Demented

Linda Rodgers suffers a violent gang rape at her California ranch, an assault that lands her in a temporary psychiatric facility. After treatment, she is released into the care of her husband Matt, while the rapists are sentenced to prison terms.

Back at home, Linda struggles to readjust to normal life and is haunted by visions of masked intruders infiltrating the house. The psychological trauma colors her perception of everyday events and erodes her sense of safety.

Matt confirms his emotional distance by having an affair with his mistress, Carol, and masking his absences with claims of night shifts. Linda's trust erodes as she grapples with trauma and a marriage that is visibly unraveling.

One night, Linda experiences an apparent home invasion while alone at home, intensifying her paranoia. She phones the police, who investigate but find no evidence of an intruder or a breach.

Linda's sister Annie visits despite Linda's desire to process her pain alone. A dinner confrontation erupts, driving a wedge between them and leaving Linda feeling more isolated.

During a house visit, Dr. Dillman notices a neighbor named Mark peering through a window and mistakes him for an intruder. Mark explains he was checking on Linda, which she believes.

After Dr. Dillman leaves, Linda is attacked by a masked man in her bed and kills him with a meat cleaver. The violent act triggers a downward spiral into psychosis as she becomes unmoored from reality.

Three other male attackers—local youths—reveal themselves downstairs as part of a cruel prank. The revelation blurs the line between trauma and reality as Linda confronts the danger in her home.

Linda confronts one attacker, disarms him, and, after unmasking him, offers him a spike laced drink that renders him unconscious.

Police officers scheduled for a nightly visit arrive but leave the property, assuming Linda has gone to stay with a friend since the house is dark.

Linda discovers the third attacker in a downstairs bedroom; she seduces him, uses a piano wire to incapacitate him, and then kills him with a cleaver.

She then kills a fourth attacker who is peering through the kitchen window. The violence escalates as Linda's control over the situation tightens.

The previously poisoned prankster regains consciousness and is bound and gagged at the dining room table. Linda prepares a dinner for him, ranting incoherently about the rapists, and ultimately murders him.

Matt returns home, ready to confess his affair, and discovers the bloodied body of a prankster. Linda lunges at him with the cleaver in their bedroom, marking the final act of the night's carnage.