Evolution

Nicolas, a sickly young boy, is swimming in the sea where he thinks he spots the body of a dead boy adorned with a red starfish. He reports this unsettling sight to his mother, prompting her to investigate.

His mother dives into the water to search for the body but returns without it, bringing only the red starfish. That night, however, she shocks Nicolas by bringing back the body, leading to a gathering of the other mothers.

The next day, Nicolas plays with the starfish but faces ridicule from another boy who mocks him for his fear. Enraged, Nicolas retaliates by attacking the boy and subsequently harms the starfish by cutting off one of its arms.

Following his violent outburst, Nicolas's mother takes him to the hospital for further observation. There, a doctor operates on him, making an incision above his stomach, which indicates something sinister is at play.

After his surgery, Nicolas finds himself in a ward filled with other boys who have undergone similar operations. The nurses entertain themselves by watching videos of cesarean sections, adding to the eerie atmosphere.

Once released from the hospital, Nicolas begins to suspect that his mother and the nurses have deceived him about their true intentions. Together with his friend Victor, he sneaks out one night to investigate their mothers' activities.

Nicolas witnesses a shocking scene as he observes the mothers lying together naked, covered in mud, as they pass a mysterious object among them. Disturbed, he returns home only to glimpse his mother with what appears to be suckers on her back.

Back at the hospital, Nicolas undergoes an ultrasound, and he hears the heartbeat of a fetus, much to his mother's delight. This moment introduces an unsettling sense that he is part of a greater and darker story.

Victor is taken for surgery, during which a creature is extracted from his stomach. Tragically, he dies on the operating table, although the nurses misleadingly inform Nicolas and the other boys that he is recovering.

While recovering, Nicolas's mother visits him, but he rebuffs her attempts to comfort him by refusing to eat. Frustrated and scared, he accuses her of not being his real mother, highlighting his growing disconnection.

Nicolas forms a bond with a nurse named Stella, who brings him crayons and paper to draw. His artwork, which includes a dead boy and various creatures, implies that he remembers life beyond the confines of the island.

Stella shares a file of photographs depicting women with suckers on their backs, including a young girl, with Nicolas. This revelation deepens the mystery of the boys' situation and the reality of their mothers.

One night, Stella takes Nicolas into the sea, revealing her own suckers, and they share an intimate moment underwater. She holds him beneath the surface, drowning him before reviving him with CPR, blurring the lines between safety and danger.

After being haunted by a nightmare, Nicolas escapes into another room at the hospital and encounters a boy who reveals movement in his own body. The harrowing experience pushes Nicolas to uncover the truth behind the hospital's horrific secrets.

Nicolas awakens restrained within a tank, discovering he is not alone; two babies float beside him. With fears realized and an understanding of the ultimate fate awaited by the boys, something dark looms over their existence.

In a last bid for freedom, Nicolas is reunited with Stella, who helps him escape into the sea. They share a moment of connection, but Stella slips away into the waters, leaving Nicolas to drift towards the harbor of a major city alone.