What Is Evil Things About?
The premise of Evil Things in 265 words, with nothing given away. The full story follows below.
In the quiet stretches of the Catskill woods, a weekend getaway promises a simple celebration: a birthday, a cabin, and the company of close friends. The secluded house, offered by a relative, becomes a retreat from city life, where the rhythm of the forest and the crackle of a fire invite laughter and stories. Yet the remote setting also carries an undercurrent of isolation, turning ordinary moments into potential whispers of something unseen beyond the trees.
Miriam arrives as the birthday honoree, eager to share the occasion with her circle. Aunt Gail, the generous host, greets the group with warm hospitality, while Cassy brings her quick‑witted energy, Mark contributes a restless confidence, Tanya offers a gentle nervousness, and Leo, an aspiring filmmaker, sees the trip as a chance to capture the weekend on camera. Their dynamics blend nostalgia, playful teasing, and the subtle frictions that surface when friends have spent years growing together yet still carry hidden edges. As they settle in, the house’s old‑fashioned charm and the surrounding woods set a tone that feels both inviting and quietly unsettling.
The film’s atmosphere leans into the uneasy feeling that something—perhaps a game or a lingering presence—might be watching from the shadows. The characters’ curiosity and the ever‑present hum of the forest create a tension between the desire to document their experiences and the instinct to remain vigilant. With the camera rolling and the night deepening, the weekend teeters on the brink between carefree camaraderie and an unspoken sense that the line between innocent fun and a more ominous reality may be thinner than they imagined.
What Happens in Evil Things?
The complete story of Evil Things, from the first scene to the last, in 781 words (about 3 minutes). Spoilers throughout.
Spoilers ahead
Five college friends trade the bustle of New York City for a quiet weekend in the Catskills, hoping to unwind and, for one of them, to capture the trip on camera. What starts as a simple country retreat soon twists into a tense game of suspicion and fear as a persistent, maroon-colored van seems to shadow their every move.
From the moment they set out, the ride feels uneasy. A passing encounter with a noisy, relentless van complicates their drive, and a stop for gas raises questions when the same vehicle is seen nearby again. A small, almost casual act—someone from a gas station handing over a forgotten phone—becomes a breadcrumb that hints at something larger watching them. The group continues toward the house, but the sense of being followed doesn’t fade; the van lingers at a distance, creeping closer whenever they slow down or stop.
Arriving at the country home, the mood shifts to uneasy curiosity. The household becomes a place of birthday warmth and casual revelry, as the group throws a surprise party for one member and enjoys the filmmaker among them filming the moment. Yet behind the laughter and candles, a unease settles in the corners of the rooms—sounds in the night, whispers through the walls, and a creeping feeling that they are never truly alone.
The next day brings a hike into a snow-dusted forest, where the woods themselves seem to swallow paths and voices. The group blunders through the dark, their radios crackling with indistinguishable noises as branches snap and fear climbs higher. They return to the house, but the tension has only grown sharper. Nobody can seem to escape the sense that someone is watching, and the unsettling phone calls—silent, then persistent—cut through the quiet like a knife.
A dropped parcel alters the story in a single, chilling moment: a video tape left on the doorstep, wrapped in brown paper. The footage inside exposes a long, unseen thread—the group has been recorded since they left the city, with the same maroon van appearing at every turn. The camera moves through gas stations, diners, and the house, a creeping document of their steps and their vulnerabilities. The most intimate scenes—the friendships, the laughter, the sleeping rooms—are all captured, and the stalker’s presence becomes a constant, troubling backdrop.
With the power failing and signals dying, the group tries to move, only to face a new barrier: their car has vanished, and a threatening van reappears in the drive. The lights go out, plunging them into darkness as fear tightens its grip. A solitary, chilling moment follows when a two-way radio crackles to life in a desperate hand, and a door is slammed from the inside, trapping someone in a room and leaving the others to listen to muffled cries.
As they scramble to escape, a dangerous pattern unfolds. An unseen observer watches from the shadows, and when the group of friends attempts to flee, one member’s camera is lost, and another’s scream pierces the night as a figure closes in. Inside the home, the stalker’s gaze remains fixated, moving through rooms and corridors as the group hides, tries to call for help, and searches for a way out that keeps slipping away.
The footage from the van later reveals a moment of horrifying proximity: Miriam is pursued through the woods as the stalker’s lights sweep the darkness, closing the distance until the chase breaks into the unknown. Back in the house, another stalker roams, searching for Cassy while the night-vision camera follows the hunt. The camera finally catches her in a desperate, blinding moment as she is cornered, and the screen cuts to black just as the screams begin.
The narrative pulls back to show a larger truth: the stalker sits among monitors, watching another feed—the same pattern repeated across different groups. The final shots suggest that the predator’s interest extends beyond this night, drifting toward other gatherings of friends in parks and streets, always watching, always creeping closer. The film ends with the haunting implication that the danger is not confined to one house or one night, but is a methodical pursuit that travels with anyone who steps into the frame.
In the credits, the eerie progression lingers: the stalker’s movements, from first sighting on the highway to the chase through woods, to the intimate surveillance of sleeping rooms, are laid bare as a chilling montage. This is a story about exposure and fear—about how quickly a weekend of escape can turn into a haunting, untraceable pursuit that leaves no one untouched. The final impression is clear: once the watchful eye is set, the line between safety and danger blurs, and disappearance becomes an all-too-real possibility.
Evil Things Timeline: Every Key Event in Order
12 key events in the order they happen, from “Uneasy departure from the city” to “Haunting final impression”. 12 events name a place, across 11 locations.
- 1
Uneasy departure from the city
The group leaves New York City for a quiet weekend in the Catskills, but the ride already feels unsettled. A noisy maroon van shadows them on the highway, and a routine gas stop becomes suspicious when the same vehicle is spotted again. A forgotten phone handed over at the station is treated as a breadcrumb, hinting someone is watching from the edges.
When:Day 1, afternoon Where:Highway en route to the Catskills
- 2
Arrival and a birthday welcome
The friends arrive at the secluded country home and attempt to unwind. A birthday surprise and the presence of a filmmaker among them lend warmth, but the roomful of candles glosses over a creeping unease. Laughter competes with whispered notes of dread as the camera lingers on ordinary moments.
When:Day 1, evening Where:Country house in the Catskills
- 3
First whispers in the walls
Night falls and the house carries sounds that aren't easily explained. Voices seem to drift through walls, and a sense of being watched settles over the group. The crew's attention to the camera can't mask the growing tension that something is stalking their retreat.
When:Night of Day 1 Where:Inside the house
- 4
Snow-dusted forest hike
The next day the group ventures into a snow-kissed forest, where paths vanish and the woods seem to swallow voices. Radios crackle with indistinct chatter as branches snap and fear tightens its grip. They return to the house with a sharper awareness that they are not alone.
When:Day 2, morning Where:Forest surrounding the house
- 5
A doorstep tape reveals the watching
A brown paper-wrapped video tape appears on the doorstep, and the footage within reveals they have been under surveillance since leaving the city. The same maroon van haunts gas stations, diners, and the house itself, tracking their every move. The intimate moments—the friendships, the laughter, and the sleeping rooms—are documented, turning trust into vulnerability.
When:Day 2 Where:Outside the house and various locations shown in footage
- 6
Power outage and the van at the drive
Power fails and signals die as fear tightens its grip. Their car vanishes and a threatening van reappears in the driveway. The lights go out completely, a two-way radio crackles to life, and a door slams from the inside, trapping someone while muffled cries echo in the dark.
When:Night of Day 2 Where:The house and driveway
- 7
Failed escape and the watcher
The stalker remains unseen but omnipresent, watching from the shadows as the group attempts to flee. A camera is lost in the scramble, and a scream splits the night when a figure closes in. The house becomes a maze of hiding spaces while the outside world seems to close in.
When:Night Where:Inside the house and surrounding rooms
- 8
Cassy hunted, night-vision pursuit
Inside the home, the stalker’s gaze moves through rooms with night-vision clarity as the hunt tightens on Cassy. She is cornered in a desperate, blinding moment, and the scene cuts to black as screams erupt. The fear is intimate and immediate, not just a distant threat.
When:Late night Where:Inside the house
- 9
The stalker behind the monitors
A startling truth emerges from the footage: the stalker sits among monitors, watching another feed and stitching together a pattern. The same threat threads through different groups, suggesting the danger is ongoing and not confined to this weekend. The camera’s cold tally of victims reveals a methodical predator.
When:After the events Where:Control room / surveillance setup
- 10
The montage of pursuit expands
The closing montage traces the stalker’s movements from highway sightings to woodland chases and intimate surveillance of sleeping rooms. The film emphasizes exposure and fear, leaving the audience with a chilling sense that disappearance is a real possibility for anyone captured in the frame. The predator’s reach feels both personal and pervasive.
When:Credits sequence Where:Across multiple locations and the monitor room
- 11
Warning: danger in public spaces
The ending hints that the threat moves beyond a single house to parks and streets where gatherings occur. The stalker’s pursuit becomes a creeping menace that can enter any space where friends assemble. The line between safety and danger remains blurred, and escape is never guaranteed.
When:After the events Where:Parks and streets; general public spaces
- 12
Haunting final impression
The final shots linger on the stalker’s methodical approach and continued surveillance. The weekend away becomes a haunting, untraceable pursuit that hints at disappearances that never truly end. The credits sustain the unease, suggesting danger is always a step behind the frame.
When:End credits Where:Credit sequence
Who Are the Main Characters in Evil Things?
7 characters, among them Ariel/Nina (Marta Gastini), Kymberly (Sara Lazzaro) and Pussy 94 (Jennifer Mischiati): who each one is and the part they play in the story. Every profile links to the actor’s page.
-
Ariel/Nina (Marta Gastini)
Played by Marta Gastini
A filmmaker among the group who documents the trip, Ariel/Nina is curious and observant. Her camera becomes a lens through which the group’s dynamics are recorded, amplifying both attachment and vulnerability as fear grows.
- 🎬 Filmmaker
- 🧭 Curious
- 🤐 Secretive
-
Kymberly (Sara Lazzaro)
Played by Sara Lazzaro
Kymberly is one of the college friends whose presence anchors the trip. As the tension rises, her reactions reveal the strain of being watched and the instinct to keep everyone together under pressure.
- 🎭 Friend
- 🕵️♀️ Suspicious
- 🌬️ Resilient
- P9
Pussy 94 (Jennifer Mischiati)
Played by Jennifer Mischiati
A bold, free-spirited member of the group, Pussy 94 brings levity and defiance to the weekend. Her attitude sharpens the contrast with the creeping danger outside the house.
- 💃 Free-spirited
- 🎥 Group dynamic
- 🗣️ Outspoken
- IC
Il Cacciatore (Giuseppe Lo Console)
Played by Giuseppe Lo Console
The stalking figure who stalks the group from the shadows. The hunter uses surveillance and proximity to unsettle the friends, turning the weekend into a calculated pursuit.
- 👁️ Predator
- 🧭 Elusive
- 🗡️ Menacing
- A(
Akira (Jun Ikicawa)
Played by Jun Ikicawa
A member of the friend group whose calm demeanor under pressure helps balance the escalating fear. Akira contributes to the group’s attempts to navigate the threatening situation.
- 🧭 Calm
- 💡 Resourceful
- 🕵️♀️ Cautious
- P8
Power 89 (Aaron Omossiese)
Played by Aaron Omossiese
Tech-savvy and capable, Power 89 copes with the crisis by trying to manage communication and devices. His actions highlight the fragility of modern connectivity when danger looms.
- 🧰 Tech-minded
- 🛰️ Connected
- 🔊 Practical
- I1
I.Q 187 (Nicola Sorrenti)
Played by Nicola Sorrenti
One of the perceptive friends, I.Q 187 adds a calculated, analytical perspective to the group’s decisions. His presence underscores the tension between reason and fear as events spiral.
- 🧠 Analytical
- 🧩 Observant
- 🤼♂️ Tactical
Where and When Is Evil Things Set?
Evil Things is set in New York City and Catskills (Present day). Here is why the time and place matter to the story.
When
Present day
The events unfold over a single contemporary weekend, a few days of tension that escalate from casual gathering to a claustrophobic chase. The setting hints at winter or late autumn with snow in the forest, amplifying isolation. Modern technology—phones, radios, and cameras—becomes both a tool and a vulnerability as signals fail and a watchful eye remains unseen.
Where
New York City, Catskills
The story begins in the bustling streets of New York City before retreating to a secluded country house in the Catskills. The Catskills setting provides a remote, wooded backdrop that intensifies the sense of being watched. The house sits on snow-dusted grounds, with winding roads and dense woods that trap the friends in a quiet, eerie landscape.
- 🌆 Urban start
- 🏡 Rural retreat
- 🌲 Forested isolation
What Are the Themes of Evil Things?
3 ideas the story keeps returning to, among them Surveillance, Fear & Paranoia and Trust & Intrigue.
-
01
Surveillance
A central thread is the constant watching: a maroon van appears at every turn and the group is captured by a hidden observer. The videotaped footage becomes a chilling document of their movements and vulnerabilities. The looming question is who is watching them and for what purpose?
-
02
Fear & Paranoia
The group’s sense of safety collapses as whispers, noises in the walls, and the stalker’s presence turn the house into a claustrophobic trap. Trust frays as every encounter—gas stations, calls, or the silent camera—feels like part of an unseen design against them. The line between friend and threat blurs under pressure.
-
03
Trust & Intrigue
The party atmosphere inside the house is contrasted by an undercurrent of betrayal and secret observation. Laughter and warmth coexist with the knowledge that someone is always watching. The group’s dynamics shift as fear overrides camaraderie, revealing hidden tensions.
What Kind of Film Is Evil Things?
Tense in tone, with slow pacing and a straightforward story, going by the plot summary.
- Tone
- Tense
- Pacing
- Slow
- Story
- Straightforward
- Intensity
- High
- Ending
- Bleak
A slow-burning, dread-filled horror that immerses the viewer in a state of constant paranoia and helplessness as a group of friends is systematically hunted by an unseen stalker.
- anxious
- claustrophobic
- paranoid
- oppressive
- unsettling
- dread-filled
- stalking
- surveillance
- home invasion
- psychological horror
Content notes: stalking, psychological terror, home invasion, implied violence.
Quiz
How well do you remember Evil Things? Test yourself on the story.
Where to Watch Evil Things
Stream it on Cineverse and Fawesome, or rent or buy it from Amazon Video and Apple TV Store. US availability and prices from JustWatch.
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