The Living

Teddy wakes after a night of binge drinking to find his wedding band missing and his fist bloodied. He cannot locate Molly and goes to Molly's mother Angela's house to learn what happened. Angela and Molly's brother Gordon explain that Molly wants nothing to do with him because of the beating, and Teddy apologizes while insisting he does not remember the incident. Molly arrives with him and makes it clear that this is not a reconciliation; she is simply returning to the house, not renewing their relationship.

In a bar, Gordon tells a friend that he wants Teddy dead. The friend suggests a cheap ex-convict who might take the job, but Gordon doesn't commit to anything yet. The conversation plants a seed of external help and reveals Gordon's growing resentment.

At a supermarket, Teddy and Molly run into Gordon. Teddy apologizes for his past behavior and offers Gordon a chance to throw a punch if he wants. Gordon declines and reiterates that he wishes Teddy were dead, while his friend’s number is mentioned as a possible option.

Back at their house, Angela berates Gordon for not sticking up for his sister and for issues at work. The family dynamic remains fraught as Teddy's fate hangs in the balance and Molly weighs the possibilities of staying or leaving.

Molly insists that Teddy move out, yet agrees to give him a chance to make amends with a dinner date the next day. They go to a local restaurant and encounter friends who are too embarrassed to comment on Molly's battered appearance. The date sets a fragile path toward reconciliation, though Molly remains cautious.

Gordon obtains the ex-con Howard's number and learns Howard lives in Mississippi. Howard insists that Gordon drive to his house in Mississippi to discuss the job, and Gordon reluctantly agrees to travel there.

When Gordon arrives, Howard forces him to strip naked to prove he is not wired and then accepts the assignment. The coercive and shocking demand foreshadows the violence to come and sets Gordon on a dangerous path.

On the way back, Gordon becomes uneasy as Howard murders two people at a roadside diner and declares he will take his money one way or another. He taunts Gordon with threats and defends his philosophy that survivors bear the weight of loss.

Back at home, Teddy and Molly gradually reconcile and she allows him to move back into their house. She even returns his missing wedding band, and he quips about having a beer as she approves, signaling a tenuous peace and renewed intimacy.

Gordon joins Teddy, Molly, and Angela for dinner, but the gathering turns icy. After a knock at the door, Howard shoots Teddy dead and walks away, and Molly rushes to confront him, only to be killed by a subsequent shot.

After attending his sister's funeral, Gordon travels back to Mississippi and confronts Howard with their mother's shotgun. Howard warns that murder will change him, but Gordon insists he already bears the consequences. He shoots and kills Howard in the confrontation.