Murder mystery writer Bruce Simmons (McDermott) has a career that's going nowhere. His editor, Serena Black (Stone) comes up with an idea for a book that she believes could be a blockbuster. She tells him about a family who was brutally murdered in their Hollywood mansion a number of years before. The murderer was never caught. The home has sat vacant since the murders took place. Bruce accepts moves into the eerie mansion and begins his research for his book on the unsolved deaths.
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One day a mysterious and nervous stranger identifying himself as Eddie Hale (Sizemore) shows up at the door, tells Bruce that he's just passing through and asks if he can stay for a few days. Finding the request odd but seeing no harm in it, Bruce complies and the stranger moves into the bedroom opposite his. Soon after,Bruce's search of the backyard turns up a doll that belonged to the murdered little girl and suddenly Eddie begins talking about the murders and Bruce gets an uneasy feeling about him as he seems to know more than he should about the violent events that took place in the house.
When Eddie is out one afternoon Bruce goes into his bedroom and snoops around, finally lifting his earphones off the bedpost and listening to what is recorded on the tape Eddie is always listening to. The blood curdling screams and cries for mercy that emanate from the earphones leave his blood running cold. When Eddie returns to the mansion later that day, Bruce confronts him about what he heard on his tape. Eddie is pleased and brags about the brilliance of his premeditated crimes and how happy he is to have "returned to the scene of the crime."
Bruce threatens to go to the police with what he knows if Eddie refuses to willingly turn himself in. Eddie turns ugly on Bruce and threatens him in return- he will harm Bruce's sister and family (or worse) if he goes to the cops with what he knows. Continuing his work on the book with Eddie's watchful eye always on him, Bruce weighes his options- is he willing to risk his sister's and his niece's life to bring this crazed madman to justice? No. But is there another solution? Wracking his brain for ideas and using his keen writer's instincts he wonders if it is possible for him to do both, keep his family safe and still make sure Eddie pays for his horrendous crimes...
The review of this Movie prepared by Patti Illsley
