Growth 2010

In 1989, on Cuttyhunk Island, Mason Lane [Ian Patrick Williams] pushed the boundaries of science by using microscopic parasites to accelerate human evolution. The aim was straightforward: create stronger, smarter, healthier humans. But the experiment spiraled out of control, unleashing a catastrophe that left three quarters of the island’s residents dead and the land scarred by fear and unanswered questions.

Two decades later, a tight-knit group of teens—Jamie Ackerman [Mircea Monroe], whose father spearheaded the original project, along with Kristen Daniels [Nora Kirkpatrick], Marco [Brian Krause], and Justin Roberts [Christopher Shand]—return to Cuttyhunk by boat. Jamie, aware of her family’s tangled past, begins to experience unsettling flashbacks about the project and its consequences. The echoes of the past pull her toward the island’s forgotten secrets, and the weight of her father’s legacy hangs over every plan they make. Mason Lane [Ian Patrick Williams], Jamie’s father, becomes a ghost in the conversation, his influence shaping every choice they make even as the truth remains elusive.

As the foursome docks and sets up a base, a visit from Larkin Holberman [Richard Riehle]—another scientist tied to the original work—opens a door they hadn’t anticipated. Larkin informs Jamie that the inheritance she stands to claim from Cuttyhunk may be jeopardized, a warning that carries more weight than money because it hints at hidden motives and a deeper conspiracy. The tension thickens when Dr. Macavire [Lou Richards], a scientist with his own stake in the island’s fate, appears and presses for access to Justin, whose peculiar condition has drawn attention from all sides. The group’s fragile sense of safety is shattered when a river-side encounter becomes a turning point: Kristen hints to Justin that if he treads water and sees a bird, he will get “whatever you want.” The moment crystallizes into something monstrous as a parasite slips from the shadows and finds its way into Justin.

From there, the nightmare accelerates. Justin’s infection triggers a staggering transformation: his senses sharpen to an almost supernatural degree, and his presence becomes a threat as much as a marvel. After this unsettling change, the teen returns to a local bar where his enhanced abilities unleash a brutal episode. He wins a confrontation with ease, but the night ends with a horrifying memory: he awakens, unsure whether the events were real or a dream, haunted by what he did and what he now is.

Meanwhile, Jamie’s investigation deepens into a cemetery she discovers, a place cluttered with gravestones dated back to 1989. The revelation traumatizes her further when the same mysterious figure who infected Justin appears, violently attacking Kristen and forcing a parasite into her mouth. The stakes rise as Marco and Jamie decide to confront the adults again. They seek out Larkin Holberman [Richard Riehle] and Dr. Macavire [Lou Richards], hoping to uncover the truth and perhaps find a way to halt the spread of the parasites. The rescue mission goes awry when Jamie is kidnapped by the same shadowy figure who has been orchestrating chaos from the edges.

Kim’s instincts scream that something is off as Justin stumbles upon Kristen’s mutilated body, a grim confirmation of the speed and brutality with which these parasites can move. The militia converges on the scene, and in the ensuing chaos, Justin fights valiantly, killing the militia members and leaving Marco dead in the crossfire. A policeman, chasing the same errant trail of danger, shoots Dr. Macavire when a parasite engines its way back up his leg—a grim reminder that the threat operates in the shadows, blending science with violence.

The truth finally surfaces in a dramatic reveal: the shadowy figure is Mason Lane, Jamie’s father. He explains that he developed an antidote formula, a thread of hope woven into a web of manipulation. Jamie fights to escape with the antidote and to warn Larkin that the danger extends far beyond the island. In a desperate confrontation, Jamie douses Mason Lane with salt water, a symbolic cleansing that kills him and releases the parasites that had resided within him. Larkin and Jamie manage to escape the laboratory as the parasite swarm advances, their struggle a race against time to save what remains of the island’s people.

In a twist that reframes the entire story, Larkin reveals that Dr. Macavire had been trying to lure Jamie with promises of inheritance, betting on the possibility that she carried a vial of the antidote. The plan shifts as Larkin urges Jamie to flee by boat, to outrun the spreading threat that now seems inescapable. But Justin reappears, a tragic reminder that the parasite crisis has not ended, and he confronts Larkin, killing him in a desperate bid to stop the ledger of conspiracies from closing in. Jamie escapes, but the chase leaves her infected as well. In a lucid moment of resolve, she plunges into the sea to drown the invasive parasites and end the threat for good—at least, that is what she hopes.

The story closes with an uneasy epilogue set in South Korea, six months later, where the parasitic threat seems to endure despite the dramatic sacrifices. The final image hints that the struggle is far from over, and the consequences of the original experiment ripple outward, touching the lives of people who were never meant to be part of the island’s dark history.

“whatever you want.”