“Crescent City,” a chilling thriller directed by RJ Collins, plunges us into the twisted mind of a serial killer stalking the streets. This dark and gritty thriller, shot with haunting cinematography, delves into the depths of human depravity as the killer targets men, women, and members of the LGBTQ+ community.
With a complex web of characters and a plot that twists and turns at every corner, “Crescent City” is a thought-provoking exploration of morality, justice, and the psychological scars inflicted by trauma. It forces us to question the boundaries between guilt and innocence and where the line between good and evil truly lies.
So, buckle up and prepare to be captivated as we dive headfirst into this gripping tale of terror.
Spoilers Ahead
Crescent City (2024) Plot Summary & Movie Synopsis:
“Crescent City” opens with a random person’s throat being cut from behind by a woman-like figure. Later, the story’s protagonist, Brian, a detective investigating a series of killings around town, attends church with his family. Suddenly, Brian senses the presence of a teenager who appears ghost-like before him, causing him to stammer and leaving his wife puzzled about what’s happening. We are then introduced to Luke Carson, Brian’s partner. They arrive at the scene of another murder committed by the serial killer.
Brian recognizes the victim and contacts the wife for questioning. He unlocks the victim’s phone and discovers an adult site where one can book escorts, recognizing it from earlier in the church. Meanwhile, Jaclyn, with whom Brian had a prior affair, joins the investigation. The three detectives visit the church to question the pastor about the website. There, a woman named Sabrina informs them that her roommate, who had visited the site, is also missing.
What does Luke tell Brian about Jaclyn?
Sabrina leads the detectives to the location where her friend was last traced, where they find the woman’s body. The victim’s head is missing, replaced with a mannequin’s head in her hands, matching the killer’s pattern. Shortly after, Luke reveals to Brian that Jaclyn is not a detective but an officer from Internal Affairs investigating a drug bust from 12 months ago. Brian realizes he’s in deep trouble, recalling that he had shot a teenager during the bust, and a large sum of money went missing.
Luke had previously supported Brian, claiming that Brian thought the teenager was reaching for a gun, leading to the fatal shot in a moment of panic. Brian’s situation worsens as he learns that Jaclyn is secretly investigating his involvement in the drug bust, specifically to determine if he not only shot the teenager but also stole the missing money. Brian, unaware of her true motives, struggles with guilt over his infidelity and the fear of his past being exposed.
Who tells the police about Redwater Farms?
The affair becomes more complicated as Brian and Jaclyn meet at a secluded spot, Redwater Farms, where Brian rents to escape his family. Brian can’t break away from Jaclyn despite his deep guilt over betraying his wife and children. Meanwhile, the detectives pursue a man named Travis Reed, unlawfully sheltered in the church. Luke and Brian catch both in the act. The pastor informs the police that someone told him the serial killer takes victims to Redwater Farms.
Knowing this, Brian and Jaclyn realize they’re in serious trouble. But since no one else knows about the place, Jaclyn suspects Brian might be trying to rat her out. When Jaclyn suggests they tell the truth to Captain Howell, Brian resists, fearing it will destroy his family and that Howell will remove him from the case. He insists on wiping all fingerprints to ensure no one knows they were there. Suspecting Brian is trying to distance himself from her, Jaclyn feels compelled to stay involved. Unsure if she’s being framed for the murders, she plays it safe by calling Captain Howell and confessing their affair.
What Happened to Jaclyn?
Brian knows that someone is trying to frame him. Hence, he confesses his affair to his family and Luke. Luke warns him that involving someone from Internal Affairs, a department focused on uncovering the truth, was a mistake. The following day, Captain Howell suspends both Brian and Luke. Just before the suspension, Brian learns from a cleaner at the church that Luke had mentioned Redwater Farms to him. The cleaner then passes this information on to the pastor. When Brian confronts Luke, Luke claims he learned about Redwater Farms from a random girl at a bar that Travis Reed used to frequent.
A couple of days later, the police storm into Brian’s house. Brian sees that Luke has been recalled to the investigation and now insists that Brian is the prime suspect in Jaclyn’s case. Moments later, the police find Sabrina’s head in the back of Brian’s storeroom. They arrest Brian. However, he begs Captain Howell, who has known him for a long time, to give him some time to prove his innocence. Howell grants him three hours.
Brian goes to the bar that Luke had mentioned earlier. There, the woman informs the police that Jaclyn had paid her to start the rumor about Redwater Farms. Jaclyn denies ever meeting this woman, but the detectives search her house regardless. During the search, Luke discovers a headless mannequin inside Jaclyn’s home. Jaclyn, bewildered, attempts to flee. Luke and Brian chase after her. But tragically, Jaclyn loses control of her car and dies in a terrible accident.
As Jaclyn’s death unfolds, Brian recalls the night of the drug bust when he accidentally killed a teenager. The following day, Brian goes to Captain Howell, confesses to killing the teenager, and reveals that Luke stole the money. Since Brian was already made complicit as a witness to Luke’s crime, he felt he had no choice but to go along with whatever Luke decided.
Crescent City (2024) Movie Ending Explained:
Who Was the Actual Serial Killer?
The film’s sudden and deeply distressing climax reveals that the detective, Luke Carson, is actually the serial killer. The story gets darker when Brian falls prey to an attacker who ambushes him in his own home. Then he realized that it was not just someone assaulting him but his partner, Luke. What Luke said was shocking because he had been playing the role of both killer and investigator without anyone noticing it. He had planned all the murders carefully and manipulated Jaclyn Waters to be his scapegoat or a trap.
Indeed, Luke’s obsession with these puppets came from a disturbed background during which they were placed at every crime scene. His mother killed herself after discovering her husband’s infidelity, which involved sex with other women. Luke’s hatred for his father festered over the years, ultimately driving him to kill his father by slashing his throat. For this reason, killing those he regarded as sinners became a continuous act of violence for him because he believed that by doing so, he would achieve retribution for their sins. Therefore, according to him, his victims were neither random nor innocent, for they represented sexual impurity, such as adultery, that caused them to become like his father.
Luke had spent years hiding under an alias known as Charlie Hedges. After murdering his father, he went on a killing spree across several states. This fixation upon punishing people who cheated on their spouses or involved themselves in immoral behavior resulted from deep emotional trauma and unresolved childhood issues that haunted Luke throughout his life’s journey. He perceived himself as an upholder of morality, administering punishment in the form of death.
His targeting of churchgoers was mainly symbolic. Luke viewed them as hypocrites who preached morality but often failed to live up to their own standards. By killing them, he believed he was exposing their hypocrisy and delivering divine justice. This twisted sense of righteousness absolved him of any guilt. In fact, he didn’t see himself as a murderer but as a savior, punishing those who had sinned.
The film’s tension peaks during the final confrontation between Brian and Luke. After being knocked unconscious by Luke, Brian is dragged into the backyard, where Luke prepares to carry out his final murder. Luke’s intention is clear: he plans to kill Brian to ensure his secrets remain buried. However, Brian manages to overpower Luke, ultimately choking him to death in a desperate struggle for survival.
Brian’s triumph is bittersweet. He survived the encounter and stopped the killer. However, it left him with psychological scars he cannot ignore. The fact that his partner and buddy were actually the murderer all along has shattered Brian to the core, leading him to question everything about the case and those around him. Towards the movie’s end, Brian wakes up in a hospital bed surrounded by his family.
This momentary pause allows him to reflect on his mistakes, most notably in his personal life. To Elena, his wife, he says sorry for not being a good man to her and tells her that he still has hope for another chance in their marriage. His wife seems almost interested in having them back together again, although she still looks doubtful about their future as a couple.
In the hospital room, Captain Howell visits Brian, during which he offers his badge back and asks him to join the police force again. Howell admits that Brian possibly did wrong things earlier but always had pure motives behind them. In light of these circumstances, forgiving raises important questions about justice as well as redemption: Can one good action outdo a terrible mistake? Is it right to forgive someone who has done harm but had no evil intentions?
![Needle in a Timestack [2021] Review – An original sci-fi premise ruined by bland execution](https://www.highonfilms.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Needle-in-a-Timestack_Still_17-768x512.jpg)
