Good afternoon, House of Madness thirsties:
When it comes to a loved one, just how far would you be willing to go in their most desperate time of need? I'm not talking about back in the day when your whiny little brother pissed and moaned about being four dollars short for the latest 'Quiet Riot' album, although that does sound pretty awful. I'm not even describing the friend that lusts for Ally Johnson's phone number because she looks badass in a pair of Levi's, and although her number is unlisted, you could easily attain it because she's friends with your sister. No, I'm talking about real needs that are acutely serious and imminent which require copious amounts of attention; certainly more than just feeling the noize, or the shape of a nice rump in tight pants. How far would you go in order to help a loved one live, even if it required going against not only your morals, but all of human decency? Would you follow the guidelines of goodness that have been ingrained in your soul, or would you do anything for someone you love, no matter how high the cost? Jess (Michelle Monaghan) is about to face that very question, and the love and bond between mother and son will be tested like nothing she could have ever imagined - even in her wildest nightmares; if only this were one that she could wake from and be free of her conscience and moral anxieties.
Jess is a recovering drug addict that's been clean for 15 months, but in the process has been trudging through a messy divorce with her ex Patrick (Skeet Ulrich). Patrick resents Jess for her past drug issues, yet doesn't seem too guilt ridden from tripping over the couch and falling inside their nanny Shelly (Danika Frederick), resulting in a third child to go along with Owen (Finlay Wojtak-Hissong) and Tyler (Skylar Morgan Jones). As the court proceedings drag on, Owen and Tyler live with Jess in an old farmhouse passed down from her aunt. One afternoon, the two siblings and their dog Pippen head out to find the lake their mother told them about in order to do a little fishing, as there's not a lot of options to stimulate their brains out in the countryside. As the trio arrives, they are met with disappointment as the lake seems to have been dried up, and all that remains is a landscape of mud surrounding a very sinister looking tree bare of foliage, but at the same time seeming very alive in a not-so-nice way. They head back home trying to forget what they've seen, only to be reminded of an unpleasant presence while sitting down for dinner. Pippen is on edge while staring out into the woods, and as Jess opens the door to see what's spooking her dog, Pippen darts outside and disappears into the forest, giving chase to someone or something that doesn't seem to be there and doesn't return. Days pass, and as Pippen is slowly becoming a fond memory, he returns to everyone's shock and amazement, only something seems.........off. Instead of a Yellow Lab, Pippen more resembles a corpse fresh returning from vacation at the posh Pet Sematary, and attacks Owen, critically wounding his neck, and thrashing his leg. Jess grabs a rock, and that's the end of the Pipster, but unfortunately for them, just the beginning for Owen.
At the hospital where Jess happens to be a nurse as well, Owen is patched up and well on his way to recovery, until he has a seizure and seems to regress. Another blood transfusion takes place, and Owen seems to be responding wonderfully, again on the road to recovery. While visiting the next day, Jess catches Owen tearing down his blood bag, and ravenously devouring its contents with starved ferociousness. After days of refusing foods he normally adores, and complaining of its taste, it becomes obvious to Jess what is transpiring before her eyes, and as unbelievable as it seems, she still feels compelled to satiate his outlandish appetite in order to save the little boy she loves so much. It will only be a matter of time before the hospital starts to notice blood is missing, and once that happens, the options are extremely limited, and Jess must decide how far she's willing to go, and if there truly is a line not even a mother will cross in order to save her child. It's definitely a fair question to all fellow parents, but one thing is for cocksure, this is one 'family tree' I definitely wouldn't want to be a part of.
Madness Meter: 6.1/10
NB
