Ethan Campbell works as a home tutor for an agency, providing lessons to the kids of the wealthiest families and sharing a life with his girlfriend, Annie. The couple is expecting a child, a fact Ethan has kept from his father, whose racist views would likely complicate matters. When a call arrives from his manager about a private assignment, Ethan learns that a very wealthy employer is seeking him out specifically and is willing to pay an astonishing daily rate of $2,500. The condition is simple and odd: he must live on the premises of a secluded bungalow. Tempted by the lucrative offer, he accepts, drawn by the promise of security and prestige.
On the day of reporting, a car picks him up and ferries him to a quaint, stately mansion. The residence is managed with old-school courtesy, and a butler escorts him inside. There he meets his on-site tutor, Jackson, whose stony, unreadable demeanor unsettles Ethan from the start. When Ethan asks about Jackson’s SAT scores, the response is puzzling, and a subsequent request to take a practice test reveals an unsettling mix of precision and menace. As Ethan acclimates to the house, he discovers a sprawling garage filled with vintage motorcycles—perhaps fifty in total—hinting at the eccentric character of the household. In the same space, he encounters Gavin and his girlfriend, two figures who feel like a deliberate counterpoint to Jackson’s disciplined, opaque air.
As the days pass, Ethan notices that Jackson seems almost unnaturally adept at the work he assigns. The next day, Jackson’s flawless test results deepen Ethan’s unease. A disturbing thread begins to appear in their conversations: Jackson’s reticence about his father’s profession, a suggested estrangement from his mother, and a chilling, almost preternatural reference to Ethan’s unborn child. The tension escalates when Ethan is offered a lift by Gavin and his companions, and one of the girls makes a sexual advance toward him, with Gavin urging him to explore the moment. In a parallel strand, Jackson asks Ethan to pose for a photograph during a study session, and Gavin and Jackson jointly nudge him toward accepting a bribe of $5,000 to end the day early.
That night, Jackson enters Ethan’s room unannounced and confesses that his previous remark about his mother was a lie. He reveals that his mother actually left the family, a disclosure that tilts the balance of trust yet again. In a heavy, uncomfortable moment, Jackson shares intimate details of his troubled family life, and Ethan reciprocates by opening up about his own personal world. Jackson then abruptly departs with a cutting jab, leaving Ethan frustrated and unsettled.
As the final session approaches, Jackson’s behavior grows increasingly possessive. He begs Ethan to stay for dinner with his father, a clear sign of the unhealthy fixation that has developed. Ethan, recognizing the boundary violation, refuses to stay and makes his stance explicit. Later that night, Ethan discovers personal photos of himself with Annie on Jackson’s laptop, a discovery that shakes him and signals the invasive reach of Jackson’s obsession.
On the next day, Jackson’s demanding demeanor intensifies. Chris informs Ethan that Jackson’s father has extended the contract and wants Ethan to tutor Jackson for the entire summer at triple the usual rate. The situation strains Ethan’s relationship with Annie, who has her own concerns about the control and manipulation at play. A double date with friends brings a fleeting sense of normalcy, but Jackson reappears, and Annie unexpectedly sympathizes with him, complicating Ethan’s judgment and trust.
A chilling turn follows: Jackson engineers a mechanism that leads to Ethan being drugged with strawberries left for him. He wakes up to recount the horrors and finds his life spiraling further into danger. Ethan’s alleged misconduct is called into question, and he is barred from future assignments by Chris after Jackson’s family lodges complaints and a cache of compromising photographs is brought to light. Friction erupts as Ethan confronts Jackson and Gavin, threatening harm in a moment of panic and rage.
The plot thickens when Annie pushes for transparency about a past relationship with a woman named Rachel Platt. She explains that Jackson is deeply worried about her, given what happened to his mother. Ethan reveals that Rachel died by suicide, not drowning, and suggests that Jackson’s instability might be tied to a history of madness in his family lineage. This revelation ripples through the villa as Ethan returns to its grounds to confront the truth head-on, only to discover that the property belongs to Jefferson Platt, Rachel’s husband. A tense confrontation unfolds, and Ethan sneaks into the villa to search for evidence—the drugged strawberries become a pivotal clue as the police close in.
In a crucial turning point, Jackson guides Ethan to a lake-side location where he claims his mother died. There, Jackson reveals a more disturbing truth about Rachel’s death, accusing Ethan of manipulation. As the tension peaks, Jackson and Gavin assault Ethan; a dramatic meltdown follows, and Ethan’s narrative spirals into a chaotic confession. He kills Gavin and pursues Jackson, but the confrontation shifts locales to the manor’s boatyard. Annie overhears their heated exchange, and Jackson gains access to a gun, fatally shooting Ethan. The scene ends with Ethan drowning, his body never recovered by the authorities, leaving Jackson and Annie forever altered by the revelation of Ethan’s true intentions and the extent of his savagery.
In the aftermath, the case seems to close on the surface—yet the film hints that Ethan may have survived and found a way back into the tutoring world, continuing to operate within loaded American households. The tragedy and mystery around Ethan’s persona linger, reshaping how Annie and Jackson view trust, power, and the fragility of appearances in a world where affluence can mask a deep, unsettling darkness.
