Eight Days to Live

Joe’s license is reinstated after a suspension for reckless driving. He pleads with his parents to let him drive from their home in Aldergrove, BC to a Saturday night party in Quesnel, planning to leave after work and drive through the night. He promises to call as soon as he reaches the destination, but that promised call never comes.

Midnight on Saturday, a partygoer phones in to say Joe didn’t show up. The caller is too high to share details. Teresa tries repeatedly to reach him, and Joe’s girlfriend Patti arrives with the news that Joe left early to spend the night with her. Patti admits she threw him out and even broke his phone when she discovered he was sexting with Lucinda Klunn.

Teresa, with the help of their teenage daughter Becca, pieces together clues from Joe’s digital traces. They learn of Lucinda Klunn and travel to Chasm, where Lucinda denies knowing Joe.

Teresa takes the case to the Hope RCMP detachment. They suggest missing person posters but explain they cannot actively pursue the case until Joe has been missing for 48 hours.

A young Indian boy who Joe had once given a ride recognizes him from the poster. Investigators widen the search as they connect Joe to several people he spoke with before vanishing.

Investigators learn Joe had helped move marijuana for a grow-op, bringing Weaver into the picture and linking Lucinda’s casual boyfriend to the operation. They also trace Joe’s credit card records, which become a critical thread that narrows down possible locations.

A search-and-rescue team is deployed near Chasm but initially fails to locate Joe or his car. The effort underscores the scale of the search and the urgency to follow new leads.

Later, a man Joe had helped change a tire recognizes Joe from the television posters, reinforcing that the search must shift toward a different area. This recognition helps reframe the investigation.

The team shifts its focus to the area just outside Hope, narrowing the trail. The trail suggests Joe may have fallen asleep at the wheel after helping the tire changer. Sergeant Al Ramey notes that the search has reached its eighth day and has been downgraded from a rescue to a recovery.

Despite orders, Teresa makes a final plea to the helicopter pilot Jodeen Cassidy to search one more time. The pilot, moved by the seriousness of the situation, agrees to conduct one final sweep.

During the last effort, the helicopter locates a vehicle matching Joe’s car. Teresa exits the helicopter with a mix of fear and hope as the search becomes a rescue operation. Joe is found in a bloody, battered state, and the EMS team is called to the scene. The moment is chaotic but hopeful as Joe fights to stay with them.

Joe sustains serious injuries but survives, beginning a long recovery. The night of fear slowly yields to the possibility of a second chance.