Something terrifying happened to the Bell family of Red River, Tennessee, nearly 200 years ago, causing the death of one of its members, the only validated case in U.S. history where a spirit or entity caused the death of a human being. Bell family patriarch John (Donald Sutherland) and his wife Lucy (Sissy Spacek) are pillars of their community but when a land deal goes sour with one of their neighbors, the woman -- generally considered to be a witch -- curses the family and in particular their beautiful daughter, Betsy (Rachel Hurd-Wood). Soon after, a series of increasingly terrifying episodes are visited upon Betsy and John by a malicious unseen entity. A friend, Richard (James D'Arcy), the local school teacher, tries to help but nothing can stay the demonic onslaught ... finally resulting in death for one of the family. It becomes clear that the Bells and their descendants will never really be totally free from the evil that haunts them -- an entity which they themselves may have helped to create.