Malum

When Christopher Ward returns from an overseas tour with an ancient gold pendant acquired from a shipwreck, he hopes to mend his fractured marriage. Instead, he brings a nightmare into his home. Domineering and impatient, Christopher mocks his wife Nicole's severe agoraphobia, flushing her medication in a cruel attempt to force a "recovery."

​But the house has a third tenant: Lydus Drugo, an ancient entity tied to the pendant that preys on the isolated and the confined. As the haunting turns lethal, a gruesome accident leaves Christopher dead and Nicole truly alone. Her "safe zone" has transformed into a hunting ground.

​When the entity begins to possess her teenage daughter, Nicole realizes she can no longer hide. Drawing on the inner resilience of a woman pushed to the edge, she must transform from victim to protector. To break the curse, Nicole must face her ultimate terror: stepping off her front porch and navigating the "open" world to bury the artifact in a nearby graveyard. It is a race against her own nervous system to save her family before the house claims them all.

COMPS: The Invisible Man (2020) meets The Conjuring.

Commercial Hooks:
*​Contained Single-Location: A high-tension "bottle movie" set entirely within one residence, offering a production-friendly, low-budget profile with high-concept appeal.
​*The "Double Jeopardy" Conflict: A unique psychological hook where the protagonist's only sanctuary (her home) becomes the primary threat, and her greatest fear (the outside) becomes her only salvation.
​*Award-Bait Lead Role: A powerhouse character arc for a lead actress, requiring an intense physical and emotional performance that tracks a transformation from prisoner to survivor.
​*Built-in Ticking Clock: A high-stakes climax that forces the protagonist to face her ultimate phobia in a visceral, race-against-time finish.