You Should Have Left 2020

As middle-aged retiree Theo Conroy (Kevin Bacon) navigates his post-bank life, he finds himself increasingly disconnected from his actress wife Susanna (Amanda Seyfried), whose youth and beauty seem to mock his own fading vitality. Their 10-year-old daughter Ella (Avery Essex) is the emotional glue that holds this family together, yet even she can’t help but sense the growing chasm between her parents. Theo’s own demons are stirred by recurring nightmares, which may be tied to the tragic death of his first wife, whose passing has left a stain on his reputation that refuses to fade.

The Conroys’ attempt to reboot their relationship with a vacation rental in Wales seems like the perfect escape from Susanna’s grueling film shoot schedule. However, this charming cottage, perched atop a hill, harbors secrets and anomalies that defy explanation. Theo’s struggles with the lighting fixtures are just the beginning, as the very fabric of time appears to warp and bend around them. As they settle into their new surroundings, nightmares plague both Theo and Susanna, like a ghostly shadow that refuses to dissipate.

One fateful evening, Ella’s innocent game of creating shadow puppets in her room takes on a sinister tone, as she beholds the specter of a man looming large on the wall. This unsettling portent sets the stage for a series of eerie encounters and inexplicable events that will challenge everything Theo thought he knew about himself and his family.

Susanna’s reluctant revelation to Ella about Theo’s troubled past serves only to further exacerbate the growing tension between them, as if the very darkness they’ve tried to escape has followed them to this isolated haven. Meanwhile, Theo’s increasing paranoia is stoked by a series of encounters with the locals, who seem more aware than they should be about the house and its mysterious occupant, Stetler.

As the lines between reality and fantasy begin to blur, Theo finds himself torn between his desire for answers and his need to protect his family from the truth. His snooping around Susanna’s devices only yields more questions, leaving him feeling like a pawn in some larger game. The apologies and recriminations flow freely as this fractured family teeters on the brink of collapse, unsure whether they can overcome their collective demons or be forever consumed by them.

As Theo meanders through the labyrinthine corridors of his home, he stumbles upon an enigmatic stairway concealed within the bookshelf’s recesses. His curiosity piqued, he descends into the unknown, only to be met with a haunting tableau: what appears to be Ella’s lifeless form lies before him. Though aware that this is merely a product of his subconscious, Theo attempts to shatter the dream by inflicting self-harm on his wrist and throat. Miraculously, he awakens unscathed.

The following day, as Theo observes Susanna and Ella engaging in carefree revelry outside, he endeavors to convey a message via text. His eyes fixate on Susanna’s phone, only to discover an identical device sitting serenely on the kitchen counter, its screen bearing testament to his own cryptic messages. The discovery sends him scrambling for his journal, where he finds the ominous inscription: “You should leave. Go now.” This revelation sets Theo on a collision course with reality as he confronts Susanna about her duplicity.

The ensuing argument yields a devastating truth: Susanna has been embroiled in an illicit affair with Max. Demanding that she vacate the premises for the night, Theo is left reeling from the fallout. His journal, once a sanctuary of introspection, now serves as a harbinger of doom, bearing the chilling message: “You should have left. Now it’s too late.” As the eerie atmosphere intensifies, Theo and Ella begin to notice bizarre anomalies in their surroundings. With the ruler provided by the enigmatic forces at play, they discover that the kitchen’s dimensions defy the laws of physics, existing in a state of superposition.

Ella vanishes while retrieving her coat, leaving Theo to navigate the treacherous landscape of his own psyche. As he searches for his companion, it becomes apparent that they are each experiencing autonomous visions within the dream realm. Though initially disoriented, Theo manages to reconnect with Ella, vowing to remain steadfast in their shared delusion. In a desperate bid to break free from the labyrinth’s grasp, Theo attempts to hail a taxi, only to be met with the unsettling revelation that the devil is actively collecting souls from the very house they inhabit.

As the sun dips below the horizon, casting a warm orange glow over the desolate landscape, Theo and Ella embark on a journey of self-discovery, walking into town with an air of uncertainty. Their footsteps echo through the stillness as they notice a mysterious figure standing in the window, observing their every move, its presence like a constant whisper in their ears. The cold seeps into their bones as they trudge forward, only to find themselves inexplicably returning to the very doorstep from which they set out. With no other option but to confront the darkness that looms before them, Theo convinces Ella to spend the night within those eerie walls.

As they succumb to the allure of slumber, Theo’s subconscious takes him on a journey through the realm of dreams. He finds himself transported back in time, reliving the moment when he and Susanna first laid eyes on the house, their hearts racing with excitement as they gazed upon its grandeur. The scene shifts once more, this time revealing Ella trapped in a dream world of her own, with Theo’s desperate searches yielding nothing but despair. It is then that Stetler appears, his form mimicking Theo’s, taunting him with the promise to return Ella on one condition: that Theo must fulfill some unknown obligation.

As the night wears on, Ella reappears by Theo’s side, and he wraps her in a warm embrace, finally freed from the grasp of the dream world. But the respite is short-lived, as Susanna returns, her eyes blazing with a mix of shock and revulsion. The truth begins to unravel like a thread, revealing the dark secrets that have haunted Theo for so long. His confession hangs in the air like a heavy fog, threatening to consume them all: he had stood idly by, powerless to stop his first wife’s demise, his anger and resentment festering until it was too late.

The weight of his revelations crushes Susanna, leaving her reeling from the sheer brutality of Theo’s actions. As the truth settles like a shroud around them, the shopkeeper’s voice whispers a haunting prophecy: some people never leave the house, for it is the house that finds them. The screen fades to black as a curious listing appears on a website, beckoning unsuspecting souls to come and experience the eerie allure of this haunted abode.