Intensity (film) - Plot

Plot

Intensity is about a 26-year-old woman named Chyna Shepherd (Molly Parker), who had a very troubled upbringing. Chyna is reluctant but agrees to accompany her friend Laura Templeton to her house for Thanksgiving dinner. Just when things seemed to be going better for Chyna, she has a run-in with a serial killer named Edgler Vess (John C. McGinley), whom she witnesses murdering Laura's family. Chyna survives the attack by hiding in the killer's vehicle. When Edgler stops at a gas station, Chyna escapes and asks the two attendants to call the police. Before she has time to explain though, Edgler returns and murders the two workers. Chyna then learns that he is holding a 14 year old girl named Ariel hostage in his basement. She becomes determined to save Ariel and follows Edgler back to his home. On the road she runs into an older woman (Piper Laurie) and asks her to call the police. The woman does not realize that Chyna is serious about the murders until she sees the two dead bodies back at the gas station. Unfortunately, she is hysterical on the phone with the police, telling them that they 'need to save Chyna and Ariel,' which the police interpret as a crazy lady talking about the country China. Upon trying to fall back to sleep, the policeman remembers the name Ariel as a missing person's case and starts investigating.

Meanwhile, the car Chyna is driving runs out of gas so she leaves it in the middle of his road, forcing him to stop and push it out of the way. While he does so, Chyna runs back into his trailer and hides, unknowingly leaving foot prints. Edgler decides to have some fun and pretend he does not know she is there.

While at the home, Chyna witnesses Vess torture his victim and has memories of her disturbed mother and horrible childhood. The film ends when Chyna locks Vess in a room and sets that room on fire, watching him get burned alive. Chyna then adopts Ariel.