Intimate Relations

Harold Guppey arrives in town seeking his long-lost brother and becomes Marjorie Beaslie's lodger. Marjorie, a housewife in her forties, takes a liking to him despite the age difference. The arrangement marks the start of a quiet, precarious relationship within the Beaslie household.

Marjorie quickly develops romantic interest in Harold and they begin a clandestine affair. She even insists he address her as 'mum', adding a disturbing oedipal edge to their relationship. Harold, though younger, is drawn into the secret that will destabilize the family.

Joyce, Marjorie's fourteen-year-old daughter, alternates between trying to act grown up and behaving childishly. She puts on makeup and smokes, then distracts people with tales of medieval punishments and giggles at rude words. Her precocious behavior creates an unsettling atmosphere around the house.

Joyce becomes fascinated by Harold and her teasing shifts his feelings from apathy to curiosity. She seems to catch on to what is happening between Harold and her mother, but misunderstandingly interprets it as an innocent 'bunk up'. A few days later she confronts them, confirming the undercurrent of tension.

Joyce blackmails Harold into taking her to a hotel for the night. Harold initially intends to assert control, but the encounter turns when he seduces her and then withdraws, reversing the power dynamic. The hotel becomes a focal point for the adults' complicated affair.

Marjorie's much-older husband, Stanley, an amputee WWI veteran, sleeps in a separate room and remains oblivious to the affair and to the troubles within his family. His distance from the events underscores the emotional distance in the Beaslie household.

Disillusioned, Harold tries to leave by enlisting in the army and finding a new girlfriend. He hopes to escape the tension and secrecy of the household. The plan shows his wish to end the entanglements that bound him to Marjorie and Joyce.

Marjorie emotionally blackmails Harold into staying. She convinces him that Joyce would suffer if he leaves and that her own wellbeing depends on his presence. The manipulation keeps Harold in the house and the affair alive.

During a countryside picnic, the trio's tension is palpable. After sending Joyce away to play, Marjorie makes a move to renew physical intimacy with Harold, intensifying the pressure and complexity of their relationships.

Joyce returns and launches a violent interruption, hitting her mother with an axe. Harold panics as the crisis escalates around them. The family gathering slides into brutal chaos.

Harold panics and tries to get Marjorie into the car so they can get her to hospital. Blood streams down her face as she grabs a knife and attacks him. Harold fights back and stabs Marjorie to death.

Joyce then makes a final move to attack Harold, but he defends himself and stabs her to death. The violence closes in on the couple as the two women are removed from the picture.

Harold, seeking to frame his actions as self-defence, stabs himself in the stomach. The final act underscores the tragedy and the collapse of all relationships involved.

Post-script reveals that the real Albert Goozee was sentenced to death for Joyce's murder. The film places its fictional events in the context of a true criminal case and closes with the legal consequence.