Moontide

Bobo awakens in a rickety shack aboard Takeo's San Pablo Bay barge, with little memory of the night before. Takeo reminds him they met and that Bobo has agreed to work for him. He fears he may have killed Pop Kelly during his drinking spree and resolves to avoid trouble.

Bobo accepts the job on the barge and travels into town to meet his friends Tiny and Nutsy at the boardinghouse. Tiny assures him nothing bad happened, but Bobo remains uneasy about his past violence. He plans to leave town, but the murder rumor and his fear pull him back into the day’s drama.

Nutsy notices that Bobo is in possession of Pop Kelly's hat, making clear that Pop's murder is linked to Bobo's whereabouts. The hat becomes a silent clue that deepens Bobo's fear and the town’s suspicion. The moment occurs as they mingle around the boardinghouse area.

A crowd gathers as a young woman threatens to drown herself in the surf. Bobo dives in, rescues her, and carries her back to the barge. The next morning, Anna begins to recover and tidies the shack while Bobo repairs a doctor’s boat, and a quiet spark grows between them.

The next morning, Anna tidies the shack and makes breakfast while Bobo works on Frank Brothers' boat. Tiny returns and disparages Anna, implying she once worked as a prostitute, which unsettles Bobo. Anna overhears and tells Bobo she is grateful for his help but intends to go back to her life.

Nutsy visits and finds Bobo contemplating leaving town alone, while Anna returns in the moment of quiet. Unnoticed, Nutsy takes Pop Kelly's hat from the shack and later burns it on the beach, removing a tangible link to the murder. The gesture loosens the knot of suspicion around Bobo.

Bobo and Anna grow closer, and she shares her dream of settling down in a home on the water. He opens up about his violent tendencies when drunk, and they begin to imagine a life together. The idea of marriage starts taking root as they plan for the future.

They decide to settle down and buy paint and fabric to fix up the shack. Tiny reappears, hinting at a dark history between himself and Bobo, which unsettles Anna. Bobo explains his past more fully, and Anna remains committed to their plan.

Bobo and Anna marry on the barge with friends in attendance, celebrating their new life. Dr. Brothers sails by and asks Bobo to help fix his boat, and Bobo agrees. The doctor leaves his mistress and returns to his wife, signaling a small shift toward loyalty and stability.

Anna opens a gift from Bobo—a gaudy dress once owned by Mildred—and, guided by Nutsy, she decides wives should shed modesty. She tries on the dress and imagines life with Bobo, ready for him to return home. The dress marks a playful, liberated turn in their relationship.

Tiny arrives drunk and furious about not being invited to the wedding, arguing with Anna. In the tension, Anna pieces together that Tiny was responsible for Pop Kelly's murder. Her suspicion hardens into certainty as the night unfolds.

Tiny violently attacks Anna, and Bobo and Dr. Brothers find her severely injured, stuffed in the bait box. They rush her to the hospital, where the doctor vows to do all he can to save her. The incident shatters the fragile peace of their barge community.

Bobo hunts for Tiny, tracking him to the breakwater by the barge. Tiny, unable to swim, is swept away by a wave as Bobo closes in. The immediate threat to Anna is averted, but the price of violence lingers.

After Anna recovers enough to leave the hospital, Bobo escorts her back to the barge by the doctor’s boat. She cannot walk, so he carries her across the threshold as their song plays, beginning a hopeful, settled life together.