The Renewal
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“Wisdom consists of knowing how to distinguish the nature of trouble, and in choosing the lesser evil. — Nicolo Machiavelli
PROLOGUE
Phoebe is an ambitious 21-year-old college student outcelebrating her best friend Sarah’s 21st birthday at a bar. Good and buzzed, they leave the bar go to a frat party where Sarah becomes highly intoxicated. Debating what to do, a member of the frat enourages Phoebe to bring Sarah to a bedroom to “sleep it off.” When Phoebe comes back an hour later to check on Sarah, she finds her lifeless and unresponsive.
FADE TO BLACK on the image of Phoebe screaming for help.
3 YEARS LATER
Phoebe is a single, independent woman working a tedious job at a tech company but harboring the desire to become a popular social media influencer. She takes the craft seriously, reads every book she can get her hands on about how to build up her following. Her goal: get to a million followers and make a living promoting environmentally-friendly products. She’s a woman with a passion to make an impact.
But her past haunts her.
One day at work, Phoebe gets an unexpected DM from Rose, a popular influencer and tastemaker who Phoebe follows on social media. They don’t know each other personally, but Rose says she thinks Phoebe has a great aesthetic, and tells her she’d like to introduce Phoebe to her followers. Phoebe can’t believe her good fortune.
That night, Phoebe posts a short video of herself on her story, and within five minutes, she adds a few hundred new followers. Within ten minutes, that number jumps into the thousands.
The next day Phoebe messages Rose and thanks her. They chat back and forth over DM. Rose tells Phoebe she thinks she can help her continue to build her following, that she’s organizing a hiking/camping excursion to the MOJAVE DESERT and would like Phoebe to come. The purpose is to commune with nature and create content for their followers. Phoebe, eager to learn from a pro, can hardly resist, and agrees to go.
THE TRIP
Rose chauffeurs the caravan of influencers to the desert. While they drive across the barren landscape, Phoebe looks at images of herself and Sarah on her phone and posts one as a memorial. With her in the car are Rose; Jennica, a sultry model and top earner on OnlyFans; and Ash, beautiful but insecure and self-conscious. Their conversation covers frivolous topics and leaves Phoebe questioning her choice of company for the weekend.
The caravan arrives at a desolate GAS STATION on the outskirts of town to buy supplies. As they are walking in, Phoebe notices a bulletin board with a MISSING PERSON flier. She tells the girls she will meet them inside to walk over and look at it more closely. The flier features the image of RYLEY BROWN, an attractive girl around Phoebe’s age, and a description of her physical appearance and last known whereabouts.
In the gas station, the girls encounter a creepy check out clerk who delivers an ominous warning.
JOSHUA TREE INN
The caravan arrives at the JOSHUA TREE INN, a historic Inn in the small, barely noticeable desert town of Joshua Tree. In the lobby, they marvel at the rock and roll memorabilia, specifically a photo of Gram Parsons, the country music singer. Rose tells the others about Parson’s death at the Inn in the 70s, Ash grows concerned the Inn might be haunted. Pam, the innkeeper, assures her its not. Phoebe notices an Aztec mask hanging on the wall. It spooks her.
The girls, dressed in Western attire, head to the JOSHUA TREE SALOON for food and drinks.
The saloon looks like it could have been used as a set for old spaghetti Westerns. Inside, locals drink and shoot pool. When they enter, Phoebe sees another missing person flier for Ryley Brown hanging on the wall. She comments on it to Rose, who assures her she has nothing to worry about. How many girls go missing in LA every day?
At the bar, they meet a handsome bartender named James. When he learns of their plans to hike on foot to HIDDEN VALLEY the next day, he offers to drive them up to the trailhead to help them save time and avoid heat exhaustion. Phoebe is skeptical but Rose again reassures her.
Later, an inebriated Jennica refuses to leave, and James offers to drive her home. Phoebe doesn’t like the idea, and offers to stay with her, but Jennica refuses. Not wanting to overstep her bounds, she agrees to leave with Rose and Ash.
Back at the hotel, while Rose and Ash sleep, Phoebe researches Ryley Brown on her laptop and learns that she disappeared from Joshua Tree six months ago. The photo accompanying the article is a different one from the flyer — its full color and shows Ryley wearing a turquoise necklace.
The next morning, the girls pack their car in the PARKING LOT but there is no sign of Jennica.
Ash and Phoebe are worried for her safety; Rose is remarkably poised. Phoebe mentions Ryley Brown, but her concern falls on deaf ears. As they argue about what to do, James and Jennica pull into the parking lot in James’ Chevy.
Ash gives Jennica a “what for” and Jennica apologies. The girls load their things into the truck and James begins the journey to the Hidden Valley trailhead.
At the TRAILHEAD. James offers Rose a FLARE GUN and says to use it in case of an emergency. Then, he leaves as the girls begin their hiking and camping adventure.
While they walk, Phoebe asks Rose questions about being a social media influencer. Rose’s answers aren’t at all what Phoebe was expecting to hear.
After hiking for a few hours, the girls get lost. Phoebe wants to consult a map; Rose gets annoyed. Ash suggests they retrace their steps; Rose says if they do that, they’ll get even more lost. So, they trudge on.
A few hours later, night is beginning to fall and they are still lost. Again, they debate what to do. Rose finds something — an old sign that says “Miller Ranch ‘’ is only a short distance away.
They decide to check it out.
MILLER RANCH
An old miners’ encampment. At the small HOUSE on the property they are greeted by Ness and Cat, both very earthy and natural looking. Ness invites the girls in and introduces them to the ACOLYTES, male and female members of the commune who look and dress similar to Ness and Cat. The house is filled with Aztec artifacts and imagery.
Ness gives the girls a quick tour and shows them a bedroom. There, she offers them free room and board for the night. The girls accept. They attend a group dinner on the PATIO, where they meet and socialize with the Acolytes. They learn that no photography is permitted at the ranch because PAQO says photography “steals a persons’ soul.” Later that night, they attend a meditation session and meet Paqo, the charismatic leader of the group.
That night, Phoebe tries to sleep but is awakened by a nightmare about Sarah’s death.
Curious, she leaves the bedroom to explore the house, walking down the hall, back to the living room where they meditated earlier. There, she sees a group of Acolytes participating in a ritualistic sex ceremony. It freaks her out, and she runs back to the room.
The next morning, Ness appears at the door with breakfast and tells them Paqo would like to see them in his study before they leave. Phoebe is resistant but Rose convinces them its the right thing to do.
After breakfast, the girls meet Paqo in his study. He schools them on his philosophy and invites them to stay until the New Fire Ceremony which will take place in a couple of days. To sweeten the deal, he tells them they can take as many photographs as they want, which satisfies their desire to create content. He leaves them to debate.
Phoebe advocates for a quick exit. Jennica and Ash are content; Jennica’s impressed by the hot guys and Ash is inspired by the vibe. Phoebe suggests it might be a cult and therefore dangerous. She tells them about what she saw the night before. Rose reminds Phoebe of the opportunity in front of them — even if it is a cult, imagine how cool it will be to post photos of a real-life cult, not the kind you see in a Netflix documentary. With Ash and Jennica piling on, Phoebe is outnumbered and agrees to stay.
Jennica, Ash and Rose spend the day tanning themselves at the pool, where Jennica meets Ryan, who flirts with her and invites her to take a walk. In the meantime, Phoebe hikes around the ranch and encounters Cat, who tries to get at the heart of who Phoebe is and what she really wants.
Ryan leads Jennica to an outhouse where they have sex. While that is happening, Rose and Ash debate the merits of fame by the pool. Ash says she’s been thinking about starting an OnlyFans page, Rose shoots her down, leaving her feeling insecure.
On the walk back to the house, Ryan tells Jennica he wants to see her later.
That night at dinner, Rose admits to the others that she has the hots for Paqo. After dinner, Jennica sneaks off with Ryan. Phoebe grows concerned but Ash reassures her.
Ryan leads Jennica to THE TEMPLE, an old barn on the back side of the ranch. Jennica is hesitant to enter but Ryan assures her it’s fine. When they get inside, they encounter a ritualistic ceremony featuring Acolytes in hooded robes standing around a table adorned with candles and Aztec artifacts. Jennica grows concerned but Ryan convinces her to lay down on the table so she can received a blessing. She agrees, and is promptly butchered.
Back at the house, Ness invites the girls to attend a “spiritual jam session” with Paqo in his study. Rose sees this as an invitation to get closer to him and convinces Ash they should do it.
Phoebe opts instead to go out and look for Jennica.
With a flashlight in hand, Phoebe wanders the property in search of Phoebe and finds a bunkhouse. She goes inside to look around, but finds nothing of interest. In the back of the bunkhouse, chained to the wall, RYLEY BROWN attempts to call out to her, but can’t as her mouth is masked over with tape.
In Paqo’s study, Rose and Ash observe a group sex orgy that evolves into an indoctrination for Ash.
While searching for Jennica, Phoebe encounters Cat, who tells her that Jennica left the ranch with Ryan. Startled, Phoebe runs back to the house, and wakes up Ash and Rose to tell them about Jennica’s departure. They seem unfazed, and Phoebe says that if Jennica is not back the next morning, she’s leaving to try to find her.
The next morning, Rose tries to talk Phoebe out of leaving, reminding her what she signed up for, but Phoebe, convinced something bad is happening, leaves anyway.
In a surprising twist, Rose reports the news to Paqo. He says she has failed him and won’t be eligible to succeed him as leader of the commune until Phoebe has been recovered and properly dealt with. “But I did what you said,” she says. “I offered my sacrifice.” She argues that it wasn’t her fault Phoebe got away, and he dismisses her.
Hiking on the trail alone under the blazing sun, Phoebe grows tired and starts to hallucinate.
She visualizes Sarah reaching out to her, asking for help. Soon, the image of Sarah morphs into Ryley Brown, also asking Phoebe for help. In this image, Ryley is wearing a turquoise necklace, and Phoebe flashes back to a conversation with Ness, who was wearing the same necklace. When the hallucination fades, Phoebe moves swiftly back towards Joshua Tree.
Meanwhile, unfazed by all that is happening around her, Ash tans herself at the pool. Ness surprises her, telling her she is beautiful and that she has struggled in life because other people are just jealous of her. She invites her to a special ceremony later that night, designed to cleanse her of her past.
Phoebe makes it back to Joshua Tree and arrives at the saloon, exhausted and dehydrated. James attends to her and she tells him about the ranch and Ryley Brown, who she thinks she’s still alive and being held captive. She wants to help get her out before it’s too late, and despite his hesitation, James agrees to help her.
They visit the Joshua Tree Inn and ask Pam about Jennica and Ryan. When Phoebe tells Pam she’s been at Miller Ranch, Pam tells her she’s lucky to be alive, and shows her the missing person flier of Ryley Brown. She says Ryley stayed at the Inn and was planning to go to Miller Ranch and hasn’t been seen since. Ryan and Phoebe leave the Inn and Pam places a call to Miller Ranch to let them know Ryan and Phoebe are on the move.
Back at the ranch, Rose seduces Paqo, and leads him to a quiet spot away from everyone else.
There, they become intimate, during which time Rose produces a knife and stabs him in the chest. Once she is sure he is dead, she drags his body to a shallow grave she’s already dug up in the ground and buries him there.
Meanwhile, Phoebe and James race towards the ranch in James’ Chevy.
Ash is escorted by Ness and Cat to The Temple for her cleansing ceremony. When she gets there, she discovers a scene similar to the one Jennica encountered; like Jennica, she is sacrificed.
Rose calls an emergency meeting and informs the Acolytes that Paqo has ascended. The group panics but she calms them down. Now, as the rightful leader of the group, she commands they begin the New Fire Ceremony immediately. The Acolytes move quickly to put everything into place. Ness challenges Rose, accusing her of doing something to Paqo. Rose instructs her armed guards to “deal with her,” and they drag Ness away kicking and screaming.
Phoebe and James arrive at the ranch and find the house empty. They begin searching around for the others.
Outside in a big field, a bonfire rages as the Acolytes prepare the New Fire Ceremony.
Phoebe and James explore the property. James encourages them to leave. They walk past the outhouse and Phoebe hears something — a banging noise. They go into the outhouse and find Ryley chained up. James finds a steel rod on the ground and uses it to smash her free. Then, Phoebe, James and Ryley start to make their escape but bump into Rose, accompanied by her armed guards. Rose admits that her social media influencer status is just a ruse to attract new members to the cult. Phoebe tells Rose she won’t get away with this, and Rose instructs the guards to escort Phoebe, Ryley and James to the ceremony.
At the ceremony, the Acolytes await Rose’s arrival. Phoebe, James and Ryley are being watched over by the armed guards. Then, Rose, adorned in feathered headgear and tribal makeup, stands on a raised platform and gives a speech about the New Fire Ceremony. She asks for the first offering, and the guards attempt to grab Phoebe. James intervenes and is promptly killed. The guards take Phoebe and lay her down on a table in the center of the ceremony as Ryley watches. Just as they are about to sacrifice Phoebe, Cat steps forward and says they must spare Phoebe, as she carries prophecy. Rose agrees, and the guards release Phoebe, who goes back to stand with Ryley.
Cat is placed on the table instead, and as Acolytes bang out tribal rhythms on bongos, the ceremony turns into a melee. Sensing an opportunity to break free while everyone is distracted, Phoebe and Ryley make a run for it towards the truck.
Just when they are in the clear, an armed Acolyte approaches. “Going somewhere?” he asks.
Phoebe says they are just going back to the house to retrieve an artifact Rose needs for the ceremony. He says fine, I’ll accompany you.
Phoebe leads them towards the bedroom. She tells the Acolyte to wait outside as she and Ryley get the object. In the room, Phoebe tries to get the window open but struggles. Outside the door, the Acolyte is growing impatient. “Just a second!” Phoebe yells out. But soon, time is up and the Acolyte busts the door down, only to be greeted by Phoebe pointing the FLARE GUN at him. She fires and hits him directly in the face.
Phoebe and Ryley make their escape towards the Chevy, get in and drive off.
Racing through the desert, Phoebe tries to navigate the terrain but pops a tire, and the truck careens into a Joshua tree. Injured but not incapacitated, Phoebe helps Ryley out of the truck and they move on foot as fast as they can.
Back the ranch, the bonfire has descended into a mass suicide. At Rose’s instruction, Acolytes jump into the fire and she watches as they are burned alive.
Phoebe and Ryley, barely capable of walking, see a highway up ahead of them. They make it there and flag down a car, which stops. They get in, and as the car drives off, we see the driver, unidentifiable, and a necklace dangling from the rear view mirror. On the necklace is a pendant — an Aztec symbol.
The car drives off along the highway through the endless expanse of the desert landscape.
