Curve 2016

Mallory is a young bride-to-be traveling toward Denver for her wedding rehearsal, filled with a mix of nerves and nerves-drawn excitement. On the road, she tries to stay connected to her sister, Ella, through a video chat. Ella voices concern about Mallory’s happiness and whether she’s truly in love with the life she’s about to embark on. Mallory answers in a hollow, almost rehearsed voice that betrays a lack of real conviction, and she ends the call before the moment feels real. Soon after, her car falters and stalls, and a breakdown in service strands her in the quiet stretch of highway.

A stranger named Christian appears near the back of the car, offering help. Mallory explains her predicament, and he manages to get the engine started again. Grateful yet wary, she decides to offer him a ride rather than leave him stranded, a choice that sets a tense course for what follows. As they travel, Christian’s mood shifts from helpful to unnervingly intense. He speaks of fate bringing them together and insists that their encounter was meant to unfold exactly as it does. His unsettling confidence grows teethier as he insinuates control over Mallory’s fate, and the atmosphere thickens with a sense that something dangerous is brewing.

The tension peaks when Christian makes a crude point that shatters Mallory’s sense of safety. In a jarringly candid moment, he reveals his crude belief about her and his demands. The horror tightens as Mallory, frightened and cornered, tries to dislodge him by swerving toward a guardrail at a curve. The car veers and slams into a crash that leaves the vehicle upside down. Mallory struggles to loosen her seat belt, only to discover her leg is pinned and cannot be freed. Christian awakens slowly, an unsettling calm on his face, and tells her she must find a way out on her own before the situation becomes worse, then he quietly exits the scene.

The immediate aftermath finds Mallory searching for any way to survive. She pulls on a hoodie, drinks the last of her water, and waits while the world outside remains still. The following morning, Christian returns, casually eating and drinking in front of her as if their predicament were nothing more than an analysis of fate. He notes again that fate has a twisted sense of humor and that nothing about their meeting is an accident. The terror escalates when rats invade the car, slithering through the confined space. Mallory dispatches one by killing it, and she even drinks its bloodless meat, then drinks her own urine just to stay alive. Christian returns with a chilling calm, explaining that he is keeping a family hostage and that Mallory’s only choice is survival on his terms. He places a saw in her hands, a tool meant to cut or to escape—yet his true persuasion is clear: if she doesn’t cut off her own leg, she will die.

A brutal rainstorm sweeps over the landscape, amplifying every sound and fear. Christian says his goodbyes in a way that signals a final, cruel test, and Mallory seizes the opportunity to strike, throwing his car keys far beyond his reach and forcing him to confront the consequences of his control. A police car appears down the curve, and its officer begins a routine offer of help—an option that would ordinarily spell relief. Christian misreads the moment, and, convinced of safety, slides away with him, ignoring the desperate screams echoing from the vehicle.

The floodwaters surge, transforming the interior into a dangerous, surging trap. Mallory fights the physical pain as she painstakingly begins to cut through her leg, only to find that the flood itself assists her in finally freeing the limb. She staggers toward a cabin she believes is connected to Christian’s earlier statements and confronts a horrifying scene: Christian has murdered the police officer and several homeowners, and he is holding their daughter, Katie, as a hostage. With Katie safe but terrified, Mallory grips a found gun and asserts control, threatening to shoot if Christian moves.

A brutal clash unfolds as Christian lunges at her and Katie tries to escape. Mallory manages to gain the upper hand and, in a desperate, determined struggle, shoves Christian off a second-story balcony. He crashes to the ground, his leg caught in a bear trap, rendering him unable to pursue further violence. Mallory retrieves the knife Christian had given her and, with a quiet resolve, tells him she will offer him the same chance he offered her—before he finally dies from his injuries. The door of the house closes behind them as Mallory, wounded but resolute, supports Katie and begins the long journey away from the wreckage together, their steps heavy but forward, as the world beyond the front door seems to settle into a cautious quiet.