Bad Things

Inheritor of her grandmother’s hotel, Ruthie is driven to fix her fraught relationship with Cal while weighing whether to run the property. As the hotel’s isolation intensifies, she experiences paranoia and emotional volatility, which strain her bonds with Maddie and Fran. Her grip on reality becomes increasingly tenuous as secrets surface and the house eyes her back.

Ruthie’s girlfriend, who pushes for the hotel venture and urges Ruthie to confront their past. Cal is wary of Ruthie’s mental decline but remains drawn to the possibility of stability through ownership. Their relationship is tested by jealousy, secrecy, and a desire for control choreographing the crisis.

Fran is a friend with a complicated history with Ruthie, having carried on an affair with her. Visions and a mounting sense of danger push Fran toward desperation, and she becomes entangled in the hotel’s unraveling as trust dissolves. Her presence amplifies the tension and paranoia among the group.

Maddie is skeptical of Ruthie and distasteful of the relationship dynamics, which fuels her caution and fear. She faces a brutal encounter with the hotel’s danger, contributing to the escalating violence. Maddie’s perspective grounds the tension in a practical, wary lens.

A mysterious consultant who appears to assist Ruthie with the hotel’s management, later revealed to be Ruthie’s mother. Auerbach’s presence blends guidance with manipulation, trapping Ruthie in a web of familial and professional pressure. Her true identity reframes the inheritance as a personal vendetta as well as a business deal.

The groundskeeper who voices disappointment about Ruthie’s mother and the hotel’s future. His murder early in the escalating violence marks the hotel as a site of danger that refuses to be tamed. Brian’s death intensifies the mystery and shows the cost of confronting the past.

Visions and memories of a younger Ruthie provide context for her current trauma and how the hotel’s history has shaped her identity. Flashbacks reveal early cues of the distress that the inheritance brings to the surface. Young Ruthie’s presence helps explain Ruthie’s emotional reactions.