Night Train

On a cold Christmas night, a man runs through a forest carrying a box, his purpose unknown. The image of the pursed silhouette and the weight of the box establishes a sense of danger and fate. This opening sets the stage for the tension that will unfold on the train.

A nearly empty train pulls into a quiet station while two conductors stretch and pass time. The solitude creates a claustrophobic mood as if something is about to break the routine. The calm is pierced when the silent man signals he wants to board.

The man boards just as the train is about to depart, silent and seemingly not to speak English. The conductors decide to let him on, hoping to collect his money later. He takes a seat among the few passengers as the train begins to move.

The man sits with a handful of other passengers when Pete, a drunken salesman, offers him a drink. He swallows a pill and washes it down with vodka, slipping into a rapid decline. Within moments his heart and lungs fail due to a Seconal and alcohol combination.

Pete and Chloe discover the dead man and alert Miles, the head conductor. They report the death and begin to wonder what the box and its contents might mean. The discovery shifts the mood from routine to ominous as a mysterious object in the man's box draws their curiosity.

Pete and Chloe peer into the mysterious object inside the box, convinced there is a liberating fortune inside. They present the idea to Miles, who initially resists but is soon drawn by greed. The trio's conversation plants the seed of a conspiracy to keep the treasure for themselves.

Miles takes the box back to his office with the intent to safeguard it and to call authorities at the next stop. He peers inside and finds himself tempted, revealing a fracture between duty and desire. The dynamic begins to fracture as trust erodes among the trio.

With Chloe taking the lead, the group decides to dispose of the dead man and keep the supposed fortune for themselves. Pete and Miles join the plan, and they scramble to hide the body and the box from other passengers. Paranoia grows as suspicion and fear begin to dictate their actions.

Their paranoia unsettles the cabin as more passengers grow suspicious and the other conductor keeps watch. The box’s influence deepens, feeding distrust and rash choices. The cramped space becomes a pressure cooker of fear.

It is revealed that the box contains a supernatural force that shows each person their deepest temptation. Those who look inside are driven to corruption and meet a doom that comes before dawn. The fear spreads and the group turns on itself as the box tightens its grip.

In a final attempt to end the nightmare, Miles places the box on the path of an oncoming train. He dies just after seeing a dog nudge the box off the tracks, a last moment of futile mercy. The device remains and the night carries on toward an uncertain ending.

A random toddler wandering alone miles from any city picks up the box, looks inside, and smiles. The box's power appears to persist, hinting at an endless cycle of temptation. The ending leaves the audience with an eerie sense of continuity and unanswered questions.