What Is Anguish About?
The premise of Anguish in 301 words, with nothing given away. The full story follows below.
In the quiet aftermath of a family tragedy, a teenage girl is forced to leave the familiar streets of her hometown and settle in a small, unassuming town that feels both new and oddly familiar. The relocation is meant to be a fresh start for her and her mother, but the lingering weight of loss casts long shadows over their daily routine, turning ordinary moments into subtle reminders of what has been left behind. The film settles into a low‑light, almost‑whispered world where the line between memory and present feels fragile and mutable.
Tess arrives in this unsettled setting with a restless mind and an instinct that something unseen is watching her. At the edge of town she encounters the lingering echo of Lucy, a young woman whose life was cut short in a sudden accident. Though the cause of Lucy’s absence is never spoken of outright, her presence begins to surface in quiet, unsettling ways—soft sounds, fleeting glances, and an uncanny feeling that the house itself is holding its breath. As Tess grapples with these impressions, she finds herself drawn toward unraveling the mystery surrounding Lucy, a pursuit that forces her to confront her own inner turmoil and the unspoken tensions that knot her family together.
The tone of Anguish is one of measured dread and introspection, blending the ordinary rhythms of small‑town life with a lingering, almost palpable sense of the supernatural. The cinematography favors muted palettes and lingering shots that let silence speak louder than dialogue, while the soundtrack hums with a melancholic undercurrent that mirrors the characters’ search for closure. Within this atmosphere, themes of grief, identity, and the delicate balance between the living and the departed unfold, inviting the audience to wonder what it truly means to let go—and what, if anything, lingers when we try.
What Happens in Anguish?
The complete story of Anguish, from the first scene to the last, in 651 words (about 3 minutes). Spoilers throughout. Names in the text link to 4 cast member pages.
Spoilers ahead
Lucy Amberley Gridley and her mother Sarah are driving along a quiet road when Lucy asks if she can go on a camping trip. When Sarah refuses, Lucy angrily exits the car and is struck by an oncoming vehicle, a sudden tragedy that looms over the beginnings of the story.
Meanwhile, Tess is a teenage girl who has long wrestled with what looks like mental instability. She has moved into a new house with her mother Jessica in search of a fresh start. As Tess and Jessica settle in, Tess wheels her skateboard past the very road where Lucy was hit, pausing before a roadside cross bearing Lucy’s picture. An unseen force seems to push Tess down into the dirt, trapping her there and making it feel like she cannot leave. She eventually rises and makes her way home, but soon begins to experience phenomena that she insists are more than simple hallucinations.
Tess eventually crosses paths with Sarah’s bookstore, where she says something to Sarah that only Lucy could know. This moment raises serious questions for Sarah and blurs the line between memory and reality. As Tess grapples with what she’s experiencing, she is forced to confront them—she even looks into a mirror and sees her eye color shift from blue to brown, over and over, a quiet, unsettling sign that something is unsettled inside her.
After what appears to be a mental breakdown, Tess collapses at the front door just as Jessica returns from work. She is hospitalized, placed under constant supervision, medicated, and enrolled in therapy. A priest from Jessica’s church visits and suggests that possession might be involved, adding another layer of mystery to Tess’s ordeal.
Tess is discharged and returns to her bedroom to find that Jessica has boarded up the window for Tess’s protection. Yet the strange, otherworldly disturbances persist, and Tess, who refuses to eat, is driven into town by Jessica—only to bolt from the car and run toward Lucy’s home. There she embraces Sarah, while Jessica watches in confusion and fear.
Inside Lucy’s bedroom, Sarah explains a difficult possibility: Tess may have a gift that allows spirits to channel through her body so they can say goodbye to their loved ones and move on. Sarah believes that Lucy’s spirit has begun to inhabit Tess’s body, and her aim is to communicate with Lucy so she can move on. At first, Lucy speaks through Tess, saying she doesn’t want to leave; she’s tired of doctors and medicine, but Sarah urges that moving on is the right path, and Lucy eventually consents.
Lucy does leave Tess’s body, but another spirit appears and lunges from the bed, prompting Sarah and Jessica to lock Tess in the basement for safety. Jessica goes downstairs to check on Tess, only to be confronted by the figure within Tess; Lucy reenters Tess’s body and pleads to see her mother once more.
Lucy asks for one more night with her mother, and Jessica agrees. After that night, Sarah tells Lucy that it’s time to move on, and Lucy exits Tess’s body, finding herself in a shimmering spirit world where she encounters Tess, who reveals she wants to go back and hugs Lucy. An invisible force attacks Lucy, and a bright light signals that Lucy has moved on. Tess returns to her own body, and life seems to return to a fragile normalcy—her mother remains unsure whether Tess has truly improved. Later, in a coffee shop, Tess is asked for her name but does not reply. Back at home, Tess sits playing a song she learned from Lucy on a guitar; as she plays, her eye color shifts again from blue to brown, hinting that Lucy’s presence and the journey they shared have left a lasting trace on Tess. The ending leaves a quiet sense that the boundary between the living and the departed has shifted for Tess and for Lucy’s memory.
Anguish Timeline: Every Key Event in Order
15 key events in the order they happen, from “Lucy is hit by a car” to “Final moment: eye color change and song”. 15 events name a place, across 12 locations.
- 1
Lucy is hit by a car
Lucy asks her mother if she can go camping, but Sarah says no. Lucy angrily exits the car, and immediately is struck by an oncoming vehicle. This accident becomes the catalyst for the haunting that follows.
Where:Road outside Lucy's town
- 2
Tess experiences a supernatural push after arriving at the new house
Tess and her mother Jessica move into a new house. While Tess lingers near the road where Lucy was hit, an unseen force pushes her down into the dirt and won't let her get back up. The encounter marks the beginning of a string of unsettling events.
Where:Near the road where Lucy was hit
- 3
Tess starts noticing paranormal phenomena
Back home, Tess begins to experience phenomena she can't explain and initially chalks them up to hallucinations. She grows wary as odd occurrences escalate around her. The line between reality and perception starts to blur.
Where:Tess's home
- 4
Tess reveals Lucy's knowledge to Sarah
Tess visits Sarah's bookstore and says something that only Lucy would know, shocking Sarah. The revelation makes Sarah suspicious that something supernatural may be involved. The moment hints at a link between Tess's experiences and Lucy's fate.
Where:Sarah's bookstore
- 5
Mirror confrontation and eye color change
Tess confronts the visions in a mirror, and her eye color shifts from blue to brown repeatedly. The changes feel supernatural and suggest that someone else is inhabiting her. The moment signals an escalation of the possession-like phenomena.
Where:Tess's room
- 6
Tess hospitalized after a breakdown
Tess collapses at the front door and is rushed to the hospital. She is placed under constant supervision, given medication, and placed in therapy. The medical response contrasts with the growing spiritual interpretation of her experiences.
Where:Hospital
- 7
A priest suspects possession
A priest from Jessica's church visits Tess and suggests that possession may be involved. He offers a spiritual framework for what the doctors are seeing. The idea adds a faith-based dimension to the unfolding events.
Where:Hospital
- 8
Discharged and home, but guarded
Tess is discharged and returns to her bedroom, which Jessica has boarded up for protection. She continues to experience paranormal phenomena and refuses to eat. The guardianship tightens as fear and care compete.
Where:Tess's bedroom
- 9
Tess escapes to Sarah and Lucy's house
Jessica drives Tess into town, but Tess lunges from the car and runs toward Sarah and Lucy's house. She reaches them and is drawn into the tension surrounding Lucy's fate. The journey marks a turning point where Tess's experiences become a direct bridge to Lucy.
Where:Neighborhood and Sarah & Lucy's house
- 10
Lucy channels through Tess to say goodbye
Sarah explains that Tess may have a gift to channel spirits so they can say goodbye and move on. The idea is that Lucy has taken possession of Tess to speak with loved ones. The explanation frames what has been happening as a purposeful connection.
Where:Sarah's home
Show the other 5 events of Anguish Hide the last 5 events
- 11
A second spirit takes over; Tess is imprisoned
Lucy leaves Tess's body, but another spirit apparently enters Tess; Sarah and Jessica lock Tess in the basement to contain the situation. The struggle underscores the peril and the fragility of Tess's body. Hope for resolution depends on moving Lucy on.
Where:Tess's basement
- 12
One more night with her mother
Lucy, inhabiting Tess's body, asks for one more night with her mother and Jessica agrees. The intimate moment is fraught with emotion as the living and the dead share a final contact. The plan remains to let Lucy move on after one last goodbye.
Where:Tess's bedroom
- 13
Lucy moves on; Tess returns to herself
After the night, Sarah tells Lucy that it's time to move on, and Lucy exits Tess's body into the spirit world. Tess returns to her own body, and life seems to return to a fragile normalcy. The family remains unsure of how much Tess has changed.
Where:Spirit world
- 14
Tess is silent when asked for her name in a coffee shop
Later, in a coffee shop, someone asks Tess for her name and she does not respond. The moment hints that Tess's identity has shifted in some lasting way. The film leaves this ambiguity hanging.
Where:Coffee shop
- 15
Final moment: eye color change and song
Back at home, Tess plays and sings Lucy's song on the guitar, the same tune Lucy made up. Her eye color shifts from blue to brown as a final visual reminder of Lucy's influence. The closing images suggest a lasting, unsettled connection rather than a tidy ending.
Where:Tess's home
Who Are the Main Characters in Anguish?
4 characters, among them Lucy (Amberley Gridley), Sarah (Karina Logue) and Tess (Ryan Simpkins): who each one is and the part they play in the story.
- L(
Lucy (Amberley Gridley)
A teenage girl whose wish to go camping leads to a fatal car accident, setting off the haunting at the heart of the story. Her spirit lingers near the cross memorial and later inhabits Tess to reach her mother, driving the search for a farewell. Lucy embodies grief’s persistence and the ache for a final goodbye.
- 🚗 Teen
- 👻 Spirit
- 🕯️ Tragedy catalyst
- S(
Sarah (Karina Logue)
Lucy’s mother and a bookstore owner who provides a calm, practical counterpoint to the unfolding horror. She becomes a conduit for belief in the supernatural, insisting that Lucy’s messages be heard. Her actions reveal a desire to heal a broken family while wrestling with fear and doubt.
- 📚 Bookstore owner
- ❤️ Mother
- 🕯️ Supernatural believer
- T(
Tess (Ryan Simpkins)
A teenage girl with long-simmering mental turmoil who experiences disturbing phenomena and occasionally hosts spirits to say goodbye. Her hospitalizations and medication reflect the struggle to control her life while the haunting tests her sense of self. The eye color change becomes a recurring visual cue of possession.
- 🧠 Troubled teen
- 👁️ Eye color change
- 👻 Vessel for spirits
- J(
Jessica (Annika Marks)
Tess’s mother, anxious and protective, who boards up Tess’s bedroom window to shield her from danger. She seeks help from outside authorities and a priest, balancing concern with fear as paranormal events unfold. Her relationship with Tess reveals the desperation and complexity of parenting under pressure.
- 🏠 Protective mother
- 😨 Anxious
- 🙏 Faith-guided approach
Where and When Is Anguish Set?
Anguish is set in Lucy's Home, Sarah's Bookstore, Tess's Home, The Road Where Lucy Was Hit… (Present day). Here is why the time and place matter to the story.
When
Present day
The events unfold in a contemporary setting with modern transport, medicine, and a church. Grief, fear, and belief in the supernatural collide within everyday life, grounding the horror in the real world. The characters navigate therapy, parental worry, and spiritual questions as the story progresses.
Where
Lucy's Home, Sarah's Bookstore, Tess's Home, The Road Where Lucy Was Hit, Jessica's Home, The Basement, Local Coffee Shop
The story unfolds across familiar suburban spaces. The roadside accident that claims Lucy's life anchors the haunting and frames the family's tragedy. Sarah's bookstore serves as a quiet hub where clues and conversations about the dead surface. Later, Tess's home, her bedroom basement, and a nearby coffee shop become charged spaces where the supernatural interactions unfold.
- 🏡 Suburban setting
- 📚 Bookstore focal point
- 🚗 Roadside tragedy
- 🕯️ Small-town spirituality
What Are the Themes of Anguish?
4 ideas the story keeps returning to, among them Possession, Mental Health and Family Bonds.
-
01
Possession
Possession is used as a gateway for the living to connect with the dead. Lucy’s spirit inhabits Tess to reach her mother and to say goodbye, highlighting grief’s stubborn grip. The film probes consent, boundaries, and whether letting go is an act of love. The final act frames moving on as a choice that reclaims the living from haunting pain.
-
02
Mental Health
Tess’s mental health struggles drive the narrative, with hospitalizations, medication, and therapy as recurring elements. Hallucinations blur the line between perception and reality, illustrating how trauma can distort what is real. The story uses these experiences to explore vulnerability, fear, and resilience. The blue-to-brown eye color change becomes a visual motif of inner turmoil and possession.
-
03
Family Bonds
Two mothers anchor the emotional core: Lucy’s mother, Sarah, and Tess’s mother, Jessica, each reacting differently to crisis. Their responses—belief, protection, and accountability—shape how the families cope with grief and fear. The dynamic between mothers, daughters, and the dead reveals loyalty, guilt, and the drive to protect loved ones. The narrative uses these relationships to ground supernatural events in genuine emotion.
-
04
Moving On
The story centers on the act of letting go, both for the living and the dead. Lucy moves on to a spirit world, while Tess returns to life with questions about her identity. The ending leaves room for doubt, balancing closure with the fragility of healing. Throughout, moving on is presented as a hopeful, ambiguous possibility rather than an immediate resolution.
What Kind of Film Is Anguish?
Melancholic in tone, with slow pacing and a straightforward story, going by the plot summary.
- Tone
- Melancholic
- Pacing
- Slow
- Story
- Straightforward
- Intensity
- Medium
- Ending
- Ambiguous
A slow-burning, melancholic supernatural drama that creates a haunting and somber atmosphere as a grieving family and a troubled teenager confront profound loss and blurred boundaries between the living and the dead.
- melancholic
- haunting
- atmospheric
- anxious
- somber
- unsettling
- grief and loss
- supernatural haunting
- mental illness
- coming of age
Content notes: child death, mental illness, confinement, supernatural torment.
Quiz
How well do you remember Anguish? Test yourself on the story.
