BRIMSTONE & TREACLE

A demon, under the guise of Martin Taylor, stalks the streets to find his next victim. He attempts to convince Tom Bates that they have met previously, and learns through the conversation that Tom's daughter, Pattie, has been left in a vegetative state following a hit-and-run incident two years prior. Martin tells Tom that he knew Pattie, and feigns a collapse at the news of her condition. Tom promises to bring his car to assist Martin, but does not return. Nevertheless, Martin tracks him down using his stolen wallet.

At the Bates' residence, Martin meets Tom's wife, Amy, and also sees Pattie. Pattie is physically recovered, but remains incapable of speech and everyday functions; Amy believes she is more aware of her surroundings than she can express, but Tom insists she is as good as dead. Martin elaborates on his claims of a prior relationship with Pattie, convincing Amy that he had proposed marriage and that Pattie had promised him an answer after three years. He persuades the couple to allow him to stay in Pattie's old room.

The following day, Martin encourages Amy to leave the house. Left alone with Pattie, he mocks and then rapes her. When Amy returns, Martin instigates a prayer over Pattie, where his full demonic powers are revealed. Over dinner, Tom is concerned that his daughter was left alone with a stranger, upsetting Martin. Amy is keen for him to stay after her earlier taste of renewed independence, and Martin offers to continue to run the household. Appealing to his fondness for home comforts and National Front-aligned beliefs, Martin manages to talk Tom into accepting his offer. However, when he attempts to incite Tom into more extreme political ideologies, evoking Nazism, Tom backs away and rejects the National Front.

Overnight, Martin attempts to rape Pattie again, but she awakens from her condition and cries out. Martin flees the house but immediately alights on his next victim. Pattie asks her father what happened, and it is revealed that her hit-and-run was tangentially caused by her discovery of Tom's affair with her friend.

Martin's second attempt to assault Pattie is thwarted when she screams, regaining her ability to communicate and fully recover from her disabilities.

The film's climax subverts expectations: the predatory actions of Martin inadvertently result in Pattie's recovery, both physically and in memory. This ambiguous conclusion raises provocative questions about evil, agency, and the unpredictable consequences of trauma, reinforcing the film's darkly ironic and morally complex tone.