The Man in My Basement (2025)
Director: Nadia Latif
Writers: Walter Mosley, Nadia Latif
Stars: Corey Hawkins, Willem Dafoe, Anna Diop, Tamara Lawrance
Plot: Charles Blakey, an African American man living in Sag Harbor, is stuck in a rut, out of luck, and about to lose his ancestral home when a peculiar white businessman offers to rent his basement for the summer.
* * *
The Man in My Basement (2025) | Transcript
[♪ Soft, dramatic music playing]
[faint indistinct chattering]
[Clarence Mayhew] Better get you some kinda work.
You ain’t got no job, so you ain’t got no money.
And you know the bank will throw your ass out.
[Ricky Winkler] It’s, it’s that third loan done you in, man.
You should have sold this house years ago, brother.
[Ricky chuckles]
[♪ Hiphop music playing over speakers]
I raise you…
[coins rattling] …four cent.
You need a job, man.
Wilson Ryder need some help on that new tract of houses he puttin’ up.
Does he? [sniffling]
[Ricky] Mmhmm.
That’s where I’m workin’.
[Clarence] Word?
[Ricky] He’ll be there tomorrow. You should go ask him.
Yeah, well, maybe… maybe I will.
Maybe? [scoffs] Nigga, like you some kind of prince, don’t have to work?
I mean, you’ve been living okay till now.
But they will take this house from you.
[chuckles] You’ll end up like old man Bradford, sleepin’ in somebody’s garage, yellin’ at birds and eatin’ dayold bread.
Clara, Clara, baby.
Clara, Clara, Clara.
What’s all this tough love, darlin’?
Motherfucker, how many times have I told you not to call me that?
Charles.
[with soft voice]
Clara. Clara, baby.
[laughing]
You tryin’ to tell me I ain’t worthy, Clara?
Oh, Clara!
Whoa, whoa, no! Now, stop that!
Fuck that!
What the fuck is wrong with you, Clara?
Fuck you!
Fuck me? “Clara!”
Fuck you!
[glass shattering] What the fuck?
Yeah, fuck you!
Fuck you! What the fuck is wrong with you?
[overlapping shouting]
Whoa! Whoa!
Hey! Yo! Yo, man!
It’s always something with you, motherfucker.
Everything’s a fuckin’ joke.
Fuck you!
Okay, okay, Clarence!
Let’s go home!
Alright.
Bye, Clara.
You see, you…
Hey, stop!
Nah, nah, nah, I’m good.
I’m good, I’m good.
You a lazy, ungrateful nigga.
I hope they take your goddamn house.
Get off me, man!
[car door slams]
[car engine rumbling]
Wow.
[wind chimes clinking]
[ambient animal noises]
[scoffs]
[♪ Unsettling music playing]
[blowhole spraying]
[♪ Sullen music playing]
[banging]
[knocking]
[knocking]
Uh, Mr. Charles Blakey?
Yeah, yeah, I’m… I’m Blakey.
You have a standup basement, sir.
A what?
A basement where a man can stand fully erect.
It also has electricity and running water.
Oh. I’m… I’m sorry, Mister.
This house isn’t for sale.
I’m only interested in renting.
Well, the summer’s over.
Ah. Forgive me.
Anniston Bennet. I’m from Greenwich, Connecticut.
I have it in mind to rent your basement for a couple of months, Mr. Blakey.
Well, I’m sorry Mr. Bennet, but this house ain’t for sale or for rent.
But I’m sure there’s some realtors in town that’ll help you right out.
Maybe this is a bad time.
Why don’t you give me a call when you’ve had a chance to think about it, maybe discuss it with your wife.
I don’t have a wife or a roommate, okay?
I live alone and I like it like that.
Thank you very much for your time, Mr. Blakey.
Uh, call me if you have a change of heart.
[car door closes]
[engine rumbling]
Everything okay, Charles?
Yeah, everything’s fine.
What’s he sellin’?
I didn’t ask, ’cause I’m not buyin’.
[♪ Plucky, unsettling
music playing]
[sniffing, groans]
[coins rattling]
[patrons chattering]
[car beeping]
[♪ Unsettling music continues]
[indistinct chatter]
[rain pattering]
[♪ music continues playing]
[patron] Morning. Thank you.
Thanks.
[Lainie Brown] What are you doin’ here?
I just… I just wanna talk to you, cuz.
I was at Wilson Ryder’s new site this mornin’, and… and he’s got construction, like, coming outta his ass, but no job for me. [chuckles] He looked at me like I was a piece of shit.
Charles, we all been searching our hearts to be kind since your mom died, but you have gone too far.
I am so tired of it.
I’m sorry.
What… what’s that gotta do with what I’m talkin’ about?
Are you for real? You got what you asked for.
[Charles scoffs]
Charles?
Yeah?
A man from the bank’s holding company was here last week.
They’ve had an offer to buy your house and reclaim their debt.
Maybe it’s for the best.
[Peaches] [on phone] Hello?
Hey, hey.
Aunt Peaches, how you doin’?
[Peaches] Oh. Charles.
How’s the… how’s the family?
[Peaches] Everybody’s fine.
Well, that’s good. That’s good.
Um, been awhile since I seen you, Peaches.
So, um, I just wanted to ask you somethin’.
[Peaches] I don’t really have time, Charles.
No, no, no, no, no, no.
It’ll just take a minute.
Um, so look, I had to borrow some money for somethin’ important on the house and, um, well, I kinda need, uh…
2,500 for the back mortgage, and I’m… I’m lookin’ for… I’m lookin’ for a job right now, but ain’t nobody really hiring, so…
[sniffling]
Peaches?
[Peaches] Why do you do this to me?
What am I doin’ to you?
[Peaches] Charles, that house has been…
What?
…in our family eight generations.
[scoffs] You were born there. Your mother was born there.
I know that, Peaches.
That’s why I wanna keep the house in the family, so if you could just let me borrow the money, that’d just…
[Peaches] I haven’t even seen you since Brent’s funeral, and you’re callin’ to ask for more money.
There’s no helpin’ you, Charles.
If your poor mother could see you.
My mother’s dead.
Maybe you can leave her the fuck alone.
Fuck, fuck. Fuck you.
[♪ Contemplative music playing]
[phone beeping]
[line trilling]
[automated voice]
Hello, you have reached the Tanenbaum & Ross Investment Strategies Group.
[Anniston Bennet]
Anniston Bennet.
[automated voice] …will return your message at the earliest possible convenience.
Please leave your name and number after the signal.
[line beeps] Uh, hey, Mr. Bennet, um, this is Charles Blakey from Sag Harbor.
[bottles clinking]
[leaves rustling]
Miss Littleneck, what are… what are you doin’ back here?
[Irene Littleneck] Gardening, Charles.
In my yard?
[sighs] I can’t fix all this mess, but I can save your mom’s roses.
You really need to prune them before the frost sets in.
Anyway, I’m done.
I have to go and make dinner for Chastity.
[dog barking in distance]
[ocean waves lapping in distance]
[bottles clinking]
[keys jingling]
[door creaking open]
[dog barking]
[bugs chittering]
[chittering fades]
[footsteps]
[wind whistling]
[floorboards creaking]
[♪ Melancholy music playing]
[Ricky] Man, it’s like a tomb down here.
[Charles Blakey] My uncle used to say ghosts lived down here.
Like they rise up out their graves, comin’ in to play cards all night.
Turn out, it’s just a, a lotta old shit.
[Charles] [chuckles]
Yeah, man, maybe… maybe I should just burn it.
Uh, whoa. Uhuh, man.
Man, this here is antique quality shit.
Okay, white people? [chuckles] They spend $500 on an old broke-down chair in a minute.
What, like at a yard sale or somethin’?
Sucker shit, man.
You need to talk to a real antique dealer.
I mean, there are some in East Hampton, but, brother, they might cheat you.
[scoffs] Well, what you know about it?
Well, last summer I fixed up this one sister’s antique store.
I bet if we brought her out here to take a look at your stuff, she could broker it with other dealers and you could make out.
What’s her name?
Ten percent.
[chuckles] Ah, okay.
Part of that 10 percent’s helpin’ me move all this shit upstairs, a’ight?
[water splashing]
[knocking]
Mr. Blakey?
That’s me.
Hi, I’m Narciss Gully.
Hi. Call me Charles.
Okay.
Come in, please.
[Narciss Gully] Thank you.
[sighs] So, here we are.
Wow.
Um, can I, uh, just…
Yeah, thank you.
Um…
Oh, wow, this is beautiful.
It’s a really unusual pine cone design.
It’s at least 150 years old.
You’re kidding?
[Narciss] Yeah.
You think it’s, uh… you think it’s worth anything?
It’s certainly interesting. Yeah.
The architecture’s really unusual for this side of town.
Yeah, uh, my family, we’ve, um, lived here for eight generations.
Ah, explains the size.
Must be one of the original whaling families.
Do you know anything about your family history?
[knocking]
[Riley] Hey.
[Ricky and Narciss chuckle]
[door closes] [Ricky humming] Just here to check on my 10%.
Hello, Richard.
Hey, sis.
You’re lookin’ good.
[Ricky and Narciss chuckle] Uh, brother, can I use your phone real quick?
Yeah.
[Ricky and Narciss chuckle]
You know, I’ve never seen a deerskin cushion before.
Uh, it’s not deer.
No?
No, it’s… it’s stoat, or weasel, more likely.
You can tell from the white fur on the underbelly.
It’s just different seams.
Oh, do you hunt?
No. No, no, no.
Mymy… my father, he taught me about the animals around here, so…
Okay.
Yeah.
Could we maybe get a coffee after I’ve gotten a chance to look at a few things here?
I wanna talk to you about your options.
Uh, yeah, sure.
Yeah?
Absolutely, sure, um…
Could you just gimme a quick… I just…
Sure, of course.
[Ricky chattering, laughing]
You know I ain’t gonna back up, right? [chuckles] Ricky, Ricky?
[mouthing] Get off the phone, man.
[chuckles] Hey, listen, let me call you back in five, okay?
Alright. [chuckles] Brother!
Here I am tryin’ to promote something, and you all up in my face, man.
I need some money, man.
For what?
Narciss wants to go for coffee.
Oh. Oh, I get it.
No. No, no, no, no, no.
It’s not like that, man.
It’s just, if I can’t pay, she might wanna take advantage of the deal.
I will give you 10% on it.
Ridiculous, man.
[♪ Soft music playing]
Charles, could you come here, please?
[inhales sharply]
Is… is everything okay?
Yeah, I just, um… I wasn’t expecting to find any of this here.
Charles, your ancestors probably brought these over from West Africa.
Guinea, maybe Mali.
These would be the first of their kind found in this part of the state, and they would prove something I’ve been saying for the longest time…
[light rustling] …which is that our people were here far longer than anybody wants to…
[♪ pensive music playing]
Are you okay?
Yeah, um…
[chuckles softly]
It’s just, uh, I was just thinkin’ I probably would’ve thrown all of this away if it, uh… if it wasn’t for Ricky.
[faint banging]
Are you sure you’re okay?
Yeah, yeah, um…
[chuckles] I’m sorry, I just…
I… I don’t know much about these… these things.
I’m just… it’s my first time seein’ half of this stuff anyway.
So, if I’m honest, I just… I really just need the money.
Mmhmm. Yeah, sure.
Uh, the paintings, if they have any artistic value, could go for pretty high.
The furniture is Arts and Crafts and earlier.
So, the whole lot, with the exception of the masks, could go anywhere between 40 and 100,000.
Probably closer to 40.
[Ricky] Damn!
Four Gs for knowin’ who should shake hands?
[Ricky chuckles]
Hey, yo, you okay?
Yeah. Yeah.
Should we… should we go grab that coffee?
Oh, no, I have a dinner thing.
Maybe sometime next week?
Oh, okay. Uh, yeah, sure, um…
Uh, so how do we… I mean, how do we do this?
I’ll come by and photograph and annotate everything, and then I’ll list them in the appropriate newsletters and just come and pick the pieces up as they sell.
How soon do I see some money?
[laughing]
Yeah, well, the, uh, antique dealers usually take about three months to respond, and museums, closer to nine.
Oh.
[Narciss] I should really go.
Sure, yeah.
Yeah.
And, Charles, you should keep these close to you.
Okay?
Uh, okay.
Okay.
I’ll show you out.
Okay.
[Ricky] Bye!
Thanks, Charles.
Thanks for coming.
[door closes]
[Ricky] Okay.
Charles?
Yeah?
Bethany wanna come over tonight, you know what I’m sayin’?
She got cousins staying.
You know my mom, we can’t go to my place.
Okay, sure. Yeah.
Great, ’cause I already said I’d go get her at 5:00, and, uh, yeah.
Thanks, man. I’m gonna… I’m gonna get us something to eat and I’ll see you later, brother.
[door closes]
[mysterious whooshing]
[sound fading]
[phone ringing]
[water running]
[faucet squeaking]
[water turning off]
[phone continues ringing]
[Charles sighs]
Hello?
[Anniston] Mr. Blakey.
Anniston Bennet.
Oh. Yeah, Mr. Bennet.
[Anniston] You’re ready to rent me your basement?
Um, well, I’m… I’m ready to talk about it.
[Anniston] Well, I’ll pay you $1,000 a day for 65 days.
What?
[Anniston] Everything will be delivered prior to November 1st when I’ll come and inspect.
I’ll arrive on the last train that day, and you will need to collect me from the station.
Did you… did you say $65,000?
[Anniston] That is my offer, Mr. Blakey.
10,000 as a deposit, 25,000 upon my arrival.
At the end, there will be a last installment of 30,000, all payments in cash.
[Charles scoffs]
The only thing I ask of you now is that you tell no one of our arrangement.
[chuckles]
Nothin’ illegal, right?
[Anniston] [chuckles] Absolutely not.
Okay.
[Anniston] I simply want your basement for two months, and I’m willing to pay.
What do you say?
[Charles chuckles]
Um… Uh, yeah.
[Anniston] So, we have a deal then.
Thank you. I’ll see you November 1st.
[line clicking, humming]
[line continues humming]
[Charles exhales sharply]
[Bethany shrieking and laughing]
Get your boy! [laughing] Huh?
You’re crazy, you know that?
Mm, they smell good. I’m starving.
Sure you got time to eat?
I mean, from what Ricky told me, you were tired and had to get upstairs and go to sleep, but…
[Bethany] Uh-uh!
[Charles laughing] I came to see you and eat some sausages, too.
Ricky always runnin’ 12 steps ahead of everybody!
[Ricky] Okay, alright.
[all laughing]
[Bethany and Ricky moaning in distance] [Bethany] Yes!
[moaning continues]
[bed thumping]
[moaning intensifying]
[reporter] [on TV] The tragedy unfolding in the Central African nation of Rwanda keeps getting worse.
U.N. General Secretary Boutros Boutros Ghali said today that there is strong evidence that both sides in the vicious civil war are preparing new massacres of civilians.
[thumping and moaning continues]
Terrified Rwandans are fleeing in every direction as tens of thousands head across the border into Zaire and Burundi.
[thumping continues]
[reporter continues]
[Charles breathing heavily]
[spitting and sniffling]
[reporter] …humanitarian groups, including Doctors Without Borders are doing what they can.
[Charles panting] In a special White House briefing this morning, President Clinton called it the world’s worst humanitarian crisis in a generation, pledging an additional $135 million in relief, though many fear that for the people of Rwanda, it’s far too little too late.
There is an extra strain on the exodus as the government of Zaire have threatened to close their borders if the flood of refugees becomes overwhelming.
Many of the fleeing refugees are…
[♪ eerie music playing]
[moaning continues]
[air whooshing]
[couple moaning] [Charles panting] [news anchor speaking indistinctly] [couple moaning] [Charles panting] [moaning and panting intensifies] [eerie voice] Charles.
[gasps] [Bethany] Charles? You awake?
[faint TV chatter]
Sorry, I thought you were watching…
I just wanted some water, and Ricky was sleeping.
[indistinct TV chatter continues]
[pants fly zipping]
I was thinkin’ ’bout you.
Thinkin’ ’bout what?
Thinkin’ how come it’s been so long since I saw you last.
[scoffs] One thing after another.
What happened, Charles?
What you mean?
Why are you still here?
You’re here, too.
[♪ Music playing faintly on TV]
I used to walk up and down past this house trying so hard to make you guys look. [chuckles] I must’ve worn a damn hole in my shoes, I tried so hard.
We noticed.
What?
[scoffs] We noticed.
Well, why didn’t you say anything?
Your mom kicked me off the lawn, man. Fuck you.
[Charles chuckles]
Man, even cursing in here feels wrong, like part of me still worries she might tell my dad.
I was just surprised when Ricky said you were still here.
You know, I thought you’d be gone and livin’ off the rent.
Well, I had to take care of my uncle.
Yeah, and they buried that mean son of a bitch too, thank God.
Sorry, I know I shouldn’t say that.
No, you right again.
It wasn’t…
[faint chatter on TV continues]
I don’t see people much.
After Brent, I, uh… I just got stuck.
You couldn’t leave?
I couldn’t move.
[Charles whimpering softly]
[Bethany sighs]
[faint TV chatter continues]
We gonna go out for breakfast later.
You wanna come?
[Charles chuckles softly]
[birds chirping]
[knocking]
[knocking continues]
[Charles] Yeah, just a second.
Charles Blakey?
Yeah?
Delivery for your basement.
You got some paperwork?
Just this.
[♪ Eerie music playing]
Morning, Miss Littleneck.
[delivery man] You got it?
How you doin’?
[Irene] Chastity’s too sick for me to smoke in the house.
I try and make her walk around the room twice a day, but it’s getting harder and harder to get her up.
Well, you give her my best now, okay?
[paper rustling]
[scoffs softly]
I’m sorry, Charles, would you mind?
You are sorry.
And, you know what, you… you’s a sorryass motherfucker, John.
The bank has given you plenty of opportunities to…
Shut up.
You know, you poisoned the whole fuckin’ town against me, John.
You gonna deny it?
Regardless of what you think has happened… the bank will have to foreclose on your house unless a substantial payment is made by the end of the week.
[Charles gasps, sighs]
[♪ light music playing]
[engine rumbling] [people chattering] [Anniston] Mr. Blakey.
Mr. Bennet.
[♪ Unsettling music playing]
It’s… it’s all here.
Um, I must’ve forgot those.
Uh, not to worry.
I… I’ll get ’em outta here.
[Anniston] You like bourbon?
Uh, yeah.
Why don’t you get us some glasses?
OOkay.
[glasses clinking]
Perfect.
[glass thuds] How you like it?
Plenty of ice.
[chuckles] My dad used to say white men so cold, take a bath in ice water, still take their whiskey on the rocks.
You prefer it neat?
Yeah.
[liquid pouring]
Your health. [chuckles] [glasses clinking] Goddamn, that’s smooth.
I picked it up in Osaka.
Say what you want, but there’s nothing the Japanese don’t know about whiskey.
Mm, that’s real. [chuckles] Tell me about yourself, Mr. Blakey.
[Charles] What you wanna know?
Whatever you’re willing to give away.
Well, you know my name, and you know where I live, and that’s more than most strangers know about me.
How did you come to be in Sag Harbor, Mr. Blakey?
[chuckles] Well, I never left. Not really.
[Anniston] Your family here?
Yeah, they’re all, uh, in the yard out back.
No Blakeys left alive besides me.
You’re lookin’ at the last Bennet.
So, I’m just curious. What is it exactly that you do?
Reclamations.
Uh, suppose you know there are riches in the ground under someone else’s house, and let’s say diamonds.
Let’s say you’re the only one who knows they’re there.
Well, only you can realize their extraction.
But that’s just theft.
No.
The diamonds only exist for the man who has imagined them.
They only exist for the man who knows how to, and can realize their extraction.
That’s where I come in. I locate the wealth and acquire the property that contains it, and then I receive a stipend based on the value of my reclamation.
So, it belonged to someone else, and then you took it?
I mean, either way you slice it, it’s just stealing.
Nowadays, it’s called globalization, outsourcing, the cost of doing business.
Speaking of which… 25,000, as we agreed.
Oh, uh, yeah, okay then.
I’ll get started on these boxes.
Take the bottle. It’s a gift.
Okay, thanks.
Uh, Mr. Blakey, could I trouble you for coffee in the morning?
Uh, yeah, sure.
Black, please.
Are you gonna need a… a blanket, or somethin’, just in case you need to rest?
[Anniston] Don’t worry, I don’t sleep much.
Okay.
[water lightly splashing] [seagulls squawking]
[♪ Eerie music playing]
[shower water splashing]
[♪ Eerie music continues]
[♪ Music stops abruptly]
[tea kettle hissing]
[tea kettle whistling]
[kettle continues whistling]
[Anniston] Korean. You can shit in this thing for months and it still smells like lilacs. [chuckles] Why don’t you sit down, Mr. Blakey?
I don’t need to sit down.
Please, let’s not…
No, no, you need to start explaining.
[Anniston] Can I get my coffee first?
You can come outta there and you can get it yourself.
Please, just sit down.
I’ve rented your basement because I intend to be locked in this cage for the next 65 days.
During that time, I will need you to bring me my meals and see to the general upkeep of the environment.
You wanna be locked up?
Yes.
What the fuck? I’m not your fuckin’ servant, man.
What… Ooh, this is… this is weird.
It’s really not.
Throughout history, there have been men who have isolated themselves from the world.
They go to mountaintops and sit in caves meditating for months at a time.
They flagellate themselves and refrain from having sex.
You paid to rent my basement…
That’s all I’m doing.
…not some S&M prison.
No, you… [stammering] you tricked me.
I didn’t. You didn’t ask.
You knew as much as you needed to accept my offer.
Nothing wrong with that.
[chuckles] Oh.
No, you comin’ outta there right now.
Why?
Come on. Are you stupid or somethin’?
If the police came down here and found a white man locked in my basement…
They will find a man willingly here.
Let me make a deal with you.
Let’s go ahead as planned, and then in two weeks, if you still want me to go, I’m gone.
But if you agree to let me stay… I will double the final payment to you in cash.
What do you plan on doing down here, man?
Reading, thinking, maybe writing.
You can’t just go to a hotel or…?
[Anniston] In my world, I’m pretty well-known, and some people think I’m important for their money.
I don’t want anybody finding me here.
This time is my own.
[Charles scoffs]
Yeah, ookay.
[Anniston sighs]
[♪ Unsettling music playing]
[♪ Music intensifies]
[grunting]
[shovel digging]
Thank you.
[faucet squeaking]
[water squirting]
You can, um… you can use this to wash your dishes.
Ingenious.
Uh, Mr. Blakey, could I trouble you to pass me one of my books?
[Charles sighs]
Which one you want?
The first volume of The Story of Civilization.
You seem tense, Mr. Blakey.
My mother used to say there was nothin’ new under the sun.
[chuckles] She was right.
This right here is somethin’ new.
It’s not so bad, is it?
[Charles scoffs] I’m not the one locked in the freezin’ basement.
Call it a spiritual journey.
You are renting a room and lockin’ the door.
That’s all.
Well, I’m just trying to set an example.
Example?
I mean, nobody know you down here, right?
Well, I’m trying anyway.
Okay, well, you enjoy your spiritual journey.
[footsteps receding]
[door creaking] [door closing]
[electricity buzzing softly]
[bed creaking softly]
[sighs]
[footfall]
[step creaking]
[step creaking]
[indistinct whispering]
[steps creaking]
[♪ Eerie music playing]
[nails scraping]
[whispering voice] Help me… you worthless nigga.
[♪ Music stops]
[door closes] [keyboard keys clacking]
[seagulls squawking]
[ocean waves crashing]
[Ricky] Charles.
Oh, hey. Hey.
You even allowed out the house, man?
Yeah.
[Ricky chuckles] Shut up.
[Ricky] What you doin’ here?
I’m just donating some books from the basement.
Okay, who are you, and what you done with Charles, man?
[both chuckle]
Hey, uh, Clarence said he saw you at the train station.
Uh, yeah.
Said you had a crazy look in your eye, man. [chuckles] I don’t know, I do think I gotta get outta here, man.
[sniffing] For good.
Leave Sag Harbor? [chuckles] Maybe.
I don’t know, it’s… it’s confusin’.
[clicking tongue] Brother, what you gotta be confused about?
You been to college, you don’t do no hard job.
[both chuckle]
How’s Bethy?
[exhales] Man, that girl got somethin’ cookin’ in me, man.
Thinkin’ about startin’ some kinda serious business, makin’ a life for myself, for us.
Huh.
Bethy talkin’ about wantin’ to move down south.
She got family out near Atlanta and wanna open a beauty parlor with her cousin.
I don’t know about movin’, but it feels good when she’s talkin’ about us.
Oh. We throwin’ a party at Clarence’s place in a couple of weeks.
Everyone around is comin’.
Raelene is cookin’.
You’ll come, right?
[sighs] Huh? How’s it gonna be a party without my boy?
I will…
U-Unless… Unless you already left town by then.
I will try. I’ll try.
Narciss comin’.
So? [chuckles] [clicking tongue] Man.
[both chuckle]
Man, she know somethin’ about you. You just don’t even see it.
[thunder rumbling]
Mr. Bennet?
Call me Anniston.
I think we’re past formalities.
Okay. Anniston.
How you findin’ your stay?
To be honest, not what I expected.
It’s strange being locked up down here.
It’s great for reading.
I’m drawing from memories.
No sense of days passing other than when you come down those stairs.
I don’t know what’s going on in the world, but I know about the Renaissance as if it happened this morning.
Won’t anyone be, uh… Won’t anyone be wondering about you?
Does anybody wonder about you, Charles?
We all disappear sometimes, right?
We go to work, or down the street for bread.
It might take five minutes.
It might be overnight.
Sometimes you forget to call, or have to stay an extra day.
Sometimes you fall in love with someone else, or have an accident.
One day, you just don’t come back.
And people are worried at first.
They make calls to the police and hospitals.
They lose sleep.
Some people are so close to their loved ones that they die without them.
But most of us don’t.
Most of us adapt.
People die every day.
You aren’t dead.
You’re alive. [chuckles] You aren’t lost, you’re in a hole in the ground readin’ books and fartin’ out cornflakes.
[both chuckle]
Touché.
[chuckles]
What leads a man to lock himself up for fun?
This isn’t fun.
Well, if it ain’t fun, it sure is expensive. [chuckles] Money ceased being interesting to me a long time ago.
[chuckles] Only people who got a lot of it can talk like that.
And I sincerely hope you’re enjoying spending my money, Charles.
I mean it.
[footsteps receding]
[light switch clicking]
[Charles] Have you ever been to Africa?
I have.
What do you make of this?
Where’d you get it?
It’d been in my family for a while.
I’m just trying to figure out where they’re from, what they mean.
Thinkin’ about sellin’ ’em.
You got a pocket knife?
Uh…
[tools clinking]
[exhales sharply]
Whoa!
[blade scraping] You’re welcome.
[♪ Soft, eerie music playing]
[♪ Music continues playing]
[door bell jingling]
[door closes]
[Narciss] I’ll be down in a minute.
Sorry. [speaking indistinctly] Are you… are you okay…
[speaking indistinctly]
Great. Thank you.
I owe you. Bye.
[footsteps approaching]
Charles!
Hey.
Hey!
Hey, I just, uh… I just thought I’d drop by.
That’s a great suit.
It’s my father’s.
Ah, explains the cut.
He… he had a lot of ’em, so…
For work?
No, no, he… he was a butcher in Southampton.
So, I just, um… I think he wore ’em so he could feel good.
Maybe, um…
Maybe I wore it ’cause of you.
Um, well, it’s a good look.
[both chuckle]
I just made some coffee, do you want some?
Yeah, sure, thank you.
Yeah?
Um… I was actually meaning to call you today.
I can’t stop reading those diaries I took from your house.
They’re just incredible.
Real people’s history.
They could be an entire room in a museum. They should be.
You know, I’ve been… I’ve been studying these masks, and, um… it’s almost like they…
[cutlery tapping] I don’t know, it’s-it’s… it’s almost like they’re trying to tell me somethin’ that I know, but I somehow forgot.
Sugar?
No, I’m okay, thank… thank you.
Well, I haven’t learned…
Thank you.
…much more about them, unfortunately.
There’s not much more in the diaries.
But I put some feelers out, so…
But…
That’s okay, ’cause that’s why I’m here.
Uh, can I… can I just put…
Yeah, yeah, of course.
Okay, thank you.
Um, lemme just get this outta the way.
Oh.
Uh, so I’ve been thinkin’ about how my mom, she, uh, she always used to talk about how her family, her people, they… they were never slaves, right?
Mm.
And I just used to think it was just talk, okay?
But…
[Narciss] Is that gold?
[Charles] What do you, uh… what you think it means?
I’m not sure.
You, uh, you thinkin’ you… You think maybe, um, it means we can get some more money for it or…
I got a bit of a proposition for you.
Um, so all of this stuff from the basement, right?
Like, all… the Blakeys, we aren’t the only family that’s been here since the start, right?
And most people, they just like me.
I mean, we look… look at this stuff and we think it’s just… it’s just junk, right?
So, what if you and I were, um, partners, right?
And, uh, I got a car.
Of… of course, I got a car, but I could… I could get a van, and then we could, like, I don’t know, we could drive around and offer our services to folks around here to go through their stuff and just cost it.
Charles. You know what?
And then, we could take a cut, like a valuation or finder’s fee.
Maybe it would have been better if you’d thrown it all away.
Um…
Wha… What?
‘Cause that way, you wouldn’t turn your heritage into merchandise.
Well, I thought that you…
Listen, I’ll let you know when the evaluations come back.
Thank you for stoppin’ by.
[people chattering]
[♪ upbeat music playing]
[billiard balls clacking]
[chatter and music continue]
[♪ Dance music playing]
[bar patron] Excuse me?
Are you in the music business?
In…?
[laughing] No, no, uhuh.
Why?
[chuckles] Oh, my friends thought you were.
I didn’t think so.
Oh.
I’m Extine.
I’m, uh… I’m Anniston. Anniston Bennet.
I’m in the import-export business.
What do you import?
Whatever you need.
[Charles moaning softly]
[car door slams]
[car engine starting]
I’ll be back in a minute.
[Charles sighs]
[engine rumbling]
[sighing]
[sniffling] [clearing throat]
[inhaling deeply]
[inhaling deeply]
[metal clinking]
[sniffling]
[gasps] [voice whispering] Charles.
[♪ Eerie music playing]
[panicked breathing]
[♪ Music intensifying]
[♪ Music stops abruptly]
[Charles gasping]
[Charles huffing]
Where were you?
Car trouble.
[Anniston] Unacceptable.
You can’t leave me down here all day without a meal.
That’s not what I pay you for.
I was busy.
Man, fuck, I should… I should throw you outta here right now, man, fuck your money.
That’s big, given you’ve already spent it.
[scoffs] You know what?
If I… if I want you outta here, I will pay you back.
No need to get heated.
Everything’s fine.
No, mmmm.
No, no, everything is not fine.
You need to tell me why you’re hidin’ down here, man.
I need to be here.
Why?
Why? Stop bullshittin’ me, man.
See, II know you some kinda… I know you’re some kind of criminal.
Is that why you’re here?
Yes.
[♪ Pensive music playing]
Are they lookin’ for you?
No.
I swear.
Now, you’ve been trying to dress this shit up for me every which way.
But if you just down here hidin’ from the law and they ’bout to come crashin’ through my front door, so help me God, I will drag your ass outta here right now.
Charles, I swear by your God that nobody, no arms to the state is gonna come here looking for me.
And even if they were, the hypocrites on our benches will never stand in judgment over me.
Huh. So, what, you… you think you above the law, huh?
Not at all, that’s why I’m here.
Come on, man, just… just tell me what you did.
You don’t need to know that.
It won’t help anything.
Next time you pick up some pussy, could you drop by here first?
Tell her you have to feed your dog.
[chair creaking]
[♪ Pensive music playing]
[mysterious noises]
[inhales and exhales deeply]
[sniffling]
[water running]
[sniffling] [jaw clicking]
[metallic scraping]
[♪ Suspenseful music playing]
[distorted voice whispering]
Just a fool thinking he a king.
[shudders]
[sniffling]
[cabinet door creaks]
[sniffling]
[pills rattling]
[Anniston] My lamp’s just blown.
Can you bring me a new light bulb later?
And leave the light on when you go.
Can you put some clothes on, please?
Whatever you want.
Been thinkin’ about your masks.
[Charles] Yeah?
They’ve been in your family long?
I got somebody lookin’ into ’em.
[Anniston] That’s funny.
[Charles] How’s it funny?
I’m down here trying to reflect on the history of mankind in all these books, and you believe you can hold your history in the palm of your hand.
Would that it were that easy.
It’s not that easy.
It’s really not.
Nothing in this world is free of everything else.
[car engine rumbling]
[rain pattering] [windshield wipers whooshing] Damn.
Thank you.
[Charles groans] You want Athalia to bring you a plate?
Who, me?
Mmhmm.
No, it might get in the way of the whiskey.
[all chuckle] You need somethin’.
You losin’ weight?
[Ricky] Uh-uh, he’s, uh, he’s gettin’ in shape for his journey.
His what?
[Ricky smirks] Charles says that he’s leavin’ for good, man.
What, you gonna sell the house, man?
I can’t sell my mama’s house.
Sure, you can.
No, I can’t.
Where I’ma go?
Anywhere.
I go, who you gonna lose to?
Man, screw you.
Look, if you’re stayin’, maybe you need a girlfriend, man.
[Ricky chuckles] Get married, have some kids.
That’s rich comin’ from the person always remindin’ me I can’t even take care of my own self.
[Clarence chuckles] Okay, so you gonna go?
You can drop it.
[♪ Faint hiphop music playing]
[Clarence] You okay, Charles?
John Patterson.
Hm?
You know, the bank manager?
[Clarence] Mmhmm.
[Charles sighs] He, uh… he told everybody that I… I took money from my drawer.
What the fuck?
[Ricky] Damn.
Yeah. Yeah, well, I… I did it.
I took the money, and I’m… I’m pretty sure he told Wilson Ryder, and that’s why I didn’t get the job.
[chuckles softly] And then, I called my Aunt Peaches… see if she can help with the mortgage, again.
[Clarence] Mmhmm, mmhmm.
She turned me down.
[Ricky exhales] Damn. That’s not cool, man. I’m sorry to hear that, brother.
She’s right, man. She’s right.
I guess all this time, I just… I’ve been pretending I’m a good person with bad luck.
But that’s not true, is it?
[Charles exhales sharply]
If you gonna try to keep the house, you want some help?
Maybe on that mortgage?
I’ma, uh… [sniffling] I’m gonna head home.
[Clarence] Alright.
I, uh… drank too much.
[Clarence] Hm.
[Charles clearing throat]
[♪ Faint hiphop music
continues playing] Clarence?
Hm?
I’m sorry if I ever hurt you, man.
Wasn’t the whiskey, I was… I was just jealous.
[highpitched ringing]
[car engine rumbling]
[highpitched ringing continues]
[♪ Eerie music playing]
[♪ Music intensifying]
[tires squealing]
[hands thud onto steering wheel]
[tires skidding]
[car crashing]
[gasping]
[Charles continues gasping]
[high-pitched ringing]
[♪ Eerie music playing]
[sighs]
[deer groaning]
[deer panting]
[Charles sobbing]
[sobbing continues]
[deer groaning]
[Anniston] Finally.
Though, I see I’m going to have to ask you again for my light bulb.
Shut up.
Probation’s over in two days, and then you outta here.
I don’t want the extra money, so you can keep it.
We have a deal.
I changed my mind.
Oh, so you robbed a bank?
Fuck you, I changed my mind.
[Anniston] I haven’t been a burden to you.
I don’t want you here.
[Anniston] Do you wanna know why I’m really here?
My first job was as an accountant in Tehran.
My employers, to test my loyalty, brought me to a cell where a man was held captive, and they told me to kill him.
So, I took the gun that they offered and shot him in the left eye.
You shot a man just because they told you to?
Absolutely.
I saw the pieces on the board.
They would have killed him anyway.
And that’s… that’s why you wanna be here?
I don’t want to be. I need to be.
Because you shot that man.
Well, yeah. I, uh…
Yes, that’s part of it, a very small part.
But why here, hm? Hm?
Why… why my house?
Was he Black?
[Charles laughing]
Hold up, so you tellin’ me that you are freezin’ in my basement because you killed some Black man I ain’t never met?
Don’t mock me, Charles.
This is a joke.
You are a fuckin’ joke, you…
Suppose I was crazy, hm?
Suppose I hated white people and decided to torture and kill you.
Torture’s hard work, Charles.
Most men don’t have the stamina.
Oh, I see you now.
I… I see you.
You… you just some crazyass white man.
And I’m… I’m sick and tired of you expecting me to jump like a trained fuckin’ monkey.
You gettin’ your ass outta here day after tomorrow.
You need the money.
The fuck do you know about what I need?!
I know you went to Sag Harbor High School.
Your father died in your sophomore year.
Your friends then and now are Clarence Mayhew and Ricky Winkler.
You might have been nobody at all, but you were something of a football star in high school, and that brought you to an average college where you stuck out three years.
Your mother’s health deteriorated, and you came home to take care of her, but she died within months.
Her brother Brent was living with her. He stayed on with you.
I suspect he wanted the house, and I think you wouldn’t let him have it.
You worked as a teller at Harbor Union and embezzled $433 from your drawer.
It’s hard to imagine that’s a sum worth losing your job and dignity for.
But I’m grateful so little was all it took.
You’re broke with no prospects, and you’ve got a $68,000 mortgage hanging over your head, which might lose you your family home.
That’s why I offered a good price and forced the bank to start foreclosure.
So, you’re the reason they’re trying to take my house?
Yes.
[Charles] That’s it, man.
[Anniston] Charles, don’t be stupid.
You’re insane, man.
You kick me out, and the bank will continue foreclosure.
I’m not afraid of you.
Has it ever occurred to you that my being in this cage is simply my physical situation?
The problem I present to you doesn’t change in or out.
Are you threatening me?
[Anniston sighs]
Could you pass me the first volume of The Alexandria Quartet?
You say that you really need to be here?
Let’s see how much you really mean it.
Tonight, you’re the prisoner.
And I’m the motherfuckin’ warden, for real.
[light switch clicking] [Anniston] What are you doing?
Charles?
[door slamming shut]
[Charles breathing heavily]
[♪ Unsettling music playing]
[electricity buzzing]
[Anniston grunts]
You can’t leave me in the dark like that, it hurts.
Everything is now a privilege.
Food, water, books… and light.
I will ask you questions and you will answer them.
If you refuse, or if I don’t like your answers, a privilege will be taken away.
To what end?
Because I want to.
Those are my rules, and I’m in charge.
You do have one right.
At any time, you can ask to be released.
And then 96 hours after that, I will open that door, and you can go.
Why?
Because those are my rules, and you’re not gonna be the boss.
One condition of play.
What’s that?
I want to ask you one question for every three you ask me, and you give your word that you’ll answer honestly.
Why are you here?
I don’t understand the question.
Why do you feel that you should be in a cell in my basement?
Why do you feel you should be in a cage?
I’m a criminal.
Well, what laws have you broke?
No, no, it’s my turn.
What?
Charles, you made the rules.
Why am I here? Why do I want to be here?
Why do I feel I should be in a cage?
Did you embezzle money from Harbor Union?
I took money from my drawer.
Are you an American citizen?
Yes, I am.
Were you born here?
Yes.
You ever been convicted of a crime?
Once.
Why are you here?
[chuckles]
My father died when I was young.
Mm.
My mother’s brother, Brent, he came to stay and he ended up living here.
He got sick. Mom got sick soon after, came back to take care of her, but she died pretty quickly.
Then I took care of Brent, but then he hung onto life like a leech on a baby’s ass.
By the time he finally died, it, uh… I got stuck. That’s it.
And now, I’m down here takin’ care of you.
Your turn.
Do you have a boss?
Not anymore.
You ever murdered anyone?
No.
That’s it. Four days of solitary.
Why?
Because you lied.
You told me that you murdered that man.
No.
I killed him, shot him, following orders from legal government representatives.
I’m no more a murderer than the state executing a condemned man.
Are you a lawyer, Mr. Bennet?
No. My turn.
Have you ever murdered anyone?
No.
[scoffs] I gotta go.
Whatever you say, Mr. Warden.
[footsteps receding]
[keys jingling]
[Irene] I was putting out the trash.
Thought I’d come over, see if you were alright.
Are you alright, Charles?
[♪ Unsettling music playing]
[door opens]
[door closes]
[Irene sighs]
[♪ Unsettling music continues]
[seagulls squawking] [people chattering]
[♪ soft Asian music playing]
Thanks for comin’.
Yeah. I’ve never been here before.
Me either.
[Narciss chuckles]
I wanted to, um, just apologize for the other day.
No, you don’t have to do that.
No, no, I do, I do, uh, ’cause I clearly upset you, and… and I’m sorry.
Thank you.
Um…
Truthfully, it breaks my heart to see you sell your family’s history, but I need to be professional and get you the best possible outcome for their possessions, which I will.
Well, thank you.
Your shop is cool.
Thank you.
Yeah, it was my aunt’s place.
It’s not exactly the dream, but… you know, it helps pay the mortgage while I write my book.
What’s it about?
African American textiles.
All the way back to the 16th century.
Huh.
Chopsticks or regular?
Chopsticks, please.
[Charles] Uh, yeah, chopsticks.
Thank you.
[Charles clearing throat]
Uh, Narciss, uh…
Can I ask you a question?
Of course.
When you were in college, um… did… did they ever teach you about evil?
No. I mean, mostly dates.
Okay, never mind. It’s just…
No. No, no, no.
No, it’s okay, I can try to answer.
Yes?
Well, I had this one professor who said all the evil in the world is white people.
Hm. Only white people?
Mmhmm.
Back then, I just thought he was trying to impress us.
But, now…?
What… what changed?
I looked around more.
I mean, I… I don’t think that’s the world we’re in.
I mean, like, what would you say if… if I murdered your family and then said the white man made me do it?
I would say if evil is in the food that you eat, and the clothes that you wear, and the language you speak, it becomes you.
But we can fight against it.
How?
However you can.
[chuckles softly] Africa is the history of people standing up against pure evil.
But a lot of those people lost though, right?
That’s an oversimplification.
Is it?
Yes, it is.
I mean, somebody has to lose.
Well, if you think like that, we all lose.
Exactly, we all lose.
I mean, you put gas in your car, don’t you?
But you think that you get to live the easy life while someone somewhere is suffering or dying?
[server] Who’s having the tuna?
[engine rumbling]
[customer] Get the magazine.
Hey.
Where’s this gas come from?
[soft creaking]
[soft creaking continues]
[light switch clicking]
[voice echoing] Charles.
[♪ Unsettling music playing]
Let me out!
[Charles gasping]
[♪ Unsettling
music intensifying]
[♪ Music stops abruptly]
[spoon clinking]
[spoon clinking, clattering]
[spit splashing]
[slurping]
[Anniston] I’m glad you’re back.
We’re not done.
I’m impressed.
I got the next question.
Okay. Let’s continue.
How do you actually make your money?
Individuals, corporations, and sometimes governments pay me to get, obtain, and reclaim properties that are meaningful to them.
Are these transactions legal or illegal?
[chuckles] Legality is slippery.
Maybe, but answer me or spend the next four days in the dark.
[sighs] The things I do are seen as illegal by some and as destiny to others.
Why’d you choose my house?
It’s been pushing against your teeth since I got down here.
It’s a difficult question, Charles, and there are multiple answers.
Sadly, I don’t think you’re gonna like any of them.
The first is the ancient and irrefutable concept of “the nigger.”
That’s what we call you in our secret moments just before we hand out loans, and awards, and life sentences.
We have created human mutants and cursed them with names like “boy” and “son.”
From oversized genitals to tiny little brains, we have repeated the curses so often that most people, even some of your own people, believe in at least part of the lies.
That’s one reason I need to be incarcerated by someone with Black skin.
But why…
You?
[chuckles] Charles.
You’re so goddamn pedestrian.
Why did I choose you?
You were everything that I needed. The perfect specimen.
A lonely Black man no one would miss with an enormous debt and a goodsized basement.
A perfect example of the failure we’ve made of your race.
[♪ Unsettling music playing]
[Charles scoffs]
I’ll see you in four days.
[light switch clicking] [Anniston] That’s not what we agreed!
Charles!
[♪ Unsettling music continues]
[knocking]
Oh.
[Narciss] Hi.
Hi.
I wasn’t sure if you’d wanna see me after our lunch.
Oh, no, no, uh, I think we both… we both got a little heated, so…
Okay, good, good.
Great, actually, because I wanted to ask you about something.
Um, and if I don’t just work up the nerve to do it, I’m afraid I’ll never do it and we’ll both regret it.
Um, hmm.
Would you be open to sponsoring a museum?
Wh… a what?
An African American museum.
I haven’t figured out all the logistics, but I think it’s the perfect solution.
We would use your artifacts and my shop, or even here a couple days a week, if you’d be willing to it.
But most importantly, most importantly to you, we’d charge admission.
And I haven’t decided how much yet, and you wouldn’t make as much as if you sold the pieces, but this way, you could keep them, and make some money.
Your family’s history needs to be shared.
A museum?
[Charles laughing]
[Narciss] I wonder what secrets he’s keeping.
Jojo?
What?
That’s Jojo.
That’s… that’s his name, that’s Jojo.
That’s what I call him. And then, this… this geekylookin’ dude right here, that’s… that’s Leonard.
[Narciss laughs] And then this is… this is Singer, ’cause you know, he got his mouth poked out like that and he’s just, “Whoo!”
[laughing] Okay.
So, you know, I call him Singer, but…
[laughing] Okay, well, pleasure to meet you all.
Hold on. Hold on. Hold on.
Oh, no, whatever secrets they have, they’re not tellin’.
Mm, yeah, I figured.
So, sorry.
Why does it matter to you so much, Narciss?
I’m, uh… I’m genuinely curious.
Mm.
[♪ “Friendless Blues” by
Eartha Kitt faintly playing] Um… I guess…
I wanna feel part of the world, you know?
Like, know my true place in it.
Yeah. I don’t know, I think, uh… I think maybe that’s what my mom would a wanted, you know?
For the house.
I’m glad, really.
[chuckles]
♪ Ain’t got no friend ♪
♪ Nowhere ♪
♪ Lord ♪
[faint screaming]
♪ Ain’t got no friends ♪
♪ Nowhere, Lord ♪
[screaming continues]
[faint screaming continues]
What is that?
[sniffling] Like a fox or somethin’, uh…
It’s horrible. [chuckles] Yeah, I’m… I’ma go chase it away.
[screaming continues]
[Anniston screaming loudly]
[metal clanging]
[Charles panting]
[Anniston groaning] I, uh… I couldn’t find it, uh…
Mm.
It’s, um, it’s… it’s gettin’ late.
Okay, yeah.
You know, we’ll talk… we’ll talk soon?
Alright, well, goodnight.
Okay, good… um…
[♪ pensive music playing]
[birds chirping]
[steps creaking]
[Anniston] Thank you, Charles.
Now, my time here has begun.
They came to me in the dark.
I remembered them all.
[light switch clicking] The Nigerian journalist.
I saved him.
But he committed suicide 18 months later.
The Jordanian man I tortured, I threatened to kill his family if he didn’t give up his comrades.
He committed suicide, too.
So, I kept my word and killed his wife and son.
Stop.
You gotta go.
I can’t leave.
A man once paid me to give a nine-month-old girl to his dog.
He wanted to know if the dog’s true nature would kick in and he paid me a large sum to make it happen.
Have you ever watched a child being torn apart?
I don’t believe you.
Nobody could do somethin’ like that.
Who? Him? Me?
Her, the mother?
She had 13 other children, all of them starving.
The sale of one meant the survival of the rest.
You bought a baby?
How many lives have you saved, Charles?
I’ve saved thousands! [panting] Can’t scrub that church stink off, can ya?
I’m just a tool, Charles.
All the possibility of the world exists without me.
That child would have died anyway. It’s the way of the world.
It’s not a question of good or evil, it’s simple humanity.
What the fuck does that even mean?
Oh, you haven’t been listening.
In or out of this cage, with a single word, I could end your life.
Power like that is destiny, not choice.
You’re a child, Charles.
You need to believe you’re still doing childish things, but you’re not.
You’re a man inflicting pain on others, and now, you just have to admit you enjoy it.
[♪ Pensive music playing]
I-I’m sorry.
Please, please, no.
Leave me down here, but not in the dark.
Please, not yet. I need rest.
Give me my light bulb, Charles.
Give me another couple days of light.
[light switch clicking]
[Anniston screaming]
[voice distorting] Charles!
Ah! I told Ricky you’d be here.
[♪ “Don’t Walk Away” by Jade playing on speakers]
Oh.
Mmhmm.
Wow.
Isn’t it beautiful?
Congratulations.
I know, I’m coming!
Get a drink.
[♪ Music continues playing]
[people chattering]
♪ All this love ♪
♪ Waiting just for you ♪
[Ricky] Whoa! Charles, man!
Hey.
How you doin’, brother?
Yeah, yeah. Good, good.
She show you the ring?
She did.
Mmhmm.
Congratulations.
Glad you came, man. You okay?
Yeah. Yeah, you need a drink?
I’m good. Help yourself over there.
♪ Be there for me when
I need someone to hold ♪
♪ Baby, don’t misunderstand,
I do want you for my man ♪
♪ I just need a little time
before I invest my love ♪
[♪ eerie music playing]
[guests laughing]
[♪ Eerie music continues]
[air whooshing]
[♪ music fades out]
[muffled music and voices]
[♪ Unsettling music playing]
[♪ Dramatic music playing]
[Charles panting]
[♪ Music stops abruptly]
[Charles breathing heavily]
[presenter] [on TV]
…aren’t illogical at all.
The reason we found the bloody glove was simply an accident.
The defendant’s misfortune.
It was clearly his intent at the time the thumps were heard by Kato he was back there trying to hide things or look for a place to secrete them, and dropped the glove inadvertently.
[muffled thud] Had he known he dropped the glove, obviously, we would never have found that either.
But that was not the case.
He did drop the glove, not intentionally, but by accident.
[wind whistling]
[Charles breathing heavily]
[wind chimes clinking]
[door creaking] [wind whistling]
[door creaking]
[static crackling on TV]
[channels switching rapidly]
[♪ Eerie music playing]
[♪ Eerie music continues]
[crackling intensifies]
♪♪
[dog growls] [flesh tearing]
[dog growling, barking]
[dog continues barking]
[barking continues]
[stifled gasps]
[door opening]
[floorboards creaking]
[Brent Blakey] Charles.
Beat your ass, boy.
Charles?
Where is that nasty little nigga?
[Brent breathing heavily]
So ugly, he look more like a monkey than a man.
[voice distorting, echoing] Charles?
[♪ Dramatic music playing]
Come here!
Charles!
[Charles gasping]
[♪ dramatic music playing]
[water gurgling]
[♪ music continues]
[screaming] [Charles gasping]
[♪ Unsettling music playing]
[Charles gasping]
[gasps]
[muffled doorbell ringing]
[birds chirping]
[door opening]
Miss Littleneck.
Uh, I know my mom used to make these pies for you and Chastity sometimes, but, uh…
Well… you’re gonna have to come in and give it to her yourself.
Hasn’t changed much.
Dustier, but we still livin’ just fine.
[chuckles] Chastity?
Look what little Charles Blakey brought us.
It’s your favorite pie.
Come closer, Charles.
She can’t see that far.
Isn’t that nice?
[♪ Eerie music playing]
[Chastity breathing slowly]
Don’t you recognize him?
Valerie’s boy.
[finger tapping]
We better let her get some rest.
She hasn’t had a guest in over three years.
[Chastity panting]
[♪ Eerie music continues]
[door creaking]
[Brent breathing heavily]
[Brent wheezing and coughing]
[labored breathing]
[voice exhales]
[Charles gasps]
[Charles panting]
[sobbing]
[stairs creaking]
[Charles gagging]
[Anniston] No.
You’ll frighten her.
[Anniston whispering indistinctly]
[flashlight clicking]
[indistinct whispering continues]
[Charles screaming]
[metal clanging]
Give me the key or I will kill you!
[both grunting]
[♪ dramatic music playing]
Then we both… we both die down here.
[Charles coughing]
Tell me who you are, or you go back in the dark.
Are you pretending we’re still playing by the rules?
Answer me!
[panting] Okay.
No, no, stop!
Wait, ask me, ask me.
[Charles panting]
Is Anniston Bennet your real name?
Don’t do this.
Is it your real name?
Yes.
Now, stop.
Your birth name?
No.
What was that name?
Tamal Knosos.
I never knew my parents.
My mother’s name was Maria Knosos.
On my birth certificate, it says she was Greek, unmarried.
My father was listed only as Tamal.
His nationality was Turkish.
I became Tamal Knosos because my mother died before she could give me a name.
And my father was gone.
[eye squelching]
[air whooshing] When I grew up, I named myself.
I gave myself power.
I chose Bennet from the British families that came over on the Mayflower.
Their descendants waged the Indian wars, claimed territories larger than most states.
So, you could be anybody. [scoffs] You don’t know if your father was Turkish.
He could have been Arab, Indian, African.
My name is Anniston Bennet and I am as white as the sun.
But you could be a nigger too.
Your turn.
I don’t want to play anymore.
[water splashing]
Did you ever find out who your father was?
Haven’t you had enough?
[sighs] Tomorrow, please.
You want the light to read by?
Thank you.
You need a new book?
Please.
Your choice.
Okay.
We read this in high school.
Hey, have you read it before?
It’s a big part of this town, man.
Not in a long time.
I remember, there’s a part of the story where the sailors are sittin’ on the boat eatin’ roasted whale meat, and, uh… [chuckles] …there’s sharks in the water in a frenzy ’cause they’re feedin’ on the whale carcass.
And the sailors, they can’t enjoy their meal while listenin’ to the sound of the sharks eatin’, right?
So, they drag the cook, a Black man, as a joke, out of the kitchen, and they tell him to go order the sharks to stop eatin’.
So, this cook, he starts preachin’ to the sharks, and he’s… he’s sermonizing like he on top of a mountain to get the sharks to stop eatin’.
And he told ’em that they could be angels if they just mastered their appetites.
[chuckles] Maybe the cook was talkin’ to himself.
I killed a man.
I let my uncle die.
I was left alone in this house… takin’ care of a man I hated my entire life.
So, I stopped answering when he called, and… eventually, those calls became screams.
And I waited… until those screams, they ran out.
I never told anybody that.
But that’s how I ended up here.
That’s how you forced your way in here too.
Do you hate me, Charles?
Not any more than a hungry dog needs to eat.
[water splashing]
[kids chattering]
[child laughing]
Oh.
Come on, move!
[insects chirping]
[♪ eerie music playing]
[Charles breathing heavily]
[mother] Emma?
[♪ Music fades]
[bird squawking]
[softly gasps]
[metal clanging] [Charles panting]
[Charles shudders]
[paper rustling lightly]
[Anniston] Dear Charles, I’m sorry to skip out on our last few days together.
I know you still have questions about us both.
But there’s some answers I have to take with me.
I wasn’t sure when I came to you if I would die.
I’ve wanted to die for a long time, but I had answers I needed to find first.
I hoped to find them among my books, but they eluded me, until you left me alone in the dark.
In the dark, they all came back to me.
All the things I have done.
I could smell blood in the darkness, and then I knew I had to die down here.
I was relieved. I’d found the answer.
Watching you enjoy the dark helped me realize that, like you, I am a child of this world.
We’re not so different, Charles.
We’re both the decisions of those who came before us.
[inaudible conversation]
I know you hate me for buying that child, and I did think about saving her just for a moment.
I think that’s why she came to me in the dark.
She’s here with me right now.
After all we’ve been through, all you did to me and your uncle, do you really think you would have done anything differently?
I’ve left letters for my business associates, two friends, and my wives and children.
Send them, please, so that the few people who know me can mourn.
There’s a red pill amongst my possessions.
It’s fast, painless.
I leave it for you, in case this is your last stop.
[water splashing lightly]
[♪ Soft music playing]
[inaudible]
[♪ Music continues]
[Anniston] Maybe you’ll finally try to make something of yourself.
Maybe you’ll just stay here and rot.
You can decide either way.
Goodbye, Charles. Good luck.
[♪ Unsettling music playing]
♪♪
♪♪
