World’s Greatest Dad

Lance finds his son Kyle dead in his bedroom after an apparent autoerotic asphyxiation accident. The room is quiet, and the magnitude of the loss slowly sinks in as Lance processes the scene. This moment sets off his urge to control the narrative around Kyle's death.

To salvage Kyle's dignity, Lance stages the death as a suicide, hanging Kyle in a closet and posting a fake suicide note on Kyle's body. He carefully crafts the scene to appear as if Kyle chose to end his life. The act marks the start of a dangerous ruse meant to elevate his son's 'intelligence' and his own ambitions.

A classmate steals the suicide note from police records and publishes it in the school newspaper, turning a private tragedy into publicly shared text. The note sparks curiosity and sympathy among students and faculty who had previously overlooked Kyle. The event propels Kyle into a mythic figure at the school.

Kyle's only friend, Andrew, discovers Kyle's journals and the suspiciously uncharacteristic tone they contain. He confronts Lance about the inconsistencies, but Lance brushes him off. This confrontation foreshadows the moral unraveling behind the deception.

Publishers and students alike latch onto the idea that Kyle's writings reveal depth and intelligence. The class's reaction to the phony material begins to feed Lance's vanity and fuels his decision to keep the ruse going. The school starts treating Kyle as a literary phenomenon.

Encouraged by the growing attention, Lance composes and releases a phony journal allegedly written by Kyle before his death. The sensational material captures the public's imagination and draws in book publishers. Lance begins to taste the fame he always wanted.

The buzz leads to a national television appearance for Lance, where he discusses Kyle and his imaginations as if Kyle were speaking through the journals. The spotlight both gratifies and unsettles him as he enjoys the adoration while ignoring the cost. This broadcast cements his altered place in the school's social order.

The school principal decides to honor Kyle by renaming the library after him. The decision is framed as a tribute to Kyle's 'legacy' but is deeply entangled with Lance's manipulation. It becomes the peak of the institution's public applause for Kyle.

During the library's dedication, Lance delivers a speech that mixes guilt and pride. He feels the sting of exploiting Kyle's death for his own gain while also acknowledging the strange popularity Kyle has gained. The ceremony marks a turning point in his conscience.

Lance publicly confesses that Kyle's death was accidental and that he wrote both the fake suicide note and the Kyle journal. The revelation shatters the myth around Kyle and leaves Lance facing a hostile, divided audience. His confession threatens the life he had been building.

After the confession, Lance is denounced by students and faculty, including Claire, yet he experiences a strange rebirth as a man who chooses solitary authenticity over hollow approval. He realizes that being alone may be preferable to living among people who amplify his loneliness.

In a daring, symbolic release, Lance dives naked into the school's swimming pool. The act embodies his renegotiation of his identity and his decision to start anew, even as others watch with mixed emotions. The scene marks a visual turning point in his personal arc.

Outside, Andrew reveals that he always knew the truth but still enjoyed Lance's writing. He tells Lance to keep writing, implying that the craft matters more than the lie. Their exchange ends with a shared, if uneasy, sense of trust.

Lance and Andrew, now reconciled to the truth, settle into a quiet night with their neighbor Bonnie to watch a zombie movie. The ending hints at a fragile, imperfect friendship and the ongoing lure of storytelling. The film closes on a note of uncertain future but renewed creative impulse.