In 1942, a young couple, Ben and Ruth Watkins, purchase a house in a small rural town in Louisiana. Unknown to them, the house has a violent past. In 1928, the bank foreclosed on the previous owners, the Monroes, which led to a shootout on the property. Ruth and Ben slowly learn that every new resident, since 1928, has met a violent end and now Ruth becomes convinced someone is trying to get them to leave. Ruth is repeatedly terrorized by a mysterious slow-moving lurker when Ben is away. A series of flashbacks show the same lurker murdering several people who move into the house.