While She Was Out

On Christmas Eve, Della Myers (Kim Basinger), a suburban housewife living in an upscale American neighborhood, finds herself in a heated argument with her abusive husband, Kenneth (Craig Sheffer). Kenneth storms into the house, noticing the floor strewn with their children’s toys and clothing. His anger boils over as he verbally berates Della for her housekeeping skills, intimidating her further by punching a hole in the wall beside her head. After putting her two young children to bed, Della heads to the mall to grab some last-minute wrapping paper.

At the mall, she faces a frustrating challenge in finding a parking spot. After a few laps around the lot, she finally spots an empty space; however, some inconsiderate driver has taken up two spaces. Frustrated, she leaves a note on the car that reads, “Jerk, 2 spaces? How inconsiderate,” before completing her shopping. By the time she returns, the lot is almost deserted, and her note has vanished. Unfortunately, as she enters her vehicle, the same car pulls up behind her.

Confronting the gang of four young men inside the car—Chuckie (Lukas Haas), Huey (Jamie Starr), Vingh (Leonard Wu), and Tomás (Luis Chávez)—Della instinctively taunts Chuckie about his name, claiming, “only a moron would name their child that.” Chuckie retaliates by revealing he named himself because he had no parents. The situation escalates into a physical confrontation, prompting a mall security guard to intervene. In a tragic twist, Chuckie accidentally shoots the guard, leading the gang to realize they have committed murder. Sensing danger, Della manages to escape in her car, but the gang pursues her, intent on silencing the only witness.

The chase takes them to a new subdivision under construction, where Della crashes her truck. Unharmed, she seizes a red toolbox and a flare before hiding behind a dredger. As the gang descends on the area, they seek to discover what valuable item she possesses, but Della cleverly reveals that her toolbox is filled with a set of mechanics tools and other sharp implements meant for repairs. With the love for her children fueling her determination to survive the night, Della finds herself in a deadly game of cat and mouse.

The gang, skilled in tracking, begins to hunt her down, nearly always on her trail as they mockingly call her name and throw around idle threats. In a chaotic moment, one member named Huey stumbles and falls, fatally injuring himself. Della manages to ambush another gang member, Tomás, using a cross-wrench to overpower him. Pursuing her escape, she wades through a creek as Chuckie and Vingh argue and then split up.

In the dark woods, Della springs on Vingh, engaged in a fierce struggle until she emerges victorious. However, Chuckie soon finds her and attempts to manipulate her with talk of her children, assuring her they won’t be harmed. He insinuates that Della lives a dull life, constantly overshadowed by Kenneth’s mistreatment. As he approaches, attempting to get closer, Della unexpectedly kisses him, creating a moment of distraction. Seizing the opportunity, she blinds him with her flare and takes his gun, shooting him dead.

Exhausted yet resolute, Della returns home to find Kenneth berating her for being out late. Choosing to keep her traumatic experience to herself, she goes upstairs to check on her sleeping children. When Kenneth drunkenly asks if she brought him anything from the mall, she stands defiantly, gun in hand, and replies coldly, “Nothing.”

Last Updated: October 27, 2024 at 21:27