1922

Based on the overview, 1922 is an American neo-Western psychological horror-thriller film directed by Zak Hilditch, based on the 2010 novella "1922" by Stephen King. The film is set in the 1920s in rural Nebraska, where the protagonist, Wilfred James, is a simple yet proud rancher in his mid-twenties who shares a deep love-hate bond with his younger wife, Arlette. Wilfred, a devoted but uneducated youth, takes after his father, a farmer, in the rural Nebraska plains. However, he is also aware of his limitations and feels suffocated by his circumstances. After marrying and settling down, Wilfred comes to realize that his marriage to the 21-year-old widow Arlette was not a union of equals. She, a strong-willed and independent woman, holds considerable influence over Wilfred's life, controlling the finances and making decisions for their farm. Their relationship is strained due to the stark contrast in their backgrounds and the vast power gap in their marriage. Arlette makes a shocking announcement one evening, informing Wilfred that she intends to leave him and move to Denver to start a new life, taking their six-month-old son with her. The thought of parting ways with his infant son sets Wilfred into a state of rage and desperation. In a fit of anger and anxiety, Wilfred makes a pact with his teenage son to participate in a premeditated act of murder, targeting Arlette and preserving their family and the farm. Wilfred's decision to commit this brutal act marks the beginning of a psychological nightmare. He becomes convinced that he has done the right thing by saving their farm, their son, and ultimately, his own legacy. However, as time passes, the weight of his crime slowly starts to consume him. He becomes detached from his surroundings, struggling to cope with the aftermath of his dark deeds. The aftermath of the tragic event sends Wilfred into a downward spiral of madness and despair. The film delves deeper into the dark recesses of Wilfred's unstable mind as he grapples with guilt, paranoia, and grief. Meanwhile, his teenage son becomes increasingly disenchanted with the circumstances surrounding his mother's death and begins questioning the legitimacy of his father's actions. As days turn into weeks, the tension builds up between Wilfred, his son, and the surrounding landscape. Unforgiving storms ravage the isolated ranch, symbolizing the turmoil brewing within Wilfred's mind. As his obsession with the farm intensifies, Wilfred's behavior becomes more erratic, pushing those around him further apart. As the narrative hurtles toward its climactic conclusion, dark secrets begin to unravel, and a web of deceit is spun around Wilfred's fragile psyche. His once-innocent son starts piecing together the truth behind his mother's disappearance, forcing their fragile relationship to the breaking point. In a devastating confrontation, the son delivers a crushing verdict, rejecting his father's twisted rationalizations and revealing the depth of his pain. As the story reaches its conclusion, it becomes clear that Wilfred's tragic descent was as much a product of his own darkness as it was a product of his circumstances. His actions have irreparably altered the lives of those around him, leaving behind a legacy of pain and heartbreak. The dark underbelly of human nature, so meticulously constructed in King's original novella and Hilditch's adaptation, lingers long after the credits roll, a haunting reminder that the seeds of darkness often lie hidden within the human heart.