For Those in Peril

In a remote Scottish fishing village, a catastrophic accident claims the lives of five men, including Aaron's older brother Michael. Aaron is the lone survivor and cannot recall what happened, leaving the rest of the community to speculate. The tragedy isolates him as a suspect in the eyes of many who fear the truth behind the deaths.

Haunted by the incident, Aaron insists that the missing fishermen are not dead and spends long hours at the seashore calling Michael's name. He clings to the possibility of a second chance and refuses to settle into mourning. The shoreline becomes his ongoing vigil and obsession.

Jane, Michael's girlfriend, is the only person willing to talk to Aaron, and he romantically latches onto her for help. He asks for her assistance in locating Michael, overstepping boundaries and deepening his isolation from others. Their fragile connection unsettles Jane's circle and stirs tensions in the village.

As Aaron's fixation intensifies, the community grows wary and begins to blame him for the fishermen's deaths or for inviting trouble. Tensions with Jane's father and other locals deepen, pushing Aaron further outside social bounds. Trust in the fragile recovery of the town frays at the edges.

Flashbacks reveal a more complicated past between Aaron, Michael, and Jane, showing Aaron's anger and a growing antagonism toward Michael. We see Aaron rage and even slice a knife along his neck, hinting at a volatile temperament beneath his fragile exterior. These memories foreshadow the danger he will soon confront.

Aaron engages in a series of violent confrontations with Jane's father, Jane herself, and several local youths as he becomes fully ostracized. The attacks sever any remaining ties to the community and push him toward increasingly reckless behavior. The town's fear of him grows alongside his own delusions.

With minimal evidence, Aaron builds a makeshift raft and takes a spear to the open ocean, hoping to locate Michael. He uses bait fish as a lure, hoping to draw Michael or clues to his fate from the sea. The expedition yields nothing, reinforcing his stubborn belief that Michael is alive somewhere.

In a moment of desperation, Aaron abducts a local youth to use as bait, dragging him toward the ocean in an attempt to force a breakthrough. A passing local ship intervenes and rescues the captive before any harm comes to him, halting Aaron's reckless plan. The incident further isolates Aaron from the people around him.

Cathy is forced to submit Aaron to mental health treatment instead of facing criminal charges. The family watches from afar as authorities assert control over his future. The decision marks a shift from punishment to care, even as Aaron remains unsettled and volatile.

On the eve of his departure for treatment, Aaron asks Cathy to tell him a bedtime story from his childhood about a giant red fish that swallowed the village's children, but a boy rescued them so they could live together forever. The tale sits on the edge of prophecy as Aaron contemplates his own fate. This moment blends memory with a looming resolve to act.

In the middle of the night, Aaron uses a knife to slice gills into his neck and slips away to dive into the ocean. The self-inflicted wound marks his final act of defiance and his surrender to the sea. The coastline becomes the stage for his most extreme escape.

The next morning, Cathy is awakened by commotion along the shore and discovers a giant red fish washed up on the beach. Beside the carcass lies Michael, alive and resting his head on Aaron's shoulder, suggesting a shocking reversal of the tragedy. The scene leaves the truth of events in question and invites interpretation.

Michael's survival reframes the entire tragedy, casting doubt on everything Aaron claimed and everyone’s memory of it. Cathy, Michael, and Aaron confront a future shaped by a surreal reunion, with the town left to grapple with what really happened. The film closes on an unsettled note, inviting interpretation rather than closure.