Audrey Rose 1977

Stranger follows the Templetons in public

The Templetons notice a stranger, Elliot Hoover, following them in public spaces around Manhattan. The sense of being watched grows until he finally reaches out to them by phone and later makes his approach in person. This early contact marks the beginning of a disturbing fixation that looms over the family.

Dinner and a chilling claim: Ivy is Audrey's reincarnation

Elliot is invited to the Templetons' home for dinner, where he claims Ivy is the reincarnation of his late daughter Audrey Rose and says psychics corroborated him. He asserts intimate knowledge of the couple's apartment and that Ivy was born minutes after Audrey died. The couple remains unsettled but curious, weighing belief against skepticism.

Ivy's panic when Audrey's name is spoken; the burns appear

During the visit, Elliot speaks Audrey's name and Ivy enters a panicked state, calmed only by his presence. She bangs her hands against the cold window, leaving unexplained burns on her skin. Elliot comforts her, and she calls him 'Daddy' before falling asleep, deepening the family’s confusion.

Bill's anger and sympathy collide in the home

Bill grows enraged and ejects Elliot from the apartment, even punching him. Janice and Russ, however, are sympathetic to Elliot's plea, clinging to the possibility that Ivy is Audrey's reincarnation. The tension in the home reveals a rift between belief and skepticism.

Night terror escalates; Elliot returns to help

Another night, Ivy's violent night terror returns and Elliot appears at the door to help calm her. In a subsequent confrontation, Bill attacks Elliot again. Elliot ultimately locks the couple out and disappears with Ivy through a service exit.

Abduction and discovery of an apartment

After the struggle, Elliot locks the couple out and escapes with Ivy through a service exit. An attendant later reveals that Elliot has rented an apartment in the building, signaling a new stage in his pursuit. Police eventually locate them and charge Elliot with child abduction.

Trial begins; Ivy sequestered to boarding school

A courtroom trial unfolds while Ivy is sent to a Catholic boarding school in upstate New York to shield her from publicity. Elliot testifies that his actions were necessary to grant peace to Audrey's spirit, and a Hindu holy man testifies to reincarnation beliefs. On the stand, Janice admits she believes Elliot's story.

Ivy's Christmas injury compounds the trial

During a Christmas celebration at the boarding school, Ivy crawls toward a fire pit and sustains burns. The injury underscores the dangers surrounding Ivy's care and the stakes of the trial. The event is reported amid ongoing testimony.

Janice and Ivy; a mirror-memory moment

Janice remains with Ivy in upstate New York, staying in a hotel after the proceedings. In the middle of the night, Ivy greets herself in the mirror as Audrey Rose. The moment deepens the belief that Ivy retains memories of Audrey.

Hypnosis protocol: past life regression in hospital

To address the question of reincarnation, a past-life regression hypnosis is performed and observed by the jury in a hospital. Ivy revisits the car crash that killed Audrey and reacts violently. She loses consciousness, and Elliot rushes in to try to calm her, but she dies in his arms.

Aftermath: Ivy's cremation and a hopeful letter

Sometime later, Janice writes a letter to Elliot thanking him for transporting Ivy's cremated remains to India. She expresses hope that Bill will come to accept the belief that Ivy was Audrey reborn and that their lives might still reconcile.