The Gathering

Cassie Grant is struck by a car while wandering through England on her way to Ashby Wake. The impact leaves her with memory loss, and she cannot recall who she is, where she comes from, or why she is in England. At the hospital, doctors determine she has only scratches and no concussion, and explain that the memory loss is a shock-related condition that may recover with time.

Mrs. Marion Kirkman feels guilty about the accident and offers Cassie a place to stay while she recovers. The Kirkman household becomes Cassie's temporary home as she regains her memories, and the family tries to protect her from the town's mysteries. The invitation deepens Cassie's dependence on strangers and entangles her in local affairs.

While settling into the town, Cassie meets Dan Blakely, a man she believes she knows though she cannot place him. Their conversations spark a sense of recognition and unease as she tries to piece together the fragments of her memory. The meeting pulls her deeper into the town's unsettling undercurrents.

Cassie becomes acquainted with Mrs. Kirkman’s husband Simon, an art historian studying a first-century church unearthed in Glastonbury after two visitors at the festival fell through an open roof. The discovery links the town to ancient religious imagery and introduces a mysterious relief that depicts the crucifixion with observers. The church relic begins to hint at a larger secret at work in Ashby Wake.

Within the church there is an unusual stone relief showing the crucifixion attended by unseen onlookers. Cassie realizes this imagery points to a group called The Gathering, immortals who watch catastrophes for eternity. The concept echoes ancient legends about witnessing and moral distance, setting up the central mystery.

Over the following days Cassie experiences visions foretelling events in the town and begins recognizing people who seem to watch her. She investigates Frederick Michael Argyle, the local auto mechanic, and discovers a scrapbook detailing abuse at a nearby orphanage. She learns Argyle himself is a survivor who plans revenge on Ashby Wake for the past cruelties.

Cassie uncovers that Argyle was among the abused children, and he identifies with the young Michael. She discovers that the orphanage responsible for the abuse is actually the Kirkmans’ house, linking the family directly to the town’s dark history. Argyle’s plan for vengeance intensifies the sense of imminent catastrophe.

The local priest and bishop uncover the strange news about The Gathering and rush to inform Mr. Kirkman. On the way, the priest sees The Gathering on a bridge by the highway and dies in a car accident. The gathering watches as mortals’ fates collide, heightening the tension in Ashby Wake.

That same day, Cassie experiences a vision showing the priest abusing the abused child with three local men watching and laughing. She follows the vision into the house and finds Michael standing over photographs of the archaeological site, one of them horrifying her. The sequence deepens the link between memory, place, and the town’s sins.

After the priest’s death, the bishop conveys the ominous news to Mr. Kirkman, who immediately leaves to race home and protect his wife and children. The sense of an approaching catastrophe grows as the town’s secrets close in. Cassie’s warnings have not yet convinced the wider community.

Cassie attends the local fair with the Kirkman children and senses The Gathering gathering around the grounds. Dan confronts the authorities and kills an officer, revealing his affiliation with The Gathering. The group’s manipulation shows they no longer merely observe, but actively set up catastrophes.

Cassie intervenes to stop Argyle from blowing up the festival and harming the crowd. She cannot prevent Argyle from seeking vengeance on those who abused him, however, as the confrontation turns violent. The film moves toward its climax with danger still looming and the threat to the Kirkman family unresolved.

In a harrowing chase sequence, Cassie sacrifices herself to prevent Argyle from killing the Kirkman children. Mr. Kirkman arrives in time to restrain Argyle, saving his family but at Cassie’s expense. Her death completes the immediate danger, but the larger truth about The Gathering remains.

Immediately after her death, Cassie appears among The Gathering, their gaze fixed on Argyle’s dying moments. Unlike the others, she weeps and shows compassion, suggesting her humanity helps end her wandering existence. The film ends with her voicing that she has found peace, ending her life of wandering.