Tideland

Jeliza-Rose lives in a dysfunctional household in Los Angeles, where her parents are heavily addicted to drugs. Despite the chaos, she clings to her imagination and a few belongings, including a beloved copy of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

During one of her erratic episodes, Jeliza's mother chokes to death after consuming too much chocolate. This traumatic event propels Jeliza and her father into a desperate situation, fearing the repercussions of the police discovering their drug use.

To escape the authorities after her mother's death, Jeliza's father assists her in constructing a shroud for her mother before they pack and board a bus to Texas. Jeliza childishly believes they are traveling to Denmark, still dreaming of a better life.

They arrive at a decrepit shack in Texas that is vandalized and falling apart. Despite the unpleasant conditions, Jeliza-Rose attempts to make it her home, aided by her imaginary friends, the heads of vintage Barbies.

That same night, Jeliza's father overdoses, leaving her to cling to the fantasy that he is merely asleep. As she engages in her imaginative play, his decline becomes more evident, but she remains oblivious to the harsh reality.

While playing near a train track, Jeliza encounters Dell, an eccentric woman, and her intellectually disabled brother Dickens. Initially believing Dell to be a witch, Jeliza soon forms a bond with Dickens, who is unaware of the complexities of their new relationship.

Jeliza and Dickens engage in imaginative play, turning a pile of trash into a submarine. Their friendship deepens as they share stories, and Jeliza begins to find a connection with Dickens and his strange family dynamics.

When Jeliza accidentally drops one of her doll heads, Mystique, down a rabbit-hole, she fears the other doll heads will turn against her. This moment marks a shift in Jeliza’s mental stability as she struggles to distinguish fantasy from reality.

Instead of helping Jeliza after her father’s death, Dell taxidermies him into a grotesque doll. This deepens Jeliza's sense of confusion and horror as she grapples with her loss in a twisted attempt to maintain a semblance of family.

As time goes on, Jeliza begins to see Dell and Dickens as a makeshift family and starts to feel less withdrawn from her surroundings. They paint the shack, pray, and share meals, which fosters a sense of belonging that Jeliza has long craved.

During a moment of intimacy and confusion, Jeliza and Dickens share a kiss, unknowingly crossing an inappropriate boundary. This moment highlights the blurred lines of their relationship, rooted in their troubled pasts and tragic upbringings.

As Jeliza and Dickens explore their imaginative world, Dickens reveals he has dynamite stolen from a nearby quarry, claiming it a magical item. Their innocence leads them to believe it could achieve something extraordinary, illustrating their fragile grasp on reality.

In a shocking turn of events, Dickens uses the dynamite, resulting in an explosion that causes a disastrous train crash. This startling realization shatters Jeliza's fantasy and thrusts her into the grim reality of the consequences their actions have wrought.

Jeliza encounters a wounded woman who offers her half of an orange, seemingly unaware of the girl's traumatic background. This moment underscores the tragic isolation Jeliza experiences as she grapples with her internal turmoil and the external chaos around her.

The film concludes with Jeliza staring blankly into space, her eyes glazed over, reflecting the emotional distance she has created from the horrors surrounding her. It is a haunting reminder of the effects of trauma and neglect on a child's psyche.