A Banquet 2022

As Holly’s world is consumed by the fragile existence of her critically ill husband, the reality of his impending death weighs heavily on her heart. In a tragic effort to escape the relentless burden of his illness, he chooses to end his life through a fatal act of poison, leaving Holly and their family to grapple with the aftermath. At the same time, their daughter, Betsey, stands at the threshold of adulthood, wrestling with her identity as she prepares for university applications. A teacher’s well-intentioned suggestion for Betsey to list her core values only complicates her already shaky sense of self.

As time progresses, Betsey’s demeanor darkens; she becomes increasingly reclusive, her behavior erratic and unpredictable. During a party that should be a rite of passage, she drifts into deep introspection, eventually vanishing into the woods. When she emerges, an enigmatic aura surrounds her, leaving her mother desperate to pull her back from the brink. Yet, Holly finds her attempts met with silence and defiance as Betsey begins to talk about ominous visions that suggest a foreboding but extraordinary fate awaits her—a fate that seemingly casts her mother as a luminous figure within her dark narrative.

With mounting despair, Holly exhausts her finances, seeking the wisdom of medical professionals in hopes of uncovering a cure for her daughter’s inexplicable condition. Despite the grave concerns surrounding her, Betsey remains an enigma, her dialogue laced with an eerie wisdom that eludes understanding.

The dynamics shift dramatically with the arrival of Holly’s mother, who introduces the chilling Japanese folklore of the Futakuchi-onna, a being believed to drain the vitality of its loved ones. Her unsettling warning—a suggestion that Betsey might embody this malevolent spirit—intensifies the pervasive dread clinging to their household.

In a poignant moment, Holly’s mother offers to take her younger daughter, Isabelle, away from the turmoil, but Betsey resolutely declines, fueled by an unwavering resolve. As the night deepens, the bond between mother and daughter becomes a sanctuary against the overwhelming sorrow and fear that envelops them.

When dawn breaks, the burden of their shared grief becomes unbearable, prompting Betsey to impart a final cryptic message to Holly: that the strength of love and support is pivotal in navigating the shadows of the unknown. In a devastating twist, she passes away shortly thereafter, leaving Holly in a state of utter desolation, her spirit shattered by the loss. Yet amidst the profound grief, there is an inexplicable transformation; Holly seems to emanate a surreal, ethereal glow, as though the very essence of Betsey now courses through her, bestowing an otherworldly radiance in the wake of her daughter’s tragic departure.