Plot What Lies Beneath

after daughter leaves college, claire spencer begins noticing odd activity coming new neighbors, mary , warren feur, in rural vermont. claire s husband norman, accomplished scientist , professor, dismisses preoccupation. after witnessing volatile behavior next-door , failing see mary several days, claire suspects warren may have killed her. claire , friend jody, mystic, hold séance in claire s bathroom, hoping contact mary, no success. after jody leaves, claire finds bathtub full of hot water , message know written in steam on vanity. hysterical, goes call husband , finds computer typing letters mef on , over.

norman disbelieves claire, convinced mary haunting her. several days later, mary arrives @ house alive , well, , explains , warren had fight, , left stay mother in rhode island week. claire continues experience strange phenomena in house: down lake, sees image of woman floating in water, , discovers key inside heater vent. in broken picture frame, comes across newspaper clipping of missing woman named madison elizabeth frank, bears striking resemblance her, , initials match mef.

claire visits madison s mother, claiming have been acquaintance, , steals lock of madison s hair mother has kept. later night, claire reads conjuring dead, , becomes possessed. when norman arrives home work, claire s personality has noticeably changed, , aggressively seduces him. while on top of him, notices eyes turn blue green, , face shifts of madison s; horrified throws floor, , claire comes senses. admits having had affair madison, student, , claire recalls repressed memory of having caught 2 having sex. upset, claire spends night jody, reveals had witnessed norman arguing blonde woman @ cafe in nearby town of adamant year earlier.

the next morning claire returns home , finds norman comatose in tub hair dryer, apparent suicide attempt. paramedics called, given clean bill of health. convinced madison s spirit attempting take revenge, claire asks norman if killed madison, denies. claire visits adamant, spots ornate lockboxes @ shop identical keys 1 found in house. in lake, discovers identical box, unlocks matching key; inside, finds necklace. norman changes story, , claims madison killed herself in home, , disposed of body putting in car , pushing lake.

norman agrees confess authorities, , calls 911 , explains has information madison s disappearance. leaves room, , claire redials phone discover dialed 411 (information), faking conversation. norman attacks her, , paralyzes injecting succinylcholine. begins feel effects , attempts crawl away fails, admits murdering madison after had threatened go dean of university affair. norman places claire in bathtub, fills water. bathtub fills, spots madison s necklace around claire s neck; moves her, face contorts of madison s corpse. startled, norman slips , smashes head on sink, , knocked unconscious.

claire, recovering paralysis, manages shut tap off in time save herself drowning. regains strength , finds norman has left bathroom. discovers him seemingly unconscious downstairs, head bleeding profusely. awakens , attacks her, , flees in couple s truck, has boat hitched back. crossing bridge on lake champlain, norman bursts through window , grabs claire; frantically dials 911 on cell phone , truck careens down embankment lake. underwater, claire escapes out window, norman grabs leg. truck dislodges madison s car @ bottom of lake, , body floats toward them. madison grabs norman , drowns, allowing claire swim surface. later in winter, claire places single red rose on madison s grave.