Night Route - Recap

On a quiet suburban street, English professor Melina Kroner is walking her dog Vigo. As she crosses the streets, he’s almost hit by a car and the driver ignores her and drives away. A city bus pulls up next to her and the doors open. Melina’s dog pulls her toward the door and the driver looks out inquiringly. Melina pulls her dog away but when she turns back, the bus has disappeared.

Melina returns home and looks at the pictures of herself and her fiancé, Adam, then admires her engagement ring. Adam is waiting for her and as they kiss, she wonders if a bus has ever gone down her street.

The next day, Melina’s mother Devora is helping her prepare for the upcoming wedding and notes that her wedding registry isn’t listed. Melina doesn’t remember who she talked to when she made the appointment. Later, Melina is walking down the street when a woman she doesn’t recognize walks past. The same bus pulls up and everyone on board looks at her expectantly. Melina walks to the front where the door is open, but then turns away.

That night, Melina is looking out the window pensively and Adam asks her what’s wrong. She tells him about the mysterious woman and the fact she saw the bus again. She also notes there’s a bus bench outside their house that she doesn’t remember being there. Adam insists on going out to investigate but dismisses her concerns. Melina isn’t so sure. As they go back inside, Adam starts to unlock the wrong door and dismisses his error as having too much to drink.

The next day at a diner, a student, Theresa, comes up to her and praises her on her teaching. Once she goes, Melina calls the bus department and discovers there is no bus that runs on their street. She goes home to sit on the bus bench and Adam talks to her. Melina says that she’s starting to forget things like how they met and he thinks she’s having jitters. She goes inside and washes her face, but discovers that her forehead is bleeding. However, the wound and the blood disappear a second later. She hears the bus pull up outside and looks to see the bus driver waiting patiently for her. She runs downstairs and tells the driver he’s harassing her. He doesn’t say anything and she asks what he wants. He tells her that they’re waiting for her. She tells him to leave her alone and he simply gets back in the bus and drives away.

At the wedding shop, Melina tries to tell Devora what happened, and her suspicion that the bus passengers are dead people and they want her to join them. Devora dismisses her concern and Melina explains she first saw the bus after she was almost hit. She believes she’s dead and if she gets on the bus, she gives up on her life. Melina wonders if she’s dreaming the entire thing and her mother tells her to snap out of it. Melina looks out the window and sees the bus waiting outside, as blood drips from her nose down onto her dress. She points out the bus to Devora, but it’s changed into a normal bus with a different driver.

Melina meets with Adam at the diner and tries to convince him that something strange is going on. She wants to know that their love is real and they have the rest of their lives to look forward to. Adam says that he loves her. She says that she wouldn’t know what she would do if he hadn’t moved in next door when they met, but then remembers that they met in college. She goes to the counter to get more coffee and the girl recognizes her as the person who trained her. Melina has no idea who the girl, Jet, is. When Melina asks for both mugs to be refilled, Jet points out that she only gave her one mug. Melina turns around and Adam is gone.

Melina runs home in tears and discovers that all of the photos of her and Adam are gone. Her engagement ring has disappeared but Vigo is there. He runs outside to the bus and gets on board. The driver is there and pets the dog, and tells Melina they’ve been waiting for her. She refuses to get on and asks for Vigo back. The driver tells her the life she’s in is the life she could have had. He gets on the bus and drives away as Vigo looks out the window at Melina. When it’s gone, Melina looks across the street and sees her body and Vigo’s and the car from the other night. Vigo comes back to life and the neighbors, including Adam and his fiancée, know who Melina is but don’t know anything about her. Adam walks right through her and Melina realizes that the bus was life, and she should have gotten on.

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