Third Star

On what he treats as his 29th and final birthday, James, a young man with terminal cancer, sets out on a last hiking trip with his three closest friends. He is partially confined to a specialized cart and relies on morphine and other medications to dull the pain as the journey begins. The trip is meant to savor life one last time at James's favorite retreat along the Pembrokeshire coast.

The group sets off toward Barafundle Bay, navigating rugged terrain and rough seas. The trip is framed by James's fading strength and his longing for small pleasures rather than grand gestures. The landscape becomes a quiet witness to the tension and tenderness among friends.

Davy acts as the steady heartbeat of the group, organizing supplies and keeping everyone grounded as the path proves demanding. He shoulders practical burdens and tries to shield James from the worst of the pain. His quiet resilience anchors the friends through mounting strain.

As the coastline tests them, supplies go missing and the cart carrying James becomes a casualty of the rough voyage. The loss heightens the stress and forces the friends to improvise under pressure. James's pain and frustration deepen the group's fragility.

In a series of pointed exchanges, James lashes out at each friend, challenging them to confront the lives they claim to live. The confrontations shift from humor to sharp accusations, exposing fears about mediocrity and the futures they actually want. The group is forced to reckon with uneasy truths under the strain of his illness.

Bill admits that his girlfriend is pregnant, a revelation that complicates his desire to change his own life and his willingness to walk away from their relationship. The confession adds weight to the already tense dynamic within the group. The news intersects with the looming decisions about the future they each face.

Miles responds with brutal honesty, both about James and about his own past. He reveals a manuscript he wrote years earlier that never saw the light, hinting at envy and complex admiration. Their conversation exposes a collision of loyalties and buried ambitions.

Miles confesses that he has had a sexual relationship with James's married sister, a revelation that strains trust within the circle. The admission adds layers of guilt and rivalry to their friendships. The truth complicates the bond they are trying to preserve during the trip.

At Barafundle Bay they arrive at the retreat and James makes a stark confession: he intends to drown himself in the sea to escape the escalating pain. He asks his friends to permit it and to tell his family and the authorities that they woke up to find his body in the water. The revelation tests their loyalty and their limits.

The others are horrified by James's plan, initially refusing to go along with it. Yet mounting pain, the temporary loss of morphine, and fear of what he will endure if they do nothing push them toward reconsideration. The group's sense of responsibility clashes with their own fear and the limits of love.

The next morning, James enters the sea to fulfill his decision while his friends stay close. In a pivotal moment, Miles steps in to guide him toward the water and help him complete his choice. The shore bears witness as the sea claims him.

Miles brings James's body back to shore, and the remaining friends grapple with the consequences of the journey. What began as a search for meaning ends in an act that none fully wanted, but could not prevent. The group is left to face the fragility of life and the weight of loyalty.