Tone-Deaf

As a young girl, Olive Smith makes her debut in a piano recital, but her parents miss this crucial moment due to the turmoil at home — her father, Michael (played by Ray Wise), hangs himself after quarreling with Olive’s mother, Crystal (portrayed by Kim Delaney). Fast forward to adulthood, Olive finds herself in a tough position after breaking up with her demanding boyfriend York. She seeks solace among her friends, Lenore (played by Hayley Marie Norman) and Blaire (portrayed by AnnaLynne McCord), who support her after her sexist boss, Asher (played by Ray Santiago), fires her. Despite being tone-deaf, Olive plays on the keyboard for her friends, who reassure her of her talent.

Haunted memories resurface when Olive witnesses a ghostly apparition of her father near his ashes. In an attempt to cope, she reaches out to Crystal, her mother, who now resides in a hippie commune. Crystal shares that Michael had wished to have his ashes scattered in space and suggests Olive take a weekend break to clear her mind.

Meanwhile, Olive has another distressing encounter with the specter of her father when York arrives with his new girlfriend to collect his belongings. Through an Airbnb, she rents a secluded house owned by Harvey Parker (Robert Patrick), a widower grappling with loneliness and mourning his late wife, Edith. As Harvey bickers about millennials, he is plagues by visions of Edith, including a haunting scene of her committing suicide. When Agnes (Nancy Linehan Charles), a family friend, questions why Harvey is renting his home, tension escalates, leading to Harvey’s decision to confine her against her will.

As Olive plays the piano for her mother over the phone, Harvey is captivated yet disturbed by her performance, prompting him to reveal his grim desire to experience what it feels like to kill. Despite his intentions, he hesitates when it comes to harming Olive and instead resorts to smaller acts of cruelty, such as placing a spider in her contact lens case.

Complications arise when David (Ronnie Gene Blevins), Harvey’s estranged son, unwittingly stumbles upon Olive at the rental while collecting his belongings for a pitch on Shark Tank. Harvey’s mounting anger leads him to violent actions; he begins stalking Olive and takes drastic measures such as violently eliminating those who threaten his plans.

On her own, Olive experiences a psychedelic trip after consuming LSD, culminating in visions of her former boyfriends and a revealing conversation with her father, who encourages her to pick better partners. In the midst of this chaos, Olive receives an alarming phone call from York, only to reject his attempt to reconcile.

As Harvey’s malevolence intensifies, he sabotages Olive’s safety, leading to an ultimate confrontation. With a budding sense of resolution emerging, Crystal and her new acquaintance, Uriah (also linked to Olive’s mother), make their way to the house to assist her. Yet, under duress, they experience setbacks, including a flat tire.

In the climactic battle, armed with a letter opener belonging to Edith, Olive finds herself in a chilling showdown with Harvey. As the situation spirals into chaos, each character must confront their past and the haunting specters that loom over them, culminating in a tragic but cathartic resolution. The tumultuous familial ties intertwine with tragic outcomes, leading to the poignant moment when Olive and Crystal attempt to scatter Michael’s ashes using a toy rocket — a challenging yet hopeful gesture toward understanding their complicated histories and forging their paths forward, despite the lingering shadows of the past.

Last Updated: October 27, 2024 at 18:37