Zandalee

Zandalee, a young boutique store owner in New Orleans, feels sexually frustrated and unfulfilled in her marriage to Thierry. The relationship shows strain as Thierry grows distant and emotionally withdrawn, leaving Zandalee searching for passion. The sense of unrest sets the stage for what is to come.

Johnny Collins, a painter who also dabbles in cocaine, reconnects with Thierry at a bachelor party. After the party, Thierry brings Johnny home to meet Zandalee and his grandmother, Tatta, introducing a volatile dynamic into the household. The meeting plants the seeds for an inevitable collision of desire and loyalty.

Johnny offers to paint a portrait of Thierry and completes it to present to Zandalee, Thierry, and Tatta. The act reveals Johnny's bold charm and his growing interest in Zandalee, hinting at trouble on the horizon. The painting acts as an unspoken lure into a dangerous triangle.

Sensing Zandalee's vulnerability, Johnny makes a pass at her. She resists at first, but the charged moment makes clear the attraction simmering beneath the surface. The spark marks the beginning of a dangerous affair.

Johnny and Zandalee meet again during a rainstorm and begin a clandestine affair. Their secret meetings deepen the power imbalance in Zandalee's marriage and set the course for dramatic consequences. The rain becomes a symbol of the budding temptation.

Their affair escalates with a provocative encounter in Zandalee's laundry room above the washing machine while Thierry and guests are dining. Thierry's suspicions grow as rumors circulate and the household tightens under strain. The collision between public life and private lust becomes increasingly dangerous.

Johnny confronts Zandalee in a church setting, urging her to leave Thierry and be with him. Zandalee remains torn, caught between the comfort of her marriage and the pull of Johnny's obsession. The church becomes a battleground for their conflicting desires.

In a tense moment at the church, Johnny forces himself on Zandalee in the confessional, forcing her to end the affair. She recommits to Thierry, though the shadow of Johnny's fixation lingers. The fragile truce is established, but not truly secure.

Now obsessed, Johnny tracks Zandalee and Thierry to their vacation spot in the Bayou. The pursuit signals that the past cannot be extinguished and that old flames burn with dangerous intensity. The Bayou becomes the backdrop for renewed tension.

Thierry, intoxicated and reckless, takes Zandalee and Johnny on a speedboat ride through the Bayou. He falls overboard and drowns, refusing to be saved as Zandalee and Johnny dive to rescue him. The tragedy shatters everyone involved and marks a turning point for both

With Thierry gone, Zandalee and Johnny retreat into isolation. Zandalee jogs for long periods while Johnny throws himself into his paintings, ripping up works and covering himself in black paint as a sign of his self-destructive fixation. Cocaine use and danger creep back into Johnny's life.

Johnny seeks to restart their romance, but Zandalee remains emotionally distant and trails along the Old Quarter with him following behind. He clings to a fragile hope of a future together, even as she resists the pull of his obsession.

A drug dealer opens fire in a drive-by outside the church where Zandalee frequents. She shields Johnny but is killed, leaving him cradling her lifeless body as he walks away from the church with her in his arms. The final act cuts short any chance of reconciliation.