In the ominous backdrop of 18th-century Eastern Europe, Marquis Jacques Antoine Saturnin d'Urfé finds his life completely altered by the whims of fate. One dismal night, as he tumbles through the darkness seeking shelter, he encounters a stranger who dismisses him, suggesting that he seek out Gorcha, a figure engulfed in mystery. The next day, navigating the treacherous forest, he catches a glimpse of Gorcha's daughter, Sdenka, her haunting melody weaving through the trees, only for her to vanish when he draws near. Soon, he meets Piotr, Gorcha's youngest son, who reluctantly agrees to lead Jacques Antoine to their home.
Upon reaching the Gorcha residence, Jacques Antoine is introduced to the family: Jegor, the eldest son, Anja his wife, and their young boy Vlad. The air hangs heavy with suspense, revealing that Gorcha has mysteriously disappeared, leaving behind only murmurs about his fate. Piotr and Sdenka share the unsettling truth with Jacques Antoine: their father set off to seek revenge against Turkish marauders that devastated their village, and if he did not return within six days, he would likely be dead; a return after that, however, would signal his transformation into a vourdalak, a feared creature.
While Jegor scoffs at the very thought of such monsters, Jacques Antoine's presence unveils a tangled web of secrets within the Gorcha family dynamics. Captivated by Sdenka, who secretly loves a traveling man and faces the community's disdain for it, he becomes entwined in their struggles.
As darkness blankets the Gorcha estate, Jacques Antoine's own grim history unravels, hounding him with nightmarish visions of Gorcha, whose horrifying return serves to heighten the family's anxiety. The deterioration of Vlad's health leads Sdenka and Piotr, with Jacques Antoine's aid, to prepare for a desperate ritual that may rescue their kin from the clutches of the vourdalaks—creatures that feast on their own.
When night shrouds the landscape further, Jacques Antoine is jolted awake to the unsettling sight of Vlad roaming outside, accompanied by the ghostly figure of Gorcha, his existence in tatters. Tension escalates as Jacques Antoine attempts to confront the tortured Gorcha, only to be thrown against a tree, witnessing as Vlad's blood is consumed from Gorcha's grotesque lips. Morning reveals a somber reality as the family mourns Vlad's death, marked by a haunting funeral ritual.
Amidst the grief, Piotr urges Jegor to deliver the final blow, but Gorcha interrupts, offering a reproachful glance at the family. Piotr's valor soon crumbles as he hesitates in facing Gorcha, who ominously hints at being responsible for the death of Sdenka's beloved. This chilling revelation plunges Jacques Antoine into deeper apprehension.
Under Gorcha's sinister influence, Jacques Antoine and Sdenka find themselves ensnared in a grim dance, while Piotr, once scorned for his perceived weakness, dons makeup and a garland, rallying himself to confront Gorcha. The patriarch's untimely end at Gorcha's hands underscores the haunting reality of death that lurks ever-present.
As the family's troubles intensify, blame is thrust onto Jacques Antoine; Jegor's wrath erupts as he demands Jacques Antoine's departure, threatening him with lethal consequences should he return. Confined to the cellar, Jacques Antoine hears a desperate cry from Vlad, summoning his mother, Anja.
Through a grimy window, Jacques Antoine's eyes meet Vlad's vacant gaze, beckoning Anja. In a futile attempt to save her, he warns her of the impending doom, only to be met with silence as Vlad drains her lifeblood. When dawn breaks, Sdenka seeks out Jacques Antoine, resigned to her fate at the cliff's edge, held back only by her brother's presence.
When Jegor and the now-vourdalak Anja confront Jacques Antoine, he is gifted a horse as he embarks on a desperate search for Sdenka. His journey through desolate landscapes leads him back to the manor as twilight approaches. Sdenka's voice, ethereal and enchanting, lures him closer, but as he succumbs to her call, he realizes too late that Gorcha has been feeding on him. Driven by a fierce resolve, Jacques Antoine plunges his weapon into Gorcha and escapes as the manor is engulfed in flames.
Gathered around a table, Jegor, Anja (now one of the cursed), Vlad, and the vampirized Piotr become trapped in a peculiar alliance. As Jacques Antoine rides away from the inferno, he leaves behind the shattered remnants of a family ensnared in eternal darkness.
In the early light of dawn, Jacques Antoine discovers Sdenka at the precipice, her gaze lost in the abyss below. With urgency, he implores her to ponder her choice, revealing that his own time dwindles yet offering her a chance at freedom. In a final act of sacrifice, he relinquishes his horse and unrolls a map of Europe, symbolizing hope for a new horizon. With a heart full of courage, he leaps into the unknown. As silence reigns, Sdenka solemnly mounts the steed, her spirit burdened but her journey leading her to the doorstep of a gracious French duchess, who welcomes her into a realm of safety and solace amidst the chaos that once dictated their lives.
