MAE [VO]: I didn't want to wake up this morning.
[staccato music playing]
I would say that's true of every morning, really.
I just always feel like...
being asleep.
Like, life is a dream.
♪
♪ Dream have a dream ♪
MAE [VO]: Not like one where I'm flying or whatever.
Like a super banal dream, where nothing really happens.
You're just sort of witnessing a version of your life.
[passerbys giggling]
MAE [VO]: An assembly of gestures
that feel vaguely familiar.
Details that just seem sort of unbearably frivolous.
But part of you, that part of you
that is bearing witness to all this...
- [coffee pouring] - [egg thudding, egg sizzling]
- [coffee pouring] - [egg thuds]
...is taking note...
...as though the sum of these details...
will somehow add up...
to a meaningful whole.
♪ Dream have a dream ♪
MAE [VO]: You just need to wake up.
But then you realize there's nothing to wake up from.
Because the dream is occurring while you're awake.
Sleeping to find meaning... and waking to lose it.
And all you want to do
is sleep to dream of something more...
♪ Dream have a dream ♪
MAE [VO]: ...more.
♪ Dream have a dream ♪
MAE [VO]: Just...
♪ Dream have a ♪
MAE [VO]: ...more.
Yeah, um... I was just asking
how you were doing as like more of a courtesy.
Oh, right. Yeah.
I mean, you do genuinely sound fucked up.
Thank you. Thanks.
But I'm literally 24.
Wow, that's a whole life ahead.
Exciting. Uh, I'll just tip with cash.
[iPad dinging]
Shit.
Remove your card.
I'm so sorry. I don't have any cash--
Next!
GINA [OS]: You see that new Timothée Chalamet shit
on the internet?
He's wearing like a cape over a kimono.
So fucking hot.
LOL.
No, I'm serious as a heart attack.
He's all I've got going right now.
The guys I'm going on dates with
are wearing straight-up open-toed sandals.
Two separate dudes showed toe. Night time toe, Mae.
Not even a daytime toe.
- Wow, that's bleak. - Bleak.
To be honest, I don't even love a man
in a sandal poolside.
- GINA: Just go barefoot. - Just go barefoot.
That's it.
You know Chalamet is gonna show up in a Teva
and then all this is gonna change.
Oh, 100 percent. Hey, Timothée Swiss Chalet?
He can do no wrong.
Swiss Chalet could show all the toes.
GINA: As if.
I just want to marry somebody, you know, hella rich.
- MAE: Oh. - You know? Timothée rich.
Also, respected.
- Sure. That'd be nice. - Honestly, I don't know.
I feel like it would be much easier to date a woman.
You know, I've never even kissed a girl?
- Shut your psychotic mouth. - I know.
I mean, I had like crushes on girls when I was younger,
but I was always too shy.
Also back then, I just feel like
there wasn't as much like fluidity or whatever.
You know what I mean?
Like, nowadays, I feel like all the kids are queer.
Oh yeah, for sure.
They're all sucking and fucking on literally whomever.
- [Mae chuckles] - I just don't know
if I could go there. I mean, maybe.
I thought blue cheese was literally disgusting
until somebody heated that shit up
and stuck a wing in it, you know?
Just consider yourself blessed.
I would literally do anything to be married.
- No, you wouldn't. - Oh, I sure would.
I'd walk on broken glass or fuck an animal or...
I don't know. Murder.
Wow. That took a turn
when you started talking about fucking animals.
[elevator pings]
Being single is just such a true bummer.
But it's also kind of amazing. I mean, right?
Just doing exactly what you want, when you want.
You have so much to look forward to.
Like, you get to fall in love, man.
I would give anything to be like transported to that, you know,
where all that you want to do is have...
[whisper] sex.
Mae, do you know what having sex is like right now?
[elevator pings]
Sadly, not really.
GINA: Falling in love is a death cycle, dude.
It's a little bit of gain and just a whole lot of pain.
I promise you it's way better to be settled.
Do you think I settled?
No, I said, "be settled."
Oh. Sorry, what's the difference?
Oh my god, you really don't know how good you have it.
You found your person.
MAE: You really think there's just one person
for every other person?
GINA: Jay Z. Beyoncé.
MAE: [chuckles] Jay Z cheated on Beyoncé.
And there was a billion dollars in that elevator.
MAE: Guess the question is,
how do you know you found your person?
GINA: You think I have the answer?
I should be asking you that question...
GINA: Well?
MAE: Huh?
Oh, sorry. I thought that was rhetorical.
GINA: Anthony, that one goes upstairs.
Anthony's fine but he's stupid.
MAE: Oh, hi. Thank you.
GINA: Listen, whatever you're doing,
you're doing something right. It's goals, man.
To be with a person as long as you've been?
MAE: Yeah, I guess.
What do you mean, you guess?
I just... Thank you.
I just mean that after a certain amount of time,
you know, it's kind of the same thing as being single.
You're just single together.
ELIJAH: Mm-hm.
MAE: Oh, can I have some more too?
[bottle thuds]
You can't pour me some?
Why can't you pour it yourself?
Isn't that feminism?
Oh my god.
[Elijah chuckles]
Yeah, that's feminism. We fought for wine.
[Elijah laughs]
Hey, what's our snack situation?
ELIJAH: Let me check it out.
Got some good stuff in here.
- MAE: We do? - ELIJAH: Mm.
We got freeze-dried chickpeas.
Oh. Yum.
ELIJAH: We got rice cakes.
- MAE: Of course. - That's your go-to.
MAE: Looking to mix it up a little tonight.
ELIJAH: How's about chips?
Yeah.
Ooh.
And these are made out of coconut flour.
MAE: Oh. Those are actually pretty good.
ELIJAH: Let's see.
[crunching chips]
- These are not good. - No.
ELIJAH: Uh-uh.
- Well, don't finish them. - You don't!
Oh, and that's what you do, you leave the crumbs in the bag
and then you put the bag back in.
ELIJAH: Hm.
That's what it looks like.
[crunches] Like you're like pulling one over on me.
What do you want to sprinkle them on something?
Check this out. Listen to this. This is a song.
♪ I have had 40 cups of wine tonight ♪
Come on. Cut loose. Give it to me.
What you got?
ELIJAH: Ah.
Come on. That's nothing. Come on.
No. That's me dancing.
Come on.
That's the extent of my-- my exertions.
I know you can do more than that,
I've seen it.
[laughs] I'm tired.
Okay. Just watch me then.
No.
Imagine we don't know each other.
Gladly.
You're at the other end of the bar.
MAE: Okay.
- Song is on. - Sure.
- ELIJAH: You see me. - MAE: Oh.
I'm in a leather jacket.
- MAE: D'oh. - Cool one.
MAE: Right.
Like chains on it and stuff. [sighs]
And I'm doing this.
[Mae laughs]
Can I ask you a serious question?
Yeah.
Can we put a TV in our room?
Oh, god.
It's boring in there.
[Mae laughs]
[coffee pouring]
Shit. Elijah?
ELIJAH: Yeah?
Can you grab me that Tupperware
out of the fridge? My shoes are on.
Thank you.
Thanks, babe.
Oh, and will you grab more oat milk?
ELIJAH: Sure.
- [door opens] - ELIJAH: Hey.
I'll walk with you.
[door closes]
How's the latest chapter coming?
It's good.
You want to talk through anything, or?
Nah. I just hate my writing.
What if you tried your hand at like a different hobby
just to mix things up?
You think what I do is a hobby?
What? No. You're misunderstanding me.
I was just saying you could like try a different creative outlet
just to give yourself some breathing room so you could
- go back to the novel fresh. - I'm not doin' that.
Just to take the pressure off.
What do you want to do for dinner tonight?
MAE: Um... we could...
- ELIJAH: Do Thai? - MAE: Yeah.
Or... we did that last night.
- What am I thinking? - Right?
Tacos?
- Yeah. - Oh, wait, no.
That place messed me up last time.
Too spicy. Sushi?
Right. Yeah, I was gonna say sushi.
Actually, maybe let's figure it out later.
Okay. That sounds good.
- ELIJAH: Love you. - MAE: Love you.
[loud footsteps]
MAE: Hi, Vanessa.
Big day tomorrow.
Yes. Yes, ma'am.
I'm very excited to finally share
this show with the world.
As are we.
And we as well. I mean, it's Mae's baby.
Her only baby. She ain't got no babies.
That's a fact.
[both chuckling]
See you at the press conference.
Yes, we will see you there, Vanessa.
- GINA: We'll see you-- - MAE: Thank you...
- GINA:--there. - MAE:--and thank you.
Wow, she is like a supermodel.
Director of a museum, and she has time for filler.
Goals.
You know, she does not get filler.
Okay. Yeah. Her cheekbones are God-given?
Hey, what do you think I should wear to the opening?
I have that Zara dress that looks expensive
or that expensive dress that looks like Zara.
Hm. I thought you were wearing that jumpsuit.
Rides my cootie too tight. What are you gonna wear?
I don't know.
I just have to get through this press conference.
I can't believe she's making me speak.
Do you want to speak instead? I wasn't born to speak.
I think I was born to sit mostly.
You're gonna be great.
Anthony! My man.
That goes here. It has always gone here.
God. It's just like, what is cosmology?
It's so complex, you know?
And I have to give all this context,
like that time isn't linear,
and there's all these different realms
and universes
that reflect one another but are also
like entirely unrecognizable--
When's the last time you fucked?
Hm?
You just seem really high-strung,
like more than usual,
and it might be good to get a dick in you.
ANTHONY: [clears throat] Is that good?
MAE: Yep, that's good.
GINA: Or maybe just have him go down on you real slow.
Yeah, we don't really do foreplay.
You don't what now?
Okay. I--
GINA: Okay.
We can stop talking about pussy but like honestly,
when's the last time you just said, "Fuck it?"
[remote clicking steadily]
Wait, didn't you want to watch that?
We saw that.
We did?
This looks good.
No. Mm-mm.
I can't deal with the Holocaust right now.
It's not a Holocaust kind of night.
[Elijah sighs]
Go to romantic comedies.
What? Ugh.
Fine, I don't care. You can choose.
I've chosen like four things.
You don't want to watch any of them.
What if we went out?
[man speaking on screen]
[whispers] Do you see that?
[whispers] Savage.
I mean, he's gotta be what?
Like...?
Couldn't be more than seven.
He's looking back here.
Do you think he knows we're talking about him?
Yeah. Just be cool.
I was gonna say three.
Yeah, but I just always have a hard time
guessing children's ages, you know.
It could be anywhere between two and seven.
Yeah.
But even so, who would take a seven-year-old
to a Bergman film?
It's incredibly heavy.
Incredibly heavy.
You want one?
You mean...?
Hm?
Oh, no. I'm good.
Pft. Savage.
Hey.
Do you think you'll ever want to have a kid?
What?
Nothing.
Why are you asking me that right now?
- What do you mean? - It's just like
such a heavy question right before bed.
And you know I have such a big day tomorrow.
It doesn't have to be heavy, Mae.
Why would you ask me that, right now?
It's a normal thing to want after being
with somebody for 13 years.
At some point, you kind of gotta make a choice--
Yes, but just the fact that you're asking it is heavy.
I don't make things heavy, Mae.
That's what you do.
Uh-huh. So, this is my fault.
ELIJAH: No, it's not anybody's fault.
- I remember you being-- - ELIJAH: You're such a child.
What? Oh, yeah.
And this is the part where you call me names.
Mm-hm.
ELIJAH: I'm not doing this.
Doing what? Feeling sorry for yourself?
How am I feeling sorry for myself?
Like you're the victim who's just asking a question,
even though you know there's so many factors--
Yeah. And the fact that you were raised in foster care
is not new information.
It's something that we've worked through.
Oh. We've worked through it?
Yeah. I mean, you know what I mean.
Okay. And what? And now, just the word family isn't--
isn't so loaded and-- and--
Family shouldn't be loaded at this point.
I'm here, okay? It's scary for me too.
Foster care or not, it's scary.
...trauma like, not to mention my career
and the fact that I-- I am carrying us financially
which I'm sorry, but there's like no--
Ugh, you're disgusting.
Are you seriously calling me a name again?
Like that was-- it's like pathological.
I don't mean it. You know I don't mean it.
Just stop doing it. It's so fucking hurtful.
Mae, okay. Okay. I'm sorry, I don't mean it.
I just say shit when I get upset and then you use it as points.
- As points? - Yeah, as points, Mae.
You're keeping score. You're always keeping score.
You've been keeping score for the last 13 years.
[synth music playing]
VANESSA: Today we proudly unveil
our latest exhibition, The Hungry Ghost.
And here to speak a little bit more
about the significance of this mythic
and endearing figure,
Associate Curator Mae Cannon.
[crowd clapping]
Thank you, Vanessa. Hello, everyone.
Um, this is a very exciting exhibit
for us,
with its focus on this iconic and terrifying figure.
Um, in Buddhist cosmology,
there are believed to be six realms of existence,
one of which is inhabited by the hungry ghosts,
beings who are in a state
of chronic deprivation and longing.
As you can see in some of the depictions behind me,
these beings are both literally and figuratively hungry,
but the act of swallowing is incredibly painful,
and so they are always searching for a nourishment
that they are not equipped to digest.
GINA: [excitedly] Ah, another success, baby!
You was up there with your hair all slicked, standing up.
I was like, that's my friend.
Madam Associate Curator.
What, Madame Other Associate Curator
doesn't get a drink?
If you haven't noticed, babe, I'm parched.
Sorry, I'll go grab you one.
I'm just playing with you, Elijah.
I mean, I am thirsty as hell
and there was one fine-ass monk over there
I think I could turn.
You laugh now but he dead-ass said
he's coming to the afterparty.
ELIJAH: Oh, listen.
I was wondering if it's okay if I didn't go to the bar.
I've been on kind of a writing jag lately.
I thought maybe I could get home and jot some things down.
Yeah, of course.
Cool.
Okay, I'm going in.
MAE: Godspeed.
Buddha speed.
Hi.
So, what did you think?
ERIC: Careful.
I got a splinter doing that once.
You know, I never understood how Frank got away with it.
He just whips out a knife and goes ham on the bar.
Like where was the bartender? That's a deep cut, you know?
Mm.
Unless--
and this took me a few sleepless nights to get...
Frank was the bartender.
Mm.
Yeah.
Well, except...
what if it was Lisa who was holding the knife?
[Eric chuckles]
GINA: [laughing] Stop.
- It's an impressive entourage. - Oh, yeah.
We, uh, we opened this exhibit tonight, The Hungry Ghost.
It's a Buddhist--
Oh, yeah. I know about the hungry ghosts.
No way.
Eric.
Mae.
[clears throat] Guy drinks alone at bar,
that's a red flag.
Oh, yeah, for sure.
I actually live across the street.
Been cooped up writing songs all day.
I was getting antsy.
Bet that's what you say to all the girls.
Fewer than you'd think actually.
Oh, really? [giggles]
No, uh...
Honestly, I just got out of a big relationship, so...
taking it slow.
Oh, I'm sorry to hear, or...
No, it's okay. It was amicable. Yeah.
We both just sort of got stuck
playing roles that weren't making either of us happy.
Just going through the motions
until we were rendered sort of...
I don't know... immobile.
[approaching footsteps]
That monk's a dick. Um, okay.
Oh... uh, Gina, this is Eric.
Yeah, yeah, no, I know who you are.
- Wait, are you like famous? - No.
GINA: Yes.
He was on Obama's frickin' summer playlist
like three years in a row.
Wait, let me get a photo of you for my Instagram.
- Hold on. - [camera shutter clicks]
That one's for me. [laughs] I'll tag you.
- I got like 377 followers. - Okay, great. That's good.
Come here. Mm-hm. Tilts?
Okay, stick your tongue out. Aaahhh. [laughs]
- Now say baby mama. - I'm not gonna say that.
- GINA: Okay. - ERIC: Okay.
- I take what I can get, honey. - Cool. Good for you.
[laughs] Okay. I'm going to go.
Okay.
Okay. Okay.
- MAE: Hm. - GINA: Oh-kay.
Don't do that.
I see you Shawn Carter.
No, Gina.
Okay. [elongated] Bye...
[laughs]
Leave space for Jesus, yeah?
[laughs] Shut up. My God.
I think the monk is going to come around, actually.
Definitely. [laughs]
[Eric laughs]
[phone message beeps]
ERIC: All good?
Yeah.
Do you wanna dance?
[dance music playing]
♪ Come to my bedroom ♪
[zipper unzips]
[both breathing heavily]
Fuck.
[Mae giggling]
[moaning]
Oh shit...
Is this okay?
Yes.
Oh shit...
[moaning]
I've never come. I've never come. I've never...
- [moaning continues] - ERIC: Never what?
I've never--never come from-- you know... this...
That doesn't seem fair at all.
[laughs] No, I guess not.
[moaning] Yes, right...
[moaning loudly]
[beeping]
Oh no...
Oh, no. No, no, no, no.
Oh, shit...
Oh, god.
Eric?
Oh, god.
[distant siren wailing]
Eric, I'm gonna head out.
[jazzy music playing]
- [door opens] - ERIC: Babe?
Hey, I grabbed some more oat milk.
We were out.
[Eric whistling]
[Mae breathing heavily]
♪ Changes ♪
♪ Running through my life ♪
♪ And you get farther ♪
♪ And farther behind me ♪
♪ And I'm not answering ♪
♪ For anything I did ♪
♪ Anymore ♪
♪ Oh, no ♪