Ingrid Goes West

We begin by glimpsing through the lens of Instagram, where we meet Charlotte Buckwald (Meredith Hagner), caught in a radiant moment on her wedding day, savored by friends and family. However, this joy is overshadowed by the turmoil of Ingrid Thorburn (Aubrey Plaza), who finds herself distraught as she scrolls through the delightful snaps in her car, tears streaming down her face. Fueled by her feelings of betrayal for not receiving an invitation to the wedding, Ingrid bursts into the reception and confronts Charlotte in an explosive manner, pepper-spraying her before being swiftly tackled by security.

As time unfolds, we see Ingrid in a mental institution, where she pens letters to Charlotte, convinced of their friendship despite the truth lingering elsewhere. Following her release, she encounters a mutual friend of Charlotte’s in a supermarket. This friend’s casual remarks about Ingrid’s hospitalization and her true relationship with Charlotte—more a fixation than a friendship—trigger Ingrid’s fury, leading her to key the woman’s car in a moment of frustration.

In an unexpected turn, Ingrid comes across a magazine featuring the charismatic social media influencer Taylor Sloane (Elizabeth Olsen). Entranced by Taylor’s presence and online persona, Ingrid can’t resist engaging, leaving a comment on one of Taylor’s posts that surprisingly elicits a response. Seizing the moment, Ingrid withdraws a significant inheritance and relocates to Los Angeles, securing a rental from Dan Pinto (O’Shea Jackson Jr.), a budding screenwriter with a penchant for Batman and a budding interest in her.

With determination, Ingrid traverses the city in search of Taylor, visiting her favorite spots but hesitating to approach directly. Eventually, she follows Taylor back to her home and in a fit of desperation, kidnaps her dog, Rothko. Ingrid’s ruse works, and she manages to orchestrate a meeting between herself, Taylor, and her husband Ezra (Wyatt Russell), leading to an invitation for dinner after she forgoes the offered reward for Rothko’s return. The connection between them deepens as Ingrid discovers Ezra’s artistic side and joins Taylor on a weekend getaway to Joshua Tree.

The drive to Joshua Tree seems to solidify their budding friendship as they share laughter and stories. However, their journey takes a reckless turn when they indulge in drugs, and an accident involving the truck leads to tension upon returning it to Dan, who had been worried sick about Ingrid. The emotional backdrop intensifies as Ingrid and Dan grow closer, sharing an intimate moment that ends with them having a passionate night, complete with Ingrid donning a Batman mask.

But things take a nosedive when Nicky (Billy Magnussen), Taylor’s recovering addict brother, enters the mix. His presence breeds animosity from Ingrid as he disrupts her plans with Taylor. Ingrid’s jealousy simmers beneath the surface as she sneaks into a party where Taylor and Nicky are having fun, but her lack of VIP status forces her out.

Ingrid receives an invitation to another gathering at Taylor’s home, desperately asking Dan to come as her date in an attempt to solidify her place in Taylor’s life. As the evening proceeds, Ingrid overhears Taylor discussing her desire to buy a neighboring house, a revelation that ignites Ingrid’s jealousy further. When Nicky discovers Ingrid’s obsession through her phone, he resorts to blackmail, exacerbating the situation.

In a convoluted attempt to rid herself of Nicky, Ingrid concocts a scheme where she pretends to be a victim, creating a sympathetic narrative that leads to an ill-fated “kidnapping” of Nicky. This frantic plan backfires as she and Dan find themselves in a battle with Nicky that ends with a dangerous twist in the desert.

Eventually, the truth unravels as Taylor and Ezra discover Ingrid’s true nature, leading to them cutting ties with her despite her obsessive attempts to remain connected. Driven to fanaticism, Ingrid pours her remaining resources into purchasing the neighboring house but finds herself living in darkness without utilities.

The story reaches a climax at a Halloween party where Ingrid, attempting to blend in, exposes her presence beneath a ghostly disguise. The confrontation reveals the hurtful truth about their relationship, culminating in Ingrid’s desperate act of posting a video confessing her struggles on Instagram, where she openly admits to her mental health woes. The video marks a dark turning point as she seeks solace in the depths of despair.

However, the narrative takes an unexpected turn when she wakes up in the hospital, having survived the attempt on her life thanks to Dan’s timely intervention. As she grapples with the aftermath, Dan reveals that her heartbreaking confession resonated with the masses, igniting a movement of support for her under the hashtag “#iamingrid.” Amidst the flood of love and encouragement, a tentative smile emerges on Ingrid’s face, hinting at a glimmer of hope in her tumultuous journey.

Last Updated: November 07, 2024 at 23:37