Gone in the Night 1996

Kath (Winona Ryder) and Max (John Gallagher Jr.) embark on a nocturnal journey to a secluded cabin nestled deep within the woods. As they arrive, they quickly discover a startling surprise—the cabin has been double-booked. Al (Owen Teagues), a young man dressed in a matching green coat with Greta (Breanne Tju), who also wears the same distinctive outfit, initially tries to persuade them to leave. However, Greta extends a surprisingly warm hospitality, allowing Kath and Max to stay overnight, setting the stage for an unusual and tense evening.

Once inside, Max stumbles upon a mysterious game called Pillow Talk, designed to “reconnect lovers.” Curious, they all begin to play. During their game, Kath shares the story of how she and Max met—she is a horticulturist who owns a store and teaches adult classes, and Max was once her student. Their connection blossomed when Max asked her out after class. The game takes a more intimate turn as Greta, in a strange act, is instructed to lick the elbow of the person to her right, which happens to be Max. She complies, licking and biting him, causing Kath to feel uncomfortable, prompting her to retreat for the night.

The following morning, Kath awakens to an unsettling discovery—her companions, Max and Greta, have vanished. She encounters Al, visibly distraught, who reveals that Max and Greta have seemingly run off together after a brief, intense encounter.

Attempting to piece together what transpired, Kath reaches out to Greta, searching for her online. When that proves fruitless, she uncovers the ownership records of the cabin through its address, discovering the owner’s contact information. She contacts Nicholas Barlow, who initially refuses to share Greta’s number but later agrees to meet her at her nursery store. During their meeting, they share coffee, and Nicholas reveals his complex backstory—he was a brilliant scientist involved in biotech startups who left that world due to his father’s declining health from a degenerative neurological disease. Nicholas is now working on a potential cure and offers to help Kath.

Flashbacks show a week earlier when Kath hosts a dinner party for her group of Gen-X friends. During the evening, Max appears restless and somewhat disruptive, making offhand comments about the cult-like encoding in songs on Spotify, revealing his disdain for the superficiality of social gatherings. Later, Max unexpectedly encounters Al and Greta arguing in a liquor store, hinting at their complicated relationship.

Back in the present, Kath and Nicholas begin to follow Greta, suspecting her motives. Their pursuit leads them to a house party where Greta, displaying flirtatious behavior, invites Max and subsequently lures him to the cabin. When Max returns after a few hours, tension erupts between him and Kath. Max criticizes her for being old-fashioned and not spontaneous enough, inviting her to join him back at the cabin for what promises to be a night of adventure.

Their journey to the cabin is observed from Al and Greta’s perspective—they anticipate Max arriving alone, but are shocked to find he has met someone else. The next morning, after Kath departs, Al rushes back to the cabin, where he finds Max in a regrettable, drugged state inside a plastic chemical barrel. Greta, who plans to harvest Max, is caught in the act as she leans into his face for a selfie after licking him—a disturbing detail revealed earlier when she finds a letter in the cabin, hinting at darker motives.

Meanwhile, Kath and Nicholas connect deeply. Nicholas speaks about his plan for a transfusion treatment that could extend his life. Kath visits him again, bringing a tiny avocado plant as a gift, discovering that Nicholas’s cabin is his residence. He leaves to gather wood for a fire, inadvertently leaving a bundle of keys on the table. Curious, Kath examines his books and finds a photograph of a younger Nicholas holding a baby—later revealing it’s Nicholas with Al, exposing that Al is Nicholas’s son.

Terrified, Kath races to explore the cabin further. Her investigation uncovers a shipping container in the woods. Unlocking it, she discovers a grim scene: Max hooked to medical monitors and a transfusion machine, clearly being used for experimental purposes. This shocking revelation confirms her suspicions about the sinister intentions of Greta, Al, and Nicholas.

In the woods, Nicholas meets with Al and Greta, who are hiding out, having been present during Kath’s arrival. They confront her inside the container, where Greta confesses her plan to harvest Max for his genetic material. However, the conversation reveals a startling truth: Nicholas is negative for the neurodegenerative disease, and his motive for seeking transfusions isn’t health but eternal youth. Nicholas confesses that he fears aging and weakness like his father, and he’s been using the transfusions to avoid growing old.

As tensions escalate, Al and Nicholas work together to sedate Greta. Kath, attempting to rescue Max, finds him in a fragile state. In a tragic turn, Max rips out a tube and bleeds out before she can get him away. Heartbroken, Kath escapes from the container, locking the others inside. Sitting alone in her car afterward, she processes the horrifying events, gazing out the window in silent reflection.

Throughout this nightmarish chain of events, themes of youth, aging, and obsession with immortality are explored deeply, culminating in dramatic revelations about identity, morality, and the destructive pursuit of eternal life.