Well, Hector Blake (Paddington’s Hugh Bonneville) knows how to fill in his alone time since putting his wife away in a psychiatric hospital. Besides enjoying binge-watching a couple of episodes of Rick and Morty while eating some scrambled eggs on most mornings, the man likes to beat, torture, incinerate, and flush away his problems. However, before we get to that, let us talk about a pair of young Englishmen and their “Banksy” like escapades that lead them to a cunning serial killer.
We have Toby (1917’s George MacKay) and their best mate, Jay (Percelle Ascott), leave the words in graffiti, “I Came By,” as they spray their political statements all over London. Later, while out on a job, Jay snaps a picture of the judge’s modem. This way, they can access Blake’s security, which Wi-Fi controls. However, Jay backs out because he has a baby on the way. Toby goes by himself, and he finds more than he bargained for. A young man has been beaten and imprisoned in the judge’s panic room. He can see him through a reverse peephole.
Toby tries to call the cops the next day, but when they search the house, they do not find him. Mostly because Hector throws around a name or two of higher-ups in the police force. Toby is scared and cannot tell anyone why he is there because he is the infamous graffiti artist everyone is looking for. He tries to tell Jay, but he won’t hear of it. His mom, Lizzy (Kelly MacDonald), is furious with his behavior.
He leaves that night, sneaking in and planning on helping free the young man. However, Hector comes back, and Toby hides. Thinking it was the young man trying to escape, Hector returns to his handy work and beats the young man with what looks like a sizeable hand-made cricket bat. Toby gathers the courage to run into the room with a hammer but slips on some blood.
So, as Hector says goodbye to Toby and his new friend — we see him burn something and flush the ashes down the toilet — Toby’s mother is worried sick. They search the home again and find the panic room. Hector knows he is in trouble when the detective finds the reverse peephole. He gets out of this by closing the door and quickly harassing the superintendent. How? By saying to her, “Is that all you got? I thought you were one of the smart ones?” He is arrested on the spot. He is later released. Why? We can only assume since no one witnessed it, he was let go for her overstepping her position.
However, Lizzy is watching Hector closely now and sees him invite in a young massage therapist, Omid, who is waiting on his visa. He puts something in the drink he gives him and tells a story of how his father and mother got divorced because his dad took in a young man as a lover named Ravi. With the obvious racial undertones, we can now see the motive for his crimes, no matter how misguided. He is taking out his childhood on young, homosexual men who are possibly immigrants. As the drugs kick in, somehow, Omid miraculously escapes and is saved by Lizzy. Unfortunately, he won’t go to the police because of his status and the judge’s sway.
What happens next is frightening. Hector finds Omid leaving work and threatens him with deportation or helping him secure citizenship unless he gets in the car with him. Big mistake. Also, in a blunder, Lizzy breaks into his home without Jay, who refuses to go. Of course, Hector finds her and tapes her to a pipe in the basement. He pulls the dead body of Omid. He tells her he must cut her up to fit him into the burner, but don’t worry, she is small, so it will be quick.
As we say goodbye to Omid and Lizzy, Jay’s wife leaves him because he keeps the secret from her. Later, when visiting him, she tells Jay that Hector will read her dissertation. Jay now knows he has no choice but to protect his family. After he hears Lizzy has disappeared and finds Hector’s home abandoned, he follows him to his country home. He fights Hector and finally ties up the senior citizen. Jay calls the cops and finds another panic room with a beaten young man in it.
Jay escapes, and the cops come. They find the judge tied up underneath Jay and Toby’s call sign, “I Came By, “painted with graffiti on his wall.
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