Voodoo Man

Nicholas runs an isolated gas station in the countryside, establishing the claustrophobic setting. He gives directions and keeps to himself, hinting at a hidden pattern behind the disappearances. This station becomes the crossroads for many of the film's later events.

Two men, Toby and Grego, block the road with a barricade and uncover a hidden road. They capture the young woman driver, becoming the third missing motorist reported on Laurel Road that month. The capture sets off the central mystery of the film.

Ralph Benton, a Hollywood screenwriter, stops at the gas station but leaves before anything can be pumped. He ends up running out of gas on the road, setting his own predicament in motion. His path will soon intersect with Stella and the bizarre events at Marlowe's house.

Stella Saunders stops at the station to get directions and then Ralph hitchhikes a ride with her. They travel together, unaware of the danger stalking Laurel Road. This ride ties a writer to the case as Stella becomes a vehicle for the story's supernatural plot.

Dr. Richard Marlowe's car is mysteriously disabled after Stella's ride, and he orders his men to kidnap Stella. The abduction demonstrates the reach of Marlowe's influence beyond his own home. The scene heightens the sense that a ritual is already in motion.

Marlowe introduces Stella to Evelyn, his wife who has been dead for 22 years yet seems preserved. He explains that he wants something from Stella to help his wife—her will to live and her mind. The introduction establishes the central motive for the voodoo events.

A voodoo ceremony is staged with Stella, Evelyn, and four women as witnesses. Marlowe attempts to transfer Stella's mind into Evelyn's body to resurrect his wife, a transfer that succeeds only briefly. The ritual marks the film's fantastical core.

Stella escapes during the ceremony, slipping out of custody in a trance-like state. The sheriff and his deputy locate her and bring her to the Benton apartment for safety. The escape escalates the danger and connects Stella to Ralph's search.

Nicholas uses voodoo to draw Stella back toward him, reasserting his hold over the case. The resurgent danger reconnects Stella to the gas station's occult circle and Marlowe's experiments. The scene deepens the film's eerie supernatural thread.

Ralph and Betty visit Marlowe and are shown a portrait of his dead wife. Evelyn wanders into view for a moment, then is taken away by an older woman. The visit heightens tension and reveals the husband's fixation.

Marlowe speculates that Betty might have perfect affinity with his wife and orders another summoning as Ralph phones the sheriff. The ritual intensifies as living participants are drawn into the trance. The tension builds toward a confrontation.

Ralph arrives in the middle of the ceremony and is knocked out by Grego. The sheriff and deputy arrive as Evelyn briefly returns to life, and Marlowe is shot dead, uttering 'Soon, we will be together' as he dies. Stella and Betty emerge from their trances, and Ralph turns the night’s events into a script, even naming Bela Lugosi as the star.