Ned Rifle 2015

As 18-year-old Ned embarks on a journey to escape his overbearing Christian upbringing, he becomes utterly fixated on seeking revenge against his estranged father, Henry. During a tumultuous meeting with his mother, Fay, who is serving a life sentence for her own controversial actions, Ned is directed to reach out to his uncle Simon, a writer based in New York. Little does Ned know, a broke postgraduate named Susan is also looking to contact Simon; she hopes to glean insights from him for her writing aspirations and possibly even work on a literary project of her own. However, Susan harbors her own darker ambitions, which involve confronting Henry about a painful chapter from their shared past.

By an unusual stroke of fate, both Ned and Susan find themselves in Seattle, each drawn by their personal quests to locate Henry. At first, Ned is hesitant to join forces with Susan, preferring to pursue his vendetta in solitude. Yet, he ultimately relents and agrees to a temporary alliance. The duo’s investigation leads them to a specialized clinic where Henry resides, now a shadow of his former self, having lost much of his mental acuity while attempting to lead a peaceful life surrounded by literature—a stark contrast to the chaotic life he once led.

With Susan’s strategic nudging, Ned stands on the brink of confronting his father. However, a shocking revelation from Susan is set to upend everything they’ve planned together. In a dramatic twist, she discloses that she was the 13-year-old victim of Henry’s heinous actions, a trauma that resulted in his seven-year prison sentence. Now, with her desire for closure at the forefront, Susan chooses to take fate into her own hands, culminating in the cold-blooded act of ending Henry’s life in a motel room.

Meanwhile, Ned, in a frantic pursuit, tracks the pair, his emotions erupting in a fit of rage and confusion upon discovering their dark escapade. The tension escalates tragically in a confrontation between him and Susan, culminating in her untimely death at Ned’s hands. As dawn breaks over the motel parking lot, the scene is set for a dramatic and heartbreaking confrontation with law enforcement, as armed police are ready to apprehend Ned and hold him accountable for the havoc wrought in the wake of his long-sought vengeance.