The Beguiled

By 1864, Martha Farnsworth's school is almost empty as most students, teachers, and slaves have left. The isolation of the Virginia estate frames the events that follow. The appearance of a wounded Union corporal inside its doors upends the quiet routine.

While foraging for mushrooms, Amy discovers John McBurney, a Union corporal wounded in the leg who has deserted. She brings him back to the school, where he collapses in the hall. Farnsworth begins tending his wounds and confines him to a room.

The women are immediately fascinated by the handsome intruder. Some residents want to surrender him as a POW, but Farnsworth decides to wait and let him recover first. He is locked in a room while plans form among the residents.

Confederate soldiers arrive at the school, but Farnsworth does not reveal that a Union soldier is on the premises. She keeps him hidden, avoiding any transfer and buying time for later decisions.

As his leg heals, McBurney begins helping in the garden, and the women shower him with gifts and a lavish dinner to win his affection. He responds with charm, signaling he values their attention rather than loyalty to any side. Farnsworth remains wary of his true motives.

When the decision about his staying becomes imminent, McBurney tells Edwina that he has fallen in love with her. The confession deepens the tensions among the women and gives Edwina mixed emotions about him. The possibility of him staying becomes more complicated.

That night, Edwina overhears strange noises and discovers McBurney in bed with Alicia. He tries to appease Edwina, but she pushes him away, causing him to fall down the stairs and injure his already wounded leg again. He collapses, unconscious.

Farnsworth decides that the only way to save his life is to amputate the leg. McBurney awakens to learn he's lost his leg and feels betrayed and furious at the women. The group prepares for the consequences as his fury grows.

After the amputation, McBurney wakes furious, lashes out, and is locked inside. He breaks out, steals Farnsworth's gun, and storms through the house threatening the women before fleeing. The school descends into panic as the pursuit begins.

Farnsworth sends Amy to the gate to signal Confederate troops, which brings McBurney into view. He spots Amy and pursues her to a shed, where Farnsworth talks him down and prevents a slaughter. Her intervention averts immediate disaster.

With the danger temporarily quelled, the women regroup and decide that McBurney must be eliminated to protect themselves. They quietly scheme to poison his dinner with poisonous mushrooms. The plan is born of fear, jealousy, and the pressure of occupying armies more than moral certainty.

Edwina secretly follows McBurney to his room and initiates sex with him, deepening the personal entanglement. She remains unaware that the others are plotting his elimination. The affair heightens tensions and complicates any moral stance among the women.

During dinner, the others prepare to carry out the poisoning, but Edwina is deterred from placing mushrooms on her plate. McBurney's suspicions are not aroused, and he eats the portion the women prepared for him. Moments later, he collapses from the mushroom poison.

The women sew McBurney's corpse into a shroud and drag it to the road to be found by passing Confederate soldiers. They attach a signal to the gate to ensure discovery and avoid suspicion within their circle. Edwina is devastated by the outcome, while the school tries to resume its quiet facade in the aftermath.