The Evictors (1979) Plot Summary Explained

Dwayne Monroe kills the tenants as part of a decades-long real estate scam run by his family. He purposely terrorizes new residents to force them to leave, which triggers the house to be sold again. Each new sale generates profit for the Monroe family, with Dwayne handling the murders, his sister-in-law Olie facilitating the scheme, and his brother Todd (posing as Jake Rudd) handling the real estate transactions.

Foreshadowing: The film shows flashbacks of the lurker murdering previous tenants, establishing a pattern that directly serves the family's financial motive.

• dwayne monroe
• murders
• real estate scam
• terrorize tenants
• monroe family

The scam works by selling the same haunted house to successive victims. Todd Monroe, operating as real estate agent Jake Rudd, sells the property to unsuspecting buyers. Dwayne Monroe (the lurker) then terrorizes the new residents to drive them away or kill them, forcing another sale. The family splits the profits from each transaction. This scheme has been running since the 1928 foreclosure and shootout that originally drove the Monroes from the property.

Foreshadowing: Ruth notices that every new resident has met a violent end, and the pattern of fear correlates directly with new real estate transactions.

• real estate scam
• jake rudd
• todd monroe
• monroe family
• profit
• housing scheme

The lurker is Dwayne Monroe, one of the surviving Monroe family members. He lives in the house next door to the Monroe property with Anna, who is actually his sister-in-law Olie Monroe. Dwana performs the physical killings while his family members orchestrate the overall scheme from behind the scenes.

Foreshadowing: The lurker is shown in flashbacks murdering tenants throughout the 1930s, connecting the present-day terror to the house's violent history.

• lurker
• dwayne monroe
• stalker
• next door
• killer

Ruth shoots Ben when she tries to defend herself from the lurking killer. As Ben confronts the intruder, Ruth fires at the figure in the darkness but misses and hits her husband instead. The accidental shooting occurs during the climactic confrontation when both are terrified and operating in low visibility.

Foreshadowing: Earlier scenes establish Ruth's fear and isolation when Ben is away, building to this tragic moment where her panic leads to the film's most devastating mistake.

• ruth shoots ben
• accident
• confrontation
• death
• accidental shooting

Ruth joins the scam because the relentless cycle of violence and manipulation has corrupted her completely. By 1947, five years after witnessing her husband's death and the family's brutal operations, Ruth has become unhinged and willingly marries Jake. She embraces the same ruthless legacy that once victimized her, perpetuating the violent scheme as a willing participant rather than a victim.

Foreshadowing: Ruth's gradual discovery of the pattern and her survival of the initial terror foreshadows her transformation from victim to perpetrator.

• ruth joins scam
• 1947
• jake
• corrupted
• legacy
• ending

Jake Rudd, the friendly real estate agent who sells Ben and Ruth the house, is actually Todd Monroe. He is part of the Monroe family running the scam, using a fake name to appear as an outsider trustworthy to buyers. He is the brother-in-law of Olie Monroe and works with her and Dwayne to perpetuate the murder-for-profit scheme.

Foreshadowing: Jake's role as the helpful agent who guides them to the property establishes his position within the family's operations.

• jake rudd
• todd monroe
• real estate agent
• identity
• revealed

Dwayne kills Olie (who has been posing as Anna next door) during a confrontation in their house. The murder occurs as the family dynamic collapses during the revelations. Dwayne eliminates his own family member, suggesting internal conflict or a desire to silence her as the scheme unravels, though the exact motivation is tied to the escalating chaos.

Foreshadowing: Earlier tension between the family members and the mounting pressure from Ruth's discoveries foreshadow this violent rupture.

• dwayne kills olie
• anna
• murder
• family
• confrontation

In 1928, the bank foreclosed on the Monroe family property, leading to a violent shootout on the premises. This traumatic event forced the Monroes to lose their home, but rather than leave the area, they devised the criminal scheme. The dark reputation from the shootout became part of the house's legend, and the family used the property's cursed status to attract new victims repeatedly.

Foreshadowing: The 1928 foreclosure and shootout establishes the origin of the family's grudge and their motivation to profit from the house's dark history.

• 1928
• foreclosure
• shootout
• monroe family
• history
• origin

Ben is accidentally shot by Ruth during the climactic confrontation with the lurker. When Dwayne breaks into the house, Ben attempts to protect Ruth and fight off the intruder. In the darkness, Ruth fires at the figure she sees, intending to shoot the attacker, but her shot hits Ben instead. He dies from the wound, becoming another victim of the Monroe scheme.

Foreshadowing: The earlier pattern of violence against tenants and Ruth's growing paranoia set up this tragic accidental shooting.

• ben watkins dies
• death
• shot
• accident
• ruth

After deciding to leave, Ruth makes the chilling discovery that the lurker lives in the house directly next door to the Monroe property. The killer is not some distant threat but a neighbor who has been watching and attacking from the adjacent residence. This revelation shows how deeply the Monroe operation has infiltrated the community.

Foreshadowing: The persistent presence of the lurker despite Ruth and Ben's efforts to stay alerts her to investigate beyond the house itself.

• lurker next door
• discovery
• neighbor
• dwayne monroe
• revealed

Anna, who appears to be Dwayne's neighbor and companion, is actually Olie Monroe, Dwayne's sister-in-law. She poses as Anna to live with Dwayne and help run the scam from the next-door house. She is married to Jake Rudd (Todd Monroe), making her part of the extended Monroe family orchestrating the entire scheme.

Foreshadowing: The presence of a woman living with the known killer raises questions about her involvement, which the reveal clarifies.

• anna
• olie monroe
• dwayne
• sister-in-law
• identity
• deception