The Devil's Candy (2017) Plot Summary & Timeline

As darkness enveloped the rural setting, Raymond Smilie (Raymond Smilie) was suddenly confronted by an unsettling voice. In a bid to push back against the disquieting presence, he picked up his red Flying V guitar and began to play defiantly in front of a sacred crucifix. However, his mother soon entered the room and, disturbed by the clamor, unplugged the guitar, insisting that Ray return to the mental institution. Enraged, Ray’s frustration boiled over, leading to a horrific act of violence against her. It wasn’t long before a stranger stumbled upon the tragic scene.

Jump to a later time, and the property had found new owners in Jesse Hellman (Jesse Hellman), a struggling painter, along with his wife Astrid and their inquisitive daughter Zooey. They were regaled by the real estate agent with a fabricated story about the previous tenant’s demise, claiming she had met her end in a tragic fall while her husband sank into despair. Meanwhile, Ray had checked into a run-down motel where he immersed himself in extreme devotional tapes praising the Devil, jamming on his guitar with reckless abandon until the authorities showed up in response to noise complaints.

Upon moving into their new home, Jesse began hearing the same eerie voices that had once haunted Ray. This inexplicable experience ignited a creative fire in him, leading to the creation of a haunting black-and-white painting featuring an inverted cross. Unexpectedly, his artwork caught the attention of Belial, an art gallery owner, who had initially dismissed Jesse’s talent. The enthusiastic reception from Belial’s receptionist only served to energize Jesse’s artistic ambitions.

One ominous night, Ray appeared unexpectedly, engaging in a brief, enigmatic exchange with Zooey, who expressed her fondness for the Flying V guitar. Ray longed to integrate himself back into their lives, but Jesse, driven by a fierce desire to safeguard his family from the looming malice, thwarted his attempts. The next morning came with an unsettling discovery when the Hellmans found Ray’s guitar left on their porch; however, Jesse was adamant that Zooey wouldn’t lay claim to it.

Unbeknownst to them, Ray had been abducting a young boy, committing an unspeakable crime as he dismembered him and buried the pieces in a hole already filled with the remains of his past victims. Concurrently, Jesse’s artistic fervor reached a new high as he began to deface a commissioned butterfly mural, twisting it into a disturbing portrayal that included the likeness of the boy Ray had murdered. Astrid stood horrified upon witnessing her husband’s grim creation, which only drew him deeper into his dark artistic obsession.

As Jesse continued to enhance his grotesque masterpiece, he depicted children’s heads engulfed by a sinister entity, even incorporating Zooey into a Flames-ridden tableau. While Astrid pleaded for Jesse to halt his descent into darkness, he confessed to feeling the cries of children within him, screaming to be liberated. Night fell, and Ray stealthily crept into Zooey’s bedroom, pinning her down and whispering a chilling confession of desire. Zooey’s scream for help jolted her parents awake, and as Ray fled, the Hellmans rushed to the police for guidance, who suggested changing their locks to secure their safety.

The following day, Leonard arrived to commend Jesse on his latest artwork, but their meeting was abruptly interrupted when Jesse dashed off to fetch Zooey from school. Fate, however, was unkind, as Jesse found himself stranded with a flat tire. Meanwhile, in a nearby motel, Zooey was ensnared by Ray’s menacing grip, his confessions of twisted desires echoing as she struggled to escape. The moment arrived when she seized an opening, breaking free to flee from her captor.

At the police station, the Hellmans were faced with the chilling reality of Ray’s dangerous past—his horrifying history of child murders was rooted in a perverse devotion to a sinister entity. The officers accompanied them home, placing two guards outside their residence under protective observation. As Jesse grappled with these unsettling truths, he destroyed his mural, a representation of both his artistic expression and the darkness threatening to consume him.

As tensions in the household heightened, Ray ruthlessly eliminated the police guards, claiming their weapons as his own. With an eerie calm, he breached the Hellman household, leaving mayhem in his wake. Jesse awoke to find Astrid beside him, and they made a desperate escape attempt. In a fierce struggle, Jesse clashed with Ray, ultimately sending him to his fiery demise via Jesse’s guitar.

When the flames settled, Jesse emerged to rescue Zooey from the inferno, the weight of their harrowing ordeal pressing heavily on him. As dawn broke over the scorched remnants of their home, Jesse was drawn to the spot where he once discovered the suitcases harboring the bodies of children that Ray had so callously buried. The horror etched on his face spoke volumes about the dreadful aftermath of Ray’s malevolence. Tears streamed down Jesse’s face as he lifted his gaze skyward, confronting the shadows he had battled and the fortitude he had summoned to transcend them.