The Tommyknockers

Bobbi stumbles over a manmade stone object protruding from the ground. She and Gard begin to excavate it and uncover a series of connected cubes made of an unknown alloy. Their dog Peter watches curiously as the town of Haven, Maine, seems to hold its breath.

As more of the object is unearthed, residents begin to suffer insomnia and display rudimentary telepathy. The town's inhabitants also start inventing odd gadgets powered by a green glow. The changes spread to both children and adults, signaling a growing, inexplicable influence.

Gard is astonished when Bobbi's telepathic typewriter can produce a well-written novel about buffalo soldiers. The writing seems to reveal a sudden surge of creative power in Bobbi and others. The phenomenon makes them wonder what costs might lie behind these abilities.

Gard has a metal plate in his head from a skiing accident, which Bobbi believes might inhibit the alien influence. This concern raises the possibility that someone else could be spared from the changes. The couple debates whether the changes are harmful or a new form of life.

In Haven, Hilly Brown uses his 'magic machine' on his brother Davey in an attempt to bring him back. The ritual backfires and Davey disappears, triggering alarm among the adults. Ev Hillman and others begin to take note of the town's new powers and the strange rules that follow.

Sheriff Merrill leads a search for Davey, but the townspeople become consumed with their inventions and energy drains. The pursuit is hampered by fatigue and apathy as the scent of something bigger and dangerous grows stronger. The town's fear and obsession deepen the crisis.

Hilly's grandfather Ev researches Haven's history, uncovering newspaper articles dating back two centuries about mass murders and deadly hunting accidents. A Native American tribal chief claims the area is cursed. The pattern hints at an ancient, lingering force connected to the buried object.

Merrill becomes convinced Bobbi had something to do with Davey's disappearance and nearly arrests her at the excavation site. When she tries to contact Trooper Duggan, Merrill is knocked unconscious by an attack of dolls. The town's phone lines go dead, cutting off communication.

Trooper Duggan arrives with two other troopers to investigate the town's sudden sickness. He is shocked by Haven's apathy and the strange green energy pulsing around them as the illness takes hold. Nancy Voss's lipstick disintegrator ray activates and begins destroying objects, pulling the troopers into danger.

Gard, feigning allegiance to the group, removes his own tooth and convinces Bobbi that they must descend into the alien object to fully become. He uncovers a large cache of alien technology in Bobbi's locked garage and finds Davey trapped in a crystal along with Sheriff Merrill and Ev Hillman, all glowing with green energy. Ev warns Gard that Davey is 'with the tommyknockers.'

Gard and Bobbi descend hundreds of feet into a buried alien starship, supposedly controlled telepathically by an alien pilot. They encounter mummified aliens and realize the ship is powered by Davey, who is trapped in a crystal and used to feed the ship's life force. The ship's influence threatens to drain the life from Bobbi and the others.

Bobbi confronts the truth and admits she experimented on her dog, acknowledging her role in Davey's peril. The flood of emotion breaks the ship's mental hold over Bobbi, allowing her to resist its control. She and Gard free Davey from his crystal prison as Gard connects himself to the ship.

On the surface, the townspeople realize the ship is active and rush toward the excavation site. Bobbi and Davey exit the ship and flee into the woods. Gard destroys the ship's external portal controls to prevent anyone from entering the vessel again.

Bryant Brown is killed in a failed attempt to shoot the ship's hull, enraging Nancy Voss. Nancy tries to kill Bobbi and Davey but is choked to death by Ev Hillman. Ev dies, and Bobbi and Davey narrowly escape the immediate danger as the town collapses into chaos.

The alien vessel lifts off and Gard pilots it high into the sky, causing the ship to explode just as life begins to stir again among the aliens. His sacrifice halts the immediate threat but costs him his life. Bobbi mourns Gard's sacrifice as Haven slowly begins to return to normal.