SYNOPSIS

Grace Wallace, a city-raised mother of two, has recently moved with her husband and children to a rural town, adjusting to the quiet isolation of country life. One cold morning, she notices their family dog, Lady, is missing. When she finds Lady’s food bowl untouched, a small sense of unease settles in.

Later that day, Grace receives an unexpected phone call from a neighbor, Annie Clark, who reports that Lady has been killing their chickens. Annie’s husband had chased the dog off, and another local, Joe White, confirmed it was Lady. Though relieved that her dog is still alive, Grace is skeptical—Lady has always been a gentle and obedient pet.

As the day unfolds, Grace encounters more townspeople, all of whom reinforce the same sentiment: once a dog gets a taste for blood, it cannot be trusted. Some suggest chaining Lady up. Others, more bluntly, say the only solution is to shoot the dog. Grace is disturbed by how casually they talk about it, as if it’s a simple, practical decision. When she picks up her children from school, she’s horrified to hear that even their teacher has been spreading the idea that Lady will need to be put down.

Determined to find another solution, Grace visits a supply store and buys a sturdy chain, hoping restraint will be enough. However, a passing comment from the store clerk unsettles her—her husband, Lukas, had recently purchased a shotgun, something he never mentioned. This quiet betrayal lingers in her mind as she returns home.

That evening, Grace searches for the gun and finds it hidden in a closet. With a mix of anger, desperation, and resignation, she takes it and heads into the woods to find Lady. As she walks deeper into the fading light, she calls out for the dog, her voice laced with uncertainty. When Lady finally appears, her black-and-brown coat matted with blood, she stands still, panting, watching Grace. Grace raises the shotgun, her hands shaking, torn between the pressure of her community and her own moral instincts. The weight of expectation, fear, and doubt hangs heavy in the cold, silent woods. She hesitates, staring at the dog she once trusted, now a supposed killer. The film ends in eerie stillness, leaving the audience in suspense—will she pull the trigger, or will she defy the unspoken rules of rural life?