A French anthropologist specializing in nomadic groups moves to Los Angeles with his wife, and starts following a group of sinister street punks who seem to live and move around in a black van. But they aren't what they seem.
A French anthropologist gets murdered in Los Angeles after discovering the existence of ancient demonic spirits, first described in old Inuit legends, that can take human form and prank, possess or even kill people. Before he dies, he reveals this secret to a young female doctor who quickly realizes that his wife is now in danger as well.—Chris Makrozahopoulos <[email protected]>
In Los Angeles, a man with numerous injuries is hospitalized. Before he dies, he reveals his secret to Dr. Eileen Flax. It turns out that the man was Charles Pommier, an anthropologist scholar of African and Inuit nomadic groups and their myths. As if possessed by Pommier's memories, Eileen relives his last day of life in a prolonged terrifying flashback and discovers that he was obsessively following a bunch of strange demonic street punks just before he died. She also realizes that his wife is in mortal danger as well.—Anonymous
French anthropologist Jean Charles Pommier dies in an emergency room after being terrorized by something. However, Dr. Eileen Flax, who tried to save him, suddenly receives his memories by psychic means, and relieves his last few days in a long flashback. It turns out that Pommier had just recently moved to L.A. with his wife Niki after years of researching African and Inuit nomadic groups, their way of life and their myths.
Pommier soon notices a group of street punks and metalheads who apparently live in a black van and frequently hang around his house, especially at night, because a brutal murder of a family had been committed there recently, and this seems to attract them. Pommier becomes fascinated by this group due to their resemblance to a nomadic tribe, and starts following them as well as investigating the murder. It quickly becomes clear that these are no ordinary urban nomads and Pommier soon becomes afraid both for his and his wife's lives, but also their souls. However, Pommier decides that he's in too deep and continues his investigation despite a friendly warning from the ghost of a nun he mistakes for a hallucination.
Eventually, Pommier realizes, although too late, that the punks are actually evil spirits and demonic tricksters from ancient Inuit legends that still exist in modern day societies disguised as roaming humans that no one pays attention to. They are attracted by death and violence because they feed on human fear but also human souls. Unfortunately, once the punks realize he knows their secret, they will try to kill him, take his soul and make him one of them. Pommier tries to find a way out of this horrific situation, but to no avail. In desperation, he even confronts one of the punks on top of a skyscraper and during their brawl throws him from it. However, the punk simply taunts him and disappears.
In the end, the punks succeed in killing him but not before he's able to transfer his knowledge to Dr. Flax with implied request that she helps his wife escape from the demonic punks. Flax contacts his grieving wife who at first doesn't believe her, but when the punks surround her house, break in, trash the place and corner the two women in the attic while taunting them, Niki realizes in terror it's all true and she and Flax make a run for their lives after the punks eventually retreat for some reason.
However, a masked motorcycle rider in black begins trailing their escape vehicle, which terrifies distraught Niki even further, but Flax insists that they drive as fast as they can and do not look back, no matter what. As soon as they make it across the California state limit, the masked biker, who's apparently magically bound by the state's boundary and, unlike the women, can not cross it, stops. The rider lifts his goggles and, as they look back, the two women realize in shock and horror that it's Pommier, now seemingly just another of the demonic spirits that pursue them. However, it seems like he still possesses some knowledge of his former identity, as he emotionlessly but curiously and possibly even melancholically watches as the two women drive away. He then coldly turns his bike around and drives off, presumingly back to L.A. to join the demonic pack of urban nomads he himself now belongs to, possibly forever.
