(button clicking)
(train rumbles)
(train honks softly)
(keyboard clacking)
(film camera being reloaded)
Surrounded by all this culture
and no one bothers to wear deodorant.
Weren't you telling me how
bad that is for you, though?
The um... aluminum or something?
Yeah, but there's natural alternatives.
Like what?
Vegan options?
I use this crystal you
press in your underarms.
Works the same.
God, it is f*cking hard
to breathe in here.
Well, we should almost
be at our stop anyway.
You know, like, some
things I can forgive, like,
like those guy's shoes over there.
Ugly but practical.
But what I can't forgive
is not having common courtesy
for those around you.
You know, it's the same for
people with gross, gunky teeth.
You can get a toothbrush
and toothpaste for a dollar.
But for me, there's no difference
between that and the shoes, you know?
Like, when did we stop caring about
what we look like in public?
Presentation matters, pull
yourselves together, people,
invest in your wardrobe a little bit.
Yeah, well, I can close my eyes,
but I can't stop breathing.
Oh, come on.
I know you wanna nuzzle
up in that guy's armpit.
(Moriah gags)
Oh my God, I was joking.
You know I have a sensitive gag reflex.
Yes, I'm quite familiar.
You're disgusting.
(Nate laughing)
Have a little class, Nate.
I have class.
I went to Dartmouth, remember?
Mhm, for film studies.
Who's sensitive now?
- Why do you say-
- I know that you hate.
Go ahead.
It's just that I got a degree in something
I actually like and am good at.
I don't understand why
that's a joke to you.
Why are all of my choices jokes to you?
Well, it's not your choices, it's... What?
- Nevermind, forget it.
- No, go ahead.
Okay.
It is using your college as a
way to set yourself above me,
even though it's not like you got a degree
in something super prestigious.
At least I didn't drop out
my sophomore year, Moriah.
I was kind of busy with
Taiwanese orphans at the time.
- Oh my God.
- Or maybe you forgot.
How could I forget?
How could anyone forget?
You post about it on
Instagram every other day.
I post like once a week if that.
It still counts
even if it's just on
your story, obviously.
Well, at least my Instagram has aesthetic
unlike your last film.
- It went to Cannes!
- At the Short Film Corner!
- So?
- Anything can premiere there
as long as you pay the entrance fee.
(Nate scoffs)
(train chimes)
(train announcer speaking in Italian)
Love you.
Love you.
(soft music)
Wow.
Photos don't do it justice.
(Polaroid clicking, whirring)
All right.
See, describe, smell.
You know, it almost taints the experience
when the first thing I'm
forced to think about
is how you're already
forming an Instagram caption.
What are you talking about?
Nothing. Nevermind.
What's your one word first impression?
[Nate] Ornate.
Fairytale.
That's not an adjective.
So?
Was the point not to
use descriptive words?
Yeah, or the first thing
that comes to your mind.
It's for my followers,
don't tell me the rules
when I invented it.
I thought... Places
like this don't exist.
Well, don't really exist for people
to like actually live in anymore.
Hmm. Perfume was the right choice.
It's cool, refreshing.
Little sweet, like a breeze
from the Adriatic Sea.
Perfect for a fairytale.
Is that a Burger King over there?
Huh...
(film reeling)
(soft music)
What's with these people
selling selfie sticks?
I didn't realize it was 2012.
Let's see if we can get
someone to take our picture.
Can't we go somewhere a little
more off the beaten path?
Everyone gets a picture in here.
I have the perfect place
No, no, no, no, no. That's
why we need a picture here.
It's not like we're like,
this is the perfect place
to take one, it's...
It's like we know it's touristy
and we still want a photo here.
It's self-irony, you know?
No.
I did a whole photo series
like this back at school
on the dichotomy of
expectation and intention.
That's where the statement comes from.
And what's that?
Just, like, what places we
attribute value to, right?
In terms of tourism, economic
application, sentimentality.
Like, why would we take a
photo on the Brooklyn Bridge
and not at a, I dunno,
like a random Starbucks
five minutes away?
Because the Brooklyn Bridge is an icon
and there's a Starbucks on every corner
of most of the developed world.
Or it's because we're
told that it's an icon
and it's self-referential
for us to know that and
still want a photo there.
It's layered.
The word "dichotomy" makes me want to gag.
Okay, let's see who
looks safe around here.
No, I'll just do it.
If there's anything I
learned from studying abroad
is that you should never trust foreigners
with anything you wanna keep.
Portrait mode, put it in portrait mode.
So, check-in isn't until five.
Our luggage should
arrive just around then,
which should give us plenty of time
with the rest of the agenda I planned out.
Another plan?
- What was that?
- I said, another plan?
What does that mean?
Well, every city we've
visited so far we've...
Nate, are you even listening to me?
- Yes, no, sorry-
- God, I hate it
when you do that.
I'm listening. I'm sorry.
Go ahead.
Well, with every city
we've visited so far,
we've followed some sort of plan,
going from one place
to another to another.
It's like there's no time to
just relax and enjoy things.
It's picture, picture, picture, move on.
Okay, well, the pictures
are usually for you to post.
So I guess I'm confused.
- Okay.
Well, if we're there, I'm
gonna get a picture, obviously.
Obviously.
What I'm trying to say
is that there's more to these places
than the top rated thing on TripAdvisor.
Like I was saying earlier,
my college friend Sarah
sent me the location
of this lookout point
and it has the most
gorgeous view of the city.
And it's not on any of those lists.
Right now we're just so
planned and structured
and it's like we should just
walk in a random direction
and see where the day takes us.
I like having things planned out.
Is there something wrong with that?
Well, the rest of your life
doesn't reflect that idea.
Okay. What does that mean?
Nate, we need to be young.
I'm not skipping something
like a gondola ride.
You know I get seasick.
We can't not go on a
gondola. This is Venice!
This is the only place in
the world we get to do this.
Well, what about Vegas?
I'd say the difference between Vegas
and the Grand Canal is the same thing
as a Brooklyn Bridge and Starbucks.
You know, you're actually
proving my point from before.
Nate,
what I'm looking for from this
trip is to reconnect with me.
Focus on my mental health.
And what did you say that you wanted?
My memory is suddenly foggy to me.
You said you wanted inspiration.
And where does inspiration come from?
I don't know.
Divine intervention?
Peyote.
Okay.
Perhaps.
But I think real inspiration
comes from having
genuine cultural moments.
Shall we?
Just one day with a little spontaneity.
It'll be good for us.
Okay.
(jazzy music starts)
(boat motor rumbling)
I really do feel so alive here.
- You're nuts.
- I'm not nuts.
- Yeah, you are.
- I'm at peace.
I'm having a human moment.
Okay.
You know that chest pain I
get when I'm really stressed?
I haven't felt it at all today.
That's good.
Imagine having a vacation home here.
I could feel like this all the time.
Maybe a little writer's retreat.
It's the perfect place to clear your head
and refresh your mind.
Escape here with no internet, no phone.
And you could write without distractions.
We could set aside some time at the flat
for you to write later if you want.
I don't really want to spend
our time here indoors.
Well, we could find a
cafe, get some espressos.
You could bring that nice notebook
I bought.
- Yeah.
I can't just sit down and write.
It's just, it's like an
internal thing, you know?
You only know that it's time
to write when it's time.
And it's a nice notebook, really, it is.
But I can't just pull it out
of my bag and start writing,
it just doesn't work that way.
Okay.
Do you really think you could live
somewhere like this long term?
Oh, come on.
Imagine waking up, looking out your window
to the canals during sunrise
and going downstairs for
a focaccia for breakfast.
That's the person I wanna be.
I don't know, I think
I'd like it for a while,
but I just don't think I'd
be that fulfilled, I guess.
Like, I couldn't do it long term.
Like, what's there to do all day here?
Nothing.
I mean, that's kind of
how the last year has been
since you graduated.
What?
I'm just being honest.
We're trying to be honest
on this trip, remember?
That's our new thing.
So you say.
Look, I'm not being accusatory, just
you've had a pretty low-key year.
You wake up, grab coffee, go
to screenings or workshops
and hit up a bar.
I mean, that's pretty much it.
You haven't really worked much.
- I made a film.
- A short film, I know.
But like, work work.
This is my work.
If it had got you a production
deal it would've been.
Okay, look, can you be nice, please?
Those people, they just,
that guy... They just didn't get it.
What was that one thing that one guy said?
- Plotless.
- Yes, plotless.
Yes, exactly.
f*ck a plot.
Is it so bad to be
interested in characters?
Look, I just think it's time
to step towards the next goal.
Like, for example, my long-term
goal is my social activism.
But in the meantime I do the
influencer stuff, you know?
Okay, so, do you like having
a plan or spontaneity?
I'm lost.
I had a second cousin who
had an apartment here once.
Did I tell you that?
Nate!
What?
No, you didn't tell me that.
The apartment was on the
other side of the island,
if I'm not mistaken.
We never visited, though.
Her and my mom didn't talk much.
Have I met her?
No.
God, no.
(jazzy music plays)
She hated my mom
'cause their side of the family is Italian
and my dad is German.
She literally made this
whole Facebook post
about how my mom is muddling the bloodline
by marrying non-Italians.
- Really?
- Yeah, yeah.
And we're Sicilian, not
exactly pure blood Guido.
So it was an extra layer of strange.
Hmm.
Anyway, she's dead.
My cousin.
I guess I shouldn't laugh at her.
I don't mind.
Collectively as a family, we
didn't really like her anyway.
(church bells ring)
We...
We called her "Boobs" 'cause
she had these giant fake t*ts,
which isn't why we didn't
like her specifically.
But, yeah.
Well, what was her real name?
(dog barking)
I honestly can't remember.
Huh.
Is she buried here?
No, she was buried at sea.
Can you even have cemeteries here?
What does that mean?
I just mean like, the city's
built on water, right?
So wouldn't they have to build
like an artificial plot
of earth or something?
- No, I mean like,
what do you mean buried at sea?
Oh, they put her on a
raft, set it on fire,
and pushed it out into the
ocean off the coast of India,
I think.
Is that a thing?
I guess, yeah.
Maybe a rich person thing.
I don't think so.
My mom's was not like that.
I feel like I remember Boobs
changing religions before she died.
Like, right when "Eat,
Pray, Love" was huge.
So that might explain that.
Oh, get a picture of me.
(camera shutter snaps)
One on your phone too.
So, I have a few ideas for this blog post.
The first idea is: "Finding
Yourself in Venezia:
How to Disconnect from the World
and Reconnect to the Real You."
Title is a work in progress.
Thoughts?
I mean, are you actually gonna
be able to write on that?
We're only here for a day.
I just wanna do something more spiritual,
more mental health focused.
Like I was saying earlier,
they say this is the
best place to get lost
because it's such a small island
and you can always find your
way back to where you started.
Like a full circle moment.
Cool.
So maybe something about
leaving your phone at the hotel
and just exploring.
The other idea is the most
Instagrammable places in Venice.
Did you know I've gained 2,000 followers
since I started this trip?
That's a lot.
Yeah, they're not bots either.
Like, I didn't even buy them.
They're real people.
Yeah, maybe you'll get recognized.
Maybe.
as*h*le.
(Nate chuckles)
Did your brother ever get back to you
about the concert, by the way?
No, he probably won't.
He always ghosts me like this.
Ghosting and gaslighting,
the two things he's good at.
You know, I could just buy you the tickets
if you wanted me to.
- I don't need you to.
But I could.
That's beside the point.
It's the principle of the matter.
If he wants to be in my life,
he has to put in the effort.
It's like, with all the money Gil makes,
his life being taken over by his job
and him ignoring my calls and texts,
buying me tickets to Cher's residency
is suddenly where he draws the line?
And he keeps acting like
I'm rude for asking.
Like, I should apologize.
I wanted to go with him.
A trip together to bond.
Whatever.
Well, maybe you should.
- Well, I want to.
- No, I mean like,
maybe you should apologize to him
just to keep the peace, you know?
I'd literally go to my grave first.
Okay.
I read this piece in
"The Huffington Post."
It said it's important to cut
toxic people out of your life,
even if they're family.
Once you're an adult,
it shouldn't matter whether
or not you share a DNA.
Yeah, well, if it means anything,
I can't even remember why
my mom and I used to fight.
I just miss her, I guess.
(soft, poignant music)
That's a different
situation though, right?
I just feel so healthy here, like, open.
So I've gathered.
My chakras are aligned.
What does that even mean?
I saw a YouTube video about it.
Well, it was an ASMR thing,
so I'm not totally sure.
But it's like these big bowls
and this guy was hitting
them with the stick thing
and then... well, peaceful, you know?
You said that
about most of the European
cities we visited.
Is that a bad thing?
No, just an observation.
Not Milan.
No, no.
My chest just starts thinking
about that train station.
Yeah, yeah.
I don't know, there's just
something about being in a city
and not speaking the language
that puts my mind at ease.
I can just forget about
the depression and anxiety.
Well, at least temporarily.
I think it goes back to,
well, you know,
like, I've always wanted
to live in a big city,
but the noise is sometimes overwhelming.
There's information flying at you
from every angle that you have to absorb.
Here it's like, yeah, you know,
there's still that vibrancy,
the hum of the city,
but I'm not forced to analyze all of it
so I can be calmed and
energized simultaneously.
Mmm-hmm.
How can you not be inspired right now?
I really wish you would stop
putting that pressure on me, Moriah,
I really do.
- It's not pressure.
It's a gentle nudging
in the right direction.
It's hardly gentle.
I just want what you want, Nate,
for you to be the person you wanna be.
That sounds nice.
Don't be an as*h*le.
I'm...
I'm sorry.
I just...
It's just daunting.
What is?
Trying?
I just, I miss when I was 13
and bought my first camcorder
and was making weird a*s YouTube videos
with my brother and sisters, you know,
and that was my thing.
But now everyone can do that.
Everyone has a 4K video in their pocket.
The one thing that I always wanted to do
is so devalued now.
So, like, accessible to everyone.
Like, my drunk cousin
could make a f*cking movie
and it would go to Tribeca.
That's just the reality of things now.
Well, you have a lot more resources
than your drunk cousin.
You're missing the point.
And I think you're missing the positives.
Such as what?
Well, if everyone can do it,
you could be doing it right now too.
There's less pressure to find your way in.
You can just do it.
Yeah, but there's so much
more competition now.
Like, every kid these days
knows just as much as me.
I spent my whole childhood
gearing up to do this one thing,
learning about it, studying it,
like, my siblings did sports
or debate team, whatever.
And I forewent all of that on purpose
because I thought I'd be this person
that had this insanely specific skillset
that no one else had.
But these days,
every kid between the ages of 12 and 20
can do exactly what I can,
probably better than me too.
Do you know what that feels like?
Well, no one else has your perspective.
You have to write from your worldview,
that's not something
that can fit in a pocket.
Which brings us back to the main problem.
I used to be able to just sit
down and write all the time,
now I cannot write one f*cking thing.
And you'd think after everything
that happened last year,
it would force some
kind of creative outlet,
but it's like the exact opposite.
I can't, I can't...
You mean all the places
we visited this year?
No, I mean everything
that happened last summer.
(singer singing in Italian)
It's fine.
It's fine.
I just have to find a way
to draw from my experiences
to inform what I make.
(soft guitar music)
(child giggling)
(film reeling)
You're a really good photographer.
Has anyone ever told you that?
Well, I mean, it's an iPhone.
It's point and click.
It's not exactly a talent-based thing.
Why do you always discredit yourself?
You need to stop doing that.
I don't discredit myself,
I just don't want to
take praise for something
until I've actually done
something worthy of praise.
I really like this one
best. What do you think?
You look very relaxed.
(Moriah chuckling)
That's the problem with the
internet, it's full of lies.
Jeez. Thanks.
Well, it's not you.
I'm just, I'm already
feeling the motion sickness
coming on from this water bus.
Oh, well, I have Dramamine if
you wanna take some before...
No, it's fine, it's a short ride.
Well, if you take it now before we get on,
you won't get-
No, I'm fine.
Fine.
I can't touch my nose with my tongue.
You know what I love?
How quiet it is here.
Authentically quiet.
What does that mean?
Like, you know when you're somewhere
and you think you're having fun,
like the beach or Disneyland or whatever?
They pump music out everywhere
to remind you to have fun.
Here, it's just like life.
Yeah.
People live here, it's not
all for our entertainment.
That reminds me, this song came on
when I was getting ready this morning.
(song starts playing)
It seemed like something you would like.
Very artsy and indie.
I've been listening to
this band a lot lately.
Mm-hmm.
Are you listening?
Yeah, send it to me.
You haven't even had
time to listen to it yet.
I can't make a judgment
under this pressure.
Oh my God, Nate, you either
like it or you don't.
(song continues)
Sounds try-hardy.
Of course you don't like it.
I'm sorry, you asked for my opinion.
What do you mean, try-hardy?
Like, what does that even mean?
Just like I've heard this sound before,
it's copying someone else's style,
not genuinely their vibe.
- How you know that?
- I...
And why does it matter if it's good?
But I just told you I don't think it is.
Whatever.
Sorry, did you even want my opinion
or did you just want me to reiterate
what you're already thinking?
No, I want you to not be
so dismissive and elitist.
- Elitist.
- Yeah.
Like, I get it, you're more artsy than me.
You've got so much better taste.
- I hate it when you say that.
- It's what you think.
No, it is not what I think.
I just don't like people
assuming I'll like something
just because it's perceived a certain way.
Like, for example, my parents
went through this phase
for years and years of
buying me vinyl records
for birthdays, Christmases, graduations,
absolutely everything.
And I went along with it
because it had this
perception of being artsy
and I was this unconventional
non-sporty kid,
so it made sense.
But I don't think I even really
gave a sh*t about records.
I just played that role
because it was expected.
And it's the same thing
with songs like that,
that in reality are copying a trend
but fit into this montage
in an indie film vibe,
and I'm expected to like
it because it's out there?
That doesn't mean that I do.
You have records hung
up in your apartment.
(old-timey Italian music)
(singing in Italian)
Oh look.
Whoa. So f*cking cool.
It's fascinating.
These kinds of masks have
always fascinated me.
Masks?
Yeah, like subtext, you know?
Just like the visual
symbolism they communicate
about hiding who you really are.
Hiding your true feelings.
Becoming someone else.
The dehumanizing quality of them.
The ambiguity.
This almost look like the ones...
Oh sh*t!
What?
It says it right there,
"Supplier for the masks for
the Stanley Kubrick film,
'Eyes Wide Shut.'"
Wow.
I don't think I ever watched that one.
Really underrated.
So what's the movie about?
Secret societies,
sex,
a couple with trust issues,
other things.
There's a giant orgy scene
where everyone's wearing these masks.
We have different tastes in movies.
(Nate whistles)
Don't even think about it.
What?
I'm never coming over to your place again
if I have to wake up and see that thing.
Oh, come on, don't be such a buzzkill.
It's the culture!
In this case, we can admire
the culture from afar.
There's all these conspiracy
theories about the movie too.
Like, like Kubrick died just days
after allegedly locking
the final cut of the movie.
Isn't that weird?
Why would that be weird?
I mean, you know, the
movie's about the elite,
the wealthy, and secret societies,
all these things that he
would've been privy to
if you believe conspiracy
theories like that.
And then he dies months
before it's set to release
and the studio edits out
like 24 minutes of footage,
or at least that's the rumor.
Okay, so what were they
supposedly trying to hide?
I don't know, man.
There's all these different theories
on Reddit, though, that
So you're one of those guys now.
I just joined the Flat
Earth Society too, actually.
They got some really good ideas.
Shut up.
Don't you just love that, though?
Like, the idea that there's
all these like hidden messages
and codes in stuff like
movies or architecture
that we just have no idea about?
"National Treasure" vibes.
f*ck, I love "National Treasure."
Ugh!
Thoughts?
Do I have to answer?
I take that as a no.
(singer singing in Italian)
Hm?
- Ew, Nate, like that's gonna make it better.
Well, I know it's touristy,
that's the whole point.
It elevates the fashion choice.
You know, like when Kanye wears
slippers that are too small?
Don't worry, I'm not some
cousin f*ck from Kentucky
trying to impress my
non-denominational mega-church
with my travels.
The dichotomy thing?
Yep.
Intention's the only thing that matters.
So, red or blue?
How can you be okay with this?
It's tourist pricing, like I give a sh*t.
No, I'm not talking about the pricing.
Don't you think it's f*cked up
that all of this was made
by Chinese child labor?
Not even in Italy?
But I'm buying it in Italy.
Well, then it's shipped here
probably polluting the
oceans with big rigs
or the skies with greenhouse gases
and strung up at these sh*t
shacks run by tourist p*mps
who pay ill*gal immigrants literal pennies
to hawk this junk.
It's a chain of irresponsibility.
I'm gonna go with the red.
[Moriah] You are unbelievable.
Is what you said last night.
Oh, that one's made locally, right?
Oh, shut up, at least it's cute.
(camera shutter snaps)
You sending that to the United Nations?
Ending child labor?
(seagulls squawking)
Oh sh*t, look, look, look.
What?
What is it?
[Nate] It's a cemetery.
(boat engine revving)
I don't like the feeling.
We should leave.
Okay, come on, come on.
Nothing good to post here?
- That's uncalled for.
- I'm kidding.
I'm kidding. Come on, let's go.
Ow, Nate, that hurts!
It doesn't hurt,
come on, what happened
to being spontaneous?
Well, we spontaneously
came and gave it a glance.
Doesn't mean we have to stay.
Come on.
What?
My idea of vacation isn't traversing
amongst the deceased, Nate.
This is basically an entire
city just for the dead.
Isn't that cool?
And I thought this would
be right up your alley.
- In what world?
- I'm sorry, wasn't it you
who spent an entire
month on that witch farm?
It was a Wiccan retreat, not a witch farm.
And I didn't know that until I got there.
The website was so vague.
And I only stayed a month
because the High
Priestess's F-150 broke down
and we had to wait until the
snow melted to climb out.
Are you trying to make me mad?
It's one of my many talents, yeah.
Many?
Many.
(engine rumbling)
What's that?
I think the ferry left.
You did that on purpose.
I never liked cemeteries.
[Nate] Why?
You scared?
[Moriah] No.
Just always felt like they were pointless.
[Nate] Well, I mean, we
can't all be buried at sea.
[Moriah] Okay, not pointless,
but they exist for the
living, not the dead.
It's just a place for us to visit,
a place for us to feel better.
It's like a shrine,
but the dead don't know they're
here or that we are here.
They don't know anything, they're dead.
[Nate] I suppose.
[Moriah] It's macabre.
Like all the bodies under my feet.
It's disrespectful walking all over them.
That's why I've never visited the graves
of people I've known who...
Just picturing their bodies
rotting away down there.
[Nate] Okay, Moriah, please
don't put that image in my head.
That was insensitive.
I wanna be buried in one
of those cemetery forests.
Have you seen those?
No.
They put your body in a capsule with seeds
and then they plant it with
a bunch of other bodies.
And after a while a tree grows out of you
and you make this big forest.
So then what happens
when they chop you down
and make receipt paper out of you?
Well, I wouldn't really mind
if it was for a place like Hermes.
(soft music)
Do you really think there's an afterlife?
[Nate] That's a loaded question.
I don't remember us ever talking about it.
Being here has got me thinking.
I don't think there is.
I do.
Don't get me wrong, I
wanna believe there is,
but like...
Well, okay, we can rule out
any kind of afterlife on Earth.
I mean, there's been billions
of people that have died,
so we'd be lousy with ghosts
if there were such a thing.
And someone would've definitely
got that on camera by now.
I don't know, the older I get,
the more I think this is
just a computer simulation,
like "The Sims" on some
13-year-old's computer,
which would explain why
you're so horny all the time.
(Nate laughs)
Yeah, he just keeps hitting
the "woo-hoo" button
over and over again.
(both laughing)
No.
No, if this was "The Sims"
it would be way easier
to do anything like advance your career,
all you'd have to do is practice chess
four times in a row and you
get a promotion at work.
You know what really freaked me out?
When you could make
your Sim play "The Sims"
on that little digital computer.
That could be us right now,
a game within a game within a game.
If this were a game, it'd be really cruel
for the developers of that game
to throw religion into the mix,
give us all a false sense of hope.
I just, I have to believe
that there's something after all this.
Otherwise, what's...
What's the point?
You might as well just end it all now.
That's not a healthy
way to think about it.
Yeah.
Yeah, you're right, I'm sorry.
It's the vibe's getting to me too.
If I'm honest,
it's comforting to think that
all of this means something,
but it probably doesn't.
Which means that being nice
and making good choices,
it doesn't matter.
I'm sorry, you're trying
to be nice this whole time?
Did I miss that?
No, I know what you mean.
But all these religions talk
about some form of afterlife,
you know, one of them has to
have something right, right?
Or they use those ideas as
a way to control people.
(whistles)
You are so woke.
It's not easy being this enlightened.
So small.
Babies.
(water lapping)
(jazzy music)
(church bell dinging)
Let's go in.
To a church?
Yeah, we're in Italy.
I told you I don't like churches.
You're the one who said
you wanted a genuine cultural experience.
This is that.
Yeah, well, you know how I
feel about organized religion.
I'm not saying that we should convert.
I just wanna see the art.
There's a lot of imagery
in there I'd rather avoid.
Look at this architecture.
So much work.
So much painstaking work.
We don't even know the names
of the people that created all this.
I'm sure the info is online.
No, I mean, we don't know.
You and me just standing here.
These were regular people
who created more intricate work
than we could ever imagine doing.
There's 100 more churches just like it.
Different time, different skillset.
Yeah, less distractions.
(film reeling)
[Nate] About a quarter mile left.
Are you sure you're doing okay?
Yeah, just sick to my stomach.
Hungry probably.
Hungry enough to eat a
horse, hooves and all.
What?
Nothing.
Just hungry enough to eat a horse.
I told you,
I really do think I should
start improv classes.
I think I'd be really good at it.
My childhood dream was to be on SNL.
Did I ever tell you that?
- No.
- But I can't wear wigs
'cause my scalp gets so sweaty.
That's not what I'm talking about.
And how do you even know that?
But that's not the point.
Do you really not remember?
Ouch, okay.
- So you don't.
- What?
- Remember.
- Remember what?
"Hungry enough to eat a horse?"
Can you elaborate?
That's the first thing
that you ever said to me
the day that we met at that
bowling alley on 9th Street.
I walked up to you and I was
like, "Hey, how's it going?"
You said, "Bitchin'.
Just hungry enough to eat a horse."
I mean, it does sound like me.
Mm-hmm.
It was really cute actually,
'cause you were a little bit drunk,
and you laughed at yourself.
It was like you were the
first person to ever say that.
So you're saying I'm not funny.
I get it.
You have your moments.
Who was that party even for?
This girl in my "Women in Film" class.
She handed out tampons as
party favors to everyone,
including the guys.
Remember that?
And she wrote something on them.
What was it?
[Both] Property of the US Government Yep.
- Real mood k*ller.
- Yeah.
Yeah, she was obsessed with linking
everything we watched in
class to the patriarchy.
Like, if the movie opened
with a shot of a skyscraper
or something, she would
comment to the whole class
about how it was an
intentionally phallic object
meant to open the movie
from the male gaze.
She was sisters with... [Nate] Mmm...
Oh, I had a real crush on
her brother at the time.
Mm-hmm.
- Sterling. You remember him?
- Unfortunately, yeah.
- Why unfortunately?
Well, for starters, he
had a really cool name
and so I was jealous.
But mostly it was because
I was trying to talk to you all day,
but you were trying to talk to
him, thus not talking to me.
Yeah, well I was wondering
who the sweaty guy
with sideburns was following me around.
First of all, first of all,
the sideburns were a phase.
I was binge watching "That
70's Show" at the time.
So gimme a break.
Okay.
I don't have an excuse as
to why I was sweaty though.
Probably because I was using
the bigger bowling ball
to try and impress you.
How would I have even known?
It made sense at the time.
I hate to break it to you,
but I made out with him that night.
Yeah, I'm very aware,
I walked in on you two in
the handicap stall, remember?
If it makes you feel any better,
he was ripping up hot dogs the whole time.
Actually, that does make me feel better.
It should be this way.
I am so close to 50,000 followers.
I know it's stupid,
but brands really only care
about verified accounts
because of that little blue check mark.
I mean, once I hit 50k, they'll
have to verify me, right?
Like, I need more than just
laxative teas to sponsor me.
Nate.
Nate.
God, I hate it when you do that!
Sorry.
Sorry.
What's up?
Nothing. Nothing.
Is it what I said?
'Cause I'm just trying to
No, it is nothing that
you said and it's nothing.
Just drop it.
Clearly something's wrong, just tell me
I just said I don't wanna
talk about it, okay?
Fine.
But, you know, if you
just told me, you'd feel
Oh my God, it's Chris, okay?
It's Chris.
Who?
Chris Chapman.
Am I supposed to know who that is?
This is exactly why I didn't...
I've talked about him.
We went to high school together.
He was in film club with me.
The one who won the
film festival over you?
And Prom King,
and most likely to be famous.
And he was Mike in "A Chorus
Line" while I was Marc.
What's the difference?
Well, Mike has a song and dance solo.
Meanwhile, Marc's shining
moment is 30-seconds
singing about a gonorrhea outbreak.
That is unfortunate.
You know, the jokes were funny at first.
I played along with it,
I went along with the "your
d*ck is infected" jokes.
But it was this weird thing
where it's like people didn't
know what "A Chorus Line" was,
they just kind of assumed it
was based on me or something.
Couldn't separate the
art from the artist, huh?
No, not for a year afterwards actually.
I don't care about him.
I don't care about him.
I don't care about him.
I don't care about him.
I don't understand why
you let him get to you.
I don't want to let him get to me.
It's just like every few months
he pops up on my Facebook feed
with some new huge accomplishment.
It's like every f*cking
time I'm blindsided.
You'd think I'd be used to it
by now, but somehow I'm not.
I don't...
What is it this time?
He just finished directing
his third feature.
Oh.
Do you know the "Air Bud" movies?
Mm-hmm.
He's in Chris's movie.
- Who?
- The dog.
Bud?
No. No way that dog is still alive.
I think it's one of the
ones from the newer movies.
I don't know.
Am I supposed to be impressed by that?
It's just frustrating, okay?
That is not exactly what I
would call star power, Nate.
Not the dog! Just, Chris.
The fact that he exists
and there's no way he
ever even thinks about me.
He probably doesn't even remember my name.
And I bet he doesn't even
follow me back either.
His success just drives
me absolutely crazy.
Like I should at least be
that successful, right?
Nate, everyone has their own timeline.
It is not a race.
It is not a competition.
There's not a finite amount
of success to go around.
I like that idea in theory
- Well, it's true.
- But it just doesn't,
and I'm 26 for f*ck's sake.
Everything I do from here on
out is officially unimpressive.
Why do you think that?
Because, you know,
we're like full-blown adults
now and getting older.
Like, for Chris, it's like
the third feature and only 26,
amazing! But I haven't
even written one yet.
Not even one.
Even if I were to start right now,
it wouldn't be released for another,
what, three years, if at all?
Why do you measure your success in life
on just your career?
What else would I measure it on?
Besides you, us, this.
You act like you're 40.
Who is expecting you
to have all your sh*t figured out by now?
I'm certainly not.
My parents were married with
two kids by my age, right?
Two children, two whole kids.
And I still feel like I'm 18,
like I haven't changed
at all since I was 18.
And I keep thinking that
one day I'm gonna wake up
and look in the mirror and
just be able to say like,
this is what it feels like to be an adult.
Clearly that's not gonna happen.
(sighs) I just wish I could
forget about that post.
Nate, look at me.
Look at me.
Stop being such a p*ssy and block him.
Geez, thanks for the concern.
That feels fantastic, Moriah.
What? Do you want me to sugarcoat it?
If it f*ck with you so much,
why do you let it into your life?
Because I wanna be strong enough
so that it doesn't phase me.
And do you have to say things like that?
p*ssy, really?
That's actually really sexist, you know?
What?
Let me guess, I'm sorry?
Don't be a d*ck.
A d*ck or a p*ssy, Moriah? Which is it?
Wow.
That is really disrespectful
to marginalized inter sex people.
[Nate, in Italian] Scusi, scusi, scusi.
[Moriah] Jesus, it's like Disneyland.
Epcot more specifically.
What?
They have a miniature version
of St. Mark's Square at Epcot.
Cool.
Instead of this,
can we go to that lookout
point I told you about?
I sent the location to your phone.
It's right next to our-
Have you seen
"The Italian Job"?
What?
"The Italian Job."
The F. Gary Gray film.
Mark Wahlberg, Donald Sutherland?
- No, I haven't seen that one.
- Charlize Theron?
Oh, well if Charlize is in it.
Oh my God, Moriah, no!
- Yeah.
- No, look, look, look, look.
This is where it starts.
This is where they planned the heist,
where they broke into that safe
and then sped down the canals.
This is the titular "Italian Job."
- What's your point?
- That it's cool to be here,
where it was filmed.
I watched that movie like 400 times
when I had chickenpox in the fourth grade.
That, "October Sky"
and "Along Came Polly,"
then right back to the beginning.
- Fascinating
- But "The Italian Job"
was by far my favorite.
It's so influential to me.
Like, like informed who I am
today kind of influential.
Are you planning a heist
I don't know about?
- Shh.
- Nate. What?
This is sacred ground.
Mark Wahlberg walked here.
Let's be respectful.
Shh, it's sacred.
Sacred.
We trekked all the way here
and it's under construction!
Cute.
Gram-able.
All these people from all over the world,
walking around down there like little ants
really makes you think.
About what?
Just how unimportant we are.
All these things that feel
like a big deal to us.
How many people down there
have dealt with the same thing?
Like, how can we be important, special?
A person to be remembered
when there are so many people?
Really makes you wonder
why I even bother stressing
over shitty little
things when in 100 years
no one's even gonna remember your name.
Anyway, we're not like all these people.
What does that mean?
That sounded like not what I meant.
What I mean is that we have
a different perspective
than these people. We're
aware of this sort of thing,
you know?
You don't think all of these people
question all of this do?
Some, maybe, but not most.
Most people are too tied
up in their own sh*t
to even think about the big picture.
Do you really think that?
Yeah.
No, are we really gonna
wait an hour to see a church
we can't even take pictures inside of?
I'm sorry, why do you have
to fight every single idea
that you don't suggest?
It's not that I didn't suggest it,
it's that it's hot and we are in the sun.
I don't wanna get sunburned.
I have sunscreen.
Oh, to bake chemicals into my skin?
My body doesn't need
any more f*cking abuse.
And why is that never an issue
when you have to pop a Xanax
just 'cause you're feeling off?
Nate, when I think of an Italian vacation,
I picture myself on the beach
with a drink in a bucket,
not waiting in line like I'm at Six Flags!
Okay, well, then go wait in
the shade like a cry baby.
I'll meet you after.
(bright accordion music)
- Oh my God!
- What?
- That was quick.
- Yeah, I got outta line.
For me?
No, they don't allow bags
in which I didn't figure out
until I got to the front of the line.
So my options were bring my bag back here
and wait 40 more minutes, or I
I think you already
know the answer to that.
What is it? What happened?
Look, 50,000 followers.
I finally reached it.
Awesome.
Awesome.
- Nate!
- What?
Come on, you're not really
that upset, are you?
It's just a church!
No, Moriah, it is not just a church.
It's one of the most famous
landmarks in the entire world.
You're just upset because you
have a crush on Marky Mark.
- What?
- And you didn't get
to spend enough time where
his precious feet have fallen.
Please stop minimizing this.
I'm mad, like actually mad.
And Mark... there wasn't even
a scene set in the Basilica,
and no, I do not have a crush on him,
please grow up.
- You said and I quote,
"I would sleep with Marky Mark."
No, you said I had to
pick a guy to sleep with,
and so naturally I picked, you know what?
It's irrelevant.
It doesn't matter.
It doesn't mean anything.
- Calm down, Jesus.
I'm joking.
And it's one damn place
in this whole trip.
It's not just, it's not
just this instance, Moriah,
it's this thing you do, you just don't...
It's like you don't care
about anything I wanna do
if it at all inconveniences you.
You know, two minutes ago,
my entire mood has shifted
because I'd finally achieved the thing
I've been working towards for a year,
and now it's all about you.
You know, you're doing that thing
where you flip the situation
and make everything my
fault all of a sudden?
No, I do not do that.
And you're the one who's
taking away from my moment.
What can I do to make you not mad at me?
That's not an apology.
This is rockier than I
imagined it would be.
Are you okay?
Yeah, just trying not to get sick.
Did you take the Dramamine I gave you?
No.
I have some right here.
No, I don't wanna take it.
If it's gonna prevent
your motion sickness,
you should take it.
- It only helps
if I am motion sick.
So if I take it and don't get sick,
it makes me feel worse.
But you know that you're going to.
Could you just drop it?
You're so f*cking
dramatic, I swear to God.
I don't wanna put random
chemicals in my body, Nate.
Your whole body is made
of chemicals, Moriah.
That's human anatomy.
I don't need artificial ones
and I don't wanna support big pharma.
It's over the counter.
This is just like the Advil thing.
I just don't understand-
It is my business
what I put in my body.
- Why you have to avoid
something that's gonna
make you feel better.
- It's not your business.
- It becomes my business-
- It's my choice,
it's my body.
- When I have to hear you
complain about your period cramps!
If only you know what it was like
to have your uterus
ripped apart every month.
It smells like sh*t.
(Nate snorts)
What, you don't like that?
It's an aphrodisiac.
Oh yeah.
It really puts me in the mood.
Should we just go for it?
Yeah.
And we can get him to film
it, start an OnlyFans.
You know, I think we'd actually
do really well on there.
I think really cinematic
porn is an untapped market.
You know, like shot on an anamorphic lens,
classically trained
actors, that sort of thing.
I think the smell's getting worse.
Do the toilets just like
flush into the canals?
No way.
I don't know, maybe.
I mean, we pay to use the bathroom here,
you'd think they would put that money
towards a proper sewer system.
I'm sure it'll pass.
What are you doing?
I'm being romantic.
Haven't you seen the others passing?
Everyone's all cuddled up.
Yeah, well, the others must have Botox-ed
their sweat glands.
It's hot as f*ck.
This is a once in a lifetime
opportunity, Moriah,
just like the zip lining
in Switzerland was.
Oh my God, again with this?
I do not like things that go fast.
You know that.
That's why I never ride
Space Mountain at Disneyland.
It is called compromise.
Okay, well, I'm here on the f*cking boat
with my motion sickness, aren't I?
You're right, I'm sorry.
You can, like, feel the history, you know.
I feel nostalgic for sure.
Look.
Look how much the water level's risen.
The whole city is sinking.
Really?
Yeah.
(soft poignant music)
This whole place was built
on these big wooden beams
that were driven straight into
the little porous islands.
Yeah.
Buildings and cathedrals,
museums, lavish mansions,
everything, all built
on top of each other,
one right after another.
Picture perfect from the outside,
but underneath is this shaky,
unsteady foundation that
wasn't built to last.
Eventually it'll all just go.
But it's fine for now.
Yeah.
Yeah, fine for now.
So some of the older buildings
do in fact still flush into the canal.
Ugh. Really?
Yep, twice a day,
the tides allegedly take it out to sea,
which according to this was
revolutionary at the time.
The newer buildings don't, though.
What newer buildings?
Look at this picture my
brother just sent me.
- Who is that?
- It's Cher.
No, it's not. That's Cher?
I don't remember Cher looking like that.
Her face is all different.
- Okay, let's not body shame.
(singer singing in Italian)
So I'm guessing this means
that he bought the concert tickets?
Yep, mid-October.
He got me a plane ticket on Frontier?
And a room at Circus Circus?
There is no way in hell I'm
staying at Circus Circus.
Wait.
Let's switch to Caesar's.
Better dinner options,
dancing woman emoji.
Does that sound okay?
I'm sorry, wait.
The concert's in Vegas?
Yeah, didn't I tell you
that? It's a residency.
No, but I guess that makes sense.
- Why does it matter?
- It doesn't, it's stupid.
- Really, what is it?
- No, nothing, seriously.
- Just tell me what it is.
- I'd really rather not.
Fine.
But you know, if you
just told me what it was
Jesus, okay. It's Chris.
He's sh**ting a travel show in Nevada
for the Discovery Channel
or for the Travel Channel,
I guess that'd make more sense.
Something like that.
You're ridiculous.
In what world would that matter?
I have this irrational
fear that the two of you
will bump into each
other and fall in love.
- Seriously?
- I said it was irrational.
It's psychotic.
Well, he gets everything else I want.
Why not you?
You don't want me, babe, you have me.
Babe, that's actually really sweet.
Gimme your phone.
Why?
Give it to me.
Moriah, I'm really not in the mood.
- Your phone!
How do you know my passcode?
1234?
Overflowing with creativity.
Rude.
I guessed it on our fifth date
when you went to the bathroom.
Okay, I'm not even gonna
cross that bridge right now.
- There.
- What?
- I blocked him.
- Who?
Chris.
You know I can just undo that, right?
If you have a shred of self-respect
for your own mental health, you won't.
You need to just forget about him.
You graduated high school 10 years ago.
Eight years, not 10.
Okay, that's a long time
to hold a one-sided,
non-existent grudge with a stranger.
f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck,
my class reunion's in
two years, oh my God.
Mm-mm, it's settled,
if I haven't made at
least one movie by then,
I'm not going.
Nope.
Nope.
If you set time limits for goals
without a plan to get
there, it doesn't matter.
Right, okay,
and what's your plan for
social activism again?
Publicity through social media,
then using my influence for change.
Haven't we already gone over this?
Fine.
Stop it.
- What?
Whatever you're doing, stop.
You should text your brother though,
Circus Circus sucks ba*ls.
- Yeah,
I'll do that right now.
(soft music)
(singer harmonizing)
(door creaking)
(singer harmonizing)
(Moriah plays piano note)
Oh good, our bags made it.
(film reeling)
(crowd chattering)
I'm gonna need a picture out here.
[Nate] Hey.
Jesus Christ, Nate!
When the f*ck did you buy that?
When you went to the bathroom,
I sprinted back to the shop.
Oh, come on. I know that
weird part of you likes it.
No, it doesn't.
I'm gonna burn that when
you go to bed tonight,
or throw it into the canal.
Well, if you do that,
then you'll be haunted.
Ooh!
It's a great find, right?
I suppose.
(bell dinging)
Look at this view!
Yeah, yeah, you're right.
You know, you're really good
at finding cool places like this.
Thank you.
I feel like it's been one cool Airbnb
after another last month.
Maybe you could location scout for movies.
Maybe.
What?
Nothing.
Just professionally,
I'd like to just write and direct films.
Right, right.
But until you get there to
the writer/director thing,
you have to do something.
Well, I mean, I am there, I am doing it.
I'm just waiting for the right
story idea to come along.
Okay, but like I'm talking
about when we get back home,
don't you wanna get a job of some sort?
I consider what I'm doing to
be a full-time job already.
Okay.
It's just-
Moriah,
can we please just not
have this conversation now?
I just, in a couple years
when I'm more successful
and you're more successful,
we're gonna look back
at this, on this view,
on this balcony in Venice,
at that time we were
thinking about our future.
And I would like that memory
to be that we had unwavering
faith in each other.
I believe wholeheartedly
that you'll reach your goals,
do you really not feel
the same way about me?
Yeah.
Okay.
What?
It just wasn't a very
convincing lie, that's all.
No, I was just thinking, okay?
Absorbing, processing.
I do feel the same way.
- Really?
- Yes.
Okay.
I'm not nagging.
I just want you to hold yourself up
to the highest possible standards.
To realize that, like,
this is our only life.
And yes, taking trips like this
and putting time aside for ourselves
is so important for our mental health,
but so is setting and
achieving long-term goals,
like, actually going through with them.
Yeah, I agree.
And I feel like we're both doing that.
Great, that's all I want for us.
Great.
It's weird having a
conversation like this,
in a place like this.
Why?
Just the history here.
Even in this building,
it's been around for
what, hundreds of years?
It's seen disease and poverty,
going from basic world to this
technologically-advanced one.
And imagine the conversations
that have happened here.
I don't think they'd be talking
about influencers or film making.
I've been thinking about it
since we were in Pompeii,
how difficult life was, how to even exist.
And it was like how to get food and water.
That was your life.
How to get to tomorrow, that
was the focus all the time.
[Nate] Yeah.
Half of women died in childbirth.
(soft poignant music)
Well, we have a lot less
to worry about these days.
Different things.
Less dire things That
depends on your perspective.
We may not have to worry
about our immediate survival,
but long-term things
I feel like are still such a big problem.
Look at the mental health epidemic.
It's like the human psyche
will find something to fill that void.
Don't have to hunt for your food?
Well, here you go,
deal with crippling
depression and anxiety.
You think,
do you think maybe we do
it to ourselves, though?
[Moriah] What do you mean?
I just mean, like you said,
like, we don't have anything
to worry about anymore,
so we invent these problems
and allow them to manifest in our lives
to fill that lack of struggle
or lack of experience.
That's not quite what I said.
More or less.
So you think that depression
and anxiety are just made up?
No, I don't think they're made up.
I believe they're real,
I just, I feel like more people
say they have these things
to kind of one up each other,
to seem like or to feel
like they've been through
something too when...
What about me?
Well, I'm not talking about you.
- Feels like you are.
- No, I'm
You were the one,
you were saying that
we have a hole to fill.
You think I've made up my years and years
of struggling with my
mental health problems?
No, I'm not saying that.
Well, it sounds like
that's what you're saying.
Well, I'm not!
I'm just talking.
Can we not just talk?
It might be easy for you
to dismiss my mental health problems
because you've never felt them yourself,
but I promise you they're real.
I'm not...
Jesus, Moriah, I'm not
saying that they're not.
And you know that I went
through a dark time when my mom
passed the way so-
No, going through
a dark time and depression
are different things.
It's not like yours was
ever diagnosed, Nate.
It can trigger depression
or make depression worse,
but it is not the same thing
as clinical depression.
Okay.
And I'm not like you.
I was born into a middle class family,
I haven't had everything handed to me.
What the f*ck does that mean?
It means that I don't have some chronic
lack of experience complex
that I am desperate to make up for,
like maybe you think I do
No, I'm sorry, please enlighten me,
tell me one thing that I
had that you never did.
Maybe a BMW when you turned 16?
You got a car on your 16th birthday too.
Yeah, a used car.
It's basically the exact same thing.
No, it's not.
Yes, it is.
A BMW is just a middle class person's way
to look like they have
money, everyone knows that.
And it wasn't even the car that I wanted.
Nate.
I have always had to work
for everything that I have.
[Nate] Oh my God.
And that is something that
you will never understand.
Why, why are you picking
a fight right now?
I just want to enjoy one
f*cking second of this,
the $400 view, and you wanna
fight for some reason, why?
Then listen to your own advice.
I'm going to defend myself
when you attack my character.
When did I attack your character?
When you said that my diagnosed
illnesses were bullshit!
I never said that.
- You basically said that.
- But I didn't!
Yeah.
Well, in case you were wondering,
I don't attribute the
chemical imbalance in my brain
to a lack of struggle.
I can't believe you
would actually go there
after the last year.
And it's bullshit to you.
What the f*ck, man?
(Nate laughs)
Oh, it's funny to you.
What happened is funny to you.
Great.
No, Moriah, it's not, it
is f*cking heartbreaking.
Both things were heartbreaking.
But I'm not like you, I
didn't use it as an excuse
to go out shopping, or to the spa,
or f*cking weekend trips to the Hamptons
under the guise of a mental
health day or self-betterment.
I can't do that, I'm sorry
Because there's such a
difference between that
and going to clubs every other night?
Yeah, I go to clubs because
I like it and it's fun.
I don't pretend that it's
for my self-care regimen,
and I certainly don't
post about it on Instagram
every f*cking time either.
People like to see others doing well.
- Oh my God.
- People like to see my posts.
They like to see someone
who has been through
the mental health ringer
and has come out the other
side with ways to heal,
even if it is spa days
or f*cking vacations.
It is important to share those stories.
It is important for them,
for the people who haven't
gotten to where I am.
That's bullshit. You know that's bullshit.
You understand that, right?
- Me. I am, right?
- No, it's not you, it's
It's just these posts, they're
these f*cking absurd posts.
They're just a thinly-veiled excuse
to post a pretty picture of
yourself and get attention.
That's all it is.
Why do you care so much?
Why can't I do what makes me happy?
Because you're lying!
Because it's fake, it
doesn't mean anything,
and that's associated with me.
I'm trying to live my life genuinely,
I'm trying to live a genuine life.
Genuine.
Have you looked in the mirror?
- Jesus Christ, I can't.
- No, Jesus Christ,
you are delusional.
Everything you do is copying a trend.
Everything you say
is slang that you've stolen from others.
Get a f*cking grip on reality.
Is that really how you think of yourself?
That's insanely typical of
you flipping the script,
your most polished talent.
Coming from the person who is sitting here
trying to assassinate my personality.
I'm just trying to be real with you, okay?
I can't stomach this feeling
that I'm devoting my time
to someone so dishonest.
Again, me.
I'm the dishonest one.
When I f*cking met you,
you lied about every
aspect of who you were.
It took two months of us dating
before I even knew the real you.
Bullshit.
The 1% you.
- That's bullshit, Moriah, stop!
You wore f*cking thrift shop clothes
and lived in a studio apartment
and copped this starving
artist's demeanor,
when in reality, you are the
poster child for privilege.
Two silver spoons up your
a*s when you were born,
not even one.
Oh, okay, so I'm the dishonest one.
Yeah, you are.
That's really rich coming from the person
who f*cked my best friend!
We agreed we wouldn't talk
about that on this trip.
I know, I didn't...
I didn't want to.
I really didn't. I just wanted to heal.
Really, I wanted to spend our
time here healing, you and me.
But maybe, I don't know,
maybe that's not possible,
not after everything that's happened.
You wanted to heal?
You didn't have a life
die inside of you, Nate.
I was in a f*cked up place
last summer, you know that.
It wasn't just your
life that died, Moriah,
it was mine too.
But unlike you, I didn't go
out and f*ck somebody else,
I didn't walk out in
the middle of the night
with the sole intent of cheating,
but that's what you did.
You did that.
You think that I'm picking the fight?
This is so f*cked up.
This is so f*cked up!
- What is?
My coping strategies
for the worst thing that
has ever happened to me?
No, Moriah.
The way we treat each
other, the way you treat me,
the way you're talking to me right now.
And you know what's so stupid?
You've never apologized.
Not even once.
Not once have you said
the words "I'm sorry."
Never.
You blamed all of it,
everything, you blamed on the baby.
Still to this day, you
have not said it even once.
- g*dd*mn it, Nate.
- What?
Is that so hard for you to admit?
Is that really so hard for
you to say those words?
I love you.
I have explained 100
times why it happened.
An explanation is not an apology.
Unbelievable.
You know, I think that
if you were to admit it,
then suddenly it would
be real to you, right?
If you say you're sorry,
suddenly you're a person
who's shitty situations
can be caused by you, by yourself,
not by external factors or
mental imbalances or bad luck,
but purely some shitty
decision-making, all you.
Bravo, Nate.
You're really digging deep there.
You're really exploring my psychology
with your profound experience as a writer.
You're much more enlightened than me
because you've done so much
with your writing career, right?
f*ck you.
What?
I thought you wanted me to be real.
At least I'm trying.
You're trying?
How much have you
written in the last year?
One short?
With the money you inherited
you could make a feature tomorrow.
But instead all you do
is talk, talk, talk, talk
about what you are going to do,
and you are never going
to actually do any of it!
I'm in a period of ideation, Moriah.
I need inspiration.
I can't just sh*t out the next
great American screenplay
But you can f*cking try!
- I am trying!
- No, you are not!
No, you are not.
I know you think I'm bullshit,
but at least I f*cking work
towards my aspirations every day.
You know, maybe there is
some truth to what you said.
You were born so privileged,
so without any struggles
that you have to create
this writer's block,
this lack of inspiration to
prevent you from ever trying
because God forbid you
have another shitty film.
And then you complain about peers
who are more successful than you.
Well, guess what, babe?
Chris Chapman didn't get all
that money when he turned 18,
he is successful because he
doesn't have any other options.
Wow, that's a really cruel thing to say.
Yeah, it doesn't feel good, does it?
Hitting you where it hurts the most?
- What, you're gonna leave?
- Yeah, I am.
Really? You're gonna leave now.
Don't follow me.
Moriah!
Don't.
(exhales sharply)
(exhales slowly)
(door opens and closes)
(door creaking)
(people chattering)
(soft piano music)
(film reeling)
(water lapping softly)
[Nate] Hey.
I asked you not to follow me.
I know.
(church bell dinging)
I'm sorry.
You were right, this is the perfect spot.
Picture perfect.
Here's the problem,
I think some of what I said is true.
Okay.
Does that mean I'm the one
who should be saying it,
or that I went about it in the right way?
Not necessarily, no.
And I think that some of what
you said about me is true too.
I'm not genuine, I guess.
(soft poignant music)
Which sucks.
And I probably was talking about myself
when I said those things.
I don't have a lot of life experience.
I've never had to work hard
for anything that I want,
and I constantly feel like
whoever I am is not what people like
or what people want.
And I shouldn't have taken
that out on you, I'm sorry.
You're also not a psychologist.
No, I'm just a film studies major.
By the way, you spend a lot
of time studying human emotion
and character psyche
through watching film,
so I think-
Nate.
Sorry, sorry.
I just,
I need you to meet me halfway.
Why?
You clearly don't wanna be
with someone as fake as me.
- I'm-
- Nate.
If what you're looking for is an apology,
you're not going to get it.
I don't understand you.
Why is it so hard for you to...
I'm saying sorry,
I'm saying that I f*cked
up and overstepped
and voicing what I feel like I did wrong,
but you won't reciprocate.
I'm not gonna say what you want
just to make you feel better.
Just because there's like this notion
that when people in a relationship fight,
each one of 'em has to admit
to something they did wrong.
It's not just a notion,
it's character growth.
It's change.
Life isn't like that, Nate.
I'm not trying to change.
I like who I am.
You like being a person
who refuses to admit
they can ever be wrong?
How are you okay with that?
If I'm so horrible,
why do you even bother?
Because you're not horrible.
You just have tendencies
that veer in that direction.
Great. Thanks.
(Nate chuckles)
What's funny about this?
You're just...
Take a f*cking look.
This is the most beautiful thing
I've ever seen in my life.
This view, the f*cking breeze
off the Mediterranean ocean
filling my lungs, I'm feeling inspired.
Like this is where I'm supposed to be
for the first time in a year
when I see the most beautiful
person I've ever known.
But there's,
there's this f*cking inability
for us to communicate.
This is who I am, Nate.
This is who I am.
I accept your flaws,
even if it seems like I'm
always ragging on you,
I do that because I care.
I still love them because
they're a part of you.
But, I'm not really
convinced that you love mine.
There are some things I can accept.
I can accept your
stubbornness, I'm stubborn too.
You know, I,
I can begrudgingly
accept your constant need
to make your life seem perfect online,
basically everyone does that these days,
but I can't accept that
you just won't acknowledge
that the things you do can hurt people.
When I...
When I walked in on you two-Do we have to?
We never have!
We avoided and danced around the subject
at all costs for some reason.
I'm guilty too.
I play along, but
I think I finally deserve
to speak on it, don't I?
(soft poignant music continues)
I just,
I just felt like I had nothing left.
Nobody.
The two most important people in my life
consciously chose to betray me together.
And it's been eating away at me,
that's what it's felt like,
like there's something
eating at my f*cking sanity
and I wanna move on, I do, really,
I just, I don't know,
how am I supposed to get that
f*cking image out of my head?
That look on your face
right before you realized
that I'd walked in.
Like you were so excited.
Like both of you were so
proud to be hurting me.
Moriah,
I booked us this trip
because I thought we
could do this together
and have a transformative
experience, right?
It just feels like you don't care.
Of course I care.
Then why can't you say sorry?
That's all I need from you,
it's two f*cking words!
Because that's not who I am!
You have known me for three years,
not my whole f*cking life.
What does that mean?
It means that my personality exists
because of experiences
that you've never seen.
Did you ever think of that?
This person that you see is not
the person I've always been.
Then help me understand.
Growing up was really rough for me.
Basically no friends.
I didn't get along with anyone.
I was just constantly combative
with everyone around me.
And my school counselors would tell me
that I needed an attitude adjustment
or that I should apologize
when I said something that
they thought was out of line.
And it made me so angry.
Like, why should I apologize
for speaking my mind?
Are my thoughts,
my choices as valuable
than everyone else's?
But, I played along and I
lived in this bubble of guilt
and feeling like I was always wrong.
That everything I said and did was wrong.
And that's when I first
felt f*cked up in the head.
And I remember so vividly
when I was a senior
and we got our yearbook,
our parents got to write us
a note next to our picture.
And mine wrote, "Moriah,
you never compromise
to please others.
For that you will go far in life."
And that was like,
that shifted my entire perspective
'cause I never thought of my honesty
and my stubbornness as a positive thing.
It was just drilled into my
head that I needed to change
and needed to polish these
undesirable character traits.
So I went to therapy
and I learned to combat the negativity
and accepted who I am.
And things were better.
So I don't apologize.
I don't compromise. I move on.
I recognize my errors
in judgment and move on.
But I'm not gonna pretend
like what I did didn't happen.
I was in a bad mental place
and I reverted to
self-destructive behavior.
It bothers me that I hurt you so much
and I'm gonna make it better,
or at least I'm gonna try.
But I need to move on.
And so do you.
I just don't know how to forget.
I'm not asking you to.
We don't have to forget to move forward.
(Nate chuckles)
You're finding a lot of humor here.
Nate, I don't think this is
No, no, no, no, that's not, I'm not.
I've been carrying this
around for the entire trip
and just waiting for the perfect moment.
And if, it would be
time, it would be this.
Not this,
this.
I think I was just looking for
an easy solution, you know,
just a Band-aid for our problems.
A really expensive Band-aid.
God.
Marriage.
Could you imagine us married?
What a f*cking mess that would be.
Yeah.
Sorry, I didn't mean to.
But you don't think
that would actually
work right now, do you?
So you're not even gonna show me the ring?
(Nate laughs)
What?
Just because-
You just said I'm sorry.
(soft music)
(Nate laughing)
I take it back, I don't wanna see it.
No, no, no, no, you said it.
You said it.
This is, this is incredible.
This is what, no character growth?
Are you sure?
I didn't even say it for real.
No, but you still said it.
It's funny, I didn't,
I didn't even know what
that combination of letters
could sound like coming out of your mouth.
Just throw the f*cking ring
in the water, why don't you!
No.
No, I don't think I will.
(Nate laughs)
(light string music)
(boat honking)
(Polaroid whirring)
(light string music continues)
You should really start
wearing lotion, Nate.
It's like holding hands
with King Tut's corpse.
I can't do stupid scented
lotion, Moriah, okay.
Every time I put it on,
I have to smell it every 30 seconds
and it makes me nauseous.
There's unscented lotion, Nate.
Even unscented has a medicated smell.
Coming from Mr. "the smell
of the ocean breeze."
That's completely different,
that's a temporary smell
versus a constant smell.
And what happened to "it's my body,
I can do with it what I want"?
You have a tremendous talent
for turning my words on me.
You just f*cking did that to me!
[Both] You know, sometimes
I just can't f*cking stand
(light jazzy music)
(water lapping softly)
(seagulls squawking)
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Nate and Moriah in Venice (2025)
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