What Josiah Saw

In a rustic setting, Thomas "Tommy" Graham, son of Josiah, coexists with his father on their family farm, while his twin siblings, Eli and Mary, have long since departed. However, Tommy's quiet existence is disrupted by the arrival of two oil company representatives intent on purchasing the land for drilling purposes. As they delve into the property's history, they uncover a dark past rooted in tragedy - Mrs. Graham's untimely passing in their own garden several decades prior.

Tommy, still grappling with his mother's memory, begins to explore the world beyond the farm. He forms an unlikely bond with Tanner, a young boy from the local shop, who is off-limits for Tommy. Later, he confesses to Josiah about his nocturnal habit of visiting their garden, now the subject of whispers and speculation among the townsfolk. This candid admission earns him a stinging rebuke from his father.

Josiah's concerns are further exacerbated by the discovery of a pornographic magazine beneath Tommy's bed, forcing him to confront his son's burgeoning sexuality. That night, Josiah imparts a cryptic message: "God has something that needs to be done." Meanwhile, Eli Graham, Tommy's twin brother, is struggling with his own demons. A convicted sex offender, Eli is haunted by the ghosts of his past and the weight of his 5-year-old statutory rape conviction.

As Eli navigates his precarious existence, he becomes entangled in a dangerous game orchestrated by Boone. In exchange for clearing his record and settling his debts, Eli agrees to steal Nazi gold from a group of gypsies. Accompanied by two cohorts, Eli is tasked with keeping the gypsies occupied at their party while the duo makes off with the treasure.

As Eli mingles with Gina, a captivating gypsy, he finds solace in her warm demeanor and an offer to consult with a mysterious fortune teller. The seer's cryptic readings reveal unsettling truths about Eli's past and his impending demise. She warns him that he is the reason for his mother's torment, that he is fleeing from something "unspeakable," and that he has come to steal their gold - only to be met with gruesome consequences when the gypsies exact revenge on his companions. Amidst the chaos, Eli stumbles upon the missing 9-year-old girl, forever changing the trajectory of his already turbulent existence.

As the curtain closes on Eli's daring escapade with the gold, he and the rescued girl make a break for freedom, outsmarting the relentless pursuit of gypsies by commandeering a vehicle. Their harrowing flight culminates in Eli presenting the treasure to Boone, whose subsequent demise as he examines the bounty sends shockwaves through the trio. With the gold safely in hand, Eli brings the girl to the authorities, earning his release and returning to the trailer that serves as his humble abode. There, he discovers a letter from the oil company, extending an offer to purchase the land - a prospect that will undoubtedly alter the course of his life.

Meanwhile, Mary Milner (her 20-year tubal ligation hanging precariously in balance) and her husband Ross are torn between their desires for motherhood. As they share a meal with Ross's relatives, Mary's misgivings about parenthood come to a head, prompting a heated confrontation with Ross. That night, she succumbs to dark visions, haunted by the specter of self-destruction. The next day, Eli arrives at Mary's doorstep, bearing news of the oil company's proposal to buy their farm. His attempt to persuade her to accept the offer is met with resistance, as Mary resolves to stay put and ensure that the land remains hers.

As Mary and Eli make their way back to the farm, they're reunited with Tommy for the first time in years. The siblings' homecoming is marked by a sense of unease, as Tommy shares news of the twins' arrival - an event that Josiah claims has awakened a deep-seated pain within his mother's soul. As night falls, Mary and Eli sit down to a tense dinner with Tommy, their conversation punctuated by the sounds of digging in the garden, where Eli is fruitlessly searching for something buried beneath the surface.

The evening's revelations are nothing short of explosive, as the trio gathers with Josiah to confront the dark secrets that have haunted them for so long. It's then revealed that Tommy has been unwittingly violating his restraining order against his ex-wife and their son Tanner - a shocking admission that sets the stage for further drama. As the truth begins to unravel, it becomes clear that Tommy has been communing with a ghostly apparition of Josiah, unaware that the man he thought he was interacting with had passed away 23 years prior. Eli's revelations about Josiah's abusive past and Mary's traumatic experience at his hands serve as a clarion call for the siblings to confront the demons they've been carrying since childhood.

As Eli's curiosity gets the better of him, he cracks open a worn wooden chest, unleashing a haunting revelation: within lies the skeletal remains of Mary's stillborn child and Josiah. The weight of this morbid discovery proves too much to bear for Tommy, whose sanity shatters like fragile glass as he wields an axe with deadly precision, silencing Eli and Mary forever. Meanwhile, Josiah sits serenely in his chair, his cup drained of its mysterious contents, leaving the audience to ponder the true nature of this supernatural presence.

The film's climax is marked by a jarring juxtaposition of tenderness and brutality as it becomes clear that Eli and Mary's illicit tryst at the motel served as the catalyst for the events that unfold on the farm. As the credits roll, the audience is left grappling with the enigmatic threads of reality, forced to confront the unsettling uncertainty surrounding Josiah's ghostly existence and the identity of Mrs. Graham's killer, leaving a lasting sense of unease in its wake.