Bewitched

Late at night, Dr. Bergson sits at his desk dictating case notes to his secretary. The secretary is captivated by the case and begs him to continue, despite his suggestion to pause. The frame narrative is set as a flashback for the story.

On the night of a party celebrating Joan Ellis's engagement to Bob Arnold, a voice in her head begins to overtake her. She leaves her Midwestern home, abandoning a note asking her parents not to search for her. The departure foreshadows the split between her two identities.

Joan travels to New York City and assumes the name Joan Smith, beginning a new life far from her past. She builds herself a new identity and society in the city. This marks the first major separation of her two selves.

In the city, Joan falls in love with attorney Eric Russell. The voice inside her approves of this mature relationship, hinting at the danger that lurks beneath. Their romance becomes a focal point of the escalating tension.

During a river cruise, the voice once again emerges, calling itself Karen and kissing Eric with feral passion. When Joan regains control, she is stunned and asks what she did. Eric grows worried, though Joan remains unable to speak about the incident.

Joan struggles to tell anyone about her experiences, and her inability to confide drives the suspense. The lack of trusted confidants heightens the fear that the truth will destroy her relationships. The secret gnaws at the core of her life.

After a long search, Bob finds the elusive Joan and is overjoyed to see her again. He is thrilled and helps her pack as they consider their next steps. The reunion sets the stage for the tragedy to come.

While Bob helps with packing, Karen seizes control of Joan's hand and uses a pair of scissors to stab him in the back. The murder triggers a legal nightmare and shatters those around Joan. The act intensifies the central mystery of the case.

Joan is tried for murder, with Dr. Bergson brought in as an expert witness arguing that she is not insane. She remains silent, and Eric uses that silence to suggest there is more to the story and that she may be innocent. The courtroom becomes a battleground between science, truth, and love.

After a long deliberation, the jury finds Joan not guilty. In her mind, Karen exults at the prospect of having Eric, but Joan interrupts with a cry of guilt, shouting 'I’m guilty!' The clash marks the collapse of the public verdict against her inner truth.

In prison awaiting execution, Joan refuses to explain what happened and whispers to Eric that she longs to die so that Karen will die with her. The secret weighs heavily as she faces a grim end. The scene foreshadows the dramatic confrontation to come.

Bergson explains his theory that two women live in one body—one guilty and one innocent—and persuades the governor to listen. He retrieves a book and enlists the governor's wife to help reveal the truth. The moment frames the scientific angle of the crisis.

With execution imminent, Bergson hypnotizes Joan to uncover the truth. The two entities—Joan and Karen—appear as transparent figures on either side of her. He outlines the shifting balance of strength as the ritual unfolds.

Under Bergson's method, Karen's presence wanes and disappears, leaving Joan weakened but momentarily free. Joan slumps into Eric's arms and then straightens, smiling in a chilling finish that underscores the film's theme of duality. The ending leaves the audience with a haunting ambiguity about truth and identity.