Parallel

The film begins with an elderly couple peacefully resting in bed. However, the tranquility is shattered when the wife hears her dog’s distress. Curiosity leads her out of the bedroom, where she finds the dog unharmed, but tragedy strikes as she is violently murdered by a masked intruder. In a shocking twist, the intruder removes the mask, revealing herself to be an exact duplicate of the wife, and then she returns to bed with the unsuspecting husband.

Meanwhile, four ambitious friends are running a software startup. Devin, portrayed by Aml Ameen, along with Noel, played by Martin Wallström, Leena, portrayed by Georgia King, and Josh, played by Mark O’Brien, find themselves under intense pressure as they pitch their app to investors. Given an unrealistic deadline, they soon realize they’ve been sabotaged by Seth, a programmer they briefly considered hiring, played by Chad Krowchuk. Faced with despair, the group heads to a bar where they learn from the barmaid, Carmen (Alyssa Diaz), that their home is rumored to be haunted, linked to the mysterious disappearance of the previous owner.

Upon returning home, the four friends ponder the impossibility of their situation. A heated argument erupts when Devin expresses his thoughts of giving up. In the chaos, they damage a wall, uncovering a hidden room that leads them to a peculiar mirror. This mirror holds the key to another dimension, as Josh discovers when he steps through and returns after 15 minutes, exhilarated by tales of a different universe. Realizing they can manipulate time, they decide to use the mirror to assist in completing their app. Once finished, they present it to their investors, feeling triumphant as they drive past Seth, who mocks them.

As they revel in their newfound success, the group discusses exploiting the mirror’s capabilities. Leena discovers the diaries of the missing woman, revealing her name as Marissa, who used the mirror to connect with her deceased husband from another reality. Despite Devin’s protests about their actions mirroring Seth’s betrayal, the allure of the portal proves too tempting. They each begin to benefit immensely from their use of the mirror—Josh seduces women, Leena replicates great artworks for profit, and Noel emerges as a “visionary,” capitalizing on stolen ideas.

Their success is cut short when tragedy strikes; Josh attempts to enchant a woman from an alternative universe but ends up fatally shot. In a frantic panic, the remaining trio, led by Noel, hatch a desperate plan to swap the dead Josh with an alternate version from another universe. This new Josh wakes up, befuddled by the charade that he has simply gotten drunk and achieved success. As Devin searches for a universe to reunite with his deceased father, Noel’s behavior grows increasingly sinister, leading to suspicion and dread among the friends.

Amidst this chaos, Devin and Leena forge a deeper bond, but Noel’s obsession spirals out of control. After a series of shocking revelations and betrayals, the friends find themselves in a violent confrontation, leading to a tragic climax where Noel’s treachery unveils itself in gruesome ways.

In a harrowing final showdown, Leena manages to trap Noel in the mirror, severing him from existence between worlds. As she and Devin dispose of the body and destroy the mirror, they resolve to start anew together. However, a startling twist occurs at a gas station—a flicker of light at the mirror hints at a lingering connection to alternate realities, leaving an unsettling question in the air: has their past truly been obliterated, or has it merely resurfaced in another form? The film concludes with a strikingly ambiguous note, suggesting that the echoes of their choices may still linger beyond their knowledge.

Last Updated: November 03, 2024 at 13:06