Woodchipper Massacre

With the father away on a business trip, the children are left in the care of Aunt Tess. Tess immediately imposes strict rules and lectures them about dating, late nights, and entertainment. The household atmosphere grows tense as the kids adjust to her rigid control.

Aunt Tess asserts dominance, monitoring homework and chores while preaching that their lifestyle is morally wrong. She bans movies and music and uses religion to justify her harsh rules. The children's attempts at normality are stifled by her relentless discipline.

Tom receives a hunting knife mailed to the house, but Tess refuses to let him keep it. A heated argument erupts as they clash over the weapon. The tension between them foreshadows the tragedy to come.

During the struggle, Tess is accidentally fatally stabbed in the stomach. The children are shocked by the unintended death and scramble to conceal what happened. They decide that denial and secrecy are their only options.

The siblings dismember Tess's body and store the remains in the freezer to hide the crime. They work quickly to avoid drawing attention from the adults who might check on them. The chilling routine of ordinary chores continues as if nothing occurred.

They remove the frozen remnants from the freezer and feed them into a woodchipper, destroying the remains. The process is presented as a grim calculation rather than a spectacle. The crime appears to be buried under everyday activity.

Kim, Tess's son recently released from prison, arrives claiming money is owed and tries to extract cash from the house. He threatens the children if they won't give him the money. The family tension intensifies as the intruder's presence unsettles the home.

Denice and Tom lure Kim toward the woodchipper under the pretense of a final task and plot to eliminate him. They pretend the machine is a lucrative object they can exploit. The tension escalates as their plan moves closer to execution.

Tom starts the woodchipper and Jon pushes Kim into it, killing him. The act completes the trio's escalation from deception to murder. The children attempt to maintain normalcy as if nothing happened.

Jon drives Kim's car to the airport to hide the evidence and hitches a ride back, trying to distance himself from the crime. The escape plan relies on remaining unseen as the family waits for their father to return.

Denice and Tom rake and mow the lawn, keeping up appearances to please their father. They act as if chores are the sole concern while the truth simmers beneath the surface. The routine provides the illusion that normal life persists.

The father returns home and is greeted by the seemingly ordinary children on the driveway. He notices nothing suspicious as the family maintains the charade. The siblings feel momentary relief that they may have gotten away with it.

The camera lingers on the ground where woodchips remain and Tess's ring lies, hinting at the hidden crime that may surface later. The ending suggests the truth may eventually come to light despite their deception.