The film presents itself as footage recovered from the discarded cameras of three young filmmakers who vanished while chasing a local legend. In October 1994, Heather, Mike, and Josh travel to Burkittsville, Maryland, to film a documentary about the mythical Blair Witch. Their mission leads them to gather stories from residents who recount the chilling tale of Rustin Parr, a reclusive figure who, in 1941, abducted seven children and murdered them in his basement, forcing two to stand in a corner while the others faced a wall. As the trio digs into the history, they hear further whispers about a vanished girl named Robin Weaver, who reappeared years later claiming an old woman whose feet never touched the ground frightened her. The locals also warn them about Coffin Rock, where five men were found slaughtered in a ritualistic manner long ago, only for their bodies to vanish again.
From their campsite in the forest north of Burkittsville, the mood shifts from cautious curiosity to a growing sense of unease. The group discovers an ancient graveyard scattered with seven small cairns, and in a tense moment, Josh accidentally upends one of them. That night, they hear sticks snapping in the darkness, a sound that gnaws at their nerves and suggests someone—or something—is stalking them. The next day, their attempts to find their way back to the car fail; they end up wandering in circles and must improvise a new plan to survive. They encounter more eerie signs—stick figures hanging in the trees and cryptic noises, including children’s laughter and a deep, inhuman groan. After another sleepless night, the trio is jolted awake by an unseen force that shakes their tent, forcing them to hide in the forest until dawn.
Back at the tent, they find their belongings rifled and Josh’s gear smeared with slime. The sense of being watched intensifies as they realize they are trapped in a looping nightmare: a river bears the exact same flow they crossed earlier, and the path they tread keeps leading them in circles. Josh disappears the following morning, and Heather and Mike search frantically, calling for him in vain. They hear Josh’s tortured cries again but cannot locate the source, and they start to suspect that the Blair Witch is using their fear to coax them out of safety.
In a troubling moment, Heather discovers a bundle of twigs bound with fabric from Josh’s shirt, and inside a blood-soaked scrap of his clothing—not only teeth and hair but a brutal, physical reminder of what might have happened. Bravely, she chooses not to reveal this to Mike, instead recording a tearful apology directed at their families, acknowledging that something evil is haunting them and that it will claim them in time. That night, Josh’s voice returns, luring them toward the ruins of Rustin Parr’s old house, a ruin marked by the sights of children’s bloody handprints on one wall.
Inside the haunted structure, the friends split to search for Josh. Mike follows Josh’s voice into the basement, where an unseen force pummels him, causing him to drop his camera. Heather storms into the basement, calling out to Mike, and the camera she holds captures him standing in a corner, facing the wall as if compelled by some inexorable power. The assault intensifies, and Heather is pulled into the same terrifying grip, her scream echoing as her own camera shakes and finally goes dark. The recording continues for only a few more seconds before it abruptly cuts to black, leaving the fate of Heather and Mike, and the true nature of the Blair Witch, undisclosed to the viewer.
