FILMS: Tormented

Tormented

Jerry Turner, 2022 (Pre-production), Short

Film Synopsis

Aspiring Country guitarist, Tom Stewart lives in the Beverly Hills community, and is preparing to marry his fiancée Meg Hubbard. Shortly before the wedding, Tom visits ex-girlfriend Vi Mason and she informs him that she will end his relationship with Meg, using blackmail if necessary. While they argue during breakfast, Vi starts to choke on her food. She looks to Tom for help and he initially begins the Heimlich maneuver, but then refuses and watches her head fall to her plate.

As Tom sneaks out of Vi's house early that morning, he sheepishly gets into his truck as her Gardner notices him drive away. Tom tries to forget, but over the next few days, Vi's necklace ends up on his lawn, strange footprints appear next to the pool, and Vi's perfume permeates the air during a conversation with his Maid about Dios De Los Meurtos. And when Meg's young daughter Sandy asks Tom to play her a song, an Alexa smart speaker continues to play one of Vi’s own songs.

Soon afterward, during a wedding party rehearsal, Vi’s Gardner comes looking, intent on collecting money to keep quiet about Tom’s “personal affairs.” Tom's haste to pay only causes the shifty man to stick around, and his attempts at blackmail lead to his death. Unbeknownst to Tom, Sandy has inadvertently witnessed the murder.

Sandy remains silent, although she almost speaks up at the wedding when the minister asks if anyone has any objection. Before she can speak, the church's doors burst open and causes the flowers to wilt and the candles to die, bringing the ceremony to an abrupt, unpleasant halt.

That night, Tom returns to the Beverly Hills home, owned by Meg’s parents, and he realizes that he is trapped: Sandy knows too much and could tell Meg and the community. In desperation, Tom smothers Sandy with her pillow while she sleeps peacefully.

As Tom cries out, “I’m so, sorry! I’m so sorry!” he wakes from what has been determined as a dream he was having. As he comes to, Vi is now his consoling wife, Meg is his concerned nanny and the Maid and Gardner look on sheepishly. The film ends with Meg asking, “Has anyone seen Sandy?”