Plot
The film depicts a documentary using found footage recorded by filmmaker and paranormal investigator Margot Bentley, her girlfriend Rebecca Vickers, and brother Chase Bentley in 2023 (present day). The recovered footage was edited together by Margot’s friend Bradley Moynahan, who provides commentary alongside journalist Alice Harper. The film’s narrative provides connections to previous films and the franchise’s lore involving the hotel and cult leader Andrew Tully.
In the film, Margot and Rebecca travel to a remote manor house in Rockland County (one town over from the location of Hell House LLC's Abaddon Hotel) to investigate the infamous Carmichael family murders. Although Arthur Carmichael and his son, Patrick, were the suspected murderers, neither of the two have been seen since the murders, and there was only one pair of footprints leaving from the house. Margot’s interest in the paranormal began after a man in a clown costume tried to abduct her at a carnival when she was a child. Margot and Rebecca are joined in their investigation by Chase, who has a history of psychosis and was drawn to help Margot on the investigation after a psychotic episode. In the house they find a locked storage room full of paraphernalia, which later is revealed to be from the same carnival, including three clown mannequins.
During the investigation, the women learn that artifacts from the Abaddon Hotel are being exhibited at a local antique store and go to see them. Rebecca recognizes a grandfather clock from the hotel, finding film reels, documents, and a cross pendant in a hidden compartment of the clock. Chase, in the manor alone while the women visit the antique store, is frightened by apparent movement of the clowns and sees a masked woman. Margot and Rebecca return to the house and Chase convinces them that the manor is actually haunted.
The recovered film reels are sent to Bradley, who includes them in the documentary, depicting footage recorded by Catherine prior to and after Margaret’s death, which revealed Margaret to be the masked woman. Patrick would later get into a car crash with Margaret, killing her, although he survived, albeit with the use of only one of his arms. He would grow withdrawn and disturbed, with Catherine giving him the pendant to protect him. Further footage reveals Patrick joined Tully’s cult with the hope to resurrect Margaret, moved the clowns into his bedroom, and kept Margaret’s bloodied dress as a memento. Later, the cult members invade the manor, where Catherine is killed by Margaret’s ghost.
In the present, Rebecca’s presentation to a real estate partner is disrupted by Catherine’s ghost. Though Margot agrees to leave the manor in the morning, Chase disappears overnight, leaving his possessions behind. Footage reveals Chase was approached in his bedroom by one of the clowns, who pursued and killed him. Margot and Rebecca leave the house, but find their car battery is dead. An attempt to walk to the nearest town through the surrounding woodland is thwarted by members of the cult, forcing the two to flee back to the manor.
Disturbing text messages from Chase drive the two women to flee into the car, but the cult members surround them. Returning to the manor once again, Margot hears Chase calling for her, leaving Rebecca, who is killed by Catherine’s ghost. Margot finds Chase’s eyeless corpse, before being stalked by the clown, who corners and attacks her. Patrick is identified as the clown and the one who tried to abduct Margot as a child. In a final scene, Patrick apologises to a camera, before yelling at an unseen man to be quiet, departing through a doorway into a red-tinted room, implied to be another gate to Hell as seen in previous films.
A mid credit scene features Alice mentioning the fair is coming back to town. An image of a clown is seen peeking through a window in the background.
