As You Are (2016) — AI Story Visualization

Plot Analysis Summary

A volatile adolescent bond becomes entangled with family violence, concealed desire, and an unresolved death.

Story Structure — 5 Plot Phases

A New Household

Karen begins dating Tom, bringing Mark into Jack's life. Jack, Mark, and Sarah form a close friendship while the adults create a new household.

Key Events

• Wounded Mark in Mirror — A battered Mark examines his wounds before leaving for the woods. Characters: Mark Location: Mark's house
• Jack and Mark Enter Woods — Jack and Mark go into the woods, followed by an unexplained gunshot. Characters: Jack, Mark Location: Woods
• Karen Dates Tom — Karen begins dating Tom and introduces Jack to Tom's son Mark. Characters: Karen, Tom, Jack, Mark Location: Karen's house
• Jack Meets Mark — Jack and Mark meet and quickly become inseparable. Characters: Jack, Mark Location: Karen's house
• Sarah Defends the Boys — Sarah defends Jack and Mark after they are assaulted by thugs. Characters: Jack, Mark, Sarah Location: Local street
• Spin the Bottle Kiss — Mark kisses Sarah during a game while the trio remains largely platonic. Characters: Jack, Mark, Sarah Location: A gathering
• Tom Displays His Guns — Tom shows his gun collection, and the boys practice shooting in a field. Characters: Tom, Jack, Mark Location: Tom's home

Closeness and Experimentation

Tom's guns introduce the boys to shooting, while sharing a room deepens their bond. Jack and Mark begin exploring drugs, adolescence, and romantic feelings.

Key Events

• Tom Displays His Guns — Tom shows his gun collection, and the boys practice shooting in a field. Characters: Tom, Jack, Mark Location: Tom's home
• The Blended Household — Tom and Mark move in, while Jack and Mark begin sharing a room. Characters: Karen, Tom, Jack, Mark Location: Karen's house
• Teenage Bond Deepens — The boys use drugs and navigate adolescence together. Characters: Jack, Mark Location: Shared bedroom
• Jack Learns to Kiss — Mark teaches Jack how to kiss after Jack admits he has never kissed anyone. Characters: Jack, Mark Location: Shared bedroom
• The Squirrel Shooting — Jack and Mark use Tom's guns to kill a squirrel in the woods. Characters: Jack, Mark Location: Woods

Violence at Home

Tom abuses Mark and clashes with Karen over control of the boys. The discovery of Tom's Marine plan and the pornography incident causes the household to collapse.

Key Events

• Tom Abuses Mark — Jack witnesses Tom physically abuse Mark over a trivial incident. Characters: Tom, Mark, Jack Location: Tom's house
• Marine Plan Discovered — Karen discovers Tom has planned for Jack to join the Marines without telling her. Characters: Karen, Tom, Jack Location: Karen's house
• Household Erupts — Tom finds the teenagers watching pornography and violently removes Jack and Mark from the house. Characters: Karen, Tom, Jack, Mark, Sarah Location: Karen's house

Broken Attachments

Mark leaves school, while Jack and Sarah briefly date after prom. Their relationship ends when they recognize that their connection is platonic, and Mark returns to Jack's emotional orbit.

Key Events

• Mark Leaves School — Mark leaves school, leaving Jack and Sarah together. Characters: Jack, Mark, Sarah Location: School
• Jack and Sarah Date — After Sarah is stood up at prom, she and Jack begin dating. Characters: Jack, Sarah Location: Prom
• Platonic Breakup — Jack and Sarah encounter Mark and end their relationship after recognizing their bond is platonic. Characters: Jack, Sarah, Mark Location: A local area
• Skate Park Injury — Mark rejects Jack's relationship, and their scuffle causes Mark to hit his head on a rock. Characters: Jack, Mark, Sarah Location: Skate park

The Unanswered Gunshot

A skate-park struggle leaves Mark injured, and the interrogation exposes Jack's protective lie. The final woods sequence ends with Mark's death and an unresolved question about who fired the gun.

Key Events

• Interrogation Reveals Death — Jack's skateboarding story is challenged, and it is revealed that Mark is dead. Characters: Jack, Mark, Sarah Location: Interrogation room
• Final Woods Gunshot — After Mark rejects Jack's advances, they enter the woods and a gunshot is heard; the shooter remains unclear. Characters: Jack, Mark Location: Woods
• Jack Requests a Lawyer — Jack breaks down and asks for a lawyer, leaving the circumstances of Mark's death unresolved. Characters: Jack Location: Interrogation room

Story Breakdown

• Fractured Opening — The film begins with Mark injured and frames the story through an investigation into his relationship with Jack.
  • Wounded Mark — Mark examines his battered face in a mirror before going into the woods.
  • Unexplained Gunshot — Jack and Mark enter the woods, where a gunshot is heard.
• Blended Family — Karen's relationship with Tom creates the household that brings Jack and Mark together.
  • Karen Meets Tom — Karen begins dating Tom, who has a son named Mark.
  • Shared Household — Tom and Mark move in with Karen and Jack.
• Adolescent Trio — Jack, Mark, and Sarah form a close friendship while testing social and emotional boundaries.
  • Sarah Defends Them — Sarah protects the boys after they are assaulted by thugs.
  • Platonic Friendship — The trio spends their time together before the relationships become more complicated.
• Dangerous Intimacy — Jack and Mark's shared experiences develop into romantic tension and secrecy.
  • First Kiss — Mark teaches Jack to kiss after Jack admits his inexperience.
  • Guns and Secrets — The boys practice shooting and later kill a squirrel in the woods.
• Household Violence — Tom's authority and violence destabilize the family and separate the boys from Karen's home.
  • Tom Hits Mark — Jack witnesses Tom physically abuse Mark.
  • Family Collapse — Tom's Marine plan and the pornography incident intensify the conflict.
• Failed Relationships — Mark's departure and the brief relationship between Jack and Sarah expose the limits of their connections.
  • Prom Rebound — Jack and Sarah begin dating after Sarah is stood up at prom.
  • Platonic Breakup — They end the relationship after realizing their love is platonic.
• Skate Park Truth — Mark's new relationship and Jack's desperation lead to an injury that becomes central to the interrogation.
  • Mark Chooses Sarah — Mark and Sarah reveal that they have started dating.
  • Rock Injury — Jack and Mark struggle, causing Mark to hit his head on a rock.
• Woods Mystery — The final flashback connects Mark's identity crisis, the guns, and the unresolved circumstances of his death.
  • Rejected Tenderness — Mark rejects Jack's affection and says he wishes he were a girl.
  • Open Ending — A gunshot is heard in the woods, but the film does not establish who fired it.

Directed by

Miles Joris-Peyrafitte

Key Cast

• Owen Campbell — Jack
• Charlie Heaton — Mark
• Amandla Stenberg — Sarah
• John Scurti — Detective Erickson
• Scott Cohen — Tom