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Don’t Listen (2020) movie poster

Plot Summary

Don’t Listen (2020) Plot Summary Explained

Release, runtime and language
2020 · 98 mins · Spanish
Echo score 69
Directed by
Ángel Gómez Hernández
Starring
Ramón Barea, Javier Botet, Rodolfo Sancho, Ana Fernández, Belén Fabra, Beatriz Arjona

Following a devastating accident while renovating his new home, Daniel begins hearing a desperate plea for help from beyond. Driven to uncover the truth, he seeks the assistance of a renowned paranormal investigator to unravel the mystery and confront the unsettling presence within the house.

On this page (5)
  1. 1 What happens: full plot
  2. 2 Plot questions answered
  3. 3 Movie threads
  4. 4 Movies like Don’t Listen
  5. 5 Every angle

Full plot summary · contains spoilers

What Happens in Don’t Listen: Full Plot Summary

The whole story of Don’t Listen (2020) explained, from the opening scene to the final frame: every key event, every twist and what it all adds up to. Read it as a quick recap before the sequel, to check a scene you missed, or to finally understand what really happened.

Daniel Rodolfo Sancho and Sara Belén Fabra, who renovate and resell houses, move into a sprawling new home with their 8-year-old son Eric Lucas Blas. Eric is troubled by insomnia and hears voices that push him toward eerie crayon drawings. They bring in a psychologist Beatriz Arjona, who explains that the disturbances stem from a lack of stability, and expects him to settle down. Yet Eric produces a bloody branch, and while the psychologist drives home, a supernatural fly harasses her until she crashes into a tree and dies. The house is so large, and Eric's bedroom so distant from his parents' that they rely on walkie-talkies to stay in touch. Daniel discovers the home is infested with flies and struggles to eliminate them. Unexplained events begin to pile up: inexplicable stigmata-like scratches appear on their skin; a locked gate opens by itself; Eric's toy robot activates and speaks; and he believes his father expresses hatred for him through the walkie-talkie. One night, Daniel finds Eric drowned in the pool.

Sara leaves for a few days. The hauntings then focus on Daniel: he leaves a voice message for her, then hears Eric crying for help when he replays it, and the walkie-talkie crackles with static whenever he approaches it. He buys a book, Sounds from the Great Beyond (Sonidos de Más Allá), at a signing by parapsychologist Germán Domingo and asks for his help. Germán Ramón Barea and his daughter Ruth Ana Fernández arrive, Ruth armed with ghost-hunting gear—monitors, infrared cameras, EMF meters, headphones, and thermal imagers. Almost at once she orders Daniel out, but her equipment detects someone invisible in Eric’s room; Germán investigates, and Ruth pleads for him to leave, because there is a specter before him; a burst of noise in his headphones convinces him to join the others.

That night, Germán is awakened by the apparition of his dead wife, Sofia Nerea Barros; in the vision, she knives his arm, telling him he will join her. Ruth wakes him, and he discovers he has sleepwalked and cut himself. Meanwhile, Sara receives a phone call from Eric, who says he is hiding under his bed and begs her to help him against Germán, who wants to hurt him. She drives to the house and sees men burying the corpses of cats that had been found hanged in a tree. She goes to Eric’s bedroom, where she sees his ghost playing with his toy robot; he vanishes, and she encounters a corpse-like witch. Ruth arrives and tells them that the house sits on the grounds of a courthouse used for Spanish Inquisition trials. Sara’s body crashes through the window; she has hanged herself. Ruth tells Germán that they are leaving and begins packing, but he wants to stay to uncover the estate’s historical truth. In Eric’s room, Daniel sees the ghosts of his wife and son, then is attacked by an invisible malevolent force.

They realize that the evil is caused by the ghosts of those immured in the dungeon, the source of the flies, so Daniel breaks down the basement wall he had repaired. They discover a caged skeleton of a woman whom the Inquisitors used the pear of anguish on to prevent her from cursing. Daniel goes to fetch gasoline so they can burn the skeleton and free the demon. Ruth is visited by Sofia’s ghost but refuses to approach; Sofia takes on a demonic wraith form and possesses her. The ghosts of Eric and Sara beg Daniel to join them, and he pours gasoline over his head to immolate himself. Ruth stabs Germán, but he burns the skeleton just in time to free her. While she tends to him, he jokes that he’s looking forward to an exorcism his priest friend invited him to attend. Daniel visits Eric’s room one last time, then sees the disturbing drawings on the walls: they depict parts of the hauntings and deaths that afflicted them, including one that shows him possessed and drowning Eric and another of him shooting himself. Daniel takes his gun down to the pool and kills himself. A post-credits scene shows Germán and Ruth watching footage of the exorcism.

Last updated: February 25, 2026 at 08:23

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Plot questions answered

Don’t Listen Plot Explained: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask most about Don’t Listen (2020): what happens in the confusing scenes, why the characters do what they do, the twists, hidden details and what the ending means. Each answer contains spoilers.

Q1

Why does Eric drown in the swimming pool?

Eric drowns in the pool after being manipulated by the malevolent spirit haunting the house. The final drawings reveal that Daniel, while possessed, actually drowned Eric in the pool. The ghost used the family's vulnerability and the house's dark energy to orchestrate the tragedy, ultimately turning Daniel against his own son.

Foreshadowing: Earlier in the film, Eric's walkie-talkie delivers messages that sound like his father expressing hatred toward him, planting the seeds of the family's destruction.

  • eric drowning
  • pool death
  • don't listen ending
  • daniel kills eric
Q2

How does the psychologist die in the movie?

The psychologist dies in a car crash caused by supernatural intervention. While driving home after treating Eric, she is harassed by a supernatural fly that enters her car and attacks her, causing her to lose control and crash into a tree. A branch then appears to deliver the fatal impact, making it clear the entity was actively targeting her.

Foreshadowing: Eric had just presented a bloody branch to his parents shortly before the psychologist's visit, signaling the malignant presence at work.

  • psychologist death
  • car crash
  • supernatural fly
  • beatriz arjona
Q3

Why does Daniel kill himself at the end?

Daniel commits suicide after discovering the truth about what he was manipulated into doing. In Eric's room, he sees the disturbing drawings that depict him possessed and drowning his own son in the pool. Overwhelmed by guilt and realizing he has been controlled by the malevolent force throughout the film, he takes his gun to the pool and kills himself, effectively surrendering to the ghosts of his wife and son who beg him to join them.

Foreshadowing: The walkie-talkie messages throughout the film establish that the entity could manipulate Daniel's voice and communications, hinting at his ultimate possession.

  • daniel suicide
  • don't listen ending
  • pool suicide
  • possessed drowning eric
Q4

What do Eric's crayon drawings represent?

Eric's drawings are prophetic visions forced upon him by the house's malevolent spirit. They depict upcoming paranormal events and deaths that will afflict the family, including the drawings that ultimately reveal Daniel drowning Eric and shooting himself. The drawings serve as both a warning and a tool of psychological torment, showing the family their tragic fates before they unfold.

Foreshadowing: Eric begins drawing immediately after hearing voices, and his first drawing of a bloody branch appears shortly before the psychologist's death.

  • eric drawings
  • prophecy drawings
  • foreshadowing drawings
  • bloody branch
Q5

What is the pear of anguish in Don't Listen?

The pear of anguish is a medieval torture device used during the Spanish Inquisition. In the film, Daniel discovers a caged skeleton of a woman in the basement who was subjected to this device. The Inquisitors used it to crush her body and prevent her from cursing them, but she was instead immured alive in the dungeon. Her spirit became the source of the house's evil, with the flies symbolizing her torment and the curse she spoke while dying.

Foreshadowing: The house is built on the grounds of a courthouse used for Spanish Inquisition trials, establishing the historical connection early in the investigation.

  • pear of anguish
  • inquisition
  • torture device
  • skeleton basement
  • spanish inquisition
Q6

How does Ruth get possessed by Sofia's ghost?

Sofia's ghost appears to Ruth in the house and possesses her after Ruth refuses to approach her. Sofia transforms into a demonic wraith form and takes body, making her attack Germán with a knife control of Ruth's. The possession is only broken when Daniel burns the skeleton of the tortured woman in the basement, which frees the trapped spirits and releases Ruth from Sofia's grip.

Foreshadowing: Sofia's ghost had previously appeared to Germán, knifing his arm and telling him he would join her, establishing her as a dangerous, possessive spirit.

  • ruth possession
  • sofia ghost
  • demonic wraith
  • stabs german
Q7

Why do flies infest the house in Don't Listen?

The flies are spiritual manifestations tied to the tortured woman immured in the basement dungeon. Throughout the film, Daniel struggles to eliminate a persistent fly infestation, which ultimately leads him to discover the source of the haunting. The flies originate from the skeletal remains of the woman who was sealed alive by the Inquisitors, her body decomposed but her spirit remaining trapped, creating the swarming presence that haunts the house.

Foreshadowing: The supernatural fly that kills the psychologist appears early, establishing the flies as more than a natural infestation.

  • flies
  • infestation
  • basement dungeon
  • tortured woman spirit
Q8

Why does Sara hang herself in the movie?

Sara hangs herself after witnessing the horrifying truth about the house. She sees Eric's ghost playing with his toy robot in his bedroom, then encounters a corpse-like witch figure. These visions, combined with the grief of losing her son and the overwhelming malevolent presence, drive her to commit suicide. Her body is later found hanging outside the house after crashing through a window.

Foreshadowing: Sara receives a desperate phone call from Eric, who begs for help against Germán, suggesting the entity was actively manipulating her return.

  • sara suicide
  • hanged
  • witch ghost
  • eric ghost room
Q9

Why does the house target this specific family?

The house targets any family that moves in due to the trapped spirits seeking release, but this family becomes especially vulnerable because of their instability. Eric's insomnia and psychological disturbance make him receptive to the voices, while the family is new to the house and emotionally vulnerable. The entity exploits their weaknesses: Eric's sensitivity, Daniel's determination to fix the house, and Sara's grief. The malevolent force uses them as pawns to achieve its goal of freedom through their deaths.

Foreshadowing: The psychologist notes that Eric's issues stem from a lack of stability, which the house then exploits.

  • family targeted
  • haunted house
  • why this family
  • vulnerability
Q10

What is the significance of the walkie-talkie in Don't Listen?

The walkie-talkie becomes a conduit for the malevolent spirit to manipulate the family. Because Eric's bedroom is far from his parents' room, they rely on walkie-talkies to stay in contact. The entity uses this to send confusing messages, Eric hears what sounds like his father expressing hatred, while Daniel later hears Eric crying for help when replaying a voice message. The spirit weaponizes their only means of communication, turning it into a tool of psychological warfare.

Foreshadowing: The walkie-talkie delivers messages that sow discord between father and son long before the physical violence occurs.

  • walkie-talkie
  • messages
  • possession communication
  • daniel voice eric
Q11

What is the connection between the house and the Spanish Inquisition?

The house sits on the grounds of a courthouse used for Spanish Inquisition trials. In the basement, the family discovers a dungeon where prisoners were immured, sealed alive in walls. One of these prisoners was a woman who was tortured with the pear of anguish and left to die. Her curse and suffering created the malevolent spirit that haunts the house, using the flies as a physical manifestation of her trapped soul seeking vengeance.

Foreshadowing: Ruth mentions the Inquisition connection after investigating the house's history, providing context before the basement discovery.

  • spanish inquisition
  • house history
  • courthouse trials
  • dungeon immured
Q12

What happens in the post-credits scene of Don't Listen?

The post-credits scene shows Germán and Ruth watching footage of an exorcism, suggesting that the battle against the malevolent spirits continues beyond the film's events. The ending implies that burning the skeleton freed some spirits but may not have completely vanquished the evil, leaving the possibility that the haunting persists or that Germán's earlier joke about attending an exorcism becomes relevant.

Foreshadowing: Germán jokes during the climax that he's looking forward to an exorcism his priest friend invited him to, foreshadowing this continuation.

  • post credits
  • exorcism
  • german ruth
  • ending scene

Movie threads

More Movies Like Don’t Listen, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes Don’t Listen tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Movies like Don’t Listen about historical horrors and hauntings

Supernatural terrors born from past atrocities and unresolved trauma. If you were fascinated by the historical grounding of the horror in Don’t Listen, this thread features supernatural thrillers where the evil is tied to real historical atrocities. These movies use their terrifying plots to explore themes of collective guilt, unresolved trauma, and the ghosts of the past refusing to stay buried.

  • historical
  • tragic
  • oppressive
  • chilling
  • suspenseful
  • somber
  • Tone: dark, bleak, tragic
  • Pacing: steady, investigative
Why these movies?

The story pattern: Stories in this thread typically follow an investigation that uncovers a terrible historical event—such as persecution, war crimes, or mass tragedies—which is the root cause of the present-day supernatural phenomenon. The narrative often blends a classic haunting structure with a mystery that delves into the past, revealing how ancient sins manifest as modern-day curses.

Why they belong together: These films are grouped together because they share a unique blend of horror and historical drama. They move beyond simple jump scares to create a more profound sense of dread by anchoring their terror in real human suffering, making the horror feel more weighty, morally complex, and intellectually engaging.

Psychological family horror movies like Don’t Listen

Horror that dismantles a family from within, fueled by grief and paranoia. For viewers who appreciated the intense focus on a family's collapse in Don’t Listen, this thread features terrifying stories where the horror is intimately tied to domestic life. These films explore how grief, trauma, and paranoia can tear a family apart, often using supernatural elements as a metaphor for internal psychological torment.

  • tense
  • tragic
  • paranoid
  • suspenseful
  • somber
  • oppressive
  • Tone: dark, tense, tragic
  • Pacing: steady, escalating
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern centers on a family already weakened by a recent tragedy—often the death of a child—which creates an opening for a supernatural or psychological threat. The story follows the progressive disintegration of the family's sanity and unity as they are manipulated and tormented, leading to a bleak outcome where the home becomes a prison.

Why they belong together: These movies are grouped together because they prioritize the emotional destruction of a family over generic scares. The horror is amplified by the intimate setting and the relatable fear of failing to protect one's loved ones. They share a heavy emotional core, a steady pace of creeping dread, and a pervasive sense of inescapable tragedy.

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Every angle

Don’t Listen (2020) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Don’t Listen in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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