The Curse of the Living Corpse

In 1892 New England, Rufus Sinclair suffers catalepsy and lives in constant fear of being pronounced dead. He writes detailed instructions to his family and staff about how to conduct his burial to prevent premature interment. This obsession seeds the tragedy that unfolds and foreshadows the will's ominous consequences.

When Rufus is found, the greedy family rushes to inter him and claim the inheritance. They ignore his elaborate burial instructions, betting on haste to secure the fortune. The family lawyer reads Rufus's will, warning that each beneficiary will die by what they fear most.

The lawyer enumerates the specific punishments tied to Rufus's fears for Bruce, Abigail, Philip, Vivian, Seth, and James. The ominous list foreshadows a chain of murders born from greed and fear. Tensions flare as relatives grasp the doomed pattern.

Abigail reveals a diamond brooch left on Rufus's coffin. Bruce and Lettie retrieve it secretly, arousing suspicion. Bruce orders Lettie back to the crypt alone, deepening the rift and setting in motion the killer's first strike.

Lettie is beheaded by a masked killer, and it appears Rufus may have returned from the grave. A severed head is later left on a dinner tray as a grim clue. Bruce vows to stop Rufus while forcing Vivian to help him.

The masked killer maims Bruce's face and drags him to his death behind a horse. The family reels as fear grows that Rufus has truly come back. The death marks the first open confirmation that the will's threat is coming true.

The family lawyer designates Phillip as the new patriarch amid the turmoil. Abigail bitterly says she is glad Rufus is alive to punish the killers, and Phillip notes her morbid fear of fire. Suspicion shifts toward Seth as loyalties fracture.

The police arrive and the family claims Rufus was buried alive, a belief the lawyer supports as the killer's legend spreads. The officers vow to locate the supposed grave robber and bring clarity to the crisis. Paranoia tightens its grip on the estate.

Abigail endures a panic attack, then becomes a target of the killer. The masked figure chloroforms her, binds her to the bed, and sets her aflame. The family is unable to save her, deepening the blood-soaked tension.

Seth enters the crypt to light the torches but is murdered when a sword emerges from a cane, fulfilling Rufus's grim promise. The killer's reach into the crypt confirms that the curse extends beyond the living.

The masked killer knocks out a policeman guarding the house and then strangles Vivian as she bathes. Deborah discovers the danger and is dragged away to the bog. The killer's identity remains hidden, heightening the suspense.

In the climactic fight, Phillip is revealed to be the killer, driven by resentment toward his family. He battles Robert, but ultimately sinks into the bog, dying as the will foretold. The surviving members escape the worst of the carnage.

Robert and Deborah survive and the police piece together the killer's identity. They discover that Phillip's supposed alcoholism was a ruse; the 'booze' were just tea, revealing his motive and the deception that allowed the murders. Justice is implied, though the family bond lies in ruins.