Quasi

Quasi Modo, a hunchback, works as a torturer alongside his hut mate Duchamp in medieval France. They brutalize Michel, a culinary student, as part of their grim daily routine. The scene establishes the power dynamics and the grim environment surrounding Quasi.

Duchamp slips Quasi a winning Papal Week drawing, discovering a chance to meet the pope. Overnight Quasi becomes popular in court, drawing attention from nobles and rivals alike. Duchamp watches in jealousy as the spotlight shifts away from him.

Queen Catherine witnesses Quasi leading a brief rebellion against their boss Lucien and sees potential in him. Her interest signals the beginning of a shifting alliance in the monarchy. The moment plants the seeds for future partnership.

During a royal meal, King Guy asks Quasi to assassinate Pope Cornelius, a request that shocks him to the core. He confides the proposition to Duchamp and Michel, aware that refusal could mean his death. This assignment marks the first serious moral crossroads for Quasi.

The pope orders Quasi to kill King Guy during the union ceremony rather than Cornelius. King Guy schemes to have Quasi eliminated after the ceremony and shares this plan with his aide Henri. Catherine overhears the shifting plot, widening the conspiracy.

Catherine approaches Quasi to explain what she heard, and Quasi sinks into a grim mood at the chilling news. The two begin to sketch a plan that might avert disaster while navigating the dangerous politics. Their uneasy alliance hints at a larger role for Quasi in the kingdom.

In a tense session, they craft a strategy to resist the assassination orders. Quasi shares the plan with Duchamp, laying out how they might outmaneuver their rulers. The trio's fragile alliance tests loyalties across the palace.

During the union ceremony, Quasi appears to strike at both targets, but Duchamp steps in and 'kills' Quasi, presenting himself as the savior. Quasi is whisked away to a cave as Duchamp contends with the fallout. The crowd hails Duchamp as a hero while Quasi vanishes from public view.

Duchamp comes back to the kingdom, but public memory forgets his act of supposed heroism. Catherine visits Quasi in confinement, and the two become emotionally entangled, while Duchamp watches with growing heartbreak. The personal cost of political theater becomes clearer.

Duchamp, drunk, tells Lucien that Quasi is alive, prompting Lucien to alert Henri. Quasi is soon caught and subjected to torture, as the kingdom's intrigues tighten their grip on him. The stage is set for a dramatic rescue and reckoning.

Catherine sneaks into the dungeon and kills Lucien, freeing Quasi from captivity. The two discover they are royal kin, a revelation that complicates their alliance and the politics around them. They resolve to face the future together as their bond deepens.

Quasi escapes again and, with Michel's urging, returns to the palace to stop Duchamp's execution. At the execution site, Quasi reveals that King Guy and Pope Cornelius ordered each other’s deaths, a shocking truth meant to rally the crowd. Catherine confirms Quasi's royal lineage, tipping the scales of power.

A chaotic clash erupts among the guards and allies, resulting in the deaths of Henri, Pope Cornelius' assistant Claude, and Michel. Michel dies with a last wish that Quasi and Duchamp remain friends, underscoring the human cost of the political upheaval. The city reels from the violence.

The people rally behind Quasi, embracing him for his resilience and empathy rather than his bloodline. King Guy and Pope Cornelius fatally stab each other, confessing a long-lost love in their final moments. Quasi and Catherine emerge as the new rulers, charting a hopeful future for France.

Quasi and Duchamp hold a funeral for Michel, trying to give him a proper burial despite the difficulty posed by his height from repeated rack torture. In the post-credits scene, Michel’s hands are seen being eaten by dogs, a macabre coda to the tragedy.