Money

Sylvia discusses funding her own gallery with Carl, the gardener, outlining a plan to raise cash. They hide two briefcases with money around the house and store a portion in a safe. The scene establishes the financial pressure driving the conspiracy.

Mark arrives home to an intimate dinner with Sean, Christina, and colleagues. The mood is polite but strained by underlying secrets. The guests are unaware of the criminal scheme simmering beneath the surface.

A polished new neighbor and consultant, John, is admitted to the party after flattering Sylvia and offering an expensive wine. He projects cultured knowledge and social grace that mask his true intentions. His arrival unsettles the balance of power at the gathering.

John reveals knowledge of the espionage and the five million dollars, brandishing a gun and threatening Sean. He confirms the share is in the basement, escalating the tension and setting a long night of manipulation. The group realizes they are playing a dangerous game with a dangerous man.

In a brutal escalation, John cuts off Sean's index finger while demanding the rest of the money. Christina retrieves a portion of the cash, and John is eventually knocked out when Christina pepper-sprays him. The violence marks a turning point from talk to coercive control.

The group detains John, tying him to a chair as they debate what to do. Sylvia wants to release him and claim a share, while Sean and Mark fear betrayal and seek a harsher outcome. Tensions rise as trust frays and the situation grows more volatile.

John manipulates Christina into untieing him, then instigates a confrontation with Sean. Sean's impulsiveness leads to a violent attempt, but John and Christina retaliate in a struggle that ends with Mark unconscious after a failed code exchange. The group fractures as loyalties shift.

Mark provides John an incorrect code to the safe, claiming it will be time-locked for eight hours. Enraged, John strikes Mark with the pistol butt, leaving him unconscious and sealing the danger in the house. The power dynamics collapse into fear and obedience.

Mark is dragged to a dock by a pond and tied to a cinder block. John forces him to comply with his demands and almost drowns him. After the near-death ordeal, he is locked back in the basement as a threat to Sylvia and Christina.

John bonds with Sylvia over literature while tending his head wound, and he reveals that he has been watching their family, knowing Sylvia is pregnant. The revelation deepens the psychological game and foreshadows future consequences.

Carl arrives, and Mark sends him to rescue Sylvia and Christina. John escorts Mark to the safe, unlocks it, and takes the money and the downstairs briefcase. He instructs everyone to describe the hostages falsely when police arrive, laying groundwork for the escape.

Sylvia packs a bag and proclaims divorce from Mark. John escapes to a barn, stashing a motorcycle and discovering the other briefcase filled with books. Sylvia negotiates with Carl, who declines a share. The film ends with the couple driving away separately, each with two and a half million dollars.