Dark Was the Night

A supervisor tries to contact his crew before the weekend but fails. He goes to the logging site and discovers a severed arm and something suspicious in the trees. As he flees back to his car, a creature attacks and kills him.

In Maiden Woods, Farmer Ron complains one of his horses has vanished, with no evidence of theft or motive. Sheriff Paul Shields and Deputy Donny assume it was a simple escaped horse, perhaps a gate left open. The mystery begins to spread through the town.

That night, Paul's son Adam glimpses something passing their window. Paul searches outside but finds nothing. Adam questions why his mother doesn't live with them and mentions someone named Tim.

The next morning, Paul finds odd footprints around houses that resemble hooved tracks but are walked on two legs. Donny and Paul follow the tracks into the woods and discover claw marks on trees where the prints vanish. The town begins to suspect a prank, though strange activity continues.

Several local animals have gone missing, intensifying fear. Ron’s daughter and other hunters discuss old Aboriginal stories of woods-dwelling creatures, but Paul dismisses them. Hunter Earl notes that even during hunting season, deer have vanished.

While driving with Adam, Paul and his son spot a creature in their backyard. Investigating, Paul finds only a missing bridle hanging in a tree, suggesting Ron's horse was taken. The eerie sightings escalate.

The following day a flock of birds unexpectedly flies south instead of north, signaling abnormal wildlife patterns. This reinforces the sense that something is wrong in the woods surrounding Maiden Woods.

That night, Paul is called to Ron's farm and witnesses the creature attempting to breach the stables before it flees. The threat becomes more direct as the creatures are moving closer to human spaces.

A dead deer, mauled on the road, is found; before Paul can move it, the creature appears and takes the body away. This confirms the predator is hunting in the open and growing bolder.

Susan tells Donny that their second son Tim died in a freak accident while Paul was supervising him. Paul blames himself for the tragedy, a burden that strains his family dynamics.

As fear rises, Paul experiences visions of Tim while investigating the creature, blurring memory and reality and adding emotional weight to the pursuit.

Three hunters are attacked in the woods; one survivor cannot identify the creature, while the other two are found mangled high up in the trees. Paul suspends hunting and orders the town to stay indoors at night.

A heavy snowstorm sweeps in as the town evacuates. Paul theorizes the creature was pushed from its territory by logging activity, while a hunter provides game camera footage of a two-legged creature. Park rangers are brought in to hunt the predator.

The creature breaks into Paul's house; he and Adam barricade in the bathroom while Donny drives it away. Paul gathers residents into the town church, reconciles with his wife, and prepares for confrontation as the creature arrives and swarms the church.

Paul and Donny confront the creature in the church; Donny shoots it in the kitchen but is wounded; the creature escapes. Paul kills the creature with a knife in the main church. However, as Donny inspects the body, he realizes the wound is missing, implying multiple creatures exist. Outside, dozens of creatures swarm the roof.