Summaries

Synopsis

The movie opens with some exposition letting us know that "During the long winter months of 1973, the lives of 12 individuals were taken by a bloodthirsty serial kill known as Walter "OLD MAN" Bowden. Bowden murdered his own wife, and then his son, when he found out what Walter was doing and tried to call the police. Before the police could catch him however, Bowden took his own life by hanging himself. During the years that followed, no one moved into the Bowden house... until now...". It is now December 2nd 2003 and Linda and Michael Harris have just moved into their new house. Linda is anxious to get everything unpacked and organized considering they have already been there for three weeks, but Mike isn't worried about it. Linda tells Mike that she would like to have dinner the following night with her friend Melissa and her husband John. He agrees to the dinner and leaves for work. After he leaves, the camera moves toward the house in a slow motion manner that gives the impression of being a first person perspective. Linda later finds the front door open. Linda calls Melissa and to arrange the dinner for the following night. Linda leaves the house to go to the grocery store. Melissa tells John that they will be eating with the Harris's the following night. John is angry that he will miss the game, but begrudgingly agrees to attend. Meanwhile Linda walks past a man who begins to follow her across the parking lot. She gets in her car and drives away. When Linda gets home she tells Mike about her day, but Mike is busy on the computer and not really listening. After she gets his attention by jokingly telling him she had sex with a homeless man at the train station, which he still barely hears, she tells him that she had been followed. She says the man had been looking at her like he knew her. Mike reassures her that it was nothing and talks her into going to have some fun in one of their many rooms of their new house. That night Linda wakes up and hears a banging outside their back door. She goes to investigate but finds nothing. Mike finds her and startles her. She tells him she heard something and talks him into going outside to check it out. He does but finds nothing. They head up to bed but as they do a figure passes the window which goes unnoticed by them. The next morning Linda wakes up and goes to the bathroom to take a shower. As she closes the door to the bathroom, we see what appears to be an old man peaking out of a doorway at the other end of the hall. We then get the same first person camera perspective as the old man wonders into the bedroom. Linda comes out of the bathroom and doesn't notice the old man with a noose around his neck standing in the corner of the bedroom. Linda enters the bedroom but the man is gone. Outside the house, the man that followed Linda the day prior walks up to the front door and knocks. Linda comes to the door and is told that their home isn't safe. He asks if he can come in and speak with her. Once inside, he tells her that his name is Jeffrey and proceeds to tell her the story of Walter Bowden. She tells him that it seems like he knows an awful lot about the story. He tells her it is very well known in the community. He warns her that he believes that the house is cursed. He gives her his phone number in case she needs anything and he leaves. A now concerned Linda goes exploring the house. She enters a large room upstairs but finds nothing. The room has a large closet with sliding doors. She approaches it slowly and then quickly slides the door open. There is nothing in it, but just then her husband calls out for her downstairs which surprises her. Melissa and John show up for the dinner party and they all start talking about the house. Linda tells everyone she no longer likes the house and isn't sure she would like to stay, but doesn't mention why. John and Mike go upstairs. Mike tells John that this is the old Bowden house, revealing that he knew it when he bought it but withheld it from Linda. The history of the house allowed them to get a great deal on it. John thinks that it's awesome that they live in that house but knows that Linda is going to freak out. Later that evening after Melissa and John go home, Linda tells Mike that Jeff came over earlier and told her all about the house. Linda is angry to find out that Mike already knew. He tells her that there are no evil spirits in the house and advises her not to worry. She tells him that he broke trust. There is another first person shot from upstairs as the two argue in the kitchen. Mike tells Linda that he is going to straighten Jeff out if he comes by again. The next day Linda is moving some things from the back yard into the house when she notices something in the window upstairs. She runs in to investigate. It is the same large room with the closest. She walks up to the window but sees nothing. As she turns around she sees a ghostly figure of a person in a white dress and white hair standing in front of the door. Linda passes out. That evening Mike comes home to find her still passed out. She tells him she is OK. Jeff calls. Linda tells him that her husband confirmed everything he had told her. Jeff says he fears for her safety. She asks him not to call or come around anymore. Linda asks Mike if he believes in ghosts and tells him that she saw a woman ghost earlier. Mike is angry to hear that she spoke with Jeff again and tells her to stop listening to his bullshit. She tells him that Jeff has been honest and accurate about everything so far and the only one full of bullshit is Mike. Mike tells her there are no ghosts in their house, it's perfectly safe, and he goes to bed. The next day Linda is doing laundry and hears a door close. She goes to check the large room again but the door opens before she can grab the knob. She sees an old man in a rocking recliner facing the wall on the far end of the room. The man stands up and the door slams with Linda on the outside. She looks to her side and sees the ghostly woman again. Suddenly she wakes up and realizes it has been a dream. She goes down the hall and jumps on the computer to do a little research. Using the search engine Snoogle she looks up the story of Walter Bowden. The article noted among other things that he kept a diary of all his killings. She hears a noise from downstairs and goes to investigate. She checks several room when all of a sudden she sees the old man with noose standing in her living room. She screams and Mike comes running from the bedroom. Before he gets there the old man disappears. Linda tells Mike that she thought she saw someone. Mike becomes increasingly irritated with her. The following morning Linda asks Mike if he things she is crazy. He tells her that he loves her and that if he really thought she had a problem that he would make sure she got the help she needed. He tells her all the craziness will fade and that the only thing that matters is the two of them. Mike goes to work. Linda replays in her head the discussion with Jeff and remembers that she has his phone number. She calls him and then leaves. Shortly after she leave Melissa shows up at their house. She knocks and the door opens. She wonders around looking for them. She goes upstairs and ends up in the large room. The door shuts behind her and wont open. She walks around the room and the door opens and then closes again. She walks by the closet and is grabbed and dragged in by the old man. Linda gets to Jeff's house. They talk more about the Bowden story. Jeff recalls more facts such as specifics about Bowden's son having marks on his wrist from being tied up with wire. She again remarks that he knows an awful lot of specific details like smells. Jeff tells her that ever since he was young he has had abilities to sense, feel, and see things that others can't. Jeff tells her that when he came to her house the other day that he could feel Walter's spirit. He tells her that he believes that Walter will grow more violent until he gets what he wants. Linda says they need to figure out what that is. Jeff offers to come over to help determine what that might be, but Linda tells him no. She tells him that if she finds something she will call him. She then realizes that its 10:30 and that Mike will probably be angry. Meanwhile Mike is stewing on the couch and Linda eventually gets home. They argue about where she's been and she lies to him about being with Jeff. He tell her that she ruined their special night and that maybe there is something wrong with her after all and maybe she should talk to someone about it. She says that's a good idea since she doesn't feel like she can talk to him about it. She is frustrated that he wont believe her. John calls and tells Linda that Melissa had not come home that day and that she had gone over to their house looking for Linda. Linda tells John that Melissa isn't there and tells him to call the police. Linda tells Mike and he becomes angry because he knows that Linda thinks something happened to her at their house. Meanwhile Jeff calls someone and asks for Detective Lewis. Back at the Harris house Linda goes upstairs and smells something hideous coming from the large room. She goes in. Mike answers the phone and its Jeff. Mike angrily tells him never to call again and to stay away from Linda. Jeff tell Mike that he fears Linda is in danger. Upstairs Linda opens the closet and finds that Melissa has been killed. Linda screams. Mike hears, as does Jeff over the phone. Mike hangs up and runs up and starts freaking out. Linda tells him that she had smelled her in there. Mike tells her he is going to call the police. As he leaves the room the door slams shut. The light turn off and the old man appears and comes for Linda. She ducks under his lunge and takes shelter under a ladder at the far end of the room. Mike keeps pounding on the door. The old man approaches Linda again. Mike gets the door open. He runs and lunges at the old man but Bowden phases out. Mike passes right through him and crashes into a wall. The old man phases back in and walks over to Mike. He picks him up by the throat and chokes him to death. He then goes after Linda again, but Jeff enters the room. He yells "Walter, leave her alone." Jeff tells the old man that he knows he is after the journal. He gives it to him and tells him to leave. Bowden takes the journal and disappears. Later Jeff is questioned by a detective as to why he had been there and whether or not he thought Mike and Linda had been happy. Jeff tells the detective that he and Linda were friends, that Mike and Linda were happy, and they didn't fight often. He says he's been through a lot and leaves. A week later Linda is sitting on her porch. Jeff stops by and tells Linda that he is moving far away. She asks how he knew about the journal. He said he had a detective friend that had found it for him. He asks if Linda will move, but she is unsure. They hug and she notices that Jeff has marks on his wrists. She remember the significance from her research and Jeff's stories. Jeff says he has to go and tells her to take care of herself. He walks away and vanishes. She remember their conversation from minutes earlier. "You're moving? Where?" "Somewhere far away."