If It Bleeds

A delivery truck arrives at Albert Macready Middle School in Pineborough, Pennsylvania. Mrs. Keller, the school secretary, receives a package for the Nemo Me Impune Lacessit Society, a student club that regularly interacts with a partner school in Scotland. Mrs. Keller assumes that the package is a Christmas gift. She leaves it in the storage closet for the club moderator to retrieve later. That afternoon, a bomb inside the package explodes, killing several school members and injuring others.

Holly Gibney is a private investigator at the Finders Keepers agency. During her downtime, Holly settles down to watch her favorite television show, a reality court show called John Law. Holly’s agency partner, Pete Huntley, returns to the office from a search for a runaway girl. Pete has no taste for John Law, though he applauds Holly for fixing the building elevator with the help of their junior partner, Jerome Robinson.

John Law is interrupted by a news report on the Albert Macready Middle School bombing. The local correspondent, Chet Ondowsky, announces the death toll and begins to describe the extent of the damage. Holly is distracted by a mole near Chet’s mouth. Chet steps away from the report to assist in the ongoing rescue effort. After the report ends, Holly no longer feels like watching the rest of John Law. Pete understands how much the bombing reminds her of a previous case she had solved involving a domestic terrorist named Brady Hartsfield. Pete consoles Holly by suggesting that the failure to stop the school bombing was somebody else’s fault.

Later that night, Jerome returns from a search for a stolen dog. He and Holly talk about the Macready School bombing and Brady Hartsfield. Jerome brings up a discussion from one of his Harvard philosophy classes about the nature of evil. The class had agreed that in the absence of “outside evil”—which is characterized by malevolent spirits and demons—mass shootings and terrorist attacks must be the results of “inside evil”—evil that originates within human beings. Jerome doesn’t think there is a difference. He likens evil to a bird that flies from person to person, poisoning them to harm one another. He admits that he failed to rescue the stolen dog because the kidnapper had killed it. He weeps over the violence and death.

Holly follows the news coverage of the bombing, which presents a security camera photo of the suspected bomber. Holly looks closely at the photo and identifies him as a white man in his mid-forties wearing makeup. The news returns to Chet Ondowsky, whose clothes have been soiled by dust and blood. The studio reporter asks Chet to describe his experience rescuing two children from the bomb site. Holly wakes up in the early hours of the morning, bothered by something she noticed about Chet. She whispers a prayer to her late partner, Bill Hodges, whom she misses.

Holly tries to preoccupy herself with open cases to keep the business going. She nevertheless continues to follow the news, learning that the police have failed to come up with a solid lead after locating the delivery van.

Holly’s mother, Charlotte, calls to check in on her, though her presence irritates Holly. Holly promises to visit that weekend. She then calls Jerome’s mother, Tanya, to apologize since she won’t be able to join them for Sunday dinner. Moved by Tanya’s sweetness, she cries afterward. On Sunday morning, Holly finds Jerome on her apartment step. He offers to accompany her on her family visit.

On the road, Holly asks Jerome how his writing project is going. Jerome is working on a book about his great-great-grandfather, a Black man named Alton Robinson who owned a speakeasy during Prohibition. Alton wanted to achieve racial equality through subversive criminal activity. Jerome’s sociology professor forwarded his paper to a literary agent, who expressed interest in getting his project published. He has taken a gap year from Harvard to complete the book. Holly advises Jerome to share his work with his parents so that they aren’t hurt by what he’s written about their family after it gets published.

Jerome and Holly arrive at Charlotte’s house. Holly is nervous about the unspecified reasons for her visit, which involve Holly’s uncle, Henry, who has Alzheimer’s disease. Holly resents her mother, who was typically cold to her growing up. In therapy, Holly has come to recognize that her mother’s coldness is a coping mechanism for her lack of control. When Holly and Jerome call Henry to lunch, Henry repeatedly mistakes Holly for her late cousin, Janey, who was killed by Brady Hartsfield.

Jerome, Holly, and Charlotte drive Henry to check him in at an elder care facility. Henry is initially unaware of what his sister has planned, but he starts appealing to Holly’s emotions when he realizes what is happening. He nearly becomes agitated but is placated by the nurses who help him inside.

On the drive home, Holly thinks again about Chet Ondowsky and realizes that what bothered her during his later news appearance was that his mole had disappeared completely.

Holly starts doing research on Chet Ondowsky. For two years, Chet has been covering community stories. Holly tries to reconcile the presence of his mole in the first middle school report with its absence in all his other broadcast appearances. She becomes convinced that Chet doesn’t have a mole near his mouth, then reviews the footage where she’d seen his mole in the first place. Looking closely, she sees that it isn’t a mole but the trace of a fake mustache. She compares Chet’s image to the image of the bomb deliveryman. The faces don’t match. To make sure, she remembers something Bill Hodges once said about all people having either pig faces or fox faces. The bomber, whom Holly provisionally calls George, has a fox face. Chet has a pig face.

Holly starts wondering how Chet made it to the school ahead of the other reporters. Before she can arrive at a conclusion, she gets a call from Pete, reminding her to meet with their client, Tom Toomey. Pete suspects that Holly is preoccupied with something else. Holly denies it. She offers to take Toomey out to lunch.

While getting ready for her appointment, Holly looks up Chet’s social media accounts. She finds a post that he had made before the explosion, showing that he had gotten lunch at a nearby diner while on his way to cover a novelty garage sale. Holly calls Toomey to ask if she can visit his dealership to look at the files of the salesman Toomey suspects of embezzlement. He asks if they can eat at an expensive restaurant, DeMasio’s, afterward. Toomey thanks her for finding enough evidence to file a case against his salesman.

Holly reviews the photo Chet posted from the diner and realizes that he had driven to the school ahead of his station’s news van. Jerome calls to ask if Holly needs help with anything. Holly sends him to look for Pete and help with apprehending a bail-jumper.

Holly calls Charlotte to ask how Henry is adjusting to his new home. Charlotte encourages her to visit, though Holly worries that Henry might mistake her for Janey again. She then considers calling Ralph Anderson, who is away on family vacation, to talk through her thoughts about Chet. She starts recording her thoughts in an audio diary addressed to him instead. She theorizes that Chet may be similar to a shapeshifting entity, called an “outsider,” that she and Ralph confronted in the past. While the outsider needed time to change its form, Chet may be capable of changing his appearance quickly. Holly indirectly connects Chet’s coverage of disasters to the murders the outsider committed in the past.

Recording the audio diary gets Holly to stop fixating on the bombing. She dismisses her own theories about Chet as incidental. She and Pete have a productive day at the office. Jerome’s sister, Barbara, interviews Holly for a class report on private investigators. Later that afternoon, they watch John Law together.

That night, Holly gets a call from her former therapist, Dr. Carl Morton. She takes two other calls that night and writes notes on each one. The next morning, she leaves for Portland, Maine.

Holly started speaking to Morton after her experience with the outsider. Morton doesn’t necessarily believe that the outsider exists, but he agreed to share Holly’s case at conferences to see if anyone else had encountered similar entities before. When he called the night before, Morton hesitantly connected Holly to an elderly man named Dan Bell, who has stumbled upon the existence of a supernatural entity he calls a “psychic vampire.” Dan hadn’t spoken about the entity for some time, but when he saw the report on the Macready School bombing, he claimed that the psychic vampire, Ondowsky, was responsible for the attack.

Holly withholds the true purpose of her trip from Jerome, who assumes it has to do with Henry. Holly meets Dan and his grandson, Brad, who assists with Dan’s research. They begin to explain Chet’s shapeshifting capabilities, which require him to use stage hair and makeup to complete his disguises. On the way to Dan’s workroom, Dan talks about his family’s legacy in the paper industry. Dan himself worked as police officer and an illustrator, creating paperback book covers for various publishers. Brad is a video game sound designer. Together, they have been tracking Chet’s movements for around 15 years.

Dan first learned about Chet during the 1960 mid-air collision of two commercial airplanes in New York. Chet, then known as Paul Freeman, reported the crash for a local independent station. Dan shows Holly footage of Chet’s report, pointing out that he isn’t terrified by the tragedy, but rather excited. Chet discloses that he visited the lone survivor of the crash, a young boy. Dan believes that Chet wanted to feed on the psychic energy of the boy’s suffering. The next clip shows Chet reporting the assassination of American President John F. Kennedy in 1963 under the name Dave Van Pelt. A third clip shows Chet reporting the 1967 Detroit Rebellion under the name Jim Avery.

In all reports, Chet largely resembles his present self, though Holly and Dan both note the differences in his appearance that would allow him to avoid detection. Dan only noticed the resemblance because he had done police sketches at work. He shows Holly all the sketches he’s done of Chet over the years. This confirms Holly’s theory that Chet is an outsider.

Dan reveals that he has been using his therapy sessions to look for others who have encountered outsiders, just as Holly did with Dr. Morton. Dan briefly thought that Chet had permanently retired, but when he saw the security camera image of the Macready School bomber, he realized that Chet cycles between two template faces. Dan and Brad show Holly footage from the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida. Holly recognizes the reporter, who calls himself Philip Hannigan, as the Macready School bomber.

After she leaves the Bell residence, Holly catches up on messages from Charlotte and her work partners. Charlotte becomes increasingly upset that Holly isn’t responding to any of her voicemails. She claims that something is wrong with Henry at the elder care facility. Holly prays for God’s support to help her stand up to her mother. She then calls Charlotte to tell her she cannot come back that weekend because of work. Holly ends by saying she loves her mother.

Holly continues her report to Ralph. Before she left the Bell residence, Brad explained that his grandfather didn’t act on his findings until the Macready School bombing, because he assumed that Chet’s psychic hunger was natural and fundamentally harmless. Brad presented audio recordings to cement the theory that Chet and the bomber were the same person, matching their voiceprints across different news reports. Holly attempted to enlist Brad in her plan to expose Chet in Pittsburgh, but Brad declined so that he could continue looking after Dan.

In her hotel room, Holly calls the Bells to ask how Chet managed to maintain such a long career in broadcast news without ever being caught. They believe that Chet cycles through different local news stations, who turn a blind eye toward work history as long as he can prove his talent. Holly admits that she plans to confront Chet about his actions. Dan asks her to be careful and to share her findings with them afterward.

A concerned Barbara asks Jerome where Holly is. Jerome reveals that he has placed a tracker on Holly’s phone, which is how he knows that she is in Portland. Barbara hesitantly looks through Holly’s web search history and finds that she has been looking up information related to the Macready School bombing. Jerome speculates that Holly may be in Portland on a date. They back off when they feel that they have violated Holly’s privacy too much.

Holly calls Chet’s office to schedule a meeting with him. She tells Chet’s employee that she wants to talk to him about “consuming” Paul Freeman, Dave Van Pelt, Jim Avery, and Philip Hannigan. The employee is unsure what she means but promises to pass along the message. Chet calls back. Holly threatens to send the pictures Brad gave her to gossip tabloids unless Chet agrees to meet her at a mall close to his station. She warns him that she won’t come alone. After the call, she devises an alibi to blackmail Chet for money.

Jerome tells Barbara that he removed the tracker from Holly’s phone. Barbara reflects on her concern for Holly against the violation of her personal boundaries. She later asks a schoolmate for help with her phone.

Holly travels to the Pittsburgh mall where she will meet with Chet. Chet arrives at noon in a modest disguise. Holly demands $300,000 in blackmail money. Chet argues that she will eventually come back with the photos to ask for more. Holly indicates that the money is intended to pay for a nurse and home retrofitting, so that Henry can live with Charlotte. Chet smugly challenges Holly’s plans for Henry, which angers her. She orders Chet bring the blackmail money to Finders Keepers on Saturday.

After she gets Chet to admit that he has never hurt anyone else before the Macready School bombing, Holly warns him never to do it again. Chet calls her bluff, believing that Holly has come alone after all. Holly warns him that she will scream if he tries to hurt her. Before leaving, Chet tells Holly he regrets the mistake of bombing the school. Holly knows that he means to kill her.

Leaving the mall, Holly listens to a voicemail from her mother claiming that Henry had a falling accident at the elder care facility. Ashamed that she has disappointed her mother, Holly is about to return her call when she realizes she has nothing to feel guilty about. She calls the facility instead and learns that Henry did not fall but saved a woman from falling. He is adjusting well. Holly then calls Charlotte, avoiding her attempts to guilt-trip her. She tells Charlotte that she will come home that evening. They negotiate over how long Holly will stay so that she can celebrate Christmas with the Robinsons.

Holly tells Jerome that she will be with Charlotte for the weekend to prevent him from getting involved in her plans. She then visits a shopping center to buy Charlotte a Christmas gift. When she gets to the house, Charlotte vents about living in a now-empty home. Holly muses on the way she used to think of her mother as a monster. She knows now that the real monsters are people like Chet. Because she has defeated Brady Hartsfield and the outsider before, she knows she doesn’t have to hide from the monsters anymore.

Holly and Charlotte visit Henry. Wanting to sue the care facility for the accident Henry was involved in, Charlotte inspects his arm for bruises. When Charlotte steps away to get them snacks, Henry correctly identifies Holly instead of mistaking her for Janey. They bond over Charlotte’s tiresome qualities. Henry can tell that Holly is afraid of something. He comments that Charlotte has always been a coward ever since they were children. Holly, on the other hand, used to be scared, but grew out of it. This moves Holly.

In her audio diary, Holly shares her plans to shoot Chet. She doesn’t want to kill Chet, but she believes that whatever alien force animates him and the outsiders can glitch if she shoots it.

Holly and Charlotte have an early Christmas dinner. Afterward, they watch the 1946 Frank Capra film It’s a Wonderful Life as part of their Christmas tradition. Holly feels uneasy as she watches the film, knowing that she will soon be close to death.

Holly and Charlotte visit Henry again shortly before Holly leaves for Finders Keepers. Charlotte tries to get Holly to stay longer, but Holly declines. She gets stuck in highway traffic.

Barbara follows Holly’s movements after installing a tracking app on her phone. Knowing that Holly went to Pittsburgh, Barbara suspects that she is investigating Chet Ondowsky after all. Worried that Holly is in danger, Barbara decides to meet her at her apartment to make sure she is alright.

The traffic finally breaks, allowing Holly to rush back to her office. She arrives ahead of the meeting time and hides a small package near the top of the elevator car. She then retrieves Bill Hodges’ revolver from the office safe. With the time she has left, she records the end of her audio diary for Ralph. She outlines her suspicions that Chet will pay her off so that he can start anew, knowing that to blackmail Chet would make Holly complicit in his crimes. She indicates that the package in the elevator car is a fake, meant to protect her if Chet tries to kill her.

Barbara sees that Holly hasn’t gone home, but to the office. She drives to Finders Keepers and is about to enter when Jerome intercepts her. Jerome admits that he never removed Holly’s tracker. He is suddenly ambushed by Chet, who knocks him out and takes Barbara hostage.

Holly uses the reception desktop to upload her audio report to a flash drive containing the files the Bells gave her. She seals the flash drive in an envelope for Ralph, then mails it out. Afterward, she opens a program that Jerome used to fix the building’s elevator computer, intending to sabotage it so that Chet is forced to take the stairs. Just before she can execute the program command, she gets a call from Barbara and learns that Chet has captured Barbara and Jerome. Chet convinces Holly to hand him the flash drive in exchange for the Robinsons’ safe release. He urges her to act quickly since Jerome is starting to bleed out of his head.

Chet and Barbara proceed into the elevator. Holly is about to execute the program when she hears Barbara scream. Chet transforms before Barbara, terrifying her enough to make her soil her pants. They reach Holly’s floor. Now appearing as George, Chet announces that he never planned to pay Holly’s blackmail demand because he knew she was bluffing about her promise to give him back the evidence. He becomes disgusted by Barbara’s mess and throws her aside so she can clean herself up. Holly sees Chet’s true face—that of a jackal.

Chet demands the flash drive and promises to disappear from Holly’s life. Holly shows him the picture she’d taken of the false package in the elevator. She asks Chet to come closer to show him her phone, but this gives him the opportunity to grapple her. Chet brings Holly to the elevator. The elevator moves past their floor. Jerome surprises Chet by arriving through the stairwell. Jerome and Barbara work together to stun Chet with pepper spray. The elevator door opens into an empty shaft, which Holly pushes Chet into. Jerome saves Holly from falling in as well.

Holly regroups with Jerome and Barbara, both of whom are okay. She explains that Chet is the Macready School bomber, though she knows this knowledge would never be accepted by the public. Barbara changes into a fresh set of clothes, though she remains terrified by Chet’s transformation. They later work out an alibi for the police, claiming that Jerome and Barbara had come to the office to surprise Holly, but were attacked by a mugger. Holly proceeds to recover Chet’s body for disposal. She only finds Chet’s clothes; the entity that inhabited his body has disappeared. She disposes of the clothes, then proceeds to the hospital to meet with Jerome and Barbara.

Holly gives a deposition for a custody case. Afterward, she takes a call from Brad, who informs her that Dan has experienced a heart attack that he is unlikely to survive. Holly reassures him that Chet is dead, which Brad promises to pass along to Dan. Holly thanks them for their help. She believes there may be more outsiders, but she wants Dan to die thinking they overcame the last of them.

Holly promises Charlotte she will visit her and Henry soon. She celebrates Christmas Day with the Robinsons. They give her a cinema gift card and a subscription to Netflix. At dinner, Tanya thanks God that neither of her children were hurt. Holly thanks God that she gets to be with the Robinsons.

Walking after dinner, Holly checks in on Barbara, who still feels affected by Chet’s transformation. She admits she is even more affected by the possibility that her parents could have had to deal with her and Jerome’s deaths. Holly tries to console her and gives her Dr. Morton’s contact details. On the way home, she texts Ralph and tells him to expect the flash drive when he returns from vacation.

Holly, Charlotte, and Jerome visit Henry. Henry’s Alzheimer’s disease has greatly progressed, making it difficult for anyone to carry on a conversation with him. Holly squeezes Henry’s hand as they watch John Law on television. Henry remarks that he loves the show, and Holly agrees. Henry looks at her and recognizes her as Holly.