Cherry Crush 2007

Photographer Jordan Wells, Jonathan Tucker, is the son of a very wealthy family with high expectations that he will take over the family business. Yet his true fixation lies in the raw, unguarded beauty of the female form, captured through nude photography where faces are intentionally hidden and each model’s name is tied to the shade of lipstick she favors. When this secret hobby is uncovered by the dean of his prep school, he is expelled and abruptly transferred to a local public high school, stepping into a world far different from the one he’s known.

At the new school, he encounters Shay Bettencourt, Nikki Reed, a cellist who dreams of joining Hartley and playing in a professional orchestra. Their first meeting, in the school library, sparks a fierce debate about women’s rights that tests their intellect and chemistry. Shay reveals she knows about his past and his reasons for transferring, including the financial strain she faces at home. She opens up about a low-income household, a drug-addicted sister, and a possible way to fund her tuition: an older married man named Wade Chandling, Frank Whaley, who attends the same country club as her family. Shay explains that Wade might secure her a full scholarship through his connections and asks Jordan to photograph both her and Wade as insurance in case Wade wavers. In exchange, Shay promises Jordan unrestricted access to her, heightening the uneasy bond between them and setting the stage for what comes next.

As their arrangement deepens into something resembling a romance, Wade’s willingness to honor the deal frays. Shay tracks him down in the woods to pressure him, intending to blackmail him into keeping his end of the bargain. Wade grows hostile and attacks Shay, and Jordan intervenes. The confrontation spirals into violence, and the couple ends up killing Wade in self-defense, then dumping his body in a lake as they scramble to hide the evidence and dodge investigators. The murder marks a turning point that pulls them deeper into a dangerous game of deception.

Detective Griffin, Michael O’Keefe, begins to connect the dots between Shay, Wade, and the dead man. He devises a plan to trade incriminating evidence against Jordan for money that Shay has stolen from Wade, aiming to arrest Jordan during the exchange. The tension peaks when Shay shoots Griffin to prevent the trap from closing. In the aftermath, Desiree Thomas, Julie Gonzalo, another woman drawn to Jordan, steps in with an alibi that protects him. She offers him a chorus of rationales and a believable story, giving him a chance to breathe as Shay tightens her grip on the plan to flee with the money. Yet Jordan, torn between loyalty and self-preservation, ultimately refuses to join Shay in a full-blown escape.

In a final act of ambiguous fidelity to the life he’s known, Jordan allows Shay to take some of the money to disappear, but he does not become a willing accomplice to her broader plan. The story closes with Jordan driving away, leaving a trail of questions about where the money, the secrets, and the lives involved will ultimately lead him. > With a million dollars to decide what to do next.