Sydney Neville is a 29-year-old graphic designer and bartender with a passion for dark romance, painting, and the 1990s. Her “best friend” is Gabe Wellington. They grew up together. Gabe lived in the house next to hers with his stepfather, mother, and stepbrother Oliver. Gabe and Sydney gained ownership of their childhood homes through their respective families. Neither Gabe nor Sydney talks about Oliver, who went missing on July 4, 1998. Oliver and Sydney were supposed to see The Parent Trap (1998) together, and Sydney still hasn’t seen it out of respect for Oliver. Sydney accidentally spills coffee on her portrait of Oliver.

Sydney has a beloved cat, Alexis, and a judgmental Christian neighbor, Lorna Gibson. While getting her mail in a robe, Sydney slips and Lorna sees her leopard print underwear and breasts. Lorna calls Sydney “blasphemous.” Sydney texts her 32-year-old sister Clem (Clementine Neville). They playfully call each other “hoochy” and “skank.” Later, Clem tells Sydney to turn on the news, but Sydney doesn’t need to watch the news: She sees police surround Gabe’s home and learns that Oliver is alive.

Sydney and Gabe go to the hospital, and Sydney gathers the strength to see Oliver. The last time she saw him, she was a child with pigtails. Now, Sydney is a woman, and Oliver is a man whom Sydney presents as “beautiful.” Oliver looks at the ceiling and says, “Queen of the Lotus.” He starts to “panic,” and a nurse sedates him. Sydney wonders what abuse Oliver experienced.

Three weeks later, Oliver moves in with Gabe. Police and psychiatrists try to speak to Oliver, but he replies with “ramblings” about “lotus,” “Bradford,” and the world ending. Sydney learns that “lotus” links to the lotus flower, which symbolizes rebirth. The flower can bloom even in polluted water.

Oliver sits by the window in his childhood bedroom and thinks about his situation. Authorities determined that Oliver didn’t pose a risk to himself or others, so they sent him back to “modern civilization” with only a small card that contains information for a psychologist whom Oliver doesn’t intend to contact.

Oliver feels as dependent on Gabe as he did on Bradford. He remembers Bradford hitting his head and the large amount of blood. Bradford gave him a TV, books, comics, snacks, and art supplies. Oliver thought of his underground wooden cell as a “haven” and believed Bradford was his “protector.”

Oliver remembers Bradford visiting Oliver in a hazmat suit. He told Oliver that a nuclear war turned the outside air toxic. There were only a few survivors, but Oliver would be safe if he stayed in the “bunker.” Bradford’s “bunker” was next to his.

Back in the present, Oliver stays by the window. He thinks about Sydney and her pigtails. When he moves around the house, the new technology, such as Gabe’s big flatscreen, confounds him. He looks in a mirror and feels like an “imposter.”

Sydney arrives with her father’s clothes; they might fit Oliver. Gabe jokes about taking Oliver to Aeropostale or Express. Oliver remains silent and eventually leaves. Sydney finds him and details her memories of their close childhood bond. She touches his hand, and he pulls away, but he remembers her—though he thought he invented her.

As Sydney prepares for a shift at her bar, the Black Box, Sydney and Clem discuss Oliver. Sydney refers to him as “traumatized,” and Clem jokes that the abduction has made him handsome. Clem has a young daughter, Poppy, and a husband, Nate, whom she’s divorcing after he had an affair with an intern. Sydney presents herself and Clem as attractive. Outside, Sydney and Clem meet Oliver. Sydney invites Oliver to hang out, but Oliver tells her no.

At the bar, Casper, Sydney’s predatory former romantic partner, bothers Sydney before vanishing. Clem dances and Gabe appears. Sydney doesn’t think Gabe should have left Oliver alone, but Gabe reminds Sydney that Oliver is an adult.

Returning home, Sydney finds her door unlocked. She suspects Casper. Finding a knife, Sydney inspects her home. No one is there, but someone might have turned on her computer. Out the window, she sees Oliver drawing on his bedroom walls.

In the cell, Braford brought Oliver comics and then paper and colored pencils so he could draw his own comics. Oliver also worked out in the cell and thought of Sydney.

In the present, Oliver wakes up and sees a half-nude Clem emerge from Gabe’s room. Gabe claims they were playing Twister before admitting that they also had sex.

Oliver reflects on rejecting Sydney’s invitation to hang out. He didn’t mean to offend, but emotions are difficult for him. He remembers watching The Princess Bride (1987) in his cell, which provoked new feelings. He recalls the comic book he created, The Lotus Chronicles, which served as his “company” while in the cell.

Outside, Oliver and Sydney meet again. Oliver admits that he wanted to see her, but he doesn’t want “to be seen.” She mentions his drawings on the walls and brings him a sketchpad and pencils. A photographer appears. Oliver retreats while Sydney confronts the photographer.

In Sydney’s home, Clem discusses her sexual encounter with Gabe, which makes Sydney playfully uncomfortable. Clem mentions Oliver seeing her almost naked, and Clem wonders if Oliver has seen a naked woman before.

Alone, Sydney intends to read an erotic dark romance novel and masturbate, but she hears a noise. She grabs a crucifix to use as a weapon, and she runs into Gabe, who has unspecified access to her home. He jokingly refers to her as Buffy from the TV show Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003) and alludes to her Kurt Cobain shirt. They flippantly discuss their sex lives, with Sydney announcing that she doesn’t “do relationships.”

At night, Sydney wakes up due to another odious sound. This time, the person is an intruder. The man wears black clothes and a ski mask. He holds Sydney’s laptop and chases her. They fight, and the man claims he wants “answers.” Oliver appears and defends Sydney, who gets Lorna’s attention and tells her to call 911. Sydney picks up a lamp and tries to hit the attacker, but she hits Oliver instead, allowing the attacker to escape. Oliver is fine, and Sydney thanks him for saving her life.

After the attack, Sydney stays at Clem’s house, and Oliver feels like he “failed” her. He could’ve done more, like in his comics. Gabe convinces him to get breakfast with him at a restaurant, where Gabe stresses that they tried to find him. Oliver’s mother—who died 10 years ago due to lung cancer—remained hopeful that he would return.

At the restaurant, Oliver sees a girl with pigtails, and he remembers telling Sydney that he has a secret. As he was too scared to tell it to Sydney, Sydney said he should tell it to her teddy bear. Gabe asks Oliver if he wants to leave, but Oliver wants to stay.

Sydney returns home, and Oliver accompanies her inside her house. She thanks him again for defending her, and her cat, Alexis, cuddles with Oliver and makes him smile. Whenever Oliver says “Alexis,” he summons Alexa, so Sydney explains what Alexa is and asks Alexa to play music from the 1990s.