The film unfolds as a compelling anthology that features five short horror stories, each interwoven with themes of science fiction, and cleverly integrated into a documentary-style frame narrative. The narrative is enriched with interviews from ufologists, providing a certain authenticity to the unsettling tales.
The story begins with an anonymous Reddit user who stumbles upon a set of video cassettes at a flea market, believed to hold crucial evidence of an alien encounter. Meanwhile, director Jay Cheel receives an unsolicited email containing digitized footage that brings to life the eerie legend of the "Farrington House" in Canada. This tale references a paranormal group's investigation in the 2000s, led by Mitch Horowitz, who collected various anecdotal accounts related to a mysterious "gray form" purported to be an alien presence.
In a chilling sequence, a police unit known as W.A.R.D.E.N. discovers a run-down house connected to a series of baby disappearances. Rookie officer Segura is assigned to film the mission, only to learn that another team member, Vas Provatakis, is the father of one of the missing infants. As they explore the dilapidated dwelling, the team encounters a zombie-like being and ultimately faces a group of creatures known as Brooders. Amid the chaos, they hear a baby's cries, leading E.T. to confront a horror within the house.
The exploration intensifies when the team finds a meteor on the second floor, which they suspect might be linked to the terrifying events. However, as they ascend, the Brooders inexplicably return to life, creating panic. On the third floor, they come across a tall creature cradling a baby and softly singing a lullaby. Within the attic, they make a gruesome discovery: multiple babies transformed with beaks, alongside a formidable stork-like creature that gruesomely regurgitates E.T.'s corpse into a newborn's mouth. As E.T. reanimates and attacks Segura, the unit is forced to fight back, ultimately defeating both E.T. and the stork. The footage concludes with Segura, now accepted into W.A.R.D.E.N., crushing the stork's head and capturing a final photograph with its carcass.
The narrative then shifts to the 1950s, following a family of Chinese immigrants as they settle into a Victorian home in Toronto. After the demise of the parents, the eldest son is haunted by night terrors that push him to believe their new home is cursed. This belief grows over years until he unexpectedly vanishes shortly after putting the house up for sale.
In another segment, Mumbai paparazzi Arnab and Sonu are on a quest to capture footage of Bollywood’s latest star, Tara. After a mix-up leads them to snooping in her trailer, Arnab stumbles upon an unsettling confrontation that reveals Tara as a gynoid—a synthetic human. Fueled by a desire to escape the confines of fame, Tara goes on a relentless killing spree, eliminating her manager, crew, and eventually even Arnab, before blending into a swarm of paparazzi in a shocking finale.
Throughout the film, Mitch Horowitz provides commentary, reflecting on the significance of alien mythology in popular culture, drawing parallels to author Whitley Strieber's influential work, Communion, which introduced the notion of hostile grey aliens. Interestingly, online personalities Niko Pueringer and Sam Gorski contribute insights on the credibility of alien footage, suggesting that if the visuals remain obscured, skepticism diminishes trust.
A gripping subplot features an animal rights activist group led by Stuart, Angela, Miles, Pat, and Christina, which investigates the unsettling practices of Becky, a woman who operates a dog daycare while keeping taxidermied pets. The narrative takes a dark turn when her brother Bo captures Stuart and Angela, intent on mutating them into grotesque hybrids. As the horrors unfold, the group's other members face deadly consequences in their effort to rescue their friends.
The closing scenes return to Hailey, who documents her findings regarding potential extraterrestrial phenomena in the Mojave Desert. After entering an alien spaceship, she experiences terrifying mutations due to encounters with its mysterious technology. As she struggles to escape, the ship's acceleration traps her in an agonizing cycle of injury and repair, leaving her emotionally shattered and pleading for the daughter she has seemingly abandoned.
The anthology wraps up with a tense reaction from Horowitz and others as they confront footage revealing an alien creature breaking into a boy's room, intensifying the chilling implications of extraterrestrial existence. Each narrative strand weaves together to create a chilling commentary on the unknown and the deeply rooted fears surrounding both aliens and the human condition.
