The Hills Run Red

A film student, Tyler, becomes consumed by the horror film The Hills Run Red, treating it as the scariest movie ever made. His fixation begins to erode his relationship with his girlfriend Serina as he neglects her in pursuit of the unknown project. He starts to search for clues about the missing director and the lost copy.

The mounting obsession creates distance between Tyler and Serina, and she begins an affair with their close friend Lalo. Tyler remains unaware, more invested in the film's mythology than in his relationship. The strain foreshadows the unraveling of their circle.

Seeking information about the lost film, Tyler tracks down Alexa, Concannon's daughter who works at a nightclub. He confronts her there and asks about the project; she gives him a nude lap dance and later brings him back to her home, where he tries to coerce her into cooperating. He forces her to comply with his demands.

Alexa tells Tyler that the lost movie could be hidden in her father's house in the woods, sparking a plan to go there. The clue reframes their mission from chasing a rumor to locating a physical location. Alexa's involvement begins to blur the line between information source and ally.

On the road toward Concannon's home, Tyler speaks with Alexa and reveals his suspicion about Serina and Lalo's affair. The conversation grows intimate, and the two share a kiss before continuing. The journey hints at a fragile alliance built on shared obsession.

As they interview locals along the way, the group is ambushed by the rednecks they spoke with earlier, who threaten to rape Alexa and Serina. Babyface arrives and kills the attackers, then chases the group into the woods. The danger escalates into a deadly pursuit.

Tyler breaks into Concannon's home and discovers a red room filled with film reels hanging from the ceiling. He and the others manage to rescue Alexa and rejoin Serina, but Babyface bursts in, knocks Tyler unconscious, and captures Alexa while Serina flees.

Back at Concannon's, Tyler wakes to find himself bound to a wheelchair, surrounded by reels of The Hills Run Red. Concannon reveals Alexa's alliance with him and explains the origins of his brutal tricks: he killed the original actor and makes on-screen deaths real. He also reveals that Babyface is his son, born from an incestuous relationship with Alexa.

Alexa begins filming her own version of the movie as she tortures Lalo in the barn, and Babyface rapes Serina. The production becomes the vehicle for real horror, blurring the lines between cinema and violence. The group realizes the full extent of Alexa's ambition.

Concannon brings Tyler into the barn to witness Alexa's work, and Serina uses the distraction to escape. Alexa kills Lalo as she argues with her father, and Concannon shoots Alexa in the ensuing confrontation. The power struggle among creator, daughter, and killer escalates toward a violent climax.

Babyface fights his father but is killed when Serina stabs him with an iron staff. Alexa regains control, knocks Serina and Tyler unconscious, and ties Tyler up to force him to watch her final cut of The Hills Run Red. The film loops as Tyler bleeds out, trapped in Alexa's triumph.

In a mid-credits scene, Serina, still Alexa's prisoner, is revealed to be several months pregnant with Babyface's child. Alexa presents Babyface's mask as a gift for the unborn grandchild and sings a lullaby to the baby as Serina screams.