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Plot Summary


As the young girl steps out from her date, she enters the comforting yet haunting atmosphere of her childhood home. The familiar sounds of laughter slowly dissolve into the air, leaving behind an eerie silence that envelops her like a fog. Her path leads her to the bathroom, where the warm glow of the light beckons her, casting unsettling shadows on the walls. An unexpected wave of dread washes over her, signaling that something is dreadfully amiss. She calls out for her parents, her voice echoing through the empty tiles, but the lack of response grows heavier, thick with an impending sense of doom.

Resolute, she ventures further into the house, her footsteps creaking on the aged floorboards as she seeks some sign of life. However, all she can hear are the ominous groans of the aging structure, almost as if the house itself is warning her to turn back. It is then that she makes a chilling discovery in the living room: a broken lamp lies on the floor, its light extinguished like a candle snuffed out. In the dim lighting, she beholds a sight that will forever haunt her—her mother’s mangled body, severed in half, a ghastly offering.

In a panic, she spins around to escape, only to lock eyes with her father, whose face is contorted into a grotesque grin while he wields a gleaming samurai sword. The very fabric of her reality snaps, leaving her gasping for breath beside her mother’s lifeless form, tears of anguish brimming in her eyes.

Meanwhile, Aaron Hammond, a law school graduate recovering from his father’s death, returns to his rural hometown. The heavy shroud of grief and unresolved tensions with his mother, Kate Hammond, looms over him. As he sifts through the remnants of his father’s life, he stumbles upon a mysterious antique urn his father had acquired shortly before his passing. Drawn to its intricate carvings and the stories they might hold, Aaron decides to sell it for $3,000, hoping to alleviate his financial struggles.

However, upon trying to navigate the online selling platforms, he finds his laptop malfunctioning, thrusting him into a state of frustration. In this moment of desperation, his best friend Jeremy arrives unannounced, providing a temporary respite as they share quiet moments of reflection.

Unbeknownst to Aaron, when he inadvertently releases an ancient, malign entity from within the urn—capable of granting wishes with a devilish twist—he becomes a pawn in a deadly game. The wishes he makes unleash catastrophic results, each desire ringing out with devastating repercussions. One fateful wish, intended to ease [Kate’s] grief over her husband’s death, proves disastrous, as it not only erases her husband’s memories but all of her memories, casting her into bewilderment.

In a shocking turn of events, Aaron finds his mother dancing with his father’s corpse in the barn—a sight that drives him to the brink as he flees to his car, only to discover that [Jeremy] has inexplicably vanished. Panicked, he rushes to Jeremy’s house, where his mother drops the bombshell that Jeremy has been dead for a year, a victim of a tragic car accident that Aaron was completely unaware of.

Crushed by this revelation, Aaron turns to Lisa for support, detailing the strange incidents that have plagued him. Skepticism lingers in her demeanor as she urges him to provide proof of the urn. This prompts a visit to a local antique dealer, who reveals the ominous tale of a “Dybbuk box,” rumored to harbor malevolent spirits in Jewish lore. The dealer shares a chilling account of the previous owner, William, whose descent into madness culminated in horrific acts against his own family.

With their revelation, both Aaron and Lisa grapple with the terrifying implications: they are possibly entangled with forces far beyond their understanding, with the delicate line between reality and supernatural doom hanging by a thread. Their pursuit leads them to William’s daughter, who reveals that her father’s peculiar wish involved creating two replicas of his beloved wife, spurring an investigation that concludes at the asylum where he resides. There, they meet with him, only to face a grim warning about the potential consequences of continuing to wish.

The atmosphere thickens with tension as chaos unfolds; after deciding to alter his fate by wishing he had died at the hands of a reckless act, Aaron awakens the next morning in his bed, realizing he is trapped within the confines of a mirror, a grim testament to the effects of his desperate choices.

As the story concludes, [Kate] is preparing for a yard sale when [Lisa] visits, hinting at future entanglements. With a casual acceptance of an urn from Kate, it becomes clear that the cyclical nature of their intertwined fates remains unresolved, casting an ominous shadow over what lies ahead.

Timeline


Return to Childhood Home

The young girl steps out from her date, greeted by the familiar yet haunting atmosphere of her childhood home. The sounds of laughter fade, leaving an eerie silence that thickens as she enters the house, hinting that something is terribly wrong.

Childhood Home

Seeking Parents

As she makes her way to the bathroom, a wave of dread washes over her, compelling her to call out for her parents. Her voice echoes through the empty tiles, amplifying the growing feeling that something ominous has occurred.

Bathroom

Chilling Discovery

Venturing further into the house, she hears only the ominous creaking of the floorboards beneath her feet. Upon reaching the living room, she stumbles upon a broken lamp and her mother's mangled body, a horrifying sight that leaves her frozen in terror.

Living Room

Confronting the Father

In a panic, she turns to escape, only to be confronted by her father, who stands grinning grotesquely with a samurai sword in hand. This moment shatters her reality, filling her with anguish as tears flow for her lifeless mother.

Living Room

Aaron's Return

Meanwhile, Aaron Hammond, a recent law school graduate, returns to his hometown burdened by grief over his father's death. The unresolved tension with his mother adds to his distress as he sifts through his father's belongings in search of closure.

Hometown

Mysterious Antique Urn

While going through his father's possessions, Aaron finds an ancient urn adorned with intricate carvings. Intrigued by its history and potential value, he decides to sell it to alleviate his financial struggles, valuing it at $3,000.

Aaron's Home

Technological Frustration

As Aaron attempts to sell the urn online, he faces technical issues with his laptop that leave him exasperated. Just as he struggles, his best friend Jeremy shows up unannounced, providing distraction and comfort during his time of distress.

Aaron's Home

Unleashing Malign Entity

Unbeknownst to Aaron, a sinister force is unleashed when he inadvertently opens the urn. This ancient entity is rumored to grant wishes, but with twisted consequences, leading Aaron into a perilous game he could never have anticipated.

Aaron's Home

Disastrous Wish

One particularly fateful wish aimed at easing his mother's grief results in disastrous repercussions. Instead of alleviating her sorrow, it wipes all her memories of him, thrusting her into a bewildering reality devoid of her past.

Aaron's Home

Finding Jeremy's Truth

Aaron's world collapses further when he witnesses his mother dancing with his father's corpse in their barn. Rushing for answers, he learns from his mother that Jeremy has been dead for a year, shattering his understanding of reality.

Jeremy's House

Seeking Support

Crushed and confused, Aaron turns to Lisa for support, sharing the strange occurrences with her. Lisa remains skeptical, urging him to find proof of the urn’s dangerous powers and the supernatural events surrounding it.

Lisa's Home

The Antique Dealer's Revelation

Aaron and Lisa visit a local antique dealer who reveals that the urn is linked to an ancient 'Dybbuk box' known for housing malevolent spirits. The dealer shares a chilling tale about a previous owner, William, whose life spiraled into madness.

Antique Store

Investigating William's Atrocity

With newfound urgency, Aaron and Lisa track down William’s daughter, who discloses that her father’s frantic wishes led him to create two replicas of his beloved wife. This sends them on a grim investigation ending at his asylum where they meet him.

Asylum

A Grim Warning

In the asylum, William warns Aaron and Lisa about the grave dangers of continuing to wish on the urn. His dire warnings serve as a chilling reminder of the destructive power they may have unleashed, turning their lives upside down.

Asylum

Trapped by Desperation

Amid the chaos, Aaron makes a wish that thrusts him into a nightmarish reality. He awakens to find himself trapped within the confines of a mirror, a haunting representation of the dire consequences stemming from his desperate choices.

Mirror Realm

Cyclical Fates

As the story culminates, Kate prepares for a yard sale, a seemingly mundane act that unknowingly echoes the ominous events to come. Lisa's visit and acceptance of the urn from Kate signal the unresolved cyclical nature of their fates, shrouded in dark foreboding.

Yard Sale

Characters


Aaron Hammond (Michael Welch)

Aaron is a law school graduate grappling with the heavy burden of his father's recent death and the unresolved tensions it brings. His journey plunges him into supernatural chaos as he inadvertently releases a maleficent spirit, illustrating his impulsive nature and the tragic consequences of his wishes.

🌌 Protagonist 💔 Grief 🎓 Law Graduate

Kate Hammond (Lin Shaye)

Kate is Aaron's mother, embodying a poignant mix of grief and bewilderment as the film progresses. Her character reflects the devastating impact of wishes gone awry, as she grapples with lost memories and the haunting influence of her husband's death, pushing her towards unsettling behaviors.

👩‍👦 Mother 💔 Grief 🚷 Bewilderment

Jeremy (Jonathan Daniel Brown)

Jeremy serves as Aaron's best friend, whose mysterious fate adds layers of tension to the narrative. His presence offers fleeting moments of comfort, but his revealed death forces Aaron to confront the painful truth and the devastating implications of his wish-making.

👬 Best Friend 😔 Tragedy 🌫️ Lost

Lisa (Melissa Bolona)

Lisa is a supportive friend who becomes embroiled in Aaron's turmoil. She represents skepticism and rationality, urging Aaron to substantiate his experiences, and plays a pivotal role in his journey as they navigate the shadows of the urn's curse together.

👩‍❤️‍👨 Supportive Friend 🤔 Skepticism 🔍 Inquisitive

Setting


Time period

Present Day

Set in contemporary times, the film explores themes of grief, regret, and the consequences of one's wishes. The ambience reflects a modern struggle with personal loss while intertwining ancient lore and malevolent forces, highlighting the fragility of reality in a technologically advanced world.

Location

Rural Hometown, Childhood Home

The movie unfolds in a rural hometown, a place where past and present collide. The protagonist's childhood home, filled with memories and shadows, becomes the central setting anchoring the haunting experiences and revelations related to both family and loss.

🏡 Home 🌳 Rural

Themes


💔

Grief

Grief serves as a central theme in the film, particularly through Aaron's relationship with his mother, Kate. As they navigate the aftermath of loss, their choices evoke haunting repercussions that illustrate the profound impact of unresolved sorrow, escaping into the supernatural realm.

🔮

Supernatural

The presence of a malevolent spirit tied to a cursed urn introduces a supernatural theme that drives the narrative. The film explores how wishes can unravel lives, revealing the dark side of human desires, as Aaron finds himself ensnared in a lethal game of consequences.

⚰️

Death

Death looms throughout the story, influencing characters' actions and beliefs. With the devastating revelation of Jeremy's hidden death and the chilling discovery of Kate's transformation, the film delves into how mortality shapes human connection and the desperation that can arise from it.

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