Like Minds

The film opens with seventeen-year-old Alex Forbes, a privileged and intelligent student, engaging in thrill-seeking behavior with his friends at a boarding school. His high-spirited escapades hint at a mind drawn to danger and control, setting the stage for darker events to come.

Nigel Colbie, Alex's roommate, dies suddenly, and Alex is immediately arrested and charged with murder. The accusation triggers an investigation led by forensic psychologist Sally Rowe, sending the story into flashbacks.

Forensic psychologist Sally Rowe is assigned to evaluate Alex's mind and motives. Her interviews begin to peel back a troubling dynamic between Alex and Nigel, hinting at manipulation and an obsession that shapes their choices.

Through a series of flashbacks, Alex recounts how Nigel gradually infiltrates his life, twisting friendships and ambitions into a shared, ominous bond. Nigel's charisma and philosophy push them toward a sense of destined, ritualized purpose.

The sudden death of their mutual friend Josh fuels Alex's fear that Nigel is orchestrating events. The suspicion deepens Nigel's hold, nudging them toward the mysterious Brotherhood.

Nigel introduces Alex to the Brotherhood, a secret society with ties to a modern offshoot of the Knights Templar. The group promises a sacred destiny, drawing them into ritualistic beliefs.

A playing card, the Jack of Spades, becomes their shared emblem, bearing the inscription 'MY BELOVED MARACLEA' on the back. Nigel uses it to seal their identity and hint at a foretold fate.

Alex's attempt at a normal relationship with Susan ends with her murder, her body surgically dissected and displayed in a ritualistic pose. The discovery places Alex at the center of a growing web of ritual violence and Brotherhood intrigue.

Nigel reveals a chilling legend about necrophilia and a woman named Maraclea, whose grave is desecrated to power a ritual. He tries to coerce Alex into performing a similar act with Susan's corpse, claiming it's their shared destiny.

Alex denies involvement and is overwhelmed by guilt, grief, and confusion. Yet the narrative suggests his silence and behavior may mask participation, casting doubt on his innocence.

Alex arrives at the Colbie estate to confront Nigel and discovers a horrific tableau: Nigel's mother is shot by Nigel's father and Nigel's father is later killed by a gunshot meant for Nigel. Nigel remains eerily calm and proceeds with the ritual, insisting the union is inevitable.

Alex flees into the night with Nigel in pursuit to a railway. As an oncoming train nears, Nigel pleads for Alex to move; when he refuses, Nigel tackles him, and Alex then disarms him and shoots him, killing Nigel.

In the aftermath, Alex collects the Brotherhood's red journal along with Nigel's doctor’s case and a box—likely containing Susan's skull—hinting at the ritual's consequences. Sally Rowe's ongoing inquiries begin to intersect with these artifacts.

Rowe delivers a keynote at the Ninth Annual Conference of Forensic Psychology on belief, delusion, and identity, describing a 'merging of like minds.' She then receives a sealed envelope bearing the Brotherhood insignia and a Jack of Spades inscribed 'MY BELOVED SUSAN,' and is later called to Susan's grave where her skeleton is desecrated. In the final flashback, Alex says 'Nigel got what he wanted' and reveals his notion of eternity while on a train with a history-book reader.