Summary
Highlights
The movie opens with Indy sensing an eerie presence as his owner, Todd, shows signs of a mysterious illness. Todd, despite his declining health, moves into his grandpa's isolated cabin. Indy immediately senses something is wrong, hearing whimpers from the basement and spotting shadows, but Todd remains oblivious.
Todd watches old home videos while on the phone with his sister, Vera, who believes the house is haunted. Indy continues to see shadowy figures and hear noises, but Todd dismisses them. While on a walk, the neighbor, Mr. Downs, warns Todd about the dangers of the woods, and Indy sees glowing eyes in a hollow tree.
Indy dreams of Grandpa's missing dog, Bandit, trapped by a dark figure. Todd's health worsens, and Indy sniffs at the basement door, revealing dog scratch marks. Todd leaves Indy alone, and the dog becomes terrified as he sees visions of Bandit and a shadowy hand.
Indy wakes to find muddy footprints and Todd sleepwalking, banging his head on the basement door. Later, Grandpa's home video reveals he left his taxidermy to Vera and everything else to Todd, hinting at his own similar illness. Indy then enters the garage and has a terrifying vision of Grandpa being consumed by a muddy hand.
Todd finds Indy covered in black dirt, dismissing it. At the hospital, Todd is denied medical trials as his illness has progressed too far. Indy becomes frantic, recognizing the mud-like transformation in Todd. Todd tries to cleanse the house with plants and rituals, but the dark entity still appears, causing the candles to flicker and go out.
Todd, now sensing a presence, is bitten by Indy who was defending himself against a hallucination of muddy hands. Black tar drips from the ceiling, and Todd collapses unconscious. Indy, trapped in the room, escapes through a window and runs to Mr. Downs's house for help, but gets caught in a fox trap, where a mysterious figure approaches him.
Indy is chained to a doghouse by an angry Todd, who is now violently coughing and vomiting blood. Indy is attacked by the creature but escapes its grasp. He returns to the house and discovers Bandit's skeleton in the basement, realizing the tragic fate of his predecessor. The lights go out, and Todd, struggling to breathe, confronts the dark figure.
Todd, mistakenly believing he's rescued the dog, puts Indy to bed, only to see his own lifeless body there. The creature attacks Todd, dragging him into the basement, where he is consumed by the mud and reduced to a skeleton. Indy, unable to save him, is eventually found by Vera, who is horrified by Bandit's remains. Indy, though he hears Todd's phantom whistle, chooses to leave with Vera, ending the movie.