• last year
movie
Transcript
00:00Who are you?
00:26Who are you?
00:33I'm sorry, I got ahead of myself.
01:02Hi there. You on the table? I wonder if you'd mind taking a brief survey.
01:07Who is that?
01:09Five questions. Now, I know you're sleepy, but I just bet it'll make you feel right as rain.
01:16Who's speaking?
01:37Hey! Open the door!
01:47I'd be just thrilled to chat once we've run the survey. Shall we begin with question one?
01:54I'm not taking your survey.
01:57Shall we begin with question one?
02:03Let me out of here.
02:08Hey! Open the door!
02:15Hey! Let me out!
02:41Hey.
02:44Hello.
02:46Five questions.
02:49Five questions.
02:51What do I get at the end?
02:55Depends on your answers.
03:00Okay.
03:02Great. Off we go.
03:04Now, to start, who are you?
03:07That's the first question?
03:09First name will do.
03:25I don't...
03:27It's okay. If you can't answer the question, feel free to say unknown.
03:33What is this?
03:34Okay. Unknown.
03:36Wait.
03:40I don't know.
03:48Fuck. I don't know. Delaware. What is this?
03:56I don't... That one makes no sense.
03:58Right. Unknown.
04:01Question five, and as a reminder, this is the final question, to the best of your memory, what is or was the color of your mother's eyes?
04:28What's happening?
04:30Unknown. So that's unknown, unknown, Delaware, unknown, unknown.
04:38What the hell did you do to me?
04:51That's a perfect score.
05:03God damn it.
05:33God damn it.
06:03God damn it.
06:33Are you ready for Mr. Scout?
07:01Go ahead.
07:31Go ahead.
07:51Go ahead.
08:11Go ahead.
08:33Go ahead, Jack.
08:46Yep. See you soon.
09:44Yeah.
10:12Yeah.
10:42Yeah.
11:10Yeah.
11:16You're breathing shitty.
11:17Sorry.
11:18You sick?
11:19Maybe.
11:20Petey was sniffling yesterday.
11:22If you breathe on me, I'll rip your larynx out.
11:24Wow. That went right to ten.
11:26I feel like ripping out my germ-ridden larynx would get you sicker than just me breathing on you.
11:32No, endorphins.
11:33Oh.
11:35Petey better not be out for the day because I'm about zero seconds from wrapping the Tumwater file and he needs to process it.
11:41I think he's out.
11:43If he doesn't process today, they won't know until Tuesday of next week.
11:47It's typical Lumen bullshit.
11:49Careful, guy.
11:50Hi, kids. What's for dinner?
11:52God damn it, Irv. We warned you.
11:54About the greeting? You were kidding.
11:56No, we sincerely hate it.
11:58How many reasons did we come up with?
12:00Eight.
12:01Eight reasons, chief among them the latent condescension.
12:05And it's confusing. Like, did the kids make you dinner in this scenario?
12:08Yeah, what kind of a shit dad are you?
12:12No Petey?
12:13We think he's sick.
12:14Oh, no. And Dylan's about to wrap Tumwater today.
12:17Yeah, and if he doesn't see me finish, I might get passed over for refiner of the quarter and miss out on my goddamn waffle party.
12:22Grumble, grumble.
12:24These perks are so out of hand. When we process a file in the old days, they'd shake our hand and fill up the creamer.
12:29I still don't buy they actually incentivized creamer.
12:32They did. And back then, we were grateful for it.
12:35That's fucked, dude.
12:36Yes, very fucked.
12:38To put in an honest day's work and not get a children's breakfast in return.
12:43Oh, uh-oh. Irv's got claws today.
12:46Good morning, macro data refinement.
12:48Hi, Mr. Milchak.
12:51Mark, could I have a word?
12:59Sure.
13:24Last time you saw Miss Cobell, she was in her old office.
13:27She's in her new office. It's a completely different office.
13:31What's this about?
13:33She'd never say so, but I know a compliment about the office would just make her day.
13:47Mark? Come in. Shut the thing.
13:51Nice office.
13:52Ugh, it's horrid.
13:55Yeah, the old one was better.
14:03Oh, you look awful. You look hungover.
14:08Have a seat.
14:15The board will be joining us remotely today.
14:21I have Mark S. at my desk.
14:25Mark?
14:31Oh, uh, hello.
14:38I assume this is about me acting as department chief today.
14:41Okay, uh, well...
14:44I mean, I've subbed for PD before, so it shouldn't be...
14:47PD is no longer with this company.
14:51I'm sorry?
14:54I said PD is no longer with this company.
15:00I'm sorry, Mark.
15:01You guys were one of my favorite office friendships.
15:06I mean, there should have been some notice of this. What happened?
15:10We'd love to tell you, but unfortunately non-disclosure policy forbids.
15:14We'd be aiding an assault on PD's privacy by you.
15:18Ooh.
15:20Mark, would you place your key card on my desk?
15:29Mark S., at this time I confer upon you the freedom to serve here...
15:33in the advanced role of Macrodata Refinement Department Chief.
15:37Congratulations.
15:48Oh, a handshake is available upon request.
15:58Thank you. May I have a handshake?
16:07I know you haven't run a training before, but Irving will be there to shadow.
16:11Just stick to the flowchart and escalate properly depending on dialectics.
16:15You'll be fine.
16:17If you need to take a few minutes...
16:18Thank you. I don't.
16:23Oh, and thank you to the board as well.
16:28The board won't be contributing to this meeting...
16:32vocally.
16:44Our last refiner, who was a woman, was...
16:46Carol. Dillman's old seat.
16:51Don't be sad.
16:52I'm fine. We'll be fine.
16:55I know you and PD were close.
16:57He was the only one who really appreciated your humor.
17:00Everything's fine.
17:01So, I'm supposed to start with just the input survey?
17:04Isn't that a little weird?
17:05It's standard.
17:06Just start at 1A and continue by line based on her answers.
17:10Well, what if I just talk to her?
17:12She deserves to have the information presented to her in the proper order.
17:15Just as you had.
17:18The trainee becomes agitated and demands to leave.
17:21Skip to page 19.
17:24She has to ask three times for you to let her.
17:27Right. Yes.
17:31Done.
17:33Image is good.
17:36She looks nice.
17:38Okay. You're all set.
17:44I just love seeing you all come in like this.
17:48Go on ahead when you're ready.
17:53Right. Okay. Um...
18:01There.
18:05Who are you?
18:19Who are you?
18:26Mark.
18:27You skipped the preamble.
18:30Huh?
18:31Shit.
18:34Um...
18:36I'm sorry. I got ahead of myself.
18:42That's... Okay. Um...
18:45Hi there, you on the table.
18:47I wonder if you'd mind taking a brief survey?
18:51Who is that?
18:53Five questions.
18:55Now, I know you're sleepy, but I just bet it'll make you feel right as rain.
19:01Who's speaking?
19:17Hey. Open the door.
19:19Mark.
19:20I'd be just thrilled to chat once we've run the survey.
19:23Shall we begin with question one?
19:25I'm not taking your survey.
19:30Shall we begin with question one?
19:32Let me out of here.
19:33Hey!
19:37Open the door!
19:39She's not supposed to do that.
19:41Hey!
19:42She's going to break in.
19:43Let me out!
19:44No, she's not.
19:46Are you seeing this?
19:49I'm watching.
19:51Should I help?
19:54You should not.
20:01That's a perfect score.
20:04Now, I think I know where our disconnect is coming from.
20:09What?
20:10Well, there was a preamble, which I was supposed to read before the survey to lead into the questions, and...
20:18But I unfortunately skipped that and went straight into the survey.
20:21Am I livestock?
20:23I'm sorry?
20:26Like, did you grow me as food and that's why I have no memories?
20:33Do you think we grew a full human and gave you consciousness?
20:38I don't know.
20:39Did your nails?
20:40I don't know. I don't know you.
20:41No, you're not livestock. Good lord.
20:44Then what's my name?
20:47Heli.
20:48Your name is Heli.
20:50Heli R.
20:52Please.
21:08Thank you for taking the welcome survey. I can sense that the questions made you feel afraid or disoriented.
21:14Well, the good news is, you're at an orientation.
21:25You see, you have been hired to a position on the severed floor of Lumen Industries.
21:31The what floor?
21:44I understand you're confused about the severance procedure.
21:49Before we hop on that, let's chat about something I bet you have heard of.
21:53The work-life balance.
21:56To start, imagine yourself as a seesaw.
22:00Ow!
22:01Fuck!
22:02That locks from out there!
22:04Let me out!
22:05God.
22:08Can we just take a beat?
22:11Please.
22:18Please.
22:24Please.
22:25Please.
22:47Okay, my name's Mark.
22:50And, uh...
22:53So, a few years back, I woke up on this table in this room.
22:58And a disembodied voice asked me 19 times who I was.
23:07And when I realized I couldn't answer, I told that voice that I would find him and kill him.
23:16I don't know why I said that. I mean, I was scared, too.
23:20Did you kill the voice?
23:23No.
23:25No, that voice's name was Petey, and he became my best friend.
23:32So, look, there is a life to be had here, Helly.
23:36A life to be had?
23:39Well, you see...
23:42Life...
23:44Like a seesaw...
23:49Let me the fuck out of here!
24:00Ask me anything.
24:03I don't care.
24:06Ask me again.
24:09What?
24:10You've asked twice to be let go. Ask one more time.
24:15Mark.
24:16Yeah?
24:18I would like to leave the building now.
24:22I understand you don't feel it's working out for you here at Lumen.
24:26While disappointed, I'd hate to keep you somewhere you're not happy.
24:30So let's get you out of here.
24:35Okay.
24:40Irv!
24:42LUMEN
25:03The departments are pretty spaced out, but it'll all fill in one day.
25:07They're planning an expansion.
25:10And I'm, what, part of that?
25:12No, you're a replacement.
25:15Replacement for who?
25:18Why are you saying that like you hate it?
25:27Here's your stairwell, just past the bend.
25:36You're not coming with me?
25:38I'm not allowed to see.
25:40Excuse me?
25:41Once you leave, you...
25:44I just can't watch you leave.
25:53Of course you can't.
26:09LUMEN
26:27What the hell?
26:38LUMEN
27:09LUMEN
27:21Am I dead?
27:22No.
27:23This isn't like hell or something?
27:25No.
27:27Then why the fuck can't I leave?
27:29Well, you did leave, just now. Out into the stairwell, at least.
27:32You left, but you came back.
27:35I did not.
27:36You did.
27:38Come on.
27:42Weaponizing office equipment on your first day.
27:46You are gonna be fun.
27:49Look, I do sympathize.
27:51I've wanted to pummel Mark myself, but I am his employer.
27:56And he is your department chief.
27:59So we'll both have to be strong.
28:03The good news is, there's only one part left of your orientation,
28:07which Mark can't possibly derail.
28:11Why's that?
28:13Because it's a video.
28:22Welcome to Lumen, Hallie.
28:32Have a seat.
28:51Have a seat.
29:02Have a seat.
29:11Are you mad at me?
29:13For the incompetence or the disobedience?
29:19Well...
29:20Yes!
29:23You know my mother was an atheist.
29:26She used to say that there was good news and bad news about hell.
29:30The good news is,
29:32hell is just the product of a morbid human imagination.
29:37The bad news is,
29:39whatever humans can imagine, they can usually create.
29:48I don't know what that means.
29:51My department, like yours, can go so good or so bad.
29:55You know, it makes a difference.
30:01The people.
30:14You can have a seat.
30:31Okay. Go ahead and have a seat.
30:43My name is Hallie R.
30:46I'm making this video roughly two hours before it will be shown...
30:51to me.
30:53I have, of my own free accord,
30:56elected to undergo the procedure colloquially known as severance.
31:01I give consent for my perceptual chronologies to be surgically split,
31:06separating my memories between my work life and my personal life.
31:11I acknowledge that henceforth,
31:13my access to my memories will be spatially dictated.
31:18I will be unable to access outside recollections
31:21whilst on Lumen's severed basement floor,
31:24nor retain work memories upon my ascent.
31:29I am aware that this alteration is comprehensive and irreversible.
31:37I make these statements freely.
31:44Okay. That's a wrap.
31:54Okay. Go ahead.
32:16So I'll never leave here?
32:20You'll leave at five.
32:22Well, actually, they stagger at exit, so 5.15.
32:26But it won't feel like it. Not to this version of you, anyway.
32:31Do I have a family?
32:33You'll never know.
32:36And I have no choice.
32:39Well, every time you find yourself here,
32:42it's because you chose to come back.
33:13Hello?
33:22Hello?
33:52Night.
33:54Night.
34:23***
34:43During roll-cross carrying boxes and wheelchairs
34:46slipped on an overhead projector slide
34:48and sustained a minor blow to the temple.
35:19Hey!
35:22Sorry.
35:24Maybe keep your eyes on the icy road.
35:29Sorry.
35:48***
36:18***
36:49Uh-huh.
36:51No, I know, Mrs. Selvig. It's just...
36:53It was in my space again.
36:56Yeah, well, trash comes tomorrow night.
36:58Tonight's recycling.
37:01Yeah, it is weird, but that's how they do it.
37:04And with both yours, there's no room for...
37:07Uh-huh.
37:19***
37:25Hey.
37:31Did you forget?
37:37No, you know, I shouldn't.
37:39That's okay.
37:41Sorry.
37:43That's fine. Do you want to put on pants, and I'll...
37:45I'm wearing pants.
37:48So, if there's no dinner, how is it dinner?
37:52Okay, you actually owe me this.
37:55Do I?
37:57Yep. You remember that time when we were kids
37:59and I was just generally a way better assemblyman than you?
38:01Oh, must have slipped my mind.
38:04Also, I know we're nearing the anniversary,
38:07so I just thought maybe you'd want to be around people.
38:10Nope.
38:13This is nice. When did you get it?
38:16From work. They apologized.
38:18Oh, they apologized. Thank God.
38:21Did they happen to tack an explanation onto that apology?
38:23It's fine. Got a gift card.
38:25Oh, you got a gift card.
38:27Where's he going to?
38:29I don't know. Pips.
38:31Of course it's pips.
38:33Well, enjoy.
38:35Well, what about you?
38:38There's our captive.
38:40Hi, Rick.
38:42Ricken. Come on. It's Ricken.
38:44Oh, you, sir, look at peace.
38:46Okay.
38:48Hi, baby.
38:50Hi.
38:52You know, what a lot of people overlook, I think,
38:54is that life is not food.
38:56Right.
38:58You've got life, this complex quality of sentience and activity,
39:02and then you've got food.
39:04Which is what?
39:06Yes, what is it?
39:08Fuel. Calories. It's not the same thing.
39:10Yes, that is spot-on, Patton.
39:12I definitely agree.
39:14Though, if I'm... Sorry.
39:16Mark and my dad used to have whiskey as life carved on flask.
39:20True.
39:22It was low-hanging fruit.
39:24He did. He was a misdiagnosed alcoholic.
39:26Now, Mark, Ricken told Rebecca and me
39:28that you're a former history professor.
39:30Yeah.
39:32So I'm curious for your take on all of this.
39:34Hmm?
39:36The food, the life of it.
39:38Well, I'm not sure.
39:40I taught mostly about World War I.
39:42Oh, okay.
39:44Well, I got one for you.
39:46I was just reading this think piece
39:48about the comparative levels of violence and warfare
39:50throughout history.
39:52Oh, nerd alert.
39:54War porn, I know.
39:56But anyway, in it, he said that the people
39:58actually called it the Great War.
40:00Hmm.
40:02Apparently, it would have been a faux pas
40:04to have called it World War I.
40:06All right.
40:08Hmm.
40:10Well, uh, you know,
40:12no one would have called it World War I
40:14because World War II
40:16hadn't happened yet.
40:18Wow.
40:20Of course.
40:22That's absolutely true.
40:24That's so true.
40:26This is why we bring this guy.
40:28Mark's late wife, Gemma,
40:30was an educator as well. Russian literature.
40:32Oh, I love literature.
40:34Right?
40:36But Mark is a lumen man now.
40:38Really?
40:40Yeah, about two years.
40:42Do you design the medicines?
40:44No.
40:46I thought lumen was more on the tech side of things.
40:48They began in the 1800s.
40:50Really?
40:52Topical cells, right?
40:54What don't they make?
40:56Well, Mark's work is sensitive enough
40:58as to require the severance procedure.
41:00Wow.
41:02That's something, isn't it?
41:04Yeah.
41:06It's also, I think,
41:08something that's his choice
41:10to tell people or not, right, Rickon?
41:12Oh, my God.
41:14Oh, God.
41:16Mark, please forgive me.
41:18It's okay.
41:20I don't care.
41:22No, I think it's fascinating.
41:24I mean, I wish I could do it.
41:26I'd just always be thinking about, you know,
41:28the other one.
41:32Well,
41:34there is no other one.
41:36It's me.
41:38I do the job.
41:40I just don't grasp the visceral element.
41:42What does it feel like?
41:46Well, it's simple.
41:48One's memories are bifurcated,
41:50so when you're not at work,
41:52you have no recollection of what it is you do there.
41:54Did I get that right, Mark?
41:56So you walk in at 9 a.m.,
41:58and then suddenly it's 5,
42:00and you're leaving.
42:02Well, they stagger us a little,
42:04so then, conversely, when you're at work,
42:06you can't access outside memories.
42:08So, in effect, that version of you
42:10is trapped there.
42:12Well...
42:14I mean, not trapped, but...
42:16But what?
42:18No, no, I'm curious.
42:20What were you gonna say?
42:22But not trapped, but...
42:24But what?
42:26What were you gonna say?
42:32So I suppose we know where you fall
42:34in the congressional goings-on.
42:36Okay, I think we may be missing the point here.
42:38The point
42:40is that Mark made a decision,
42:42and that decision was controversial.
42:44Ethically,
42:46socially, morally,
42:48scientifically.
42:50But, Mark,
42:52I stand behind you
42:54without reservation.
42:56So well said.
42:58Thank you. Absolutely.
43:00I definitely stand behind Mark.
43:02Wow. Uh...
43:04Thank you. That's, uh,
43:06very sweet.
43:08Well, um, we're at the point where traditionally
43:10I would say something like,
43:12dig in.
43:14But I must say, I do think
43:16that the lack of food has allowed us
43:18to already do so
43:20on a much deeper level.
43:22Oh, yeah. Right? Yeah, absolutely.
43:24You know, I was saying, my friend in Lima hasn't had
43:26a food-based dinner even in...
43:28If I give you $3,000,
43:30will you forgive me?
43:32Well, because your child
43:34is innocent of tonight's
43:36atrocities, I'll
43:38wait until after it's born to murder you.
43:40Oh, my God.
43:42Here you go, buddy.
43:52Hey, how's the good doctor therapy
43:54man with that weird little mustache?
44:00You're not going.
44:04Well, the work things helped.
44:08Yeah.
44:10I'm proud of you for taking that job.
44:12I really am.
44:14And I think she would have been, too.
44:16I know she would have been.
44:20I just feel like
44:22forgetting about her for eight hours a day
44:24isn't the same thing
44:26as healing.
44:34You want to crash here since you're already here?
44:36No.
44:38Why?
44:40Your house smells like pregnancy.
44:42Hmm.
44:44I'm just not grasping
44:46the visceral element of it.
44:48She was fun, wasn't she?
44:50Oh.
44:52You're definitely staying here tonight.
44:54No, I'm not.
44:56I'm making all the bedsheets myself,
44:58so I won't finish with the big one
45:00for some time.
45:02But the twin is comfortable,
45:04and the pajamas were made on a Baltic handloom,
45:06so...
45:08you'll sleep well.
45:10Thanks. I still don't quite get
45:12the three beds.
45:14Right.
45:16Oh, Rickon's colleague told us that switching out the beds
45:18as the child grows can wound that child.
45:20Irreparably.
45:22But if you provide said child
45:24with all of its beds upon birth,
45:26you allow it to progress across the room
45:28at its own rate.
45:30Got it.
45:32Yeah.
45:38I think people really enjoyed you tonight, Mark.
45:42Good.
45:44All right, baby.
45:46You ready, baby?
45:48Yeah. Let's go. Sweet dreams.
45:50Thanks.
45:52Goodnight, my lord.
45:54Goodnight, me lady.
46:02Shh.
46:32Water.
47:02Shhh.
47:32Shhh.
47:52Hey.
47:54Hey.
47:56How long you been up?
47:58Oh, a while.
48:00There was a businessman
48:02in the yard last night.
48:04A businessman?
48:06Yeah.
48:08Entry-level or management?
48:10I'm serious.
48:12There was seriously a man in my yard last night?
48:14Yeah.
48:16Holy shit.
48:18He looked at me weird like he knew me.
48:20Oh, did the prowler invading my home make you feel seen?
48:22So seen.
48:24Well, there's a bar down the hill.
48:26It's probably just a stumbler.
48:28Speaking of which,
48:30you still smell like a distillery.
48:32I'm sorry.
48:34I just had to drown out the memory
48:36of Mom and Dad switching out my beds
48:38when we were kids.
48:40You've been sitting on that one.
48:58Shh.
49:00Shh.
49:02♪
49:26♪
49:32Hello.
49:34Okay, so...
49:36recycling was last night.
49:38Mrs. Selvig,
49:40tonight's garbage,
49:42and you keep putting your bin on my side.
49:44So...
49:46Yeah, okay.
49:48You know,
49:50I actually can't talk right now.
49:52I'm out at dinner.
49:54No, by myself.
49:58Uh, pips,
50:00bar, and grill.
50:02Excuse me.
50:04Hang on.
50:06Quickly.
50:12I'm sorry, Mrs. Selvig.
50:14They've cooked the food, and it's here.
50:18Hi, kids.
50:20What's for dinner?
50:22Uh...
50:26Sorry. You don't got that reference.
50:30Are you following me?
50:34Your voice is different here.
50:36Worse.
50:40Okay, who the fuck are you?
50:42Petey. My name's Petey.
50:44I'm from work.
50:48Well, that's not plausible.
50:50Everyone in my department is...
50:52Severed. Severed.
50:54I was.
50:56Okay, well, severance is pretty permanent.
50:58Yeah. Bypassing the implant
51:00wasn't easy. I had help.
51:04Uh-huh.
51:14So, what?
51:16You were unhappy at work,
51:18and instead of lodging a complaint, you...
51:20No. I tried that first.
51:22So did you.
51:24Right.
51:26Um, okay.
51:28So...
51:30You've unsevered,
51:32and now you...
51:34Do I think they're after you
51:36or something?
51:40Yeah.
51:44They've been.
51:46Greiner.
51:48He's probably out here right now.
51:50Greiner. Okay.
51:52Like a person you knew, or...
51:54We both know him.
51:56We don't like him.
51:58I see.
52:06Nothing
52:08down there is what they say.
52:12If something happens to me,
52:14the things I know
52:16need to stay known.
52:18I'd prefer
52:20it be by a friend.
52:26So...
52:28we're friends?
52:30I'm your best friend.
52:34You're my very good friend.
52:48Okay.
53:12Mark,
53:14sorry about the card.
53:16I had to grab something, and I know it's not appropriate.
53:18Though I'm sure you'd be a really
53:20fucking awesome niece.
53:24We used to wonder what kind of men
53:26we were on the outside.
53:28What choices we had made,
53:30and why.
53:38I used to think it would take a monster
53:40to put someone in a place like that office.
53:42Especially
53:44if the person was himself.
53:48But we're not monsters, Mark.
53:50Not real ones.
53:54If you don't want to know
53:56what's going on down there,
53:58I won't force it.
54:02But if you do,
54:04there's an address on the back of this card.
54:08Go alone,
54:10and you'll find the beginning
54:12of a very long answer.
54:34Mark!
54:36Is that you?
54:38Oh,
54:40you color me embarrassed
54:42with a mix-up with the bins.
54:44Oh, it's no problem.
54:46How was dinner?
54:48Fine.
54:50Just, you know, tired.
54:52You know
54:54my mother was a Catholic.
54:56She used to say it takes the saints
54:58eight hours to bless
55:00a sleeping child.
55:02I hope you weren't rushing
55:04the saints.
55:06Well, I'll give them
55:08ample time tonight.
55:10Good night, Mrs. Selvig.
55:12Mark!
55:16You're good people.
55:36You're good people.
56:06You're good people.
56:36You're good people.
56:38You're good people.
56:40You're good people.
56:42You're good people.
56:44You're good people.
56:46You're good people.
56:48You're good people.
56:50You're good people.
56:52You're good people.
56:54You're good people.
56:56You're good people.
56:58You're good people.
57:00You're good people.
57:02You're good people.
57:04You're good people.