Sequoia

Riley records her visit with her doctor so Bev, her absent mother, will know she has stage 3 oral cancer with a 10% chance of survival. The footage is meant to communicate the gravity of her illness and set the emotional stakes for what follows.

Earlier that day, Van tries to sneak out to meet Riley but totals the car. She reluctantly tells their father, Oscar, that Riley is in Sequoia with lethal drugs, triggering a tense family response.

Bev and Steve join Oscar and Van on a drive toward Sequoia to locate Riley, partly to resolve the situation and to help with the looming divorce papers. The trip foreshadows the chaotic effort the parents make to reach her before it’s too late.

Riley meets Ogden on a bus and they decide to split up at a nearby stop. They share a kiss before he offers to drive her to a rendezvous in the morning, but Riley declines so she can meet her sister the next day.

Back at the hotel, Riley listens to messages and then goes to her room to take a lethal dose of drugs, which she also records on video. The act confirms her desperation and shapes the film’s emotional core.

In the morning, Ogden finds Riley at the hotel pool and sees the visible effects of her cancer. He stays by her side and agrees to take her toward Hanging Rock to spend her remaining time together.

As they travel, they reach a blocked road and Riley reveals she has taken lethal drugs and is running out of time. The revelation heightens tension and tests their bond.

Riley steals Ogden’s car to keep moving toward her destination, and he memorizes her phone number so he can promise to stay with her until the end wherever she wants to go.

Reunited, Riley teaches Ogden how to film her last moments and the two film each other as they explore and savor the park. Their bond deepens as they capture memories they’ll never fully share with others.

During a brief rainstorm they retreat to the car, where Ogden plays a mandolin and sings an original song for Riley. The moment blends tenderness with the impending goodbye.

Ogden films Riley from a distance as she approaches the General Sherman Tree, and Riley meets Colin, a man with AIDS who prays to the tree, explaining his disease and his wish to live.

Riley collapses, and Ogden drives her toward the peak for her final moments. The journey to the climax is marked by a quiet, intimate struggle between life and death.

Riley’s family arrives and finds her peacefully lying in Ogden’s lap, signaling a fragile peace among them after the turmoil. The moment merges grief with gratitude for the time they had together.

In the hospital waiting room, Riley’s parents watch the videos she created. Riley wakes briefly, Van asks her to stay until she’s 18, and the family is reunited as Ogden calls with new lyrics for his song.