Imaginary Playmate

Suzanne and Molly relocate to a new house when Michael becomes manager of the local sawmill. The move coincides with Molly’s ongoing adjustment to life after her mother's death. The house is the center of unsettling events as Candace begins to appear.

Molly befriends Candace, an imaginary companion she insists is real. A tree swing in the yard seems to move on its own, reinforcing Molly's belief in Candace. The friendship starts innocently but foreshadows darker events.

During a bath, Candace attempts to drown Molly, an attack that intensifies Suzanne's fear that something is seriously wrong. Molly survives, but the boundary between the two girls' worlds becomes increasingly blurred. Suzanne begins to worry about Candace's influence.

While investigating the attic, Suzanne finds corn husks and a hidden room that reveal disturbing traces of a past abuse. She shares the discovery with Michael, who dismisses it as superstition or misinterpretation. The eerie attic hints that Candace's backstory may be rooted in real, painful history.

Suzanne encounters Dora from a nearby care home, who claims to see Candace as well. Dora's eerie calm and knowledge convince Suzanne that Candace might be real and dangerous. This encounter deepens Suzanne's resolve to protect Molly.

Suzanne brings Molly's doctor, Dr. Robert, to the house to explain the strange happenings. He describes Candace as a manifestation connected to Molly's emotions and past trauma. Michael returns home and resists accepting any supernatural explanation.

The next day, Suzanne learns she is pregnant, adding pressure and fear to an already tense situation. Candace becomes hostile, reacting to the idea of a new baby in her world. Molly supplies the unsettling truth that Candace knows about the pregnancy.

The family visits Dr. Barrett, a therapist who believes Molly has created Candace as a way to express grief and anger. Michael accuses Suzanne of bringing trouble on Molly, straining their marriage. The doubt underscores the emotional turmoil surrounding the child.

Dora gives Suzanne a protective locket and warns to tread carefully with Candace. Molly invites Megan from school to play at the house, and they join in a game of blindfold tag. Candace's voice lures Suzanne toward the stairs, and Megan is briefly locked in the shed before being released.

Molly prays by two graves near the church, while Suzanne uncovers Candace's backstory through archives. She learns Candace's mother died in childbirth, Candace was abused by her father, and that Candace killed her baby sister by leaving her on church steps. This sister is Dora, connecting the care home resident to the family tragedy.

A violent possession takes over Molly as Candace asserts control and reveals the father killed her. Michael is knocked out as Candace tries to pull Molly toward danger. Suzanne pleads with Molly to come back; they escape the collapsing house as Candace glares from above.

The family survives and moves on, but Candace's shadow lingers in the house's new occupants and in Dora's lingering question about her sister. The final shot hints Candace may still be present when the swing moves as a new family enters.