Parachute (2023)
Riley has just completed her time in rehab for an eating disorder and body image issues. It's supposed to be a fresh start—but the road to recovery is far from smooth. When her mother, Olivia, fails to pick her up from the treatment center, Riley is left feeling abandoned once again. With no one else to turn to, she calls her best friend, Casey. Casey is quick to respond and invites Riley out to a bar that evening. Riley hesitates, unsure if she’s ready for that kind of environment, but she agrees anyway.
At the bar, Riley is greeted by Casey’s boyfriend, Justin, and introduced to his roommate, Ethan. There’s an instant spark between Riley and Ethan, something warm and disarming. They end up leaving together for a quiet dinner, where Riley reveals she’s part of a twelve-step recovery program. One of the program’s key guidelines is to avoid romantic relationships during the first year of recovery. Ethan is understanding and assures her that he’s not here to pressure her into anything.
Despite her better judgment, Riley invites Ethan back to her apartment. As things get intimate, she begins to panic. Her body insecurities take over and she stops things before they go too far. Ethan, rather than being frustrated, respects her boundaries and stays over anyway. To comfort her, he builds a blanket fort in the living room, creating a childlike sanctuary where they can just exist without expectations.
Riley continues therapy with Dr. Akerman, who gently challenges her on her developing attachment to Ethan. The therapist suggests that, like her eating behaviors, this budding romance may be a form of emotional escape. Riley is quick to dismiss this, clinging to the idea that this time, things might actually be different.
But Riley’s internal battles persist. She obsesses over Instagram models, replays old voicemails from her ex-boyfriend Hunter, and harshly compares herself to other women. In the worst moments, she even hurts herself in front of the mirror. Ethan notices, and tries his best to help, but Riley’s shame isolates her. Meanwhile, Casey—who’s recently unemployed—lands Riley a job as a hostess at a murder mystery dinner theater. It’s far from glamorous, and the theater is struggling due to the poorly written mystery plot, but it gives Riley a much-needed sense of structure.
Time passes. A year later, Riley starts dating Max, the theater’s bartender. The news hits Ethan hard, though he tries to remain supportive from a distance. When Thanksgiving rolls around, Ethan invites Riley to spend the holiday with his family. While there, she learns that Ethan’s father, Jamie, struggles with alcoholism, and Ethan has been carrying the emotional burden of trying to fix him. After a heated family argument, Riley steps outside to clear her head. She confides in Ethan that Max left her—for an Instagram model, of all people. She breaks down, laying bare every insecurity. Ethan listens, tells her she’s perfect to him, and admits that he loves her. She says it back. They sleep together that night, but afterward, Riley feels more exposed than ever, and not in a good way.
As her relationship with Ethan deepens, Riley’s insecurities intensify. The closer they get, the more afraid she becomes of being truly seen. Eventually, the pressure causes her to push Ethan away. In therapy, she breaks down. Dr. Akerman consoles her, but it’s clear that Riley is stuck in a cycle of self-sabotage. Meanwhile, Ethan tells Justin how helpless he feels, how much he wants to fix Riley. Justin, ever the realist, reminds him that it’s not his job to save her.
At the dinner theater, Riley’s boss, Bryce, laments that he may have to shut the place down. Riley, now more confident in her own talents, offers to write a new murder mystery using her obsession with true crime as inspiration. Bryce gives her the green light. Around this time, Casey drops a bombshell—she’s pregnant. The news is joyous, but it also highlights how far apart Riley and Ethan have drifted. Riley soon discovers Ethan is now dating someone else: a woman named Gwen.
Hurt, she considers texting Max in a moment of weakness, but Casey stops her and calls her out for her self-absorption. Casey reminds Riley that she’s been so wrapped up in her own pain that she’s neglected everyone else around her.
Later, Riley asks Ethan to accompany her on an errand to buy a vacuum cleaner. During their outing, they run into Hunter—Riley’s ex—and his new girlfriend, Danielle. The encounter sends Riley into a spiral of insecurity. When they return to her apartment, they find Olivia there with movers, packing up the place. Olivia, upset that Riley’s been spending her money on outings with friends, tells her she’s cutting her off. Ethan snaps and confronts Olivia, scolding her for abandoning Riley when she needed her most. He then takes Riley to his family’s cabin for a change of scenery.
At the cabin, Riley tries to kiss Ethan, but he gently turns her down. He admits he’s been going to therapy too—working on his tendency to try and “fix” others. Riley accuses him of having a savior complex. Ethan, in turn, accuses her of being too selfish to take responsibility for her healing. They argue. He storms out. Alone, Riley falls into despair. She takes painkillers with alcohol and lies in the bathtub. But Ethan has a change of heart and returns—just in time to find her vomiting. He rushes her to the hospital.
Riley wakes up to find Olivia at her bedside. Olivia tells her that Ethan stayed for a while, but eventually left after Olivia convinced him to go home. For the first time, Olivia promises to be there for her daughter. When Riley is discharged, she’s greeted warmly by Casey.
Back at work, Riley’s revised murder mystery script is a major success. The theater is finally buzzing with excitement. The positive feedback gives Riley a new sense of purpose and self-worth. Soon after, Casey and Justin throw a gender reveal party. Riley attends, as does Ethan—this time with Gwen. They don’t speak, but their eyes meet across the room. A flashback reveals Ethan had told Riley in the hospital that while he’ll always love her, he can’t be the one to help her get better. He had to let her go—and Riley had heard every word.
In a final therapy session, Riley tosses her phone into a bin, symbolically cutting off one of her biggest sources of comparison and distraction. She tells Dr. Akerman that while she’s hurt herself and others deeply over the past few years, she’s learning to forgive herself. And for the first time in a long while, she feels hopeful about what comes next.
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