The Turning

The film begins at the Fairchild Estate, where Miss Jessel flees in terror, driving to the estate gate. She is abruptly grabbed by an older man before she can leave, indicating a menacing event early in the story. Her frantic escape sets a suspenseful tone for the haunting to come.

In 1994, Kate Mandell arrives at the estate to become the new tutor for Flora. She says goodbye to her roommate Rose and visits her mother Darla, who is in a mental institution suffering from likely schizophrenia. Kate begins her new job amidst an atmosphere of mystery and unease.

Kate meets the estate caretaker, Mrs. Grose, who shows her around the house. She learns that Flora’s brother Miles is away at school and that the children’s parents died nearby in an accident witnessed by Flora. Flora is shown to be an eccentric girl who is protective of her restricted freedom.

During her first night, Kate sees a ghostly woman image through Flora’s window. As she explores the east wing of the house, she encounters strange phenomena, like a statue that appears to move its head, hinting at supernatural activity.

Kate meets Miles, who returns from school and displays a snobbish attitude. She discovers Miss Jessel’s old diary, which details her concerns about Miles and his interactions with Peter Quint, the former riding instructor, raising suspicions about their influence.

While tutoring Flora, Kate notices Miles’s expelled from school for violence and attempts to build rapport. Miles remains reserved and aloof, intensifying Kate’s suspicions about the estate's haunted history and the children’s strange behavior.

Kate experiences disturbing visions, including seeing ghostly images and creepy statues. Her sleep is disrupted, and she becomes increasingly uneasy, suspecting paranormal forces at play within the estate.

On a Saturday, Kate convinces Flora, Miles, and Mrs. Grose to go into town, but Flora panics and runs from the car. Miles ominously warns Kate she is afraid of something, revealing growing tension and her doubts about her surroundings.

Kate uncovers more about Miss Jessel, discovering her troubled relationship with Quint, who was obsessed with her and died after riding drunk. The diary entries paint a disturbing picture of the estate’s dark history and affecting Miles’s behavior.

Kate is led to the pond where Miss Jessel’s body is kept, witnessing her ghost and a horrifying vision of Quint assaulting her. She senses the sinister influence they had over the children and the estate’s haunted past.

Miss Jessel’s ghost pushes Mrs. Grose to her death from a staircase. Kate rushes to gather the children and convinces them to leave the estate, fleeing from the growing supernatural threats and chaos.

After fleeing, Kate questions her sanity when Flora’s doll is broken and she sees Flora in the mirror, suggesting she might be hallucinating. The film ends with her in a mental hospital, experiencing a vision of her mother Darla, implying her mental breakdown.