A Better Place

Barret Michaelson arrives as an unwelcome newcomer at a public high school and quickly becomes the target of bullying. He has no friends and feels isolated as he navigates the hostile social environment.

Ryan saves Barret from a brutal beating in the men's locker room, marking the start of their unlikely friendship. He is described as a misanthropic existentialist with violent tendencies and a dark past, which adds tension to their budding bond.

The two misfits spend much of their time together, bonded by their outsider status and by philosophical conversations. They explore ideas that help them cope with their harsh school lives.

The friends trespass on a local landowner's land and are confronted about it. Ryan throws a rock at the man, causing him to fall and break his neck; they manage to stage it as an accident.

The incident forces Barret to pull away from Ryan. Ryan becomes emotional and purchases a black market gun, signaling a turn toward dangerous choices.

Barret agrees to put the incident behind them and resume their friendship, but Ryan grows more morose and becomes deeply attached to Barret.

Ryan suffers a brutal beating at the hands of the bully he had defended Barret from earlier. He becomes consumed by a will for revenge and tells Barret that he intends to shoot the bully to death.

Barret tries to dissuade Ryan, but Ryan forces him at gunpoint to accompany him to the would-be crime scene. The moment is tense as they approach the planned location.

In a secluded area, Ryan finds the bully smoking a joint and shoots him, killing him. The act is carried out despite Barret's attempts to intervene.

Barret attempts to incapacitate Ryan by striking him with a rock, but the attempt fails. In the ensuing struggle, the gun goes off, claiming Ryan's life.

Barret then shoots Ryan once again and tries to turn the gun on himself, but by that time the gun is out of bullets.

Barret is left to face the consequences of their actions after the violent sequence. The gun is empty and his future looks uncertain as he contends with the tragedy they have caused.