Rust Creek 2019

As Sawyer Scott, a senior from Centre College, gears up for an important interview in Washington D.C., she faces the daunting fear of rejection. To dodge any uncomfortable questions during Thanksgiving, she decides to embark on her journey without informing her family. However, while traversing the heavy traffic on I-64, her plans take an unexpected turn when she finds herself lost in the Appalachian wilderness, having followed her GPS down a wrong path. Soon, she discovers she is stuck on a dead-end road, where she encounters Buck and Hollister, two brothers involved in a troubling secret - they are burying a body.

At first, the brothers seem friendly, offering their assistance to Sawyer. Yet, the situation darkens quickly when she declines their dinner invitation, leading to a violent conflict where Buck’s knife leaves both Sawyer and him injured. As night falls, the brothers abandon her, leaving Sawyer alone and disoriented in a ravine.

As the local authorities start to investigate her disappearance, Sheriff O’Doyle questions the brothers, who cleverly deny having any involvement. Meanwhile, they return to the scene and dispose of Sawyer’s vehicle to cover their tracks. Struggling to survive as she wanders through the wilderness, Sawyer eventually finds her wrecked car and her cell phone, but it’s almost dead and has no signal. Weakened from hunger, dehydration, and blood loss, she collapses in a secluded area where another unexpected figure, Lowell, a cousin of Buck and Hollister who is involved in meth cooking, finds her.

Lowell provides her with some care, food, and water, but the respite doesn’t last long as Sawyer attempts to escape by hurling lye at him. When Buck and Hollister arrive to discuss their latest batch of meth, tension escalates. However, after they leave, Lowell reveals that he isn’t holding Sawyer captive; instead, he plans to help her once the brothers deliver their product.

Amidst their peculiar bond formed over a shared interest in chemistry, Sawyer and Lowell begin collaborating on preparing meth. Meanwhile, back at the sheriff’s office, Deputy Katz, following orders from Sheriff O’Doyle, tries to keep the investigation into Sawyer’s case under control while also tracing ownership of the missing vehicle. The arrival of Commander Slattery only heightens the pressure as Katz expresses his concerns over O’Doyle’s negligence. To complicate matters, O’Doyle’s own involvement in the brothers’ drug operation comes to light; he instructs them to locate Sawyer while also planning to sabotage Slattery’s efforts.

Eventually, suspicion turns against O’Doyle when Katz tries to confront him, leading to a tragic confrontation resulting in Katz’s demise. In a calculated move, O’Doyle fabricates evidence to implicate Katz, cleanly erasing his tracks. With the state police now under Slattery’s command, O’Doyle allies with Buck and Hollister, fine-tuning a meth delivery and consolidating his power within the local drug scene.

As the brothers come to collect their shipment from Lowell’s trailer, they uncover Sawyer’s recent presence. Lowell mentions how he has ‘trained’ her, casting a light on her complicated situation. This revelation coincides with a catastrophic explosion triggered by a microwave disaster, killing Buck and injuring Lowell and Hollister. In the ensuing chaos, Sawyer seizes the moment to escape, but not before facing a violent confrontation with Lowell.

When Sheriff O’Doyle arrives, he takes out both remaining brothers and turns his attention to Sawyer. Recognizing his menacing demeanor, Sawyer fights back, stabbing O’Doyle with a garden fork she had earlier appropriated. With her aggressors finally defeated, Sawyer hobbles away down the road, just as a fleet of state police vehicles nears, ready to rescue her from the horrors she battled.