The Servant

Tony moves into his new house in London and hires Barrett as his manservant. Barrett settles into the role quickly, and a quiet, uneasy bond forms between them while both keep their social distance. The arrangement hints at future power shifts rather than true partnership.

Barrett adapts with ease and a restrained bond grows between him and Tony. They maintain their social roles, concealing the undercurrent of control building beneath. The steady routine foreshadows the upheaval to come.

Barrett suggests hiring a maid, and Vera is introduced under the pretense that she is Barrett's sister. Tony agrees to bring her into the house, expanding Barrett's influence over the domestic sphere. Vera's presence begins to blur the lines of authority within Tony's world.

Barrett nudges Vera to seduce Tony as part of his plan to entrench himself further. Tony remains unaware of Barrett's manipulation at this stage. Vera's role becomes a catalyst for the power shift in the household.

Tony and Susan return unexpectedly and catch Barrett and Vera asleep together. The scene exposes the lie about Vera's sisterhood and the adults' moral lines begin to blur. Barrett bluntly reveals Vera is his fiancée, and Tony learns he has been sleeping with her; Susan leaves, humming The Wedding March.

With Barrett and Vera in command, Tony slides into dependence and self-doubt. He becomes a heavy drinker, cut off from Susan who stops answering his calls. The household's dynamics close around him as his autonomy fades.

Tony encounters Barrett in a pub, where Barrett spins a story claiming Vera had fooled them both. He pleads with Tony to take him back as his manservant and frames the past as Vera's deceit. Tony agrees, reopening the door to Barrett's dominance.

Barrett's control tightens and Tony begins to regress into infantilism, following orders and seeking alcohol. Vera is reintroduced into the house, further eroding Tony's autonomy. The balance of power shifts decisively in Barrett and Vera's favor.

Susan returns and tries to win Tony back, only to find him utterly dependent on Barrett. She witnesses him living under Barrett's grip, entertained and intoxicated by the couple. The erosion of loyalty and affection becomes explicit.

Susan confronts Barrett and, in a charged moment, kisses him; Barrett forcefully returns her advances. Tony tries to intervene but is clumsy and trips, ending with the other men and prostitutes laughing at him. The humiliation cements Barrett's dominance.

Barrett maintains chilling composure as the scene erupts; he orders the prostitutes to leave. Susan slaps Barrett with the jeweled collar of her coat, a fierce, symbolic rebuke. He retrieves Vera upstairs, leaving Tony slumped on the floor.

Barrett ascends toward the upstairs rooms with Vera, while Tony lingers on the floor with his drink. The domestic space has been reclaimed by Barrett and Vera, signifying the final collapse of Tony's autonomy. The ending frames Tony's downfall as the consequence of his complicity in the deceit.