Proxy

While walking home from a doctor's appointment, Esther is knocked unconscious by a person wearing a hoodie who strikes her stomach with a brick. Despite urgent efforts from emergency responders, the baby is delivered stillborn by caesarean section. The devastating assault shatters Esther's sense of safety and sets off a dangerous psychological spiral.

A hospital social worker notes Esther's isolation and recommends she join a support group for grieving parents. The group is intended to provide emotional support, community, and a path to processing the loss of her child and the pregnancy.

In the support group, Esther meets Melanie Michaels, who shares how loss has shaped her life. The two women form an uneasy friendship as they bond over shared trauma and vulnerability. This connection will drive much of the film's tension.

While visiting a department store, Melanie suddenly cries that her son Peyton has been kidnapped and begs a security guard for help. Esther follows Melanie and sees her take Peyton from a car into the store. The episode plants seeds of distrust and looming danger.

Back at Esther's home, a hooded assailant drags Esther from the kitchen and the two have sex, revealing that the attacker is Anika Barön, Esther's lover. The attack is framed as Esther's wish, exposing a dangerous, tangled relationship of desire and control.

Esther visits Melanie's home and probes about Melanie's family, insisting that Peyton is alive. She reveals that she enjoyed being pregnant for attention but declares she never wanted to be a mother, kissing Melanie and claiming that Melanie is the only person who understands her. Melanie slaps Esther and orders her to stay away.

Using Anika's truck, Esther sneaks into Melanie's house and drowns Peyton in the bathroom before Melanie arrives and discovers the body. Esther claims Melanie wanted Peyton dead and suggests they can be together, deepening the betrayal and horror.

Shortly after Peyton's murder, Patrick returns with a shotgun and kills Esther in the Michaels' house. This ends Esther's manipulation and creates new tragedy, leaving Melanie and Anika to grapple with the aftermath.

Anika, who has been jailed during the chaos, learns of Esther's death and remains unconvinced that Esther acted alone. She begins to piece together the Michaels' identities to pursue revenge against them.

Melanie processes her loss by gathering Peyton's belongings and contacting a newspaper to tell her story. The decision signals a shift toward public exposure and using her experience to advocate for safety and self-defense.

Anika tries to visit the newspaper office to learn more about the Michaels, but security removes her, thwarting her plans for further revenge.

Melanie breaks into Esther's house to retrieve a card with Esther's number and discovers Anika masturbating on Esther's bed, escalating the sense of danger and perverse obsession surrounding the trio.

Patrick checks the registration on Anika's truck and reports it to the police, who caution him against pursuing it as theft. He also attends a support group, learning more about Peyton's supposed kidnapping and the Michaels' secrets.

Anika tracks down the Michaels' house, ties up Melanie, and waits for Patrick, only to find him dead in the bathroom. Melanie finally breaks free and holds Anika at gunpoint, determined to survive and confront her tormentor.

The confrontation peaks as Anika and Melanie struggle; Anika grabs a hammer while Melanie fires the shotgun, leaving their immediate fates unresolved. In a final fantasy two years later, Melanie imagines an interview about her experiences, recounting grief, revenge, and her pregnancy.