Frightmare

Dorothy's cannibalistic acts are uncovered, and she and Edmund are committed to a mental institution in 1957. The authorities reveal Dorothy killed and partially ate at least six people. This dark episode explains the long shadow over the couple's lives.

During the 1957 trial, Edmund is convicted for his involvement in the killings. The records emphasize his role in the cover-up rather than direct murder. It is later implied he faked dementia to stay with Dorothy.

After years of confinement, Dorothy and Edmund are released and relocate to an isolated Surrey farmhouse. They try to settle into a quiet life, but the old homicidal urges never truly disappear. The farmhouse becomes the breeding ground for the couple's revived deadly acts.

Dorothy resumes luring lonely women to her home under the pretense of tea and tarot readings. The sessions end in violent murders and a cannibal feast, signaling a relapse of her trauma-driven compulsion. The present danger settles into the house and its surroundings.

Jackie, Edmund's daughter by a previous marriage, secretly visits from London at night, delivering parcels that contain animal brains to Dorothy. Her gifts are a calculated act to feign murders and mollify Dorothy's murderous urges. She also uses the visits to monitor Dorothy's behavior.

Debbie stays with Jackie and becomes involved with Alec Marini, a biker gang leader. Debbie pushes for trouble by persuading Alec to confront a barman at a nightclub after being refused a drink. The altercation escalates, and the bikers ambush him with a chain, though they flee when spotted.

Debbie hides the barman's body in the boot of a car to cover up the crime, and the police arrive later, none the wiser. Jackie berates Debbie for coming home late and hiding what happened. The incident foreshadows Debbie's growing alignment with her mother's murderous urges.

Jackie finds Debbie's bloodied jacket and learns about Debbie's direct involvement in the murder. Debbie confirms her role to Jackie, escalating the family crisis. The revelation pulls Jackie deeper into the dangerous history surrounding her relatives.

Graham Heller, an investigative psychiatrist, arrives to help uncover the family's history and Dorothy's cannibal past. He pieces together evidence linking Jackie's family to the killings and warns of the danger. His presence increases the tension around Dorothy and Debbie.

Graham and Jackie lead the police to the boot, where the body is discovered missing an eye, a mark reminiscent of Dorothy's victims. The discovery ties Debbie to the older murders and confirms the family connection to Dorothy's pathology. The case underscores the depth of the cycle of violence.

Dorothy and Debbie begin meeting in secret more often, with Debbie increasingly adopting her mother's murderous impulses. Jackie remains oblivious to the extent of Debbie's involvement for much of this period. The pair's bond tightens around their shared dark heritage.

Debbie escapes with Alec to the farmhouse, where Dorothy kills Alec. The act cements Dorothy's dangerous control over the household. Debbie's alignment with her mother grows darker and more permanent.

Graham arrives to talk to Dorothy, but Debbie reveals his identity to Dorothy, triggering a deadly confrontation. Dorothy kills Graham, leaving Jackie to confront the mounting danger. The confrontation raises the stakes to a boiling point.

Jackie arrives to confront the chaos, while Edmund blocks the door to restrain his own urges. The film ends with a freeze-frame of Edmund looking on in dismay as Dorothy and Debbie circle Jackie. A voice-over of the judge's words from 1957 echoes the tragedy.