Don't Knock Twice

In the picturesque Welsh countryside, we meet Jessica “Jess” Webb-Thomas, a once-celebrated American sculptor grappling with her past as a former addict. She embarks on a journey to mend her fractured relationship with her estranged daughter, Chloe, the result of Jess’s turbulent history plagued by drug addiction. Despite their initially strained dynamic, Jess makes a heartfelt gesture by inviting Chloe to stay with her and her second husband, Ben Thomas. However, Chloe declines the offer, choosing instead to spend the night out with her friend Danny at an enigmatic location rumored to be the residence of a notorious witch.

As they leave the site, Danny becomes the victim of unexplained phenomena, leading to his sudden disappearance. Confronted by a demonic force, Chloe reluctantly warms to Jess’s invitation and joins her family.

At first, Chloe resists her family’s attempts at healing. The situation becomes increasingly bizarre when she makes a shocking discovery: a human molar in her carrot and coriander soup, hinting at the sinister events that follow. Jess’s nights are haunted by dreams of an elderly woman whispering “Przepraszam” (Polish for “I’m sorry”) before her tragic demise. Chloe remembers this terrifying figure from the local lore surrounding Mary Aminov, a deceased neighbor rumored to be a witch, suggesting that knocking twice on her door would summon Mary’s vengeful spirit.

As tension mounts within the family, Jess and Ben remain unaware that their workshop is being controlled by an unseen presence. Chloe, becoming more unsettled, believes she is being haunted by Baba Yaga, a malevolent Slavic witch. Just as Chloe begins to bridge the gap between herself and her family, their home turns into a hub of paranormal chaos, with their sculpture studio left disturbed and the ominous phrase “She’s mine” crudely marked on the floor.

Later, Mary Aminov’s ghost terrorizes Jess and Chloe, culminating in a dangerous portal that threatens Chloe’s safety. Fortunately, Ben manages to save her, prompting the family to seek help from Tira, their trusted model. In a shocking revelation, Tira discloses that Mary was not a witch; rather, Chloe’s actions fueled the urban legend surrounding her death. Blaming herself for the strange disappearances, Chloe panics and runs back to her foster home.

Determined to bring Chloe back, Jess experiences an epiphany that leads her to suspect that Detective Boardman is behind the strange happenings. As she confronts the heart-wrenching truth, Jess realizes her daughter has been taken by dark forces associated with the witch. Deciding to brave Mary’s haunted house, Jess is soon injured by an old nail embedded on the property.

Caught up in a chaotic situation, Jess finds herself detained at the local police station after knocking twice at the door, an action that seems to carry an eerie significance. While confined, she is unexpectedly transported through a mysterious portal into a dimly lit cave, where she discovers a cage holding Chloe, her beloved daughter.

With a fierce determination to save Chloe, Jess frees her from captivity, and together they strive to escape the clutches of the relentless Baba Yaga. Meanwhile, Detective Boardman arrives at the witch’s lair but is pulled into the darkness he sought to evade. Back at Jess’s home, Ben mysteriously disappears, leaving an oppressive atmosphere in his wake.

Their worst fears are confirmed when Tira, her face smeared with blood, emerges, revealing Ben’s lifeless body hidden in her car trunk. The horrifying symbol of the “Slave of Baba Yaga” grotesquely stains Tira’s chest, starkly reminding them of the consuming darkness enveloping their lives.

As Jess and Chloe attempt to make sense of the terror around them, the realization dawns: Boardman was blameless, his fate dictated by Mary’s deceit. The shocking truth disorients Jess as she understands Tira’s manipulation led to Boardman’s sacrificial offering to Baba Yaga, a cruel exchange that cost him his life.

The tension escalates, and Jess feels a burning sensation from the necklace she wears, a brutal reminder of the witch’s mark imprinted on her. Darkness envelops the room, broken only by the sound of two soft knocks at the door. As it creaks open, the ominous form of Baba Yaga extends a hand toward them, leaving the audience with a chilling sense of dread as the film draws to a spine-tingling conclusion.

Last Updated: November 19, 2024 at 17:08