Scissors

Angela buys a pair of large scissors at a hardware shop, selecting them with practical resolve. The tool will become central to both her defense and the plot’s climactic twists. The scene anchors the story in a mundane purchase that hints at darker consequences.

On the way home, Angela is attacked in the elevator of her apartment block by a red-bearded man. She fights back and stabs him with the scissors in self-defense, forcing him to retreat. The assault shatters her sense of safety and seeds the paranoia that drives the rest of the film.

Immediately after the attack, Angela is found by the twin brothers who live next door. Alex is a soap opera star, while Cole is an artist who uses a wheelchair, and their presence introduces a volatile mix of attraction and tension. Angela feels drawn to Alex but is restrained by personal insecurity and the brothers’ differing temperaments. The encounter marks the beginning of a complicated social orbit around her trauma.

Hypnotherapy sessions with Dr. Stephan Carter reveal a red-bearded man named Billy in Angela’s past. The memories hint at a cycle of violence connected to her present fear. This backstory links Angela’s repression to an earlier trauma that the film will twist against her.

Following the attack and the rising attention from Alex, Angela’s sheltered world begins to unravel. She senses Cole’s hostility and the relationship with Alex becomes increasingly fraught with danger and secrecy. The destabilization pushes her toward a breaking point.

Angela is lured to a large, mysterious apartment offering a job, only to realize it is a trap. The space is designed to isolate and manipulate her, showing how easily she can be controlled. She understands that escape may be impossible within this labyrinth.

In the master bedroom, Angela finds the red-bearded attacker dead, killed with the same scissors she bought earlier. The room also contains a caged raven that caws, eerily implying Angela is the killer. The setup is a psychological trap intended to drive her toward insanity.

Exploring the apartment, Angela discovers it is stuffed with exhibits related to her own psychology. The raven continues to taunt her with the claim that she killed him. The space functions as a mechanism to distort her sense of reality.

Alex discovers Angela is missing and begins searching for her. In the meantime, Cole abruptly stands from his wheelchair, attacks Alex, and then vanishes, revealing a dangerous side no one expected. The twin rivalry and the threat of both men escalate the suspense.

After many failed escape attempts, Angela releases the raven from its cage and ties a message to its leg. She uses the blood-stained scissors to pry a vent cover and release the bird into an air vent. The act is a desperate signal for help.

Next morning, Angela discovers the attacker’s body has been moved to the dining room and the raven’s mutilated corpse sits on a plate. A childhood flashback reveals that her red-bearded stepfather Billy was murdered by her mother with scissors, explaining the deep-rooted trauma that fuels her repression. The revelation reframes the entire sequence of events.

Dr. Carter’s wife Ann visits the apartment and reveals that she is having an affair with the owner. She and Carter expose that he was Angela’s attacker, admitting they framed her to ruin her. They rummage for the murder weapon, hoping to cement their version of events.

Angela, wandering through the apartment in a trance, closes the main door behind her, trapping Carter and Ann inside. The act marks a turning point as she asserts control over her environment, even as she remains mentally unsettled. The confrontation sets the stage for the final outcome.

Outside, Alex tracks Angela to the address and rescues her from the dangerous trap. Carter bangs the scissors against the window, unable to break free, while Angela looks back with a vengeful smile. The film closes on her reclaimed agency and the hint of retaliation.