Sheltering from the 1918 pandemic at their seaside estate, a journalist and his family take in a new cook, unaware that he is not who he claims to be. A film by Austin Stark and Joseph Schuman, starring Peter Sarsgaard, Billy Magnussen, Sarah Gadon, Skye P. Marshall, Faran Tahir, Kristine Nielsen, and Fisher Stevens.

The Spanish flu, also known as the Great Influenza epidemic, was a catastrophic pandemic caused by the H1N1 influenza A virus that occurred between 1918 and 1920. It is estimated to have infected about one-third of the world’s population, approximately 500 million people, and resulted in a death toll ranging from 17 million to as high as 50 million, making it one of the deadliest pandemics in history. The pandemic is believed to have originated in the United States, with one of the first documented cases occurring in March 1918 at Fort Riley, Kansas. Overcrowded military camps and unsanitary conditions contributed to the virus’s rapid spread among soldiers. As troops were deployed to Europe during World War I, they carried the virus with them, leading to outbreaks across the continent and beyond.

During the 1918 influenza pandemic, an estimated 675,000 Americans died. The virus spreads rapidly, killing nearly 200,000 people in the U.S. in October 1918 alone. Despite the devastating toll, the U.S. government and many Americans remains focused on World War I, with President reportedly threatening to jail journalists who report on the epidemic.

The name “Spanish flu” is a misnomer that arose due to wartime censorship; Spain, being neutral, freely reported on the epidemic’s impact, creating the false impression that it was the epicenter of the outbreak. In reality, cases were reported in multiple countries, including the U.S., Britain, and France, before reaching Spain.

Jay Horton (Billy Magnussen), a liberal journalist, is one of the few who continues to write about the pandemic’s deadly effects. From his family’s isolated estate on Egg Island, Horton chronicles the rising death toll, which he believes the public needs to know about. In one of his articles, Horton demands that the government take extreme measures, suggesting a nationwide shutdown to prevent the virus from spreading further. While many Americans suffer personal tragedies, with children left orphaned and a disproportionate number of young adults dying, Horton and his family remain safe on their secluded island.

During the Spanish flu pandemic, President Woodrow Wilson’s administration imposed restrictions on journalists reporting about the outbreak. This censorship was part of a broader wartime effort to maintain morale and prevent panic among the public. As World War I was ongoing, the U.S. government, like other belligerent nations, sought to control the narrative surrounding the pandemic to avoid providing potentially useful information to enemy forces. Consequently, reports of the flu’s impact were often minimized or suppressed in the media.

In the city, a chef is found dead in a defunct restaurant, Monk’s Tavern, which presumably was shut down due to the pandemic. A mysterious man appears and disposes of the chef’s body by hiding it among a pile of Spanish flu victims. The man then takes a ferry to the Horton family estate, posing as their new private cook, Floyd Monk (Peter Sarsgaard).

Catherine McMurray (Kristine Nielsen), the head of staff at the Horton estate, becomes suspicious when Monk fails to arrive as scheduled. Monk explains that his permit wasn’t cleared in time due to the pandemic. McMurray then lays out the house rules that he must follow: the Hortons demand absolute isolation, and no one can leave the property unless absolutely necessary.

Monk leanrs that Jay Horton, his wife Julie (Sarah Gadon), and their children, Molly (Willa Dunn) and Tom (Callum Vinson), are vegetarians. Jay insists that all staff must adhere to the same diet. He also discovered that McMurray is very loyal to the Hortons, even revealing that she delivered Mr. Horton into the world.

As the plague reaches Egg Island, panic ensues. Monk manages to convince the maid, Ruth Tidwell (Skye P. Marshall), and the driver, Kaan (Faran Tahir), to support him, arguing that they deserve higher wages for risking their lives for the Hortons. However, Tidwell warns him that McMurray is unlikely to be easily swayed.

Instead of trying to persuade McMurray, Monk hatches a mischievous plan. He mixes poisonous mushrooms into her food, causing her to fall ill and appear to have the flu. As a result, Mr. Horton is forced to send McMurray back to the mainland.

With McMurray out of the way, Tidwell and Kaan approach Jay to ask for a raise. To their surprise, Jay agrees to double their wages as they requested. Monk then suggests that the staff move into the main estate with the Hortons instead of staying in the staff quarters, citing safety concerns and the abundance of available rooms in the estate. Jay reluctantly agrees to this arrangement.

Written and directed by American filmmakers Austin Stark and Joseph Schuman, this captivating dark comedy centers around a man who claims to be an exceptional chef, but isn’t who he seems. His true identity and motives remain concealed for most of the film, creating ambiguity and a sense of dread that keeps the viewer engaged, anticipating his next move.

The pacing feels slow at times, despite the 88-minute runtime, as the Horton family is largely helpless without their servants. Even as Jay Horton grows suspicious and tries to get rid of Floyd Monk, he’s stuck, with no one to replace the chef, especially during the pandemic when ferry service to and from the island is shut down.

By the end, the reveal of Floyd Monk’s true motives is impressive, as the narrative leads us to believe his character is a villain with a questionable past, suggesting he may have killed someone and taken their identity for unknown reasons. Just when we think we’ve reached the conclusion of the story, another twist comes along, pulling us even deeper into the darkness.

COUP! premiered at La Biennale di Venezia on 8 September 2023. The film was theatrically released in the United States on 2 August 2024, by Greenwich Entertainment.