Mr. Wrong

Investigators refer to Martha as Mrs. Crawford and press her to explain why she murdered Whitman on her wedding day. The scene establishes a mystery around the crime and reframes the story as a confession. Martha begins to recount the events that led to the crime.

Some months before the present, Martha attends her younger sister's wedding. Her overbearing parents pressure her about when she will marry, noting that she is 31 and her biological clock is ticking. The sequence sets up the social pressure and her search for partnership.

Martha works as an associate producer for a local TV talk show in San Diego. On Valentine’s Day, a dull blind date leaves her unimpressed and feeling burned on romance. She declines a date with a younger coworker named Walter, signaling she’s not ready to settle down.

Martha goes to a bar to drown her sorrows and drops a quarter into the jukebox. A man arrives, selects the same song she would have chosen, and they strike up an instant connection. The night marks the start of a magnetic but dangerous romance.

Martha and Whitman return to his house after meeting and rapidly grow closer. He presents himself as a poet and investor with money and reads her one of his poems. The initial charm soon masks troubling behaviors that surface later.

Whitman is introduced to Martha’s family and appears impressively charming. Her perception shifts when she notices his odd behavior around his eccentric mother. The contrast plants doubt about his suitability as a partner.

Whitman abruptly shopslifts a six-pack of beer from a local store and crushes the cans on his forehead, revealing a disturbing side behind his smooth facade. This moment exposes him as a crafty, devious sociopath who hides behind a charming persona. Inga, his ex-girlfriend, and her accomplice Bob begin harassing Martha.

Martha tries to end the relationship, but Whitman refuses to let go and begins stalking her. He even buys off a private investigator to derail investigations and maintain his control. Friends and family remain skeptical due to his convincing lies and routine manipulation.

Whitman escalates by driving Martha to Mexico under the pretense of marriage, abducting her with the help of two young Mexican children he hires to hold her on the road. The journey marks a brutal turning point as she is forcibly removed from her life. Her defenses are tested as she clings to resolve to escape.

In Mexico, Martha manages to place a rushed call to her former office in San Diego, explaining that Whitman has abducted her and pleading for rescue. Walter, the coworker she rejected earlier, races toward Mexico to save her. Whitman interrupts and cuts the connection, complicating the attempt.

Inga and Bob appear and attempt to kill Martha, but Whitman arrives in time to protect her and drives them away at gunpoint. The conflict reveals the trio's evolving danger and pushes Martha further into a life-or-death struggle.

At the church, where Whitman is forcing Martha to marry him, Walter finally arrives to rescue her but trips and drops his gun. Martha seizes the weapon and shoots Whitman as he lunges toward her. She is immediately arrested as the scene shifts into a formal account of the crime.

Martha tells the Mexican authorities her entire story, but they are skeptical, convinced she killed Whitman intentionally. Walter helps break her out of jail with Bob’s assistance, revealing that Inga was the shooter in a misdirected attack. He claims Whitman survived and is recovering in a local hospital.

Martha and Walter ride a horse west toward the sunset after reuniting with Bob in the desert. They head north back to the United States and begin life under assumed names. The film hints at Inga and Bob’s life in Albuquerque and Whitman’s ongoing search for love.