always made me feel
invisible.
No shaving...
Thank you, Captain.
And for the hundredth time,
Nicholas didn't tip.
Why not get even
for Jsus and myself?
After all, it's partly my fault
that Jsus was dead
since I introduced Nicholas to him
to score drugs in the first place.
- You still got my number, right?
- Yeah, yeah.
Pick up the water, too.
What the fuck are you doing?
The one time August retaliated,
I got fired.
That's when I remembered what
Jsus said to me once:
In life,
you either fuck or get fucked.
Make sure it's you
doing the fucking.
So even if I didn't trust her,
why not screw Nicholas
for 50 grand anyway?
So, you're just gonna go?
If you don't want me here,
I'll find my own way.
So what do you think?
Let's talk to him.
Nicholas wasn't all bad.
But to understand him
meant knowing his history.
His life had always been tied
to Wall Street
because his father, Charles,
created Feinman Securities in
Charles was one of the guys
who founded the NASDAQ
and revolutionized
the world of finance.
His maxed his profits by serving
only the most elite clients.
And by the 80s, Charles handled 18%
of transactions on Wall Street,
until he was hit hard
in the '87 stock market crash.
Feinman couldn't let this happen
again in the recession of the 90s,
so he created a formula to
provide
huge returns
on his clients' investments.
But he really stashed their
money into his own bank accounts
while giving them reports
of huge gains.
Soon he had billions in play,
but with the most
recent market crash,
investors rushed to cash out,
finding that he couldn't pay back
money that no longer existed.
Charles' one and only obssesion
was the company,
at the cost of other
relationships,
including with his son,
Nicholas.
Nicholas lost touch with his father
during his years at Princeton,
got tired of being
second to the company.
But after college, his desire
for his father's approval
drove him to Wharton Business School
and back into the family business.
I realize now that Nicholas was
just as lost as I was.
All that money and privilege could
never replace the love of a father.
Nicholas' most prized possession
was his violin.
Playing it was the only thing
that made him feel at ease.
But on that day, it couldn't
ease the guilt he felt
after what happened to Jsus.
She always thought fate
would bring her to New York.
She ran away to Stockholm from her
hometown of Skane at seventeen.
Though her parents loved her,
she felt they never understood her.
And Skane was too ordinary.
She can never be ordinary.
All she had was her music.
She got her first guitar as a
gift from her dad at thirteen.
She loved it so much that
she practiced non-stop.
In Stockholm, it wasn't much
better than Skane though.
She never found
her place there either.
She had to do things to make
money to pursue her music,
things she was
unable to confront.
Then she start running again.
And now in New York,
she still felt alone.
She joked once that even though
she had 221 friends
on her online profile,
there were still no one
to eat dinner with.
You can't live here
for free anymore, OK?
Fuck the music shit!
You know I can't work.
I'm looking for gigs.
You got two weeks to move out!
And now that I got a girl here,
you're shit out of luck, OK?
She didn't want
to be hurt anymore.
And she was tired of running.
She felt like no matter
what she did,
she couldn't escape that feeling
she had since she was seventeen.
There was no place for her
in the world.
Somehow, as unlikely as it
seemed, we became connected.
I ripped my pants.
Can you turn round?
Cover your eyes.
- Can I help you?
- No, it's OK, I got it.
No, just give it to me.
Let me help you.
- No, it's OK...
- No, it's OK, trust me.
I used to sew my own dresses
when I was a little girl.
So, anyway...
I talked to a few people that I
used to work with, and apparently
this guy is a lot more loaded
than we thought.
His dad owns
some big securities firm.
I knew it.
You sure there's nothing else
you remember from that night?
I told you I'm trying to
block...
those memories from my mind.
All I can remember is blood.
If we're gonna do this,
you have to remember, OK?
What about before
you got to his place?
Anything he said?
Anything that happened?
We got very drunk at the bar.
I don't think he had cash because
he used his card for the taxi.
Yeah...
Before we got into the taxi
though, he called Jsus.
C'mon...
What about on the way there?
No, we just talked.
He said he loved music.
He plays violin.
Yeah, what else did he say?
I don't know...
I told him about Sweden.
He talked about New York.
We drove past a museum.
He said his family helped make
the Lower East Side what it is.
That they still contribute
to the museum.
Take a note to ask...
Hey, thanks for the clothes,
and letting me stay.
Yeah...
Yeah, you're welcome.
OK, here we go.
Great.
You keep on
checking out the window.
Yeah...
I'm two months behind
on my rent.
I gotta make sure my landlord
doesn't ambush me.
Oh, sorry but...
Yeah, thanks for...
...stitching my...
Yeah.
Now, what's so urgent about a
coat check girl you're banging?
This guy who's harassing her is
some fucking security big-wig.
And the manager, the owners,
want me to look into it.
What's it have to do with me?
I figured anybody know anything
about these finance guys,
it'd be you,
Mr. Investigative Reporter.
Look, August, I don't have time
to chase some guy
who's screwing your girl?
Indy, don't do this, c'mon!
Who used to hook you up
back at Rutgers?
I mean who helped you lose
your fucking virginity?
She was a hooker,
and you lied that
she was a transfer student!
- She put some hair on that chest.
- I was born with hair on my chest!
I'm gonna help you out,
but you gotta give me
more to go on.
Anything on the father?
All I got is the son, Nicholas,
tall, white, pretty boy.
Oh, that's great. Tall, white,
pretty boy named Nicholas?
That will really
narrow it down for me.
Is he WASP,
or one of the chosen?
I dunno. Apparently he said
something about
his father being the reason
Lower East Side what it is,
bragging to her about
contributing to some old museum.
If it's in the Lower East, it's
probably the Tenement Museum.
That's a start. At least, I'll
check out their donor records.
Oh shit, man,
I gotta pick up my daughter.
- Call you when I get a hint?
- Thank you.
Alright, brother,
in the meantime,
why don't you go home
and see if you can
keep your girl from fucking
this guy for a few hours.
Signe?
Signe?
Yo, nix that shit, man! I can't
stand that fuckin' dancehall.
Nigga, dancehall
can't stand you either, boy.
What's up Raul, Jos?
Wazzup, man.
Except we're waiting for
these punk-ass bitches
to finish their game.
Sparky said you all was with
Jsus last night?
Supposed to hit this spot
that was the jump off,
all of a sudden that nigga
just peaced out.
But he said
he was supposed to meet us
at the courts today though,
so...
Did he say where he was going?
Nah, he just split.
He said something about Ludlow,
but I don't fuck around
there no more, yo,
I ain't tryin' to fuck with none of
these white bitches no more, yo.
You tell Jsus,
if you see him,
that Angel's looking for him.
No doubt, man.
I always felt a bond with Angel.
Our parents had brought us
here for a better future.
We were part of a history that
stretched all the way back
to the 19th century...
That's when the first free
African-American slaves
made their homes in this place.
There were joined
by waves of Irish.
By the 1870s, more that 170,000
Germans became the next wave.
The Germans and Irish were
joined in the Lower East Side
by the Italians.
By the early 1900s,
the European Jews found
their home in the LES.
Among them was Herschel Feinman,
great-grandfather of Nicholas.
No, if I see him, I'll tell you.
...suffer! You don't understand,
this is my house!
Shut the fuck up!
Jsus, Jsus!
You saw him! Jsus!
The most recent immigrants
were Chinese,
Puerto Rican and Dominican,
including Luz Guzman
and her two sons,
Jsus
and Angel.
Yo, I was just about
to call you, man.
I called you yesterday, all day.
Yo man, it was my day off.
- Where's Jsus?
- Haven't seen him.
He left a message
on his computer,
like maybe he was doing
some business Saturday night.
You point anyone his way?
I might have supplied a number
to an overeager customer.
Ain't fucking around, Dre.
All I know is his name
is Nicholas.
Nicholas what?
Nicholas "I need some coke
right now cuz I got some
"horny pussy
that needs to be fucked."
I didn't get
his full government name.
Hey look, go talk
to this girl named Maria,
fine-ass bartender
across the street at Piano.
She usually gets in
around about 7.
I heard the two of them
smashed once.
Everything changed for Angel
after what happened
during those days.
And I can't fully blame him
for what he felt he had to do.
Maria?
Maria, can I talk to you
for a minute?
About what?
A guy named Nicholas...
You met him at The Void,
he took you home.
Is he a friend of yours?
- Cuz that guy's a fuckin' dick.
- I know he is.
That's why
I want to talk to you.
What happened with you two?
He takes me home,
tries to force me
to fuck him without a condom,
I tell him no way,
then he wants to go anal,
I tell him I'm not so much
into anal anymore,
and then he kicks me out.
You don't hold back
on your details, do you?
No, I don't fuck around.
Or are you the type who
likes to beat around the bush?
Nah...
I get straight to the point.
See, Nicholas,
he ain't a friend of mine.
In fact, he did something
similar to someone who is.
Remember where he lives?
Listen, just cuz I don't
fuck around
doesn't mean I want any trouble.
You ain't gotta worry
your pretty little face.
I'm just wanna talk
some sense into him.
See, all you gotta do...
is point out the building,
that's all you gotta do.
Where did you go?
Hi.
Just for a walk.
I've been stuck in this place
for two days.
I don't like feeling trapped.
Don't leave the apartment again.
It's such a pretty day.
OK...
- Say no more, I get it.
- No, you don't get it.
We have to protect ourselves,
and you just running off...
Look, it just gives me
a bad feeling,
so don't do it, OK?
Am I a prisoner?
Who'll connect anything?
I don't think
we should be so paranoid.
Or is that bad feeling
from something else?
I saw all those horoscopes.
That's no way
to live life, August.
You can't cheat what's coming.
Don't go through my shit.
Oh, did I touch some sore spot?
Was that a love horoscope?
Are you trying to keep me here
just for yourself?
Lemme make something
crystal clear to you, OK?
You're here because you need me.
I'm letting you stay here
because I need money.
You equal money.
That's it.
Get it?
Just because
you fuck your way into
whatever you want
with others guys,
don't come here and try
that slutty shit with me
cause it's not gonna work.
- It was just a joke, August.
- Ha, ha...
Since you know me so well,
why did you let me fuck my way
into here two nights ago?
To be honest with you...
I kind of felt sorry for you.
- Oh really?
- Yeah.
Then why don't you
forget everything then
and just feel sorry for me
a bit longer?
Just a bit longer? Alright?
Are you out of
your fucking mind?
August, there are things about
me you'll never understand.
So don't you ever talk to me
like I'm just a
stupid, pathetic whore?
Hello.
Hey, hi Indran, yeah.
No, I'm fine, OK.
Thank you, thank you.
Yeah.
What?
Nicholas Feinman.
Now we know where he lives.
I dunno,
I was pretty wasted by then.
You can't remember
anything specific?
What did he try with your girl?
It was a guy.
Ohhh...
Didn't know he was a swinger.
There it is.
That's the one.
Take this number.
If you need anything,
anything at all, let me know.
Alright?
Here...
Get yourself a cab.
Thanks, Babe.
I'll call you.
There's your favorite loverboy,
right there.
Nicholas?
You're Nicholas Feinman?
Yeah, what do you want?
Where the fuck is my brother?
Put the gun away and I'll tell
you.
He's dead.
I didn't do it.
I swear.
Really?
I'm very sorry for your loss.
What the fuck happened?
He was shot,
right where you're sitting,
with his own gun.
We had this girl here,
I met her at The Void.
You know The Void?
I know The Void.
Spit it out!
So I meet her there,
bring her home,
Jsus comes over and
we're all doing blow.
I said wait for a second and
then she went fucking crazy.
Shot Jsus.
I swear.
And his body?
I don't know,
I called my father and
- ...he cleaned it up.
- Clean it up!
Huh?
He's a piece of garbage!
Don't you ever talk about
my brother like that again.
Got it?
You're gonna call your Daddy
and get my brother's body back.
- Got it?
- I got it.
I'm sorry, sorry.
Look, it was a tragedy,
your brother was a dealer.
This could cause more
trouble for you, me.
Your family, my family,
who knows?
But I can help you find her.
Open it.
Why should I trust
you're telling the truth?
Why shouldn't
I just blast your ass right now?
You could,
but you wouldn't get far.
Your face is
on the cameras in the lobby,
the doorman could pick you
from a lineup.
No offense, but if something
happens to someone like me,
it's not the same.
Trust me.
Besides, why would I
steal her wallet for fun?
The money?
Now Yuri, I told you I was...
My brother...
Well, how long
do you need me for?
Fuck!
That's the girl
who killed your brother.
Hello?
It's me.
We got another problem.
The brother of the dead guy.
Can you get rid of him?
Right.
Have you seen this chick?
With that Nicholas dude?
Dre, take a closer look, man.
Imagine it was your brother,
man.
What if Twan went missing
just like that?
Twan's twice as big as my ass,
he ain't disappearing nowhere.
Dre,
Jsus didn't just disappear.
He's dead.
And I need to find who
was responsible for this shit.
Damn, man, I'm sorry,
I didn't know it was like that.
You alright?
Nah, man.
I ain't...
Cause when Jsus
came outta jail,
he went crazy in the head, man.
And I told his ass,
if I catch you dealing,
I'm gonna kill you.
Can you believe that shit?
The last thing
I said to my brother...
I'm gonna kill you.
Look, I got a system with
the IDs alright?
Just like I got a photographic
memory or something,
so if I've seen them,
I'd know it, that's the truth.
Alright.
If you see she her come through,
you let me know.
Of course, man, I'm on it.
Photographic memory, baby.
- Hey.
- Hey.
I'll see you soon, alright?
Hey, life with kids'll kill you.
Good to see you boss. I think
this package is for Mr. Feinman.
- You said Feinman, right?
- Yeah.
Mind taking this up?
For you?
Of course, no problem.
Thank you, boss.
Why'd you clean up the place?
Look...
I'm sorry about what I said.
It was wrong.
And whoever you choose to fuck
is your business, but...
The whole
knife-in-the-eye thing...
Really?
It's a bit crazy though, right?
I used to see
lots of different men.
Old rich men
that took care of me.
One of them found out that
he was not the only one
and got jealous.
He locked me in his bedroom
for a week.
That's why I hate
being locked in places.
What happened to the man?
I started a fire to get out.
Then he went to the police
and said I tried
to burn him alive.
So now I can't go back to Sweden
because I go to jail.
What did you get on Angel?
Angel Guzman...
Lower-level dealer
for the Russians,
helps move supply
in the Lower East.
I found his pick-up spot,
and I'm gonna pay him
a visit in the morning.
Good, stay on him,
Get rid of him!
I'll deal with amateur hour.
What did you get on the girl?
Wait till you
get a load of this.
How am I supposed to know
any of this is true?
Why would I lie
about something like that?
Why are you so paranoid, August?
I think a saw a cop
when I went
to drop the package off.
That's why.
Wait.
Are you pulling out?
Look, my life
over the past few years
hasn't been so lucky.
Now I'm not saying I'm innocent,
and everything,
but time is just...
just passing me by and
I'm trying to play catch up.
Now, from this fucking cop,
to these fucking rich kids
that just come down here like
they fuckin' own the place.
No, August...
They don't own us.
Hey.
Yeah.
Let's go somewhere.
- Right.
- Let's do something.
What you do want to do?
They don't own us.
Those words
remind me of possibility.
One of the hardest things
to confront is realizing
you might never be everything
you thought you would.
It's not like we were in love,
we both knew
that we were barely friends.
In those moments, everything
felt possible again.
You look good.
You look good, too.
Thanks again for
cleaning up the place today.
Hmmm, you're vibrating again.
You the one
who left the picture?
Yeah. I'm the one.
Is that fucking cunt with you?
- The only cunt here is your mother.
- Oh.
You think you have balls?
OK, I'd be careful what
I say next, if I were you.
Careful?
Who the fuck are you?
I'm not paying you shit,
now fuck off!
That sounded like it went well.
He told me to be careful?
What a fucking poser!
I'll deal with this guy.
What did he say?
He told me to fuck off.
So what do we do now?
Hello?
Alright, dickhead...
I got an offer for you.
Hang up on me again and
I'm going straight to the cops.
Then you get no money.
Meet me at 2pm tomorrow
on the West Side.
No, you're not making
the rules here, guy.
2 pm, under
the Williamsburg Bridge.
Fine, guy...
Makes no difference...
Fuck!
- The guy's a fucking douchebag.
- I know.
But I'm gonna meet him tomorrow.
Felt kinda good.
Felt pretty good.
So tonight, we dance
because they can't trap us.
And we have fun, OK?
Let's just have fun.
- You're crazy.
- Just have fun!
Music always makes me feel
more alive than anything.
At moments like that,
my mind couldn't help wander...
About how our ancestors
must've lived on these streets,
and in these buildings,
searching for a better tomorrow.
Now here we were, searching for
our own sense of possibility,
we danced on top of our history.
Guess what I just saw?
What is it?
Shit!
I just saw Angel.
- What? Do you think he knows?
- I don't know.
But we're not waiting
around to find out.
Hello, yo, Amir,
I need your help.
Be there in 30 minutes.
Your uncle watches
television all day?
He's obsessed with watching
political news coverage.
Why?
Because back in Bosnia, he
didn't even have a television.
Now he considers it
his patriotic duty
as a proud American
to be informed.
Yo, Amir...
I have to go back.
I gotta get this phone
to handle Nicholas.
What about Angel?
I'll play dumb, as long as
he doesn't see her with me.
He might not know anything.
He may just have
a few more questions.
OK, be careful.
Alright, man.
Hey August...
Yeah.
What's up?
It's just so hard to
express myself in English.
Say it in your language then.
Are you nervous?
Terrified.
I want you out of this apartment
- No moving!
- ...by the end of this week.
What's up, man?
Long time no see...
Yo, walk this way,
don't try nothing stupid.
Across the street to the car.
No holding, I'm walking.
Get in! Fuck!
- Hurry up man.
- I got it.
Put the shit over him!
Fuck you want to do,
fuckin' pussy?
- Your woman, fucker!
- Shoot that nigga!
Yo, shoot that nigga!
Let up.
Where the fuck is he?
I don't know.
What the fuck
is going on, August?
Huh?
Where's the girl?
Are you in on this shit?
I swear, I swear, no...
I don't know him.
I didn't know the girl
before I met her.
You're gonna say shit to me?
She begged for my help.
I swear to you I didn't know
about Jsus until later.
- You lied straight to my face.
- What was I supposed to say?
What was I supposed
to fucking say?
I swear,
you'd think I was involved.
You're supposed to say,
"Hey Angel, here's the bitch
that killed your brother!"
What are you talking about?
She didn't kill Jsus.
Bullshit!
Bullshit!
You keep trying to protect her,
I'm going to kill you,
just like I killed
that motherfucker.
Strike one, August.
I take no pleasure in this.
Choke his ass out.
She was the one
at your house, huh?
Yeah.
I knew it.
And don't tell me
I didn't smell that shit..
And you was acting funny too.
What the fuck was she doing
at your house, August?
- We met at Void.
- What?
We met at Void.
She called me
late night for drink.
I figured it was a booty call.
I swear on my life
I didn't know about Jsus.
And I know there is no way,
there's no way...
Strike two!
You and I,
we can square our business.
But first...
I want that fucking girl.
OK. OK.
OK.
But you gotta do it my way.
Your way?
Go on, go on...
Fucking be smart here
for a second.
If I go back looking like this,
she's gonna know something's up,
and you know
I ain't good at faking.
Angel...
You saw right through me
the other day.
I'm sorry...
Sorry.
August,
I swear to you by everything
that is sacred to me,
if you fuck me...
Open the glove compartment
and read the paper.
What does this mean?
It means there's no money.
Feinman Securities is over,
busted by the SCC.
Daddy's going to jail.
OK...
OK, you know what?
You gonna find a way
to give me that money,
or you can look forward
to spending quality bonding time
with him in lock-up.
Wait!
You cocksucker...
Look, here's the deal:
I got assets of my own,
but I can't touch them.
Not until this blows over.
I'm supposed to believe
a cold-blooded murderer
whose father is a fucking thief?
I didn't mean to kill anyone!
OK?
And I'm nothing
like my father, got that?
When he's gone, I'm gonna start
things over legitimately,
alright?
Just do me a favor,
before you call me a murderer,
ask that girl about why
she left Sweden?
I know all about the fire,
it's not what you think.
What the fuck are you talking
about? There's no fire!
I had my people
dig into her past.
First, records show that her
photo is an identical match to
a woman wanted for
attempted murder in Stockholm.
She almost stabbed a man to
death.
Second, there is no one with her
name from her hometown in Sweden.
Third...
Did you ever stop to ask
how the dead guy on her phone
got covered in blood?
You have no idea
who she even really is.
So go check her passport,
you fucking amateur!
You think you can trust anything
a girl like that says?
She'll suck you off at night,
and then fuck you over
in the morning.
Take that and open it up.
What the fuck am I supposed
to do with $500?
An advance.
You're out of your mind if you
think I'd give you fifty grand.
But here's the deal.
Kill the girl,
and I'll give you five grand.
Kill the girl.
- You're kidding, right?
- No...
That fucking bitch
really pissed me off.
No one gets away
with what she did.
So...
I'll give you
another five grand,
if you destroy every copy
of that footage,
and bring me her phone with
a new video of her dead body.
Nah, nah...
- Can't do that.
- Yes, you can.
Just keep saying that
to yourself, OK?
"Yes I can."
Five to kill,
five for the phone.
Jsus, what happened?
- Did you get the money?
- There is no money.
- What do you mean...?
- There is no fucking money!
And specially not for you!
Why was Jsus covered in blood
on the video?
Why are you asking me this?
Why the fuck was Jsus covered
in blood in the video?
Before Feinman suffocated him?
I told you they were arguing
who was going to sleep
with me first, and then...
- Then what?
- The gun was on the couch...
- And what?
- Jsus and Nicholas...
And you murdered him.
Jesus fucking Christ!
You murdered him.
You shot a guy and then used
somebody else to clean up your mess,
just like you did in Sweden,
and now you're playing me.
That's not true, August!
- Let me see your passport.
- What?
Let me see your fuckin' passport.
I want to know your real name.
- You know my real name.
- You're full of shit.
Come with me,
we're going for a ride.
I'm not going anywhere with you,
not like this!
You don't have a choice.
OK, what?
What are you going to do?
You're gonna shoot me?
Gonna run me,
you gonna stab me and run away?
I was protecting myself, OK?
I didn't want to hurt anyone.
- You have to believe me...
- No!
No.
Fuck...
I'm so fuckin' stupid,
cause I knew it.
I knew it, you basically
prostitute yourself to rich guys,
and then claim they locked
you up, or they raped you, or
whatever fuckin' story
you make up!
You think you can get away
with it cause you're just a
pretty, little blond girl?
With women like you in the world,
there's no such thing as rape.
It's just another
four-letter word.
Fuck you! Fuck you!
OK! Fuck you! Fuck you!
Fuck you! Fuck you!
Come on.
[Sound of Signe and Nicholas
toasting.]
Ladies first.
Hello?
Just tell him you're here for me
up in the penthouse.
Yeah.
Don't you think it would be
better, just you and me?
- Nicholas, right?
- Yeah.
- That's right.
- What's goin' on?
You know what?
I remember you now.
We met before, you the wild one.
If you say so.
- You wanna drink?
- Hmmm...
I will have one drink man.
I'm driving.
So don't make it too strong.
Hey, how you doing?
Hey.
What's your name, mama?
- Signe.
- Signe?
I like that.
Where's that from?
It's European.
- From where?
- I'm Swedish.
Swedish, look at that.
My name is Jsus,
and I'm Dominican.
Alright,
for your holiness, Jsus,
vodka on the rocks.
But first,
how about a round of shots?
You know, I'll take one shot.
Just one, I'm driving.
I really can't get fucked up.
Pussy?
- Thanks.
- Come on...
Take off your jacket.
Nah, it's cool.
Just one shot.
We were so high
on those mushrooms,
running down the streets
of Amsterdam, butt-naked,
except for a sock
covering his dick!
My god, then he tried
to go sailing!
That's stupid,
you guys are nuts, man.
Wild! You guys are crazy.
Let me hit that.
You know,
you're mad pretty, right?
I'm sure you say that
to all of the girls.
That was real good right there.
Dude, before I forget,
you got that money
for me, right?
Ahh...
No, I don't.
Come on.
Are you serious?
How about a deposit?
That's five bags, that's $250.
Come on, son.
Jsus, tonight...
is your lucky night,
Listen, I don't got cash,
I didn't feel like going
to the ATM, but...
Listen to me.
I got something even better.
Are you serious?
Yeah bro...
Of course, I'm hitting it first.
No, no, no.
Sloppy seconds?
I don't like sloppy seconds.
I'm not doing that.
Better get used to it, man.
I ain't gonna stick my dick where
another dude just finish doing that.
I'm gonna hit it first.
And then I pass it on to you,
and then I bounce,
and nothing happened.
You know what I'm saying?
That's a good idea.
Dude, that is some good pussy
there man, OK?
She told me before she'll take
two, three guys at a time,
Maybe we can share it?
I never said that.
I ain't riding a train.
That's not my style.
You ride the train
with somebody else.
If I'm gonna hit,
I hit by myself.
You hit by yourself, no train.
You guys are fucking crazy.
Christ!
OK, Jsus...
I got a proposition for you.
You have till I get back from
taking care of some business
to work your charms.
If you can't work it,
then you're just have to wait your turn.
Are you willing
to take that wager?
You know what?
Watch a player play.
I got this.
Great!
Everyone's having a good time.
Beautiful.
Now...
you two...
play nice.
Wait, wait, hold on, baby.
Come on. Where you going?
I saw how you was teasing me.
Chill out, baby.
Jsus, I'm sorry, I was just
being friendly with you.
- But you're not my type.
- Wait, wait...
Not your type?
How do you know I'm not your type
if you haven't even tried me first?
Is it that whiteboy you after?
Get off me!
That's enough Jsus, get off me!
Nicholas can't give you what
I'm about to show you.
- This dick is one in a billion.
- Stop it! Stop it!
Fuck!
What the fuck you trying to do?
Wait till you feel my type!
100% Dominicano!
You told me
you like this shit dirty.
I know you European girls
like it dirty, now we going raw!
Get off me! Fuck off!
In life,
you either fuck or get fucked!
Now, I'm doing the fucking!
Fuck off.
Fuck! Are you crazy?
Stay away from me.
Watch where you point that.
You don't fucking know me!
I fucked up niggas
three times your size in jail!
So I suggest
you put that shit down!
Stay away!
Help me, please!
Hey...
Lovebirds.
Signe?
Signe!
Call 9-1-1. I don't wanna die.
Oh shit.
Shit!
Fuck!
Sorry.
Nicholas, it's me.
I did it. It's done.
I got what you want.
Now I want what we agreed on.
Where do we meet?
Huh-Huh...
Nicholas Feinman...
Hey Nick.
You like movies?
Cause...
I got a movie today.
Watch it!
Watch the whole fucking thing.
He's begging you for his life.
That bitch shot him.
And you put him in the ground.
That's ten grand.
You can have it,
no questions asked.
Don't worry, Nicholas,
I'm taking your money.
But first you and I,
we're gonna party.
You like cocaine?
Open it.
Open it!
Now take a hit.
I said take a motherfucking hit.
Now take another one.
I don't want to take
another one.
I ain't asking you.
You like to party
like a rockstar, whiteboy?
Do you?
We're gonna party all night.
Yeah, you're gonna do that
whole motherfucking brick.
Alright.
Faster!
Bottoms the fuck up!
Get your stuff together.
Amir's gonna get you
out of here.
So you believe me?
I never said that.
What Jsus said to you
about in life,
you either fuck or get fucked.
He said that to me too.
Who wants to live like that?
I don't.
But the truth is,
people like us,
people like me,
we're all a little fucked.
So you're going back
to Stockholm.
The ticket's
under your real name.
August, hey,
I'm sorry I lied about the fire.
But the rest was true,
he really did
those things to me.
I can't go back, if I go...
Get your stuff together.
If I go back, I go back to jail!
Put your stuff together now.
Signe, either get on the plane,
or we go see Angel.
No, no, no...
Remember, no eating until
the whole family together.
That brother of yours!
How come he no show up again?
Angel!
Abuela...
Oh, Dios mo...
So this is it?
Yeah.
How do you know
I'm gonna get on the plane?
Cause you can't cheat
what's coming.
I don't want to be just the kind
of person you think I am.
I said...
more things
that you don't understand.
Like what, Signe?
Like what?
Happy Fourth of July.
At the end of it all,
even though I still felt lost,
I realize now that the things
that change you,
are never the ones
you see coming.
They blind-side you
when you're most vulnerable.
I look back and wonder why
I was never aware of how much
anger I had inside me,
how much fear and selfishness,
and then I felt like
my heart was gonna explode.
I'm sorry for a lot of things
I said and did,
things I have to live with now,
for the rest of my life.
No way to fix it all.
I did the best I could
at the time.
But I still feel restless.
So I let my mind wander again.
In those moments, I confronted
myself for the first time.
No more excuses.
No more hang-ups
on chance and faith.
All that was left was
facing the hard truth.
There always will be
possibility.
But it was up to us
to find our way.
We had to do better.
I had to do better.