Slapface (2021)

Lucas and his neglectful older brother Tom live alone in a rundown home after the death of their mother, who took them away from their abusive father. They play a "game" called Slapface, which involves them slapping each other violently in the face, and Lucas's only "friends" are Donna, Rose and Moriah, a trio of female bullies. One day, Lucas is forced by the trio to explore an abandoned house by the trio for stealing Moriah's journal, one of the bullies, who he has a crush on. He encounters a monster named Virago, and he befriends it over the course of several days.

Lucas returns to the abandoned building alone, enters but quickly gets frightened and runs off into the woods. The monster grabs him and carries him towards a lake. Lucas screams and is placed down. The two stare wordlessly off into the distance. Next the two are seen sitting in the building with a gas lamp between them. Lucas has a brief talk with his brother and later with his brothers live-in girlfriend Anna. Later, while Lucas and Moriah talk on the phone, Lucas hears a sound outside. While in bed, he overhears Tom and Anna arguing about him wandering the woods alone. Anna drives off.

Lucas returns to spend time with the monster who places something in his hand. When he leaves, a dog chases him and the monster intercepts it and kills it. After burying the dog, Lucas tries to talk with the monster. Anna catches Lucas washing the dogs blood off his hands, she and Tom try to talk with him. Both boys appear very angry that Anna left for two days. Anna suggests they seek help. Tom and she fight again and again, Anna drives away. Moriah accompanies Lucas to the abandoned house. She is scared and leaves, Lucas kisses her. The monster is watching from inside.

Monster visits the boys home and enters. Moriah and Lucas are researching the monster in the library. Anna sees a missing dog poster, and returns to talk to Tom. The monster watches her, shows itself and appears to attack. Lucas goes to find Tom, at a bar, looking for Anna. The two go looking for her. Later on a date with Moriah, Lucas hears Tom scream and runs inside their house. Lucas brutally kills a rat, upset, Moriah breaks up with him and leaves. Lucas, taking a bath is joined by the monster. After, the two are seen "playfully" destroying pictures on the walls, and then the house. Lucas gets angry when the monster is cradling and then dancing with a dress.

Tom returns home, Lucas hides the monster in the closet. They play slapface and the monster comes out, watching it appearing to feel it when Lucas is slapped. Lucas embraces Tom, professes he loves him and please stop to protect him as the monster approaches. Lucas goes to see Moriah, she won't come out. Lucas finds Anna buried in the woods after following a path of flowers. The three bullies attack Lucas but stop when they hear a roar. The twins goad Moriah into spitting on him. He runs, they chase. The girls split up, the monster appears behind her. Lucas finds her bleeding and unconscious on the ground. The twins happen upon them and run.

Tom arrives at the PD but is sent away without seeing Lucas. The sheriff talks with Lucas about the past, recalling Lucas always had a temper. Alarms sound in the PD, Lucas wanders into the hall to find everyone dead and blood everywhere. Monster is standing there. Lucas points a gun, unwilling to shoot, drops it and runs home. Lucas calls Tom, telling him to come home. Lucas, crying, asks the monster who has arrived, if she is good or evil since so many are dead. And if it's because of him. Lucas says they cannot be friends. He is hugging the monster when Tom walks in. Tom is attacked, violently being slapped until being completely knocked unconscious. Lucas fires the gun at the monster and then, stabs it. Thinking his own brother is dead, Lucas holds Tom's blood-drenched body, crying, when police enter. Lucas looks at the floor, but the monster is gone. The film ends as Lucas stares at the screen, tears streaming down his bloody smeared face.