In a future where technology has advanced to the point where humans can undergo "optimization" to rid themselves of emotions and increase their mental functions, one man decides to cling to his humanity in an effort to atone for his sins and appreciate the beauty of being human.

As per tradition in her country, a young girl of a mysterious Order is chosen to bear the launch codes of sere missiles embedded in her heart. To activate the missiles, the president of her country must personally cut open her chest to extract the code capsule.

As a young gay Pakistani man goes through the interview process to become an Air Force officer, he reflects on how he got there and why he might want to be chosen after all. A crush on a fellow interviewee both complicates things and makes them simpler, in turns.

As she walks alongside the Hudson River with her friend, a woman excitedly explains her intricate vision of what would give her happiness.

A mother, her two children, and their stepfather come over to a friend’s for a dinner on Labor Day.

A daughter, on the verge of becoming a mother, learns a great deal in spending time with her own mother.

At the root of her complicated family formed by her father and stepmother, a girl faces years of abuse through what they consider to be a “royal beating.”

Years after facing abuse from the hermit overseeing a nature preserve, two children—now adults—enact their revenge.

A woman embarks on a treacherous, snowy journey to help her friend.