Dream Lover

After his divorce, Ray attends a gallery opening to meet a blind date set up by his friend Norman. He bumps into Lena, who spills wine on herself and verbally lashes out. The awkward encounter leaves Ray intrigued and unsettled as Lena's bitterness hints at hidden depths.

Ray runs into Lena again in a supermarket. She apologizes for her earlier behavior, and they strike up a conversation. They go to dinner, beginning to form a connection.

They have sex the next night and, within a short time, marry. The couple soon become parents, starting a new life together.

As their marriage settles, Ray grows suspicious after discovering inconsistencies in Lena's past. One clue involves a Swarthmore College connection he learns about from a client’s assistant, who recalls the president dying while giving a talk. When Ray mentions the president’s name, Lena treats him as a student and has no memory of the death, exposing holes in her story.

A woman at a restaurant recognises Lena as 'Sissy' from Piru, Texas. Lena denies the claim and insists she is someone else, causing Ray to worry about her past.

During a visit to Piru, Texas, Ray is approached by Buddy, a town resident, who identifies Lena as Sissy Thelma. He visits Lena's family home and begins to uncover more about her true identity.

Ray meets Lena's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Sneeder, who recognize Ray and know his name. He learns Lena never faced the alleged childhood beatings and had told her parents he worked for the CIA.

Lena admits to Ray that she changed her identity from Sissy Sneeder to Lena Mathers and created a new life to escape poverty and avoid marrying Buddy. She also confesses she was in love with Ray and engineered their seemingly fated meeting.

Ray becomes increasingly paranoid as Lena shows unexplained bruises and hints at an affair. In a tense confrontation, Ray strikes Lena and storms out; Lena retaliates by bruising herself and framing Ray, leading to his arrest.

Lena has Ray committed to a mental hospital for observation after arranging false reports of abuse. During the hearing, Dr. Stein reveals Lena's longstanding allegations, and the court deems Ray mentally incompetent.

Ray's friend Norman testifies against him, undermining Ray's claims of Lena's infidelity, though he admits being attracted to her. Lena claims hotel receipts show an affair, but Ray's defense asserts the card was stolen and used by another.

While confined, Ray realizes the insanity ruling could bar his accountability, and he begins plotting revenge. He enlists his friend Elaine (Larry's wife) to hint at a flaw in Lena's master plan, aiming to create a distraction that will expose her scheme.

Lena arrives at the hospital to confront Ray. On the grounds outside the building, Ray lures her away and she nonchalantly confirms her affair with Larry, vowing to dispose of him as she did Ray.

Ray flatters Lena's scheming but reveals the fatal flaw: he can no longer be held legally accountable for killing her after the insanity ruling. He strangles Lena to death on the hospital lawn, ending the web of lies and revenge.