Games

Lisa Schindler arrives at the Upper East Side townhouse and is invited to stay for the night. She claims psychic abilities, and Jennifer asks her to organize entertaining 'games' for their circle. The couple begins to anticipate the provocative scenarios that will unfold.

Lisa orchestrates several setups of simulated domestic discord for the couple, including a phony affair between Jennifer and Norman the grocery deliveryman. Paul and Jennifer react with a mix of amusement and discomfort as the scene plays out. Lisa reveals that all of it is part of her game.

The next day Norman delivers groceries and makes a romantic advance toward Jennifer. Paul confronts him with a revolver, initially firing blanks, then shoots Norman in the head after the joke is revealed. The couple laughs, but a real murder has just occurred.

In a panic, Paul hides Norman's bloodied corpse in a small elevator inside the house. Jennifer sends Lisa to the drugstore to buy a salve, attempting to cover up the evidence and keep the secret from unraveling.

That night, Jennifer drugs Lisa so Paul can decide how to dispose of the body. Paul decides to encase Norman in plaster, turning him into a new statue for their collection. The act deepens their commitment to the deception.

In the morning, Lisa performs a tarot reading for Jennifer and draws the Death card, unsettling her. The reading foreshadows more turmoil to come. The mood is tense as the consequences of their games loom closer.

Late at night, Lisa confides that she senses a ghost in the house. In the parlor, Jennifer is horrified when she sees an apparition of Norman with a bullet through his eye. The haunting deepens the sense that the deception is leaking into reality.

Lisa departs in the morning after a confrontation with Paul, who announces a business trip to Maine and leaves Jennifer alone in the townhouse. The house feels emptier, but the fear remains. The absence of Paul signals plans behind the scenes.

That night, Jennifer hears noises and the electricity fails. In the kitchen, she sees a man resembling Norman approaching and flees to the elevator to escape upstairs. She shoots him several times, killing him, convinced she is defending herself and the illusion.

Paul arrives moments later and calmly removes a prosthetic from Norman's eye, exposing the ruse. He phones the police and reports that Jennifer has committed a murder. Jennifer realizes she has been used by Paul and Lisa to eliminate Norman and secure her fortune.

Jennifer is arrested for murder while Paul and Lisa celebrate with a drink. Paul gives Lisa a ten-percent cut of Jennifer's fortune as their partnership seems secure. He soon collapses, realizing Lisa has poisoned his drink and sealed her own escape.

Lisa leaves the townhouse with a briefcase full of Jennifer's fortune, slipping away after the killer's schemes come to fruition. She disappears into the night, carrying the spoils of the elaborate manipulation. There are no witnesses left to challenge her ascent.