[door creaks]
[evil cackling]
[lightning cracks]
♪
♪
♪
[thunder rumbles, lightning cracks]
♪
[brakes screeching]
[thunder rumbling]
[brakes screeching]
MALE RADIO ANNOUNCER: Police believe the suspect escaped in a gray sedan and may be headed to the state border.
[siren wailing]
ANNOUNCER: Suspect is armed and considered extremely dangerous.
[siren continues]
[brakes squealing]
[crash]
♪
[thunder rumbling]
[heavy breathing]
♪
[police siren wailing]
[thunder cracks]
♪
Not much longer, my love.
[banging at door]
♪
Mm. Not at all what I expected.
♪
[metal clanging]
♪
♪
[gasping]
[moaning]
[thunder rumbling]
[heavy breathing]
[groaning]
[heavy breathing]
♪
[heart machine beeping]
[heavy breathing]
[whistling]
[heavy breathing]
Turn around real slow, assh*le.
I should think a simple thank you would suffice.
Thank you?
f*ck you! You took my fingers.
Correction. I saved your hand and your life while-- Back away, or I swear to God I'm gonna k*ll you.
[laughs] Yes, I know you will.
Yes, I'm counting on it.
Jesus Christ.
Nope, guess again.
It's Avery Whitlock.
Friends call me Whitey.
Call me Whitey.
I need your car, Whitey.
Yeah, the company vehicle, yeah.
Give me the keys.
You're not gonna get very far tonight in your condition, dear.
We'll see about that.
Well not tonight, you see, the interstate's flooded.
[heavy breathing]
Do you--do you wanna die, old man?
Yes. Yes, absolutely. [chuckles]
In the morning, I'll be dead, and you'll be on your way.
But first, tonight, join me for a glass of wine.
You see, you've lost a lot of blood, Angela.
And you're gonna need your strength for the journeys ahead.
Besides, I have something to give you.
[nervous chuckle]
It's a gift that will make the very gods tremble.
[thunder rumbles]
Come on.
♪
[thunder rumbles]
♪
I've been saving this for a special occasion.
Tonight is cause célèbre.
[cork pops] [wine pours]
So, you're going to tell me what this is... all about?
Of course, Angela.
Tonight is all about love and fate.
Do you believe in fate?
That some unseen force-- be it god or karma-- that controls our lives?
There are no gods.
But then you already know that given your age and your profession.
Who hurt you?
I was admiring your wedding band.
Was it a loving spouse?
My spouse is dead.
I'm sorry.
So am I.
His death was... well, it was not the work of a benevolent god, Mr. Whitlock. Whitey.
What would you do if I told you that your visit was not by choice but rather... a grand design perpetrated by me?
I'd say you've been hitting too much of the good stuff.
WHITEY: [chuckles]
You know, tonight is my wife's birthday.
Forty-seven years I was faithful to that woman.
And, um, I can tell you something that most men can't.
And that's that I loved her every day.
Even on days I couldn't bear the click-clacking of her dentures--[laughs]-- I adored that woman.
Which makes what I did all the more unthinkable.
♪
♪
What is that?
It's a gift I alluded to.
♪
You see this paw was smuggled out of Mumbai by a former client, now deceased.
Old folklore tells of an Indian Fakir who cast a spell on it, giving it the power to grant its host three wishes.
Now, the Fakir wanted to prove that fate ruled people's lives, and that those that interfered did so at their own peril.
Note the clenched fist.
That means that three wishes have already been granted.
You're gonna tell me what this little prop here has to do with your late wife?
[chuckles] Almost everything.
You see, like you, I didn't believe in the power of the paw.
But Marjorie, she couldn't resist.
She made a couple of frivolous wishes.
The first was a lost recipe.
And the other, I can't recall.
But the point was that the wishes came to pass.
[laughs] A lost recipe?
I know what you're thinking.
But it was her third wish that convinced me otherwise.
The third and final wish born of desperation and fear...
Your move.
♪ WHITEY: Her business was dying.
The once harsh winters, the seasons of our life's blood, had grown tame.
In the past, one could always count on the pipes freezing up at the senior center, along with the few of the seniors if we were lucky.
But after three generations of service, the Whitlock Funeral Home was on the brink of bankruptcy.
And that's when Marjorie turned to the paw.
♪ WHITEY: With her final wish remaining, she asked for...
Money.
Send all the money we need and more.
♪ WHITEY: Within a week, I was wealthy.
[thunder rumbles]
Wow, sounds like a sh*t load of new customers.
It was a solitary death.
The insurance payout on my Marjorie.
♪ Oh come all ye faithful
♪ Joyful and triumphant ?
♪ Oh come ye, oh come ye MARJORIE: [screams]
♪ Bethlehem Marjorie!
♪
WHITEY: The paw took hold of our fate and squeezed.
Squeezed until fate gave her what she bargained for.
All the money we had ever needed and more.
A coincidence.
Yeah, like the flooded interstate.
Possibly.
But it's what happened next that demonstrated with unmitigated clarity the true power of the paw.
Each day had become an eternity.
The hours, the seconds-- my cruelest adversaries.
♪
[crash]
WHITEY: I prayed for guidance, but the answers never came.
Until I received what I took to be divine intervention.
Christ had risen, had he not?
Up from the dead?
And here I was requesting a miracle.
♪
[wood creaks]
♪
WHITEY: Christ forgive me.
I wished my Marjorie back from the dead.
♪
MARJORIE: [whispers] Whitey.
Whitey.
♪
MARJORIE: Help me.
[wind whistling]
Marjorie!
Night after night I held vigil.
But still, my bride would not return.
Was I being punished for my part in this godless affair?
♪ MARJORIE: [whispers] Whitey.
♪
♪ WHITEY: But several weeks later while testing the integrity of a new product line--
[loud thud]
♪
[screaming]
WHITEY: Horror of horrors.
I wished Marjorie alive, yes.
But her body would be trapped.
♪
[car horn honking]
♪ WHITEY: I had to keep my wits about me.
One wrong move, and Marjorie would be locked inside the Premium Ever Rest for all eternity.
♪ WHITEY: I guarantee it.
♪
[heavy breathing]
[groaning]
[heavy breathing]
MARJORIE: [moaning]
It's me, my love.
I've come to save you.
I'm sorry.
MARJORIE: [moaning]
Here, here.
♪
[loud moaning]
It's me, my love.
I've come to save you.
MARJORIE: [heavy breathing]
[screaming]
WHITEY: [yelling]
MARJORIE: [moans] WHITEY: [screaming]
[moaning]
I love you, Marjorie.
MARJORIE: [moaning]
♪
WHITEY: No!
♪ As you were, my love. As you were.
♪
I tried convincing myself it was all imagined.
The experience at the grave no more than a waking nightmare.
But the weeks have not been kind, and I dream about her every night.
And I see the look on her face of terror.
Terror that I helped facilitate.
And the horror.
The horror of her being trapped in the Premium Ever Rest for all eternity.
You guarantee it.
I guarantee it.
[chuckles] Think I'm a senile old buzzard, don't you?
I think you're full of sh*t.
Uh.
Wanna see the scar?
[laughs] Excuse me?
From the cemetery where I got the bite.
Wanna see? No, I'll pass.
Thank you.
Ah.
Tick tock.
It's up to you now.
♪
♪
The interstate's open.
I'll take those keys now.
Uh, keys are in the hearse where they've always been.
Why did you save my life?
It's Christian charity.
Bullshit. WHITEY: [laughs]
Why was I spared?
You weren't spared.
I invited you here.
I asked the paw to send me a k*ller to relieve me of my life misery.
Can't do it myself.
su1c1de is too great a sin.
I'm not a k*ller.
WHITEY: Oh yes, you are.
I've been following your story.
You've k*lled before.
And before you leave here today, you'll k*ll again.
♪ Please... end--end it.
[heart machine beeping]
MAN: Please.
[crying]
[heart machine beeping]
♪
I love you.
♪
[silenced g*nsh*t]
[machine flat lines]
WHITEY: I can't fight it.
It's our destiny.
I don't believe in destiny.
But if it'll shut you up.
Bless you.
♪
No!
No, what are you doing?
[groaning]
Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!
[screaming]
sh**t me! Ahhh!
[screaming]
sh**t me, Angela!
[g*nsh*t blasts]
[heavy breathing]
Thank you.
No, no, no, no.
No, you can't die.
I'm not a k*ller. I'm not a k*ller!
No, you can't--
[heavy breathing]
♪
[heavy breathing]
♪
♪
The keys? Where are the keys?
Oh, what?
♪
[keys jingle]
Visor. sh*t, Whitey.
[engine turning over and stalls]
♪
[car engine starts]
♪
[car revs]
♪
[lights hum]
♪
[sobbing]
♪
Get up.
Get up, get up.
[heavy breathing]
f*ck you, Whitey.
[loud rumbling] [light hums]
♪
[gasps]
No, no, no, no!
[screaming]
♪
♪
[lightning crackles]
[evil laughing]
[wood creaks shut]
♪
Alright! Listen up, jailers!
Y'all know me.
It's your old pal, Lester M. Barclay.
And I ain't never steered you wrong!
Not once! Not ever!
Give us mercy, oh lord.
That divine mercy.
Wipe away our sins.
You got us into this.
I did everything you said.
I'm gonna get us out it, too, so you just shut the hell up.
[whooping]
Hey, y'all know you're barking up the wrong tree here, don't ya?
Once this all blows over, we're gonna fix it no time flat.
sh*t!
We all got history together!
We all fought the good fight!
And I was always here for ya!
Even when nobody else gave a damn!
I wish someone would stick a cork in his ol' fat pie hole.
It ain't funny, Deke. [crowd yelling in distance]
I didn't say it was funny.
I don't think none of this here's funny.
[crowd cheering in distance]
Hey, we are running out of time here!
[crowd chanting in distance]
The clock is still ticking.
If you don't make a right choice here, you don't do what is right for this town, and for America!
Let me tell you, there is gonna be hell to pay.
LOTTIE: You got that last part right, baby.
♪ LOTTIE: You want out?
We can get you out. [chuckles]
You just might wanna back away from that door for a minute.
[laughs] Well, look at you now.
[chuckles]
Evil devil woman, all high and mighty all of the sudden.
After everything that has happened in this world, you think you got what it takes to keep this pot from boiling over?
[laughs]
Well, from where I stand, look like you in way over your head.
I know who I am.
And I know what you are.
You ain't the mayor of this town anymore, you piece of sh*t.
So, you wanna stand off to the side there, 'cause for once in your life, all these others come first.
Oh sh*t.
♪ Pastor Mitchell Ryan, his wife, Susan, and son, Jimmy, who encouraged Lester Barclay's reign of terror by claiming it was God's will. WOMAN: No.
News Director Don Pamade who willingly spread his lies with the devil's tongue.
Sheriff Deke and his men who savagely enforced his wicked laws.
Raping and murdering countless numbers of our fellow citizens.
[sobbing] No.
Leslianne Dowd, who spread the vicious gossip that resulted in the loss of so many innocent lives.
[chains rattle] Whoa!
No, no, no, no, no, y'all--y'all kidding, right?
You're kidding. Does it look like we're kidding, you f*cking traitor?
You're still just a shitty used car salesman to me.
Now move, you prick! Ah!
CROWD: [crying and moaning]
Why don't you just sh**t me, boy, and get it over with?
You want me to sh**t you?
You know you want to. Come on, yeah.
I will, but it won't get you out of this.
You're going up, one way or another.
You did it to him.
You wanna do it, don't ya? But you can't.
I'm not asking again! 'Cause you're a p*ssy!
Just like your father.
[groans] [woman screams]
It was my baby sister you r*ped.
And my--my daddy...
what you did to him... the way I see it, my daddy's still the real sheriff of this town.
And he's up there waiting for ya.
But you already know that, don't ya?
I know that you're a p*ssy, boy.
You're a p*ssy!
Just sh**t me!
Preacher. Preacher man.
Now would be a good time for a prayer.
I swear to Christ I didn't say nothing.
[crying]
I didn't say nothing to nobody!
Leslianne, will you kindly shut the hell up?
Lottie, please, we can work something out here.
Shut the hell up, Lester.
No.
You should have thought about that before you subjected these God-fearing folk to your nasty game.
Held our whole town hostage, and you forced us to watch.
No. No, you don't wanna be doing this.
You know this ain't right.
It's me, your ol' pal, Lester M. Barclay.
You know what that M stands for?
Magic.
That's what we got between us, Lottie.
You and me, we got magic.
Hm. Magic?
Now poof, be gone.
Buckle up, everybody, and enjoy the ride.
Lottie, we can make something here.
Lottie, don't walk away.
[crowd crying and screaming]
MAN: Please, oh my God, no! Please.
[crowd whimpering and yelling]
MAN: Please let me go. I didn't do anything.
[woman screams]
MAN: Please, I just did what I was told.
[men and women crying and screaming]
[whimpering]
[metal rattling]
♪
What are you doing? You can't do this to me.
You can't do this! You know who I am!
[metal rattling]
Oh me, oh my. How I love country pie.
[laughing]
♪ LOTTIE: No one knew what really caused it.
There were many theories tossed about on the local news, but none of that mattered.
People panicked.
All anyone knew was that the Earth was spitting out its dead.
Before we knew it, Musky Holler was being overrun.
It was chaos.
But truth be told, Musky was already kind of a sh*t hole.
So, was it really that bad that it was about to be wiped off the Earth?
The city council was about to call in the National Guard, when Lester M. Barclay stormed in with a bunch of g*ons.
LESTER: Meeting's over, you piss ants!
Your ol' pal Lester M. Barclay is taking over.
Someone needs to run this town the way it needs to be run.
♪ MALE ANNOUNCER: Now gentlemen, contestants, the final round.
Tonight, the contest will finally end, bringing a close to this most tragic chapter in our history.
When the change came, we were all terrified.
And terrified people can make shameful decisions.
We all know we bear our shame of the blame.
And we pray for our Lord's forgiveness.
But we are a God-fearing people.
And God Almighty, how you've taught us all to fear your evil ways, punished the innocent, and plunged this community back into the Dark Ages.
We're here to take it back in the name of Musky Holler, and in the name of the people you m*rder*d.
You have reminded us of what justice truly means.
And it is justice that brings us together tonight.
To atone for our sins. Wait! Wait! Wait! Wait!
ANNOUNCER: To make it right.
LESTER: This ain't right.
You all know this ain't right.
I-I'm Lester M. Barclay.
I'm the mayor of this town. [crowd booing]
Y'all--y'all picked me to protect you in our darkest hour.
And I did. [crowd booing]
Y'all know I did.
You--you wouldn't be sitting where you are right now if I didn't do what I did! [crowd booing]
No, no, you-you-you-you-you wanted me to do it.
Hell, y'all begged me to do it.
Now, you're gonna make me the bad guy?
Oh. [sobbing]
I, 'cause--I'll tell you people something right now!
[crowd booing]
Without me, you ain't nothing but a bunch of stupid animals.
I did what needed doing.
'Cause I am the only man in this town that got any g*dd*mn balls.
♪ I... am Lester M. Barclay!
I am the King of Musky Holler!
Y'all love me!
Don't you remember?
[laughing]
I am the f*cking... g*dd*mn king!
♪ MAN: Who the f*ck do you think you are?
You'll never get away with this.
LOTTIE: It all happened so fast.
Within days, Lester had gathered up anyone that could challenge him, and locked everyone up under the old high school football field.
LESTER: I'm here to tell you they didn't know how to keep you safe.
They couldn't keep you safe.
And they won't keep you safe.
Only I can keep you safe.
Y'all will be taken care of by me, Lester M. Barclay.
I have seen the vision of our future.
And those that cannot see will be punished.
With the new world comes new rules.
We've halted the advance of the dead after the change, thanks to me.
You all have your lives thanks to me!
But there are those who would have let you die.
Those that did not.
Those that didn't have vision.
They must pay for those we lost.
LOTTIE: And with that, Lester's reign began.
Anyone that challenged him was taken to the arena: politicians, doctors, police, anyone.
And Lester's sick mind cooked up the ultimate spectacle to show what would happen to anyone that didn't share his vision of the future.
It became a circus.
The end of the world "Mad Max" kind of stuff.
And Lester and his goon squad loved every second of it.
We couldn't figure out what was worse: them or the dead.
Then came The Game, and he made them watch.
Turned it into some sort of sick contest.
[nervous laughing]
ANNOUNCER: For your crimes against the people you pretended to serve, the town you swore to protect, and the country you betrayed through your every word and deed, ladies and gentlemen, for the last time...
Live Pie!
[creatures growling]
ANNOUNCER: Looks like they're coming out of the gate with an early lead.
Who are they are gonna get to first?
Ooh, it's Don Pamade!
And next, they go onto the pastor's family.
His wife-oooh!
And the pastor gets it next.
Ooh, and their son. Oh no!
Now, for the police officers that served under Deke.
There goes Bo! Please, please.
ANNOUNCER: There goes Ruth.
I think Jesus done lost his chance!
That ain't funny, Deke.
I didn't say it was funny!
Ain't none of this funny!
♪ ANNOUNCER: Now Deke and Leslianne are up next.
Oooh! And it's Leslianne that's gonna get it first.
Oh, oh, oh, oh man. Oh no!
[creature crunching] LESLIANNE: [screams]
[buzzer sounds]
No, no!
ANNOUNCER: And here comes the old sheriff.
And he is about to take a bite out of crime!
There he goes.
All that's left now is Lester.
You can't do this to me!
ANNOUNCER: Here comes mayor. You could be mayor.
You could be mayor! ANNOUNCER: Mayor's slowly making his way up. Oh no, you can't do this!
ANNOUNCER: And we've got pie! [screams]
[buzzer sounds] [scream continues]
♪
[lightning crackles]
[evil laughing]
♪
♪
♪