So Cold the River

As Erica Shaw's (let's say) lifeless body careens through the windshield, her mind is flooded with images from the past, including snapshots of loved ones and an eerie, triangular-shaped house that seems to hold more significance than just a mere coincidence. Little do we know, Erica had somehow intuited the illicit affair between the deceased and his lover, cleverly inserting a photograph of this clandestine meeting spot into her video obituary.

Fast-forward to the present, where Erica's psychic abilities begin to manifest in ways that defy explanation. Meanwhile, Campbell Bradford's sister bursts into Erica's abode, offering her a new assignment - a chance to rediscover her passion for filmmaking by creating a documentary about Campbell himself, whose secrets seem as plentiful as the sands of West Baden Springs.

With an advance and a mysterious bottle of water containing an image of a demon and the cryptic phrase "Pluto" (which eerily matches the label on the bottle kept in Campbell's safe), Erica reluctantly agrees to take on this enigmatic project. Her first stop: the hospital, where she finds Campbell communing with her through the camera lens - their conversations taking place only when Erica gazes directly into the lens.

As Campbell regales her with tales of his childhood in West Baden Springs, a sense of foreboding settles over Erica. His words seem laced with an air of menace: "So Cold the River flows under our city... it's a good place to disappear without a trace." The bottle of water, now eerily cold, seems to hold more significance than mere coincidence.

Upon arriving in West Baden Springs, Erica checks into a luxurious hotel featuring a majestic dome, where she's greeted by an affable receptionist named Dylan who warns her not to underestimate the city's charms - they'll still get to her. As Erica settles into her room, visions begin to unfold before her: a man in a black suit and hat materializes, only to vanish as quickly as he appeared.

In a desperate attempt to grasp what's happening, Erica swallows pills and drinks water from the same bottle, which has grown increasingly cold. The next vision she receives is that of a boy playing the violin, his melancholy melody weaving itself into the fabric of Erica's unraveling reality. As the water in the bottle reaches near-freezing temperatures, it becomes clear that Erica is hurtling towards a truth that will shatter her perceptions forever.

As Erica lingers in the hotel lobby, she strikes up an unlikely conversation with Ann McKinney, a wise and aged local resident. The two women bond over their shared fascination with West-Baden's fabled healing waters, which are said to possess mystical properties. Erica also shares her knowledge of the town's Rebirth Festival, where attendees seek eternal life through the sacred elixir. However, when Kempell Bradford's name is mentioned, Ann's demeanor instantly shifts, and she abruptly departs, leaving Erica to ponder the significance of the sudden departure.

Meanwhile, a series of enigmatic visions unfold before Erica: a solitary figure clad in a hat and a young boy accompany another man on a desolate bridge; a lone figure in a hat chugs along an abandoned railway line. The frequency of these apparitions only intensifies as Kellyn Cage, a zealous fan of Erica's work, arrives at the hotel. As they converse, they reminisce about the documentary "Little Hell," which tells the tale of Loni Wilks, a man whose life was forever altered by a pivotal painting. Despite the dark undertones, Kellin affirms that the film remains a masterpiece, having had a profound influence on her artistic endeavors.

As Erica navigates the hotel's corridors, she encounters Josiah, a charismatic laborer with grand ambitions - to dominate the hotel and eventually the world. His last name, Bradford, holds a peculiar significance, as it is revealed that he has hidden dynamite within the premises. The tension between them reaches a boiling point when Erica and Josiah enter Kellin's room, only to be interrupted by a brief quarrel. A fleeting glimpse of a man in a hat flickers in the mirror, prompting Josiah's hasty exit.

The visions continue to plague Erica: three figures appear on the bridge once more, followed by a man condemned for murder, nailed to the wall with a hat perched atop his head. As morning breaks, Dylan arrives at the lobby, extolling the virtues of local healing water baths and inquiring whether Erica is prepared to embark on a journey of rebirth. However, she declines the offer.

As the hotel's mystique deepens, Josiah becomes increasingly haunted by the recurring image of the man in a hat. Meanwhile, Erica conducts an interview with Ann McKinney, who recounts the dark legacy of Campbell Bradford - a notorious killer whose malevolent influence still lingers in West-Baden. It is revealed that Josiah is Campbell's great-grandson and the sole surviving member of the Bradford family, forever trapped in the hotel's labyrinthine corridors.

As Campbell's insatiable ambition for dominance consumed him, his ruthless tactics only led to devastating consequences. The refusal of the hotel owner to sell out to him sparked a chain reaction of violence, resulting in the murder of the proprietor and subsequent kidnapping of his young son. The boy's fate remained shrouded in mystery, leaving behind only the haunting reminder of his presence - his violin, abandoned and forlorn. Ann's stark assessment served as a warning: "Campbell was an absolute monster. If it festers in your mind, you'll start seeing its malevolent presence everywhere."

Meanwhile, Erica found herself enthralled by the dark allure of Campbell Bradford, refusing to disentangle herself from his toxic influence despite initial intentions to pull back. Her cunning manipulation of Josiah resulted in a revealing interview, during which Campbell scapegoated his great-grandfather for the demise of his relatives, a claim that conveniently overlooked the vastly different circumstances of their actual passing.

As the camera rolled, Erica employed her guile once more, pretending it was off to offer words of encouragement to Josiah, assuring him that she believed in his potential and urging him to shake off the family curse's oppressive grasp. But as the conversation progressed, another presence seemed to seep into Josiah's being, imbuing him with a defiant determination. He candidly confessed to being a failure, revealing that he'd been fired for pilfering dynamite from his job. His newfound sense of purpose was terrifying: he claimed an innate ability to bring down massive structures in an instant, and his maniacal laughter sent shivers down the spine.

Josiah's epiphany was stark - Bradford's "curse" was, in reality, a gift, a death-dealing legacy coursing through his veins. As Kellin's discouragement was palpable after Erica's camera-off ploy, she offered words of wisdom, drawing parallels between her tactics and the filmmaking style of her idolized mentors.

In a surreal vision, Campbell's pyromaniac tendencies manifested as he torched the hotel owner in front of the terrified boy. Concurrently, Josiah engaged Campbell in a tense conversation, his voice laced with conviction: "This is not a curse; it's a gift. My blood, my name - these are the greatest assets you possess. You can't escape yourself, nor can you flee from me." The water in Erica's bottle transformed into a deep crimson hue, a harbinger of the darkness that lurked within.

As Kellin delves deeper into the footage from the hospital, she uncovers a stunning revelation: Erica's supposed visions were actually a product of her own inner turmoil. The trainee is baffled, pointing out that Erica's works were characterized by their ability to find beauty in the darkest corners, rather than simply wallowing in despair. However, Erica remains steadfast in her convictions, confessing that she knew Loni Wilks was guilty all along, but chose artistic expression over moral obligation.

As the truth begins to unravel, Kellin is faced with a difficult decision: would she have acted differently if she were one step away from realizing her lifelong dream? Her response is unequivocal - she would not have let her conscience get in the way. And with that, she announces her departure.

Meanwhile, Erica's psychic journey takes an eerie turn as she immerses herself in the bath recommended by Dylan. The visions become more vivid, rekindling the scene of the murder and introducing a new figure: Campbell, whose presence grows increasingly tangible. The heroine's fainting spell in the hotel lobby is just the beginning of a series of surreal events that culminate with a shot of Erica's bewildered face.

As Kellin ponders the mystery, she confides in Ann, who is preparing for the Rebirth celebration. Ann's enigmatic remark - "I see a city that refuses to be erased from memory" - leaves Kellin questioning which of them is seeing things more clearly: "And which of us is right?"

Against this backdrop of uncertainty and intrigue, the Feast of Rebirth unfolds with a toast to eternal life. Unbeknownst to the revelers, Josiah descends into the hotel's basement, followed by Ann, only to stumble upon a cache of dynamite. As the chaos erupts, Kellin searches for her missing companion Erica and stumbles upon a gruesome scene: a dead body and a blood-soaked Josiah clutching an explosive device in his hand.

As the celebratory atmosphere reaches a fever pitch, the menacing figure, fueled by malevolence, plots to incinerate the revelers and invites Erica to flee with him. However, she refuses to abandon her principles and instead chooses to confront the villain, determined to put an end to his nefarious plans. In a display of impressive strength, Josiah (Josiah) proves to be the superior force, but Erika's quick thinking and cunning ultimately lead to his downfall as she seizes a nearby hammer and delivers a crushing blow to his skull.

Emerging from the depths of the basement, Kellin approaches Erica with an air of trepidation, inquiring if she believes in the curse that has been cast. Unfazed by the prospect of supernatural intervention, Erica firmly asserts her conviction that an individual cannot become a monster unless they are initially consumed by such darkness within themselves. Her trainee's instincts are proven correct when Kellin requests the director to hand over Josiah's phone, which holds the key to orchestrating a catastrophic event and capturing it all on camera for what promises to be a groundbreaking new masterpiece.

As Erica's suspicions are vindicated, she seizes control of the situation by acquiring the phone and setting in motion a chain reaction that will culminate in an explosive climax. Meanwhile, Kellin, fueled by a sense of desperation and recklessness, brandishes a knife and plunges it into Erika's throat, sending her lifeless body plummeting into the pool.

The final vision unfolds as a shrouded figure, clad in a Campbell hat (Campbell), addresses the protagonist with an ominous warning: "Now you're mine, but you won't inherit my blood or my name." With calculated precision, he targets the malevolent force and claims the bottle, filling it with a mixture of icy river water and Erika's blood that has mingled within.

In a poignant coda, Kellin towers over Erika's lifeless form, suspended in the pool like a macabre aquatic tableau. The scene shifts to an elderly man, clinging to life in a hospital bed, as the darkness closes in around him.