Tom Parfitt fakes an injury in order to escape from his monotonous lifestyle and head to a care centre. However, upon his arrival, the staff experiences several strange instances, including a murder.

The elderly Tom Parfitt (Sir Michael Palin) fakes a fall at his long-term terraced house in bleak Yorkshire, to escape to a care home. However, moments after arriving, the social worker that delivered Tom is thrown from the seemingly impenetrable fourth floor window of Tom's room; with only her and the frail Tom inside. This mystifies teenager care assistant Hannah Ward (Jody Comer), although local Police, including depressed Detective Rob Fairholme (Mark Addy) are largely uninterested. One by one, strange things begin happening to those in contact with Tom, including Hannah and her family, and Tom soon vanishes from his hospital bed without explanation. Returning to Tom's home, Hannah starts to piece together several clues which lead her to Scarborough, where a dark secret from Tom's past comes to light and it becomes apparent that the paranormal are moving against them.