Dead of Night

Walter Craig arrives at the country cottage in Kent, where he is greeted by his host, Elliot Foley. Craig is an architect unexpectedly invited to consult on renovations, setting the stage for a mysterious weekend. Soon, he addresses the other guests, revealing he has seen them all in a recurring dream, hinting at a supernatural or psychological connection.

While in the sitting room, Craig claims he can predict future events despite not knowing the guests personally. His uncanny ability causes curiosity and some concern among the guests, as they start testing his foresight. Craig partially recalls that something terrible will happen later, heightening the tension.

Racing driver Hugh Grainger recounts his hospital experience after a severe accident. He describes a strange vision where the ward's noises cease, and the time appears to change. Outside, he sees a hearse, and the bus outside the hospital mimics the hearse driver's call, foreshadowing his own impending tragedy.

After discharge, Grainger waits for a bus but decides not to board when the conductor resembles the hearse driver. As the bus drives away, it swerves and crashes, implying Grainger's premonition was linked to the accident, symbolizing the power of his visions or fate.

Sally O'Hara remembers attending a Christmas party where she plays hide-and-seek. She finds a room with a nursery and hears a boy crying. Sally learns of a historical murder in the mansion and is told that a boy named Francis Kent was murdered by his sister, adding a ghostly or tragic element.

Joan Cortland recounts giving her husband Peter a mirror, which shows him an alternate room. She learns the mirror belonged to Francis Etherington, who killed his wife and then committed suicide. Peter, suspecting Joan of infidelity, attempts to strangle her, but she breaks the mirror, restoring order and averting tragedy.

Elliot Foley narrates the story of two golfers, George Parratt and Larry Potter, who competed for a woman named Mary Lee. Parratt cheats to win, and Potter drowns himself. Later, Potter's ghost appears, warning Parratt to give up Mary, culminating in Parratt's own disappearance at their wedding.

Dr. van Straaten recounts his interview with ventriloquist Maxwell Frere and his dummy Hugo. Hugo displays strange behavior, speaking about leaving Frere for Kee. The dummy causes chaos, leading to a shooting and Frere's arrest, symbolizing the destructive influence of the dummy and otherworldly forces.

At the climax, Craig hallucinates and strangles Dr. van Straaten, indicating his mental instability. The scene suggests that the stories and visions shared by the guests have a psychological or supernatural influence on him, blurring reality and dreams.

Craig awakens in his bedroom, realizing the ordeal might have been imagined or prophetic. A phone rings, and he receives an invitation from Foley to revisit the country house, implying the cycle of visions and events might continue or symbolize a bridge between different realities.

Craig prepares to return to Foley's cottage in Kent, suggesting a return to the scene of the supernatural or psychological mystery. The ending blurs the line between reality and dreams, leaving open the interpretation of whether the events were literal, mental, or supernatural.