Thoroughbreds (2017)
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Two high school girls from different social circles form an uneasy alliance to orchestrate the murder of a stepfather.
The story
In suburban Connecticut, upper-class high schooler Amanda, who claims to lack emotions due to a mental disorder, seeks out her former best friend Lily. While Lily is academically inclined and popular, she lives with a stepfather she despises. The two girls rekindle their friendship under the guise of tutoring, but Amanda eventually proposes a plan to kill Lily's stepfather. To avoid suspicion, they decide to blackmail a local drug dealer into performing the hit while they are away. However, the plan faces complications as the girls navigate their conflicting motives and the risks of involving a criminal.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In suburban Connecticut, upper-class high schooler Amanda euthanizes her crippled horse, leading to animal cruelty charges. She later visits her former best friend Lily, who is struggling with her stepfather, Mark. Amanda, claiming she lacks emotions due to a mental disorder, suggests they kill Mark. To avoid being suspects, they plan to blackmail a drug dealer named Tim into doing the deed. On the night of the planned murder, Tim fails to act, and the girls agree not to contact him again. Later, Lily reveals she spiked Amanda's drink with Rohypnol so she could kill Mark herself and frame Amanda. Amanda, finding a life without emotions meaningless, willingly drinks the sedative. Lily murders Mark, smears Amanda with his blood, and holds her. Sometime later, Lily finds academic success and interviews for college. She encounters Tim, who is now a valet, and lies about the details of the murder, claiming Amanda was committed to a psychiatric hospital. She shows him a letter from Amanda describing a recurring dream of a world overrun by thoroughbred horses.
- Original title
- Thoroughbred
- First release year
- 2017
- Runtime (minutes)
- 92
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Cory Finley
- Writers
- Cory Finley · writer; Cory Finley · director
- Cast and characters
- Olivia Cooke · Amanda; Anya Taylor-Joy · Lily Reynolds; Anton Yelchin · Tim; Paul Sparks · Mark; Francie Swift · Cynthia Reynolds; Kaili Vernoff · Karen; Alex Wolff · a partygoer
- Genres
- black comedy; thriller; teen comedy; comedy thriller; psychological thriller
- Themes
- mental health; upper class; murder; friendship
- Tone and mood
- black comedy; thriller; psychological
- Setting
- Suburban Connecticut
- Premise and plot tags
- female psychopaths; sociopaths; horses; murder
- Source material / true-story basis
- The script was originally expected to be produced as a stage play.
- Reception
- The film received positive reviews from critics, who praised the ambitious direction, screenplay, and performances, particularly from Cooke and Taylor-Joy. It was described as a well-written and refreshingly unpredictable entry in the teen thriller genre.
- Production trivia
- The film is the last U.S. film to star Anton Yelchin and is dedicated to him.; The script was originally intended to be a stage play.; The film was premiered at the Sundance Film Festival under the name Thoroughbred.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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