Ghost Stories 2019

For his television series “Psychic Cheats,” the skeptical Professor Philip Goodman publicly exposes the deceptions of celebrity psychic Mark Van Rhys during a live performance. Following the show, Philip recounts his admiration for Charles Cameron, a psychologist who dedicated his life to debunking paranormal claims but mysteriously vanished.

Shortly after, a surprise package arrives for Philip, containing an audiotape from Cameron, inviting him to his trailer. When they meet, an elderly Charles candidly reveals his past arrogance in dismissing the supernatural. He accuses Philip of being a “conceited coward” for the same reasons, subsequently presenting him with three intriguing case files. Charles challenges Philip to disprove these accounts of purported supernatural events. However, as Philip departs, he experiences a chilling vision of a strange presence looming behind Charles.

Case 1 - Tony Matthews: Philip’s investigation begins with Tony Matthews, a former night security guard whose daughter Marnie suffers from locked-in syndrome. Tony recounts a harrowing night in a deserted asylum where he encountered a ghostly girl clad in yellow who called him “dada.” To further explore this phenomenon, Philip consults Father Richard Emery, the parish priest, who describes how Marnie showed a visceral reaction to her father’s voice in her hospital room. Encouraged by this connection, Philip is prompted to visit his own unresponsive father.

Case 2 - Simon Rifkind: Continuing his investigation, Philip meets teenager Simon Rifkind. Upon entering Simon’s home, Philip witnesses his parents seemingly enchanted in their own world. Climbing the stairs, he discerns a spooky photograph depicting a hooded figure. Simon shares a terrifying experience involving a collision with an unknown creature while driving unsupervised, which resulted in an uncanny encounter with a menacing entity that commanded him to “stay” before he fled into the forest.

Philip later visits the location of Simon’s frightful incident, where a quick glimpse of his own ghostly reflection in his car’s window leaves him rattled.

Case 3 - Mike Priddle: In a remote countryside setting, Philip meets Mike Priddle, who shares his unsettling experiences while his pregnant wife, Maria, was hospitalized. As Mike recounts his encounters with a terrifying poltergeist, Philip momentarily sees the hooded figure. Mike’s story culminates in a haunting vision of his monstrous wife claiming that the real Maria had perished, a revelation tragically confirmed by hospital news of her death during childbirth. Haunted by despair, Mike shockingly takes his own life with a shotgun.

Returning to confront Charles, Philip dismisses all he has witnessed as a ruse. In a surreal twist, Charles reveals himself to be Mike Priddle, stating, “the brain sees what it wants to see,” before opening a rift in reality and guiding Philip through it.

In the eerie landscape of a tunnel by a stream, Philip reflects on being bullied as a child. Here, the identity of the hooded figure becomes clear; it is Desmond Callahan, known as ‘Kojak,’ who tragically meets a grim fate at the hands of the bullies. Confronted by his own guilt, Philip struggles with his inaction that led to Kojak’s death.

As the narrative unfolds, the consequences of Philip’s past decisions come crashing down upon him. A crib materializes, and a harrowing encounter with the ghastly Kojak ensues, leading Philip to a crisis point of terror. Ultimately, it is revealed that Philip exists in a catatonic state following a botched suicide, monitored by doctors Mike Priddle and Simon Rifkind, while Tony Matthews assumes the role of a custodian, cleaning Philip’s room in a twisted irony of his life’s circumstances.