Faults

Ansel conducts a presentation about cults at a hotel. He initially believes that his participation warrants a free meal, revealing his entitlement and desperation.

As the presentation ends, Ansel realizes that the free room he was promised was only for one night. He is forced to leave the hotel after his presentation, leading to his predicament of sleeping in his car.

During the presentation, attendees Paul and Evelyn approach Ansel with a dire situation involving their daughter Claire who is trapped in a cult. They ask for his help, hoping his expertise can rescue her from this dangerous environment.

Ansel agrees to listen to Paul and Evelyn in exchange for a free meal, but he quickly informs them it will cost thousands of dollars for him to assist in Claire's situation. They are left to ponder the high financial stakes of the rescue.

Ansel is struggling with significant financial problems stemming from his divorce, where his ex-wife claimed the profits from his first book. His new book is failing to sell, adding more pressure to his money problems.

In a desperate attempt to save his financial situation and assist the parents, Ansel hires goons to kidnap Claire. He believes this drastic measure is the only way to get her out of the cult safely.

Claire is taken to a motel, where the goons hold her captive. Unbeknownst to her, her parents Paul and Evelyn are in the adjacent room, anxious about her wellbeing and next steps.

As Ansel interacts with Claire, she demonstrates her newfound faith which empowers her to resist the goons' commands. She refuses to revert back to her old life and rejects the name 'Claire', distancing herself from her previous identity.

During her captivity, Claire eventually discovers that her parents are right next door. She experiences mixed emotions of joy and protest as they try to reach out to her, complicating her commitment to stay within her new identity.

Terry, Ansel's business manager, continues to demand payment for what Ansel owes him. Ansel finds himself in a tight situation as he tries to convince Paul to lend him half of his fee to avoid Terry's ominous enforcers.

Desperate and cornered, Ansel delivers the money to Terry. While Terry initially seems lenient, it quickly becomes apparent that there is a darker side to his character, revealing the precariousness of Ansel's situation.

As events at the motel unfold, tension heightens between Ansel's aims to return Claire to her former life and the growing emotional bond she feels toward her new beliefs. The moral ambiguity of Ansel and his methods is further explored.

The film concludes with an ambiguous sense of whether Ansel will succeed in retrieving Claire from her new life. Viewers are left questioning Ansel's future success as well as his ability to fulfill his financial obligations to Terry.