The Square

Raymond Yale and Carla Smith secretly carry on an affair while both are married. They live in a small Australian town across the river, keeping their relationship hidden from their spouses. The romance is driven by a plan to run away together once they have enough money.

Ray, as a foreman overseeing the resort construction, orchestrates underhanded kickbacks with Barney to stash away funds. He hopes this money will fund a future with Carla away from their marriages. Tension grows as the source of the funds remains dubious.

Ray and Carla decide they will run off together, but Ray insists they delay until they have enough money. The plan becomes a driving force behind their secret meetings and riskier choices. The prospect of a new life both excites and terrifies them.

Carla witnesses Smithy wiping blood from his hands and stashing a duffel bag of cash in their ceiling—loot from a recent armed robbery. The existence of the money confirms the risk of discovery and intensifies the plot. The revelation links the lovers to dangerous criminals and a plan they intend to exploit.

Carla informs Ray of the stash, and they agree to steal the money. Ray hires Billy, the local arsonist, to start a fire that would look like it was caused by faulty Christmas lights. The plan requires perfect timing during a town Christmas event.

During the Christmas celebration, Carla sneaks back to the house and takes the money from the hiding place. She overhears Smithy calling his mother to feed his dog, which heightens the urgency of their ruse. Ray tries to warn Billy via his sister Lily, but the message is not delivered.

Billy breaks in and starts the fire, unaware that Smithy's mother is asleep in the living room. The blaze kills her, signaling the collapse of Ray and Carla's plan and expanding suspicion across the town. The consequences ripple outward to threaten everyone involved.

Smithy realizes the money is missing and begins a ruthless search for who took it. Murders and accidents pile up as the town's fear grows, with each death blamed on the scheme connected to Ray. The pressure mounts as betrayals and paranoia spread.

Ray starts receiving Christmas cards threatening to reveal his secrets unless he pays $10,000. The cards reveal a stark new danger and shift focus to the wider corruption involving the town's insiders. The blackmail adds another layer of risk to their fragile plans.

Barney and his wife are revealed to be the blackmailers, exploiting kickbacks and then threatening their victims. Their exposure escalates the risk for Ray and increases the stakes for everyone involved. The corrupt web surrounding the deal widens.

Ray goes to Carla's house to run away together, only to confront Billy waiting with the rest of the money. Carla hands over the bag, and the plan seems to dissolve into a tense stalemate. The moment crystallizes the fragility of their scheme.

Billy forces Ray and Carla to kneel as Smithy bursts in and shoots Billy. In the exchange, Smithy is killed and Carla is shot in the head while Ray struggles to wrest Billy's gun. Billy leaves, and Ray wanders away in shock beside Carla's lifeless body.