| Director | Jaume Balagueró |
|---|---|
| Budget | $10.6 million |
| Box office | $34.4 million |
In the early 1960s, an unfinished occult ritual results in the disappearance of six young children in the Spanish countryside.
40 years later, Mark Rua, his wife Maria, and their two children—teenage Regina, and young Paul—relocate from the United States to Mark's native Spain, settling in a large country home outside Barcelona. The family have partly relocated to be closer to Mark's father, Albert, an accomplished physician who resides in the city. Soon after the move, Mark begins to suffer from seizures due to the progression of his Huntington's disease, which also causes him to become increasingly mentally unstable.
The family's home is plagued by recurring electrical problems, leading to power outages that further exacerbate tensions, especially between Regina, Mark, and Maria. Regina expresses worry about her father's declining medical condition, while Maria appears to be in denial about her husband's health. Meanwhile, Paul is plagued by supernatural occurrences at home and develops a fear of the dark. Apparitions of six children watch an unknowing Regina, and on several occasions, Regina notices a strange man observing the house from the road. While renovating a crawlspace under the stairs, Mark discovers a strange antique photograph of three women in sunglasses.
As Mark's symptoms worsen and he begins to deteriorate and lash out mentally, Regina begins investigating the history of the house with the help of Carlos, a young swimming teacher she has started dating. The two track the home's history to Villalobos, the architect who designed the house, and whom Regina has seen watching it from a distance. They discover that the home was constructed for a supernatural ritual requiring the sacrifice of seven children (each sacrificed by "hands that love them") to coincide with an eclipse that only occurs every 40 years. With the next eclipse quickly approaching, and now armed with the knowledge that the earlier occult ritual needs one more death to be completed, Regina fears Paul will be the next victim.
Regina and Carlos visit her grandfather, Albert, to disclose their discovery, only to find that Albert is in fact a member of the cult, which has been performing these Satanic rituals. Albert explains that in the ritual 40 years ago, there were actually seven children, the seventh being Regina's father. Albert was unable to sacrifice his son because, at the last minute, he realized that he did not love him. Now, after 40 years, he has brought Mark and his family to the house with the intention of completing the ritual during this eclipse and opening a portal to hell. Regina also discovers the target is not Paul but still Mark, who is to be sacrificed by "hands that love him." As Regina laments, Albert realizes her genuine love for her father. He suddenly frees her to return to the house, aware that she will be able to carry out the ritual unknowingly.
Regina races back to her home to find her father in the midst of another attack, choking on pills as the eclipse begins. Maria tries to perform a tracheotomy on him, but is unable to bring herself to cut. In a panic, Regina does it instead, but Mark bleeds out and dies when the supernatural forces within the house hide the pen tube needed to complete the procedure. Because Regina genuinely loved her father, the ritual was completed. The darkness then takes the form of Regina and Paul, convincing Maria to turn off the lights. The darkness then kills Maria and takes the form of Regina's friend Carlos, who picks them up in his car; shortly after they leave, the actual Carlos arrives at the house and is called inside by the darkness, manifesting as Regina's voice. Carlos' doppelgänger drives Regina and Paul into a dark tunnel, implying their doom.