The Little Stranger

In the atmospheric setting of 1940s Warwickshire, Dr. Faraday is summoned to the crumbling Hundreds Hall to tend to a feigning maid, hoping the doctor would allow her to return home. The estate is now under the ownership of Roderick Ayres, a scarred veteran of the Royal Air Force, marked by the scars of the Second World War, and he is being cared for by his sister, Caroline. As Dr. Faraday reflects on his formative years, he recalls a visit to the magnificent house in 1919, when his mother was a maid for the esteemed Ayres family, which also included the young Suki, who he had once upset by breaking a part of the intricate plasterwork.

Strange disturbances begin to plague the household, sending chills down the spine of Caroline, Mrs. Ayres, and the maid. Unexplained ringing of the servants’ bells echoes throughout the halls, a vintage communication tube linking the empty nursery to the kitchen mysteriously activates, and soon, Mrs. Ayres finds herself trapped in the nursery as shadows close in around her. Desperate to escape, she injures herself breaking free from the room, only to come to the terrifying conclusion that Suki’s spirit may be lurking close by.

Tragedy strikes as Mrs. Ayres ultimately chooses to end her own life bloodily with glass from a shattered picture frame. Following the funeral, Roderick warns Caroline to leave the haunted house to avoid a similarly grim fate. However, during the night of mourning, Dr. Faraday and a hesitant Caroline decide to wed in just six weeks. Yet soon, Caroline breaks off the engagement, claiming that life with Faraday would never bring happiness and declaring her intent to sell Hundreds Hall. Despite his insistence that she is merely weary, she remains resolute.

One ominous evening, Dr. Faraday is occupied elsewhere when Caroline unexpectedly tumbles to her demise from the second floor. The subsequent inquest reveals chilling testimonies from the maid, who claims to have heard Caroline reply to a strange noise with a cry of “You!” before falling. In the inquest, Dr. Faraday asserts that her mental state was compromised, leading the coroner to rule her death as a suicide, a conclusion the court supports.

In the months that follow, Dr. Faraday returns to Hundreds Hall, which is now up for sale. Clinging to the keys Caroline had given him, he experiences a haunting moment as he departs; he sees the ghostly visage of a youthful Faraday gazing down from the staircase where Caroline met her tragic end, before it fades into the darkness.

Last Updated: November 04, 2024 at 01:37