The Catalyst

In “The Catalyst,” quiet, unassuming Walter Kendall discovers that simply being present can trigger the worst instincts in others. Hired as a harmless intermediary in a shady business arrangement, Walter quickly realizes that greed, fear, and resentment erupt wherever he goes—men betray partners, lovers turn on each other, and violence follows close behind. Though Walter never commits a crime himself, his knowledge of everyone’s secrets makes him dangerously indispensable, and just as dangerous to keep alive. When the final deal collapses into murder, police uncover that Walter was the common thread linking every act of betrayal. In the end, the man who believed he could remain untouched by the chaos he provoked learns too late that being the catalyst is enough to seal one’s fate.