An elderly couple finds themselves driving through the picturesque Florida countryside when suddenly, an old truck starts tailgating them before overtaking their car. Curiosity piqued, they witness the truck's driver, a mysterious figure, by an abandoned church engaging in a shocking act—placing what seems to be a body wrapped in a blood-stained sheet into a large, ominously protruding pipe. After a near-collision caused by the truck causes them to veer off the road, they decide to turn back to investigate the eerie pipe, only to discover a horrifying sight lurking inside.
Fast forward to 2021, a millennial couple, Chase and Laine, embark on a journey to the Horror Hound festival nestled in rural Louisiana. Chase, a dedicated paranormal enthusiast, is particularly fascinated by the local urban legend known as "the Creeper," a malevolent creature that awakens every 23 years for 23 days to claim the lives of countless victims before vanishing into the night. Unbeknownst to Chase, he plans to propose to Laine during their trip, while Laine harbors a secret of her own—she suspects she might be pregnant.
As the couple makes their way, the Creeper stirs from its slumber, intent on feeding to regain its strength. A stop at a local gift shop introduces Laine to a mysterious artifact that triggers unsettling premonitions. The shop's owner, Lady Manilla, cryptically advises them, veiling the future in dark intrigue. Later at their hotel, Laine tries to confirm her suspicions with a pregnancy test, but her thoughts are abruptly interrupted when a crow smashes into their window, setting a tone of foreboding for their festival journey.
Upon reaching Horror Hound, Laine showcases an unexpected talent when she skillfully throws a shuriken, alarming her. As the night unfolds, the Creeper's presence looms closer, cutting off their internet connectivity and instilling dread. The couple participates in a raffle conducted by festival organizer Madam Carnage for a chance to spend a night at a haunted plantation transformed into an escape room. Laine begins to experience unsettling visions, sensing her linkage to a strange ritual within the very walls of the house they are about to enter, alongside a crew that includes a cameraman and a local tour guide, Stu.
As they venture towards the house, they traverse an old graveyard from the 18th century, where chaos ensues as the Creeper takes down the cameraman and abducts Laine just as Chase kneels to propose. Awakening bound to a table, Laine faces a grisly fate as the Creeper pierces her abdomen with a knife. Tension escalates when the group confronts each other over their predicament, leading to Stu discharging his weapon into the air, inadvertently attracting the Creeper's attention.
In a twist of fate, Laine manages to free herself and reunites with Chase and Stu, disclosing her pregnancy and that the Creeper had uniquely targeted her for its dark purposes. They uncover the sinister truth that Madam Carnage, Lady Manilla, and others have been worshipping the Creeper, luring in victims for its vile consumption. Formulating a daring plan, Laine draws the Creeper outside, allowing Chase and Stu an opportunity to use a fallen weathervane against it. With swift action, Laine blinds the creature using the shuriken, and the weathervane pierces the Creeper, leading to its gruesome end as a murder of crows descends upon it, tragically pushing Stu off the roof to his demise.
As the group makes their escape from this nightmarish ordeal, the darkness conceals the fact that the Creeper regenerates in the shadows, releasing a chilling and devilish roar to signal its return.
