Monster in the Closet

Three people are murdered in their closets by an unseen figure, plunging Chestnut Hills into fear. Richard Clark, a struggling San Francisco reporter, learns of the killings from Scoop Johnson and decides to travel to investigate the case.

Richard arrives in Chestnut Hills to pursue a potential breakthrough story. He meets local biology teacher Diane Bennett and her young son, known as Professor, at the outset of his investigation.

Richard and Sheriff Sam Ketchem investigate the sorority house linked to the first victim, where a neighbor reports a monster's attack. Richard finds a large claw near the victim's body, providing crucial physical evidence.

Richard shows the fingernail/claw to Diane at the college, and she passes it to Dr. Pennyworth for examination. The scientists begin to analyze the specimen to identify the threat.

That night, Richard joins Diane, Professor, Pennyworth, and Father Finnegan for dinner. They hear screams from a neighboring house and witness a monster burst out, killing Ketchem as the police watch in horror.

News of the monster's rampage spreads quickly and Chestnut Hills is placed on lockdown. The military is deployed to contain the creature.

Dr. Pennyworth proposes using a glockenspiel to communicate with the monster after learning from the claw analysis that it has an electrical component. Richard, Diane, Father Finnegan, and Pennyworth set out to find the creature, later joined by Scoop.

A soldier arrests the group and General Turnbull scolds them, but they realize Professor is in danger as the monster approaches the local elementary school.

The group, led by Turnbull, races to the school and manage to save Professor at the last moment as the monster arrives.

Pennyworth runs toward the monster to communicate and pacify it, but is killed. The army opens fire but the monster remains unharmed and escapes.

With evacuation underway, Diane suggests killing the monster with electricity after learning the claw is rich in electrons. Richard and Diane build a trap at Diane's house using scrap metal and electric wires, but the creature outsmarts it.

The monster travels to San Francisco and abducts Richard into the Transamerica Pyramid, but there is only one closet that hasn't been destroyed and it cannot fit. After exhausting its energy, the monster dies.

Diane appears on live television urging people to destroy their closets to prevent the monster's rejuvenation. The monster dies after its failed pursuit; Father Finnegan quips that 'Beauty killed the Beast'.