Oliver is a young boy with non-verbal autism who relies on his smartphone as a means of communication. His daily life is primarily supported by his devoted mother, Sarah, while his father, Marty, spends long hours at work to maintain their household. However, the strain on their marriage becomes evident, ultimately leading Marty to move out of the family home.
One fateful night, Oliver discovers an intriguing app on his phone called "Misunderstood Monsters," which tells the tale of a lonely creature named Larry who "just wants a friend." After reading the story, Oliver begins to experience eerie occurrences—lights flickering without reason and a mysterious second face appearing on his tablet during a drawing game. At school, his classmates bully him, leading them to seize his phone and toss it into a field during a cruel prank.
In an effort to help Oliver socialize, Sarah arranges a sleepover, inadvertently inviting the very boys who tormented him. Fearful of the tablet that seems to be connected to the strange happenings, Oliver hides it. When one of the boys finds the tablet and reads Larry's story aloud, the lights plunge into darkness, and Larry manifests, only visible through the tablet's camera. The frightened boys blame Oliver for unleashing Larry's wrath, deepening his isolation.
Days later, the bizarre incidents escalate, and Sarah starts experiencing the disturbances herself. Confronting Larry through the tablet, she learns that he desires to take Oliver to his own world. One troubling night, Marty brings Oliver to his job as a night-shift parking lot attendant. Here, they encounter Larry, portrayed as a ghoul-like figure, who attempts to abduct Oliver. After witnessing this terrifying event, Marty begins to believe in the supernatural threats his family faces.
Despite breaking the tablet in hopes of ending the nightmare, the repercussions linger. One of the boys, Byron, grapples with his trauma and ultimately confesses the truth, exonerating Oliver. The two boys reflect on their past friendship, which ended in a misunderstanding that hurt both families.
As events unfold, Marty faces his own run-in with Larry, who harnesses electricity to communicate and traverse the world. Although he survives, the threat is far from over as Larry targets Oliver in a desperate attempt to claim him. In a final confrontation, Sarah destroys all electronic devices, yet the TV completes Larry's story, allowing him to gain physical form and terrorize them in their own home.
In a desperate maneuver to protect her son, Sarah offers herself to Larry, clutching his hand instead of Oliver’s. In that poignant moment, Oliver looks into his mother’s eyes for the first time, signifying a breakthrough in their communication. As Sarah and Larry vanish, Oliver is left behind to face his loss. He moves in with Marty, who becomes more invested in Oliver's therapy and healing.
The story ends on a haunting note when the lights flicker again, and Marty sees an image of Oliver and Sarah joyfully playing together, suggesting that although they have been taken by Larry, the essence of their bond endures.
