River of Ghosts (2024)

[bunniefuu]

[light music playing]

[ambient sounds]

[gentle piano music playing]

[typing]

[sighs]

[door opening]

[floorboard creaking]

[eerie music playing]

Jane?

Is that you?

[swirling wind]

You here?

Are you back?

[sinister music playing]

[grunts]

[breathing heavily]

[choking]

[grunts]

[gentle piano music playing]

[phone ringing]

[man] Hey, Brian.

Is everything okay?

We haven't seen you at work

for almost a week now.

Are you coming back?

Hope to see you around.

[machine beeps]

[]

[bottle clanking]

[water running]

[water stops]

[clock ticking]

[gentle music playing]

Hey, Kathy! Over here.

-[Kathy] Hi.

-Hi.

-[Kathy] How are you?

-Good, it's been a long time.

Yeah, have a seat.

[Kathy] Thank you.

So, how's it going?

Feeling any better?

Ugh, can you believe

it's been almost a year now?

-Wow.

-My back is as stiff as a board

and as heavy as lead.

Oh, and now, every morning,

I have a new prickling kind of

pain on my lower back, too.

The chiropractor didn't help?

I've been through every

conventional treatment I know,

and, no, the chiro doesn't help.

Not even a little bit?

Nope.

The pain is just as intense.

Oh, geez.

[woman] sh*t.

[whispers] Unbelievable.

[ominous music playing]

[]

What's up with this guy?

You don't know?

That's the guy

whose wife went missing.

Some think he's deranged,

others think he did it.

Who's his wife?

I think her name is Jane.

Jane Meyer. I saw it in the ad.

Mmm. Sounds familiar.

They don't have

any evidence against him?

Mm-mmm.

Say, that reminds me.

You said something once

about a new doctor in town?

Someone you thought

I should see about my back?

Have you heard of Dr. Halton,

the hypnotherapist?

[clock ticking]

[]

Are you ready to be hypnotized?

Now, tell me.

What do you see?

Uh, I see scales.

On my legs.

Yeah, wait. I have no legs.

I have a beautiful tail,

and I see blue.

Everything blue. All around me.

I-- I see bubbles.

Bubbles floating past me.

I'm-- I'm in the sea, yes.

I'm-- I'm under the water,

and I see coral

and seashells everywhere.

And little fishes

swimming around me.

Oh, they're so cute.

[gasps, chuckles]

Well...

So, you're talking

about hypnosis?

-Mm-hmm.

-What they call hypnotherapy?

Where the doctor

puts you in a trance?

What does that

have to do with my back pain?

Well, the idea is that

we have a lot of

unresolved emotional issues

trapped within us

that eventually cause

real physical ailments.

Hence Dr. Halton's job is

to put his patients in trance,

dive into their

subconscious level,

find out where

the emotional knots are,

and untie them for good.

So you're saying

that my back pain

could be caused by

some unresolved emotions?

Well, yes, it could be.

See, Dr. Halton dives

into his patients'

subconscious level,

goes down to a level

underneath our personalities

to find out where we store

our hurts and negativity

that we get from

toxic people around us.

I can't take it anymore. [sobs]

[sniffs]

It pains my own heart so deeply.

When everyone expects me

to be someone I'm not.

What are these expectations

that are causing you pain?

[sighs] Everyone expects me

to be strong all the time.

[sobbing]

To be everyone's rock.

[sniffs] To take

everybody's sh*t all the time.

[exhales sharply]

[sobs] But I'm--

I'm just-- [sniffs]

a girl inside.

I need tenderness.

I need love.

[man sobbing]

But these aren't real doctors.

I mean,

someone like my mom would

even call them witch doctors.

I mean, Macy, seriously?

Hypnotherapy?

What if it's all a hoax,

like-- like, a placebo effect?

Or-- or worse yet,

what if you do serious

psychological damage to someone?

I mean, a doctor who says he can

go into a person's subconscious

mind, and then mess with it?

Sounds dangerous.

Calm down, Kathy.

This guy is the real deal.

He was a psychiatry student

at Stanford University.

Well, I heard that he was

an outcast among his peers

and he dropped out.

Well, that's just

what I heard about him.

But anyway,

nobody knows where he came from.

His past is a mystery.

I don't know

how he ended up here.

But he takes care

of all the weird things

that not even the best doctors

in and out of our town

can handle.

Your problem doesn't lie

in the job relocation.

It's your fear of change.

Fear of the unknown.

Oh, that sure sounds easy.

-Are you ready?

-Sure. Yeah, bring it on.

[]

Okay. You can go now.

But-- I-- I can't.

Yes. Yes, you can.

It's just a few steps forward.

You can do this.

[grunting]

-I am in so much pain.

-I know it hurts.

But this is the change

that you have been

dreaming of all your life.

-[grunts]

-Right there in front of you.

Just take a few steps.

-[grunts]

-Come on.

[inhales]

-That's it.

-[gasping]

-That's it.

-[exhales sharply]

You can do this.

It's right there,

cross the line.

[grunts]

[Dr. Halton] Yep.

[grunting]

I have been saved

my lifelong neck pain,

and saved from getting

that complicated neurosurgery.

He says it has to do with

my mind and my heart's desires

being in conflict.

He also pointed out to me that

I have been in defensive mode

for way too long.

He works magic,

and no medication is needed.

He's located over

at the Green Gulch Reserves,

overlooking the big river.

Here's his card.

You should give him a call.

He's really good.

[solemn piano music playing]

[]

[rustling]

[]

No,

there's nothin' happening here.

Pick me up at

the end of Pine Street.

All right.

[somber music playing]

[clock ticking]

[clicking]

[sighs]

[ominous music playing]

[faint clattering]

[rattling]

[thudding]

[electrical buzzing]

[]

[rhythmic booming]

[eerie string music playing]

[]

[gentle piano music playing]

You bitch.

-[Brian choking]

-[woman screaming]

-[thuds]

-[grunts]

[panting]

[gentle piano music playing]

[]

[serene piano music playing]

-[knocking]

-Please, come in.

[door creaking]

Hello.

I am Dr. Shaun Halton.

How are you?

-Hi, I'm Kathy.

-Pleasure to meet you, Kathy.

What can I do for you today?

Well, I have

this stubborn back pain

that seems to last forever.

I've tried everything.

Nothing works.

Well, Kathy, nothing is forever.

Back pain is one

of my most common cases.

Please, take a seat

on the chaise

and make yourself comfortable.

Thank you.

[]

So, uh, I hope you're

not gonna fling this

pocket watch in my face.

You don't like the watch?

I do.

Try it. Play with it.

It looks like one

my dad used to have.

You see, this isn't

your ordinary pocket watch.

This pocket watch will stop

exactly at the moment

when the problem

in your subconscious mind

begins to surface.

What is that supposed to mean?

You see, it's more of just

a helping tool for my patients.

To keep them focused.

I am focused.

I rarely make mistakes at work.

Wonderful.

It's more just a reminder

to breathe evenly.

You observe your heartbeat,

and you count how evenly

each b*at follows the next.

Try it.

Wait, I can't feel

my own heartbeat.

Hold on, let me try harder.

-Okay.

-You got it?

Great, now, I want you

track the dial as it goes.

And remember exactly

what second that it stops, okay?

What is this going to do to me,

and why am I supposed

to track the seconds?

And why will it stop?

Is this some kind of a trick?

Okay,

if the watch isn't for you,

we can try some other methods.

Or we could just simply

talk about your back pain.

How 'bout that?

[sighs]

No, it's okay. I'll do it.

I mean, after all,

it's a hypnotherapy session

that I came in for, so...

Now, just tell me

what to do again?

Track the dial?

Just count as it goes.

Do I start now?

One second.

Yes, you may.

Now, Kathy,

tell me about your father.

So, it's 60 seconds

per round, I guess.

[sighs] Okay.

[sighs] My father.

[nostalgic music playing]

He's the breadwinner

of the house.

Always with a smile on his

face.

He's a very busy man,

but he was always good to me.

When he was home,

Mother would quarrel with him,

and she would cry,

and he would storm

out of the house.

Do you still see him now?

No. By the time

I graduated college,

my parents had divorced,

and my father

was off with a new wife.

My mother was devastated.

But she kept

our family together,

and she raised me

and my brother on her own.

Do your hate your father

for leaving your family behind?

No.

I guess not. But I do think

my parents' marriage

could have been saved

if my mother

hadn't come at my father

like a roaring tiger every time

he walked in the door.

Oh, wait, I think

I've lost count of the seconds.

Oh, not to worry.

You're at 535 seconds,

five seconds

into the ninth minute.

Oh, I-- I guess

I can see that, yeah.

Kathy, you-- What was your

last happy moment in life?

Hmm. [clicks tongue] I...

It's Larry.

He is the sunshine of my life.

[birds chirping]

That's beautiful.

And how long have

you two been married?

Twenty years.

What else do you like

about your husband?

Hmm.

Well...

when he's around,

I-- I feel so warm.

So happy.

And everything is good again.

He-- He makes everything

come alive.

Too bad. Too bad

he's not home very often.

He's very busy at work, and...

I don't get to see him a lot.

Do you have any children?

[sobs]

[sniffs, cries]

I can't.

I've tried.

[sobbing]

I-- I tried.

[sobbing]

We tried for five years!

And after that...

we just stopped.

To stop me

from obsessing about it.

Larry just stopped touching me.

[Kathy sobbing]

And then, he told me

I should-- should just--

get over the idea of it,

ever having a child.

[sobbing]

-Kathy.

-[Kathy crying]

Kathy, I want you to feel

the watch in your hand...

actually feel

the-- the ticking sound.

-On your palm.

-[ticking]

Do you feel it?

Five, four, three, two, one.

You're back with me, Kathy.

Mmm.

Whoa.

Oh, my God.

What just happened?

Did I really cry so much?

I'm not-- I'm not sure I'm...

completely unaware of it.

There, there, Mrs. McGregor.

This isn't brain surgery.

Have you heard

of those psychic healers

from the Philippines?

They can operate

on their so-called patients

without any anesthesia.

I wonder if this is

just a more powerful

and stronger form

of-- of hypnosis.

I mean, after all,

that-- that is so scary.

It's so scary, but as for today,

what will all that

talking and crying

and clock-counting

do for my back pain?

I mean, I can already

feel it coming back.

But, to be fair,

I will give you credit.

The pain has lessened, and--

and I do feel more relaxed.

But it hasn't

gone away completely.

Well, you see,

back pain is a chronic effect

of some form of imbalance

that you have in your life.

An imbalance you've been

carrying for a long time,

and in your case, Mrs. McGregor,

I think I might need

to speak with your husband.

Do you think

Larry would be willing

to come in with you one day?

You mean my husband, Larry?

How do you know his name?

Oh.

You have no idea

how conventional Larry is.

He will never accept

something like this.

And besides,

he's too busy right now anyway.

He's-- he's campaigning

to be the city treasurer.

If he knew that I was here,

seeing you, a hypnotherapist?

[chuckles] He would say

that I have lost my mind,

and I'm just wasting time

on some hocus-pocus

that doesn't even

do anything in reality.

Okay. How 'bout this?

You can come see me

for your back pain

whenever you'd like.

Session fees are waived

until you bring in Larry.

[chuckles]

Well, then I might not

pay you back then ever.

Well, Mrs. McGregor,

my mom suffered from back pain

for most of her life,

and she never believed

that I'd become a doctor.

Was she cured?

Unfortunately,

she d*ed before I did.

Oh.

Well, I'll try,

but Larry's a tough nut.

And he doesn't give a damn.

Not much about

my back pain, either.

[solemn piano music playing]

[birds chirping]

[sighs]

[exhales]

[grunts]

What's wrong, kid?

You're-- you're Professor Trex.

At Stanford Medical,

uh, psychiatry faculty.

Yes, I am. But, um...

[chuckles] Sorry,

I see so many students,

I can't remember everyone.

-You are...

-Shaun Halton.

Clinical psychiatry student.

Well, I-- I used to be.

Not anymore.

Failed my final twice, so

I no longer have financial aid.

Well, is it so important

to get a degree

from the School of Psychiatry?

Yeah. Of course it is.

I wanna practice

as-- as a psychiatrist. Right?

No. What is it you really want?

-I don't know, I--

-What is it you really want?

I wanna help people.

I wanna save people

from their pain.

Yes.

Yes, that's what you

really want to do.

Yeah, physical pain.

Psychological pain.

And is becoming

a psychiatrist the only way?

Kid...

you've got a gift that

if you could just tap into it...

you could surpass the best

clinical psychiatrists

and psychologists.

A gift?

What gift?

The gift of penetrating

a person's soul.

[intense orchestral

music playing]

What the-- what the hell?

And then guiding that person

out from where they're trapped.

Who are you, really?

I told you, I'm--

I'm just a professor

who started this job,

and taking an early

summer break, just like you.

Hey, kid, you can be

more than a psychiatrist.

Hell, if you became

a practicing psych,

you'd probably end up

becoming depressed yourself.

Listen to what I told you.

Use your gift.

But how-- how do--

how do I do it?

Watch the river.

Look at the ripples

created by the waves.

Focus on the dark, shadowy sides

of these little waves.

You'll know the answer

when those shadows

become real and solid.

[water splashing]

[roaring]

-Holy sh*t.

-[creature roaring]

Oh, oh, sh*t,

oh, sh*t, oh, sh*t.

-Holy sh*t.

-[creature roaring]

[water splashing]

[gentle piano music playing]

[phone ringing]

-Dr. Shaun Halton.

-Dr. Halton, my name

is Detective Powell

from the Mendocino County

Sheriff's office.

You're a hypnotherapist,

isn't that right?

Um, hello, Detective.

Brian Meyer,

a local whose wife has been

missing for two months.

We've checked him out, and

currently there's no evidence

implicating him

in her disappearance.

I should tell you that

we've had him under

surveillance for some time.

-As a matter of fact, he's

about to enter your office.

-[knocking on door]

One minute, please.

How can I,

uh, help you, Detective?

Brian was interviewed by

our department psychologist,

and didn't turn up anything.

Now that he's seeing you,

I was hoping we could

talk to you about him.

Well, okay, I-- I assure you

that my practice is strictly PC.

I understand, Doc,

but anything you can tell us

would be a big help,

do you understand?

All right, Detective.

Um, unfortunately,

I have a patient waiting,

so I will get back to you soon.

Thank you.

[exhales]

Oh. Okay, this is good.

Yes, yes, this is good,

this is good, this is great.

Okay.

Finally.

We're doing something real.

Doing something real.

Sorry for the wait.

Please come in.

[door creaking]

I am Dr. Shaun Halton,

the one and only

hypnotherapist in town.

Brian. Brian Meyer.

It's a pleasure, Brian. Please.

Take a seat.

Make yourself comfortable.

So how can I help you today,

Brian?

I've, uh...

been having

weird symptoms at night.

It's so strange.

And I feel I'm going crazy.

Okay.

Tell me more

about these... weird symptoms.

Well, it's not so much

the symptoms.

Things are not normal

in my house.

I mean...

it's almost like...

there's a haunting...

in my house every night.

A haunting.

Interesting.

These hauntings, Brian.

Do they happen

at a specific time at night?

Yes.

Around the window from--

from 9:00 p.m. to midnight.

I know that you're

a hypnotherapist--

No, don't worry about it, Brian.

I'm listening.

First of all,

something random

will happen in the house.

An expl*si*n of a lightbulb,

sudden blackouts,

sudden drop in temperature.

And then there's

these strange noises

of things moving in the house.

And then I'll feel

something rising.

Within me.

Something burning inside of me.

Like a rising fire.

And the burning sensation

is actually causing

pain in my body.

[breathing heavily]

Is there a particular spot

where you feel this pain

more intensely than others?

It's all over.

It's all over, inside of me.

[panting]

And then...

[breathing heavily]

Brian, you okay?

[gulps]

[Dr. Halton] It's okay.

[Brian hyperventilating]

[Dr. Halton] Here you are.

Now, you said

a tremendous amount of pain...

all over?

Are there any other

sensations that you feel?

Something will take over me.

I'll be completely

out of myself.

I mean,

I'll lose control of myself.

And I can't breathe, and

I remember being very afraid.

Then these invisible hands

will come and choke me.

And I--

and I can't breathe,

and I lose strength,

and I fall, and--

and I'll hit my knee,

my-- my left knee.

I did notice the way that you...

walked into my office today.

Well, but my knee doesn't have

a chance to heal if...

it happens every night.

And what's with the head injury?

I-- I fell when

I lost control of my body.

Brian, are you ready

to be hypnotized?

Let's go back in time.

To a time that has no pains...

and no hurts.

Time is fluid.

It has no beginning,

and it has no end.

Floating.

[waves crashing]

[Dr. Halton] Flying away.

We are above time.

Above... everything else.

We see everything, yet...

not affected by anything at

all.

We are traveling back in

time...

through time...

and beyond time.

[stirring orchestral

music playing]

[distant] How good

that you're here with me.

You love me? Well,

why don't you listen to me?

I've told you what I need,

didn't I?

It's either me or her!

You have to choose!

Bastard!

[screaming]

[Brian, sobbing] It's--

[Dr. Halton] Brian.

Brian, it's okay.

It's okay, Brian.

Brian, it's okay.

Come on. Come on, Brian.

Come on. Come on.

Come on. You're all right.

-What happened to me?

-You're okay.

You were just

telling me about your wife.

-What'd I say about my wife?

What do you know?

-What you just said, it's--

-What did I just say?

-Brian, please. Okay?

Relax. Sit down, please.

[Brian breathing heavily]

Brian, I, uh...

strongly intuit

that the haunting situation

in your house has some

sort of relation to your wife.

She-- [exclaims]

[screaming]

[droning music playing]

[Brian groaning]

[Brian breathing heavily]

My head hurts so much.

What did you do to me?

Just try to relax, okay?

Try to calm yourself down.

I haven't gone very far

with your roaming.

Five minutes into the session.

Listen, Brian,

every client's session is--

is private and confidential.

Everything is recorded,

but I only share it

with you and only you.

Okay?

I'm sorry, Doc.

I didn't expect this

to be so intense.

It's okay.

All right.

Would you like to continue?

Would you like

to come back another time?

I've got no time.

I need-- I need to find my wife.

I-- You know that my wife,

Jane Meyer,

has gone missing, do you?

It is the talk of the town.

Brian, please, please, please.

I really think I can help you.

And if it's okay with you, I...

I'd like another chance.

Would you like

to get back to it?

[booming]

[distant] I told you about this!

Over and over again.

All you need to do

is make a choice.

You bastard!

[screaming]

Help!

[panting] No!

[Brian panting]

[Brian groaning]

[]

[Brian gasps]

What happened to me?

What is the time now?

You're okay, Brian. You just had

a seizure during hypnosis.

Goddammit.

It even happens in your office.

What did I say

during the hypnosis?

I can't remember.

It's quite normal for clients

not to remember anything,

especially after a seizure.

Now, Brian, I have gathered

some information from you.

Nothing sufficient enough

to tell me what happened

to your wife,

or where to possibly find her.

I'm quite interested

in this haunting

that you mentioned earlier.

Do you think

it would be possible for me

to visit your house?

I'd like to try

to witness it myself.

[]

[foreboding music playing]

It's a nice neighborhood

you live in.

Thanks for dinner.

It's been a while

since I've spoken to anyone.

It's my pleasure, Brian.

Thank you for having me over.

[]

She's beautiful, isn't she?

Since it's still early, Brian,

would you like to talk

about the day that

she didn't come home?

[]

[gentle music playing]

[woman] Hello?

Hello?

Can I speak to Jane Meyer?

Is this Mr. Meyer?

Jane left early today.

She just came in

to grab some documents.

She took the day off, actually.

Thanks.

[]

[frantic music playing]

My wife loves to go

to the Big River

when she's feeling stressed.

That day, I parked my car

and started walking

near the bushes

by the riverbank

to look for her.

As I walked into the grass...

[electrical crackling]

It's happening. You see that?

-Brian, how did you--

-Shh.

[faint, ghastly moaning]

[distant thumping]

[ghastly roaring]

[Brian growling]

Bitch.

[Brian choking]

[eerie orchestral music playing]

[woman screaming] Brian!

Let's get out of here.

Just--

[glass shattering]

[both gasping]

[glass shattering]

[house rumbling]

[]

[Dr. Halton] Stop it!

Open the door!

-It's all right.

-Jesus Christ!

It's all right. It's all right.

What the hell is going on?

[solemn music playing]

[phone ringing]

-Dr. Shaun Halton.

-[Powell] What's up, Doc?

Any lead on where

Mrs. Meyers is?

Detective. Uh, how are you?

Listen, it's getting

a little tricky over here

on my end, but...

I'm getting into it.

The whole Mendocino County

Sheriff's office

is trying to cr*ck this case.

To be honest,

my gut tells me she's dead.

We found her bracelet

with her name on it

on the banks of the Big River.

Brian confirmed

it belonged to his wife.

At this point,

we're not thinking su1c1de,

because a body hasn't

turned up in the river yet.

We combed the entire area,

but we didn't find

anything else.

Um, Detective,

can you tell me exactly

where you found the bracelet?

Uh, maybe 100 yards

from the parking lot,

under some bushes near a big

tree trunk by the riverbank.

Great.

Thank you very much, Detective.

Are you gonna tell me

what happened

the other night

at Brian's place?

Well, I suppose that the house

has been searched, correct?

Yep.

Nothing conclusive was found.

Wonderful. Thank you very much,

Detective, I'll be in touch.

[]

I don't know

what the hell's going on.

I don't what the hell to do, I--

Is it her ghost? I--

Am I just what everyone

suspects that I am? Huh?

Am I a-- a voodoo doctor?

I mean, what the hell

is happening?

g*dd*mn it.

[sighs]

[Professor Trex] There, there.

Look at our frustrated

Dr. Halton,

the only hypnotherapist in town.

Professor Trex.

What's bothering you, kid?

Well, after seven years

of practicing,

I'm finally a voodoo doctor.

[chuckles] Voo-- voodoo doctor?

I know.

I don't know.

Professor, I--

I think I've met a ghost.

A ghost?

Well, what does he look like?

She.

Although she doesn't

really have an appearance.

I mean, she didn't

appear in plain sight.

I-- I could just tell

that she was there.

I-- I could feel her.

I could feel her presence,

her-- her wrath.

She was there to haunt

that house and her husband.

She nearly k*lled

both of us, Professor, I...

Holy sh*t.

Are ghosts real?

If you asked me that today,

after what I experienced

last night, I'd say yes.

But... you said

there was no appearance.

You didn't see a face,

or a figure of the entity.

I know. I know, it's crazy.

I don't know how to explain it,

but I saw what I saw.

My client's wife has been

missing for several months now.

The police believe

that she's dead

and that he did it.

And to tell you the truth,

Professor,

I don't know

what to believe now.

Well, the mind is capable

of many assumptions.

What are you trying

to say, Professor?

That everything I saw last night

wasn't real?

I have wounds, Professor, I have

actual wounds from the event.

What happened indeed happened.

But it's the mind that assumes

that it were

the deeds of the ghost.

If you don't see a ghost...

you don't see a ghost.

If it wasn't a ghost,

then what was it?

It was only us two in the house.

There is order in chaos.

That which was summoned

is for a purpose.

Purpose? What purpose?

Everything that happens

brings you closer to the truth,

or further from it.

If the haunting didn't bring you

closer to the truth,

I mean,

what did you gain from it?

So you're saying

that these-- these hauntings...

they're leading me away

from the truth?

They leave you

more clueless than before.

Wait.

So Brian just

creates these hauntings?

Power of the mind

is not to be underestimated.

If he wanted to lead me

away from the truth,

why would he seek my help

in the first place?

Well, the truth

will always come out...

but if it hurts,

some people will do whatever

they can to delay it.

Somatic symptoms,

like Brian exhibit,

are like the oily scum

from the depths of our souls.

They're the truth

that transcend all the powers

of the mind to suppress it.

So Brian creates

these myths to...

suppress the actual truth?

While the mind is

busy creating its lies...

the spirit never deceives.

Unfortunately...

sometimes,

in order to help people

who are lost in the dark...

we have to go

into the darkness with them.

I'll let you

figure out the rest, kid.

It's getting late.

You seem to be coming home from

work a lot earlier these days.

It's nice to see you home

on Saturday, too.

You know, I've been seeing a new

doctor lately about my back.

And I'm feeling a lot better.

That's good.

He said if I bring you in,

it will help me heal better.

[scoffs] Me?

What does your back pain

have to do with me?

Well, the doctor says,

most women's back pain

is due to lack of emotional

support from their husbands.

Lack of sex.

Or, um...

maybe the husbands are having

affairs on us, behind our backs.

[scoffs] What doctor is that?

A psychologist?

No. He's not a psychologist.

He's a hypnotherapist.

-[sighs]

-I know, I know,

just like in the movies,

where the hypnotherapist

has his patient listen

to the ticking sound

of the pocket watch.

He did that to me, too.

Kathy, you need

to stop running around

consulting black magic

doctors like these.

They're all scammers who wanna

cheat the money out of us

hardworking citizens.

But I do feel better.

And if you wanna

talk about money,

maybe we could talk

about why your raises

aren't showing up

in our checking account.

Stop deviating from the topic.

After all the money

you spent on Dr. Voodoo,

you should feel better, right?

It's a placebo effect, Kathy.

You know, I say you imagined

this whole back pain thing.

Excuse me?

You think I've been imagining

my back pain all these years?

Yeah.

For your information,

I have been

to see him three times,

and he hasn't charged me

one single penny.

It's all been free.

-[Larry] Free.

-F.O.C.

Free of charge,

Mr. City Auditor.

Yeah, well, that's

even more suspicious.

How old are you, Miss Kathy?

Aren't you a little old

to believe anything

in life is free?

He says I'll start paying him

after I bring you in.

Me?

Does he know who I am?

What's the name of this doctor?

What exactly did you

tell him about me?

[Kathy] I don't know.

Most of the time,

I don't remember

what I say in those sessions.

I mean, I'm very relaxed.

It's like I'm in a trance,

almost, and I'm talking,

but I totally trust him.

He runs an honest practice.

He emails me a link

to the sound recordings

of the whole entire session.

I could listen to them

if I wanted to,

but I don't ever have time.

Kathy, answer the question!

What did you tell him about me?

I don't know.

And stop yelling at me.

When's your next session

with this guy?

It's Wednesday.

His name is Dr. Halton,

and his offices are over

by the Green Gulch Reserves.

So.

Coming with me?

-[knocking]

-[Dr. Halton] Please, come in.

[door creaking]

Surprise, surprise!

Look who's here.

[Dr. Halton] Oh.

Mrs. McGregor, how are you?

I'm guessing you are

Mr. McGregor.

-Dr. Shaun Halton. How are you?

-I go by Larry.

Good to meet you, Doc.

So, you're the magical doctor

who made my wife's pain go away

after all these years

living with it.

Guilty.

But with your help, Larry,

I think we can

cure her for good.

What? Really?

Am I playing such an important

role in her back pain?

You sure do.

Kathy here described you

as the sunshine in her life.

Whoa. Am I?

Yeah. Yeah. So, are you ready

to help your wife out?

Of course I am.

I'd do anything

for my dear wife, Kathy.

That's wonderful.

Larry, are you familiar

with hypnotherapy or hypnosis?

Have you ever

experienced it before?

Nope.

I'd rather just talk about it.

You know? Talk about things.

Well, Larry, unfortunately,

I am not a counselor,

I'm a hypnotherapist.

You know, I don't understand

why you need to hypnotize me

in order to cure her back pain.

But I'm in.

All right? Let's begin.

Great. Kathy, perhaps

you wanna go hang around

somewhere for a while?

But before you go, would it

be okay if I shared some

information from your session

-with your husband if need be?

-Of course. He's my husband.

[]

So you call yourself

a hypnotherapist?

I don't see

any certificates from

any accredited institutions.

How much do you charge

per hour for each session?

Is there any association

that regulates these practices?

Look, I'm the city auditor

running for city treasurer,

and I'm looking out

for my people.

Make sure they don't fall prey

to people who are scamming them.

Offering and performing

"services"

that anyone can claim

by being a doctor.

Well, I'm a local guy, Larry,

and I've been practicing

for nearly seven years now,

and people keep coming back

because every time they do,

they feel better.

Yeah?

Like giving candy

to a crying child?

It may appear that you're

helping people solve their

problems, but in reality,

you're getting them

addicted to your therapy.

Make them want more,

milk their money

and weaken their minds.

I'd like to show you something.

[Kathy on recording] Oh, I feel

much better these days, Doctor.

The pain has

lessened significantly,

and I can sleep better now,

too.

And I didn't charge her

anything.

So you made my wife feel better

and didn't charge

anything for it?

How would I know what kind of

treatment you're giving my wife

while you're alone

in your office with her?

What your wife needs

is emotional support that you,

as her husband, haven't

been giving her enough of.

Who are you to tell me

I'm not giving enough

emotional support to my wife?

And you're saying

you're doing my job to my wife

alone here in your office?

What does emotional support

have to do with back pain?

Larry, I'm just trying

to understand the dynamic

and level of intimacy

in your relationship with Kathy.

Look, Kathy and I

love each other very much,

which is evidenced

by 20 years of marriage.

I support her

in every possible way.

I provide for her

to make her happy.

Kathy told me

you work late a lot,

sometimes not coming home

until after midnight.

She also said you've recently

been screaming "bitch"

in your sleep.

So are you really on as good

of terms as you think with her?

Of course we are!

Hey, just between

the two of us, Doc,

what do you know about me?

Did she hire you to probe me?

I have been very busy

running for this campaign

in this upcoming election

for treasurer.

I have lost so much weight,

I need to get new suits made.

At night,

I was probably letting off steam

from some angry colleagues

while I was sleeping.

Stressed?

Yeah,

I am a little bit stressed,

I admit it.

But I'm coping.

A man's gotta do

what a man's gotta do.

Tell me, Larry...

do you find your wife

interesting to listen to?

What?

Of course.

How much time would you say

that you spend in a day

just listening to Kathy?

She talks all the time.

How do you feel about

holding her hand after dinner

and just... listening

to what she has to say,

whatever it is.

Zero distractions

and full concentration on her,

and only her.

I want you to think

about holding her hand.

Now, this is a very

important gesture, Larry.

Think about Kathy's hand.

That hand you once

put a ring on.

That hand you wanna touch.

That hand you want to kiss.

Relax, Larry.

We're talking about

the love of your life.

Go back to a time when you felt

butterflies in your stomach,

tingling in your toes.

Can you remember

those feelings, Larry?

It's the feeling

I want you to capture, Larry.

Feel the lightness

that's in your heart.

Feel the laughter

that surrounds both of you.

[echoing]

It's the feeling, Larry.

So how did you meet

this beautiful blonde woman?

[Larry]

I found her at my workplace.

[Dr. Halton]

So, she's a colleague of yours?

[Larry]

She's always there for me,

like, understanding me

and supporting me

and admiring me.

Especially when I'm giving

speeches on stage,

she's like this cute

little cheerleader,

like, clapping for me

and jumping in joy.

And she says

she loves how expressive I am

compared to her husband,

who's silent and shut down.

We work together

in the county office,

but we-- we take lunch breaks

whenever we can, you know,

take advantage of the time.

[Dr. Halton] How long

has this been going on?

Almost three years.

And is it still going on?

Not anymore.

It's my fault it ended.

Well, tell me,

how did that happen?

[Larry] We were up at her house

at 9:30 a.m. sharp.

But it's strange that

she would have such a request,

'cause...

usually I'd pick her up

during lunchtime

at a corner of some street.

-I thought you were off today.

-I'm not feeling well.

I called the doctor to make

an appointment, but I have to

stop at the office first.

I'll see you at

the Big River at 3:00 p.m.?

Sure.

You don't want

a ride to the Big River,

since you're not driving?

No, it's all right.

I'll tell you all about it

when I see you in person.

Is that okay?

Okay.

Whatever floats your boat,

honey.

As promised,

I went to the park at 3:00

p.m.,

and there she was.

[]

Whenever I'm feeling stressed,

unhappy,

something troubles my heart,

or nothing at all...

I love to come here

and walk along the Big River.

Look at you.

How good that you're here with

me in the middle of the day.

No matter what happens,

I'm always gonna make you

feel better.

Larry,

do you remember that today

is our three-year anniversary

from first seeing each other?

Larry... do you love me?

Of course I do, baby.

Well, if you love me,

why haven't you listened to me?

Why haven't you done

what I asked you to do?

Over and over again!

I just-- I don't even know

where this is going anymore.

You have to make a choice.

It's either her or me.

Jane, I thought

we talked about this.

What about your husband?

Are you ready to leave him?

I'm pregnant.

How far into

the pregnancy are you?

It's me or it's her!

Jane...

get a grip of yourself.

How would I know

the baby's mine?

[gasps, sobs]

Let go of me, you bastard!

Nobody slaps me. You get it?

Of course the baby's yours!

Brian can't have kids!

You know what?

You get an abortion.

I'll give you the money.

-[Larry grunts]

-[Jane sobs]

You stay away from me!

I'm keeping the baby.

And by the time

of your treasurer campaign,

I'll be parading around

with a big, swollen belly.

And when you're on stage

giving your campaign speech,

everybody is going to be

congratulating me.

[chuckles]

Are you outta your mind?

You think anyone's

gonna believe you?

Any woman can make up that

they're pregnant with my child.

You-- you son of a bitch!

[Larry] Nobody slaps me.

Do you hear me?

-[Jane shouts]

-Okay? You bitch!

[Jane screams]

No one! No one slaps me!

-[Jane choking]

-Get it?

Nobody slaps me! Okay?

-[Jane choking]

-No one slaps me!

No one slaps me!

[choking, coughing]

[Larry] She looked like

she had just fallen asleep.

A sleep that

she'll never wake up from.

She fell on to the ground,

weightless, like an angel.

My poor baby Jane.

[dramatic music playing]

On August 21st, I went,

with Jane's body in my car,

to the mayor's home for dinner.

You must be Dr. Halton.

I am. I believe the mayor

is expecting me.

-Yes. Please come in.

-Thank you.

We're about to have

a glass of wine before dinner.

-Would you care to join us?

-Oh, thank you very much,

but I have a couple

of questions for the mayor

-and I have to be going

after that.

-Well, maybe next time.

-Come on in.

-Of course.

-Mr. Mayor.

-Welcome.

-Pleasure to meet you.

-Indeed.

Would you like to take a seat?

-Thank you so much, sir.

-You bet.

How can I help you, young man?

I'm afraid all I need

is some clarification

from you tonight, Mr. Mayor.

Go on.

Did you recently meet

with a city auditor

by the name of Larry McGregor?

Larry, sure.

I think it's

a couple months back.

I had dinner with him

in this house.

Why do you ask?

This may sound a little

far-fetched, Mayor Lenny,

but do you happen

to remember the exact date

that you had dinner with Larry?

I had a very contentious

city council meeting

the morning

that I had dinner with him.

And that occurred on August 21.

Now, if you also

don't mind me asking,

what was your impression

of Larry?

Larry is a new acquaintance of

mine. His wife is my patient.

I'm just trying to

help them the best I can.

Regular hardworking folk.

He is running for

the city treasurer position.

Is there anything up with him,

or...

Do you happen to remember

around what time he left dinner?

Oh... he was here

for a couple of hours.

I guess he left around 8:00 p.m.

Thank you again

for your time, Mr. Mayor.

Especially at this hour.

That's all I'll be needing.

Always a pleasure

to help a constituent.

You always have my vote.

[]

Hi. Um, Brian?

-[Brian] Yes. Yes, Doctor.

-Hey.

Your wife,

she didn't happen to work

in the county office, did she?

Yes. Why?

I think I know

what happened to her.

Listen, I gotta chase down

some loose ends, okay?

But I'll keep you posted.

Why don't you meet me

by the Big River before sundown?

[Larry]

I went to the hardware store.

I bought a shovel,

pair of gloves,

a machete, trash bags...

a new set of clothing and

boots.

I went back to the park.

It was dark.

I left Jane in the car and went

down to look around in the

park.

There's only one trail

that goes upstream of the

river.

I walked for a good ten minutes

and the vegetation got thicker

and trees got taller.

I had a moment of doubt

of my own ability

to carry the weight uphill.

[crickets chirping]

[]

As I walked past

the tall bushes,

to my amazement, there was

a quarry of some sorts.

[]

I went back to the car

and got Jane's body

out of the car.

I carried her

all the way up there,

going through the bushes.

[]

Finally...

I reached the quarry again.

[]

I had made up my mind.

This is the place.

Finally, I started to dig.

[phone ringing]

[Dr. Halton] Hi, Brian?

-Yes. Yes, Doctor.

-Your wife,

she didn't happen to work

in the county office, did she?

Yes. Why?

I think I know

what happened to her.

Listen, I still gotta

chase down some loose ends,

but I'll keep you posted, okay?

Why don't you meet me by

the Big River before sundown?

[]

[dramatic orchestral music

playing]

[]

[birds chirping]

[]

[]

You have to make a choice.

It's either her or me.

I'm pregnant.

How would I know

the baby's mine?

Of course the baby is yours.

Brian can't have kids.

-[Brian sobs]

-[Larry] I said no one slaps me!

No one!

-Nobody f*cking slaps me, okay?

-[Jane choking]

No one!

[Jane screams]

[sobs]

[panting]

I'm sorry, Brian.

You were there, weren't you?

Why didn't you save me?

Why, Brian?

[choking]

[crickets chirping

[thud]

-Holy sh*t!

-[thump]

[both grunting]

[intense music playing]

[choking]

[Larry groans]

I'm gonna bury you,

like I buried Jane!

-[g*nsh*t]

-[Larry grunts]

I didn't run away this time.

-[officer] Detective?

-Yep.

We've got another body

over there.

All right, thanks.

[]

So, this is all about

one's conscious mind, right?

Only the ugly, unwanted truth.

I'm good. Thank you.

I don't know, Doc.

It must be tough being you, huh?

-[chuckles]

-Listen, we're gonna need

your notes and files for the DA.

-Yes, sir, Detective.

-It's been great

working with you.

-Thank you.

-Take care.

Yes, sir.

[Dr. Halton exhales]

Thank you again, Brian.

-Will you be okay?

-Thanks, Doctor.

I feel better now.

If you need a good attorney,

don't hesitate to ask.

Thanks, Doc.

My knee will finally heal.

Yeah, it will.

[]

[]

[papers rustling]

[chuckles]

[door creaking]

Look at what you've done

to Larry!

If I didn't listen to you...

[bag thuds]

...I could've

saved Larry's life!

You m*rder*r!

You k*lled my husband!

[Kathy sobs]

Give me back my husband!

He made mistakes,

but he didn't deserve to die!

Now I'm a widow! Are you happy?

-Are you happy about that?

-Kathy, Kathy.

Kathy, come on, calm down.

Let's just go.

It's not Dr. Halton's fault.

He was only trying to help.

-Come on, let's just go--

-He is a m*rder*r!

-I'm sorry, Doctor.

-He is a m*rder*r,

-and this was a huge mistake!

-[Macy] No,

he was just trying to help.

He didn't mean

for this to happen.

No, he didn't mean to.

[door slams]

[birds chirping]

[gentle music playing]

[]

Stressful truth. Painful truth.

Ugly truth, isn't it?

Professor.

Take a deep breath instead.

I hear nature

helps clear things up.

Yeah, yeah. That's what

I originally wanted to do.

Take a walk around the river,

clear my head.

Like the smoke of a cigarette,

which becomes tar in our lungs.

But why do so many people

still smoke?

To ease the pain.

Yeah. We all need cushions

when we fall.

The substances

just help ease the pains

we face when growing up.

Huh?

And you are the doctor

who opens that can of worms,

revealing the truths

that people would rather hide

forever if they could.

They would rather sleep

their lives away

if it makes them feel

more comfortable.

But eventually...

we all must submit

to the truth in order to grow.

[clicks tongue]

An inevitable process.

-[water splashing]

-Professor?

Professor, what are you doing?

You don't need me anymore.

You're ready.

[water splashing]