[suspenseful music playing]
Of all the types of investigations I do,
by far the most challenging and dangerous
are those involving demonic possession.
All these types of cases have left a permanent mark on me.
But the one we're now going to explore
has changed my life forever that is a fact.
There isn't one day that passes
where I don't think about it.
Now in 2011,
a single mother and her family moved in
to a rental house in Indiana.
They had absolutely no idea that the home
was already occupied by some truly terrifying tenants.
Using a portal located under the stairs,
the demons had created a kind of nest
in the basement of the house.
And once the family moved in, these demons began to feed.
Life within the house became a kind of living hell.
And what followed became one of the most
terrifying well-documented cases
of demonic possession in American history.
It's a case that had a profound impact on me
as well.
And I carry the scars of my investigation
of that house with me to this day.
After spending a night inside,
I developed the strange affliction with my eyes.
I couldn't see straight anymore
and I suffered permanent double vision.
I wear these prism glasses now,
and I can only see properly with the help of these.
After several doctors were unable to find
any scientific explanation for what had happened,
I knew who did this to me.
I now believe that the demons who invaded this home
infected it like a kind of virus,
and anyone who went inside was affected
in some kind of way.
For me it was my eyes, but for others,
they paid an even bigger price.
The film that you are about to watch was informed
and inspired by my investigation
into this truly terrifying place.
[ominous music playing]
[door creaking]
[thudding]
[ominous music playing]
[door lock clicks]
[door creaking]
[ominous music playing]
[demon snarling]
[man] Latoya...
Latoya...
I need you to tell me everything.
Can you start at the very beginning?
Take your time.
[dramatic music playing]
[Latoya] This house, it was supposed
to be a fresh start.
Don't break the decorations, Julian.
Get her, Julian!
Why would you egg him on like that?
Stop bothering your sister!
-[woman] Get her! -[Latoya] Oh, my goodness.
Do I need to separate the two of you?
With my mother here,
things were supposed to get easier.
Dinner's ready.
[Latoya] We moved in in November.
And it wasn't more than a month before things
got strange.
[laughter]
It's true.
Okay. Okay.
Grace before meals.
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallow be thy name.
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done
on Earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
[fly buzzing]
Shoots.
Um, wait.
[fly buzzing]
[ominous music playing]
[groan]
Gross.
-What is that? -Ssh.
[flies buzzing]
Flies?
In December?
Is just didn't make sense.
But the flies were just the beginning.
[man] And your children, who did they go after first?
[Latoya] My youngest, Sam.
[indistinct whispering]
Should I be afraid?
Who are you talking to?
I made a friend.
And what are you and your friend talking about?
He's telling me how it feels like to die.
Why would you say that?
Sam, why would you say such a thing?
[ominous music playing]
Sam has never done anything like that to me before.
It wasn't like him.
But it wasn't until the next day
that I really became scared.
[Sam and Julian screaming]
What did you do Julian?
Get out, Julian, get out!
[screaming and shouting]
[Latoya] Sam was hysterical.
He started lashing out.
I just didn't understand.
It was horrifying.
He got terrible headaches and nosebleeds
that lasted all night.
It got so bad that he couldn't even go
to school.
Sam? Samuel Ammons?
Yes, he will not be at school today.
[teacher] I see. And what's the reason?
Oh, he's not feeling well,
so he's going to stay home with his grandma.
-[teacher] He's staying home. -Yes.
[teacher] Again.
Ms. Ammons, you realize that Sam
has already missed 11 days of school?
Is everything okay at home?
I'm not sure what you're trying to insinuate.
But my son woke up sick today.
He's gonna stay at home with his grandma safe.
Thank you so much for your concern.
[grunts]
[ominous music playing]
[Sam giggling]
[indistinct chatter on TV]
[TV turns off]
Are you okay in there, Sam?
Sam?
All right. Here I come.
[Sam giggling]
[ominous music playing]
[Sam] Quiet, she's coming.
I wonder where he could be.
Okay. I guess I'll just leave you
down here forever.
[Sam giggling]
[ominous music playing]
We knew then there was something else
in this house with us, something dangerous,
something we didn't understand.
So we found a medium, someone who could tell us
what was happening.
[ominous music playing]
[speaking foreign language]
We're gonna need to see the basement.
[ominous music playing]
[demon snarling]
[speaking foreign language]
This might be difficult to understand,
but this house is riddled with demons.
What?
Look, I swear to you this is what's happening.
My wife believes they're coming
from under the stairs.
[Latoya] Why would she say that?
What did she see?
[speaking foreign language]
[man] She saw other people in the house,
possibly the former tenants.
El demonio!
[man] They were trying to bring someone back.
[speaking foreign language]
[man] They were playing with dark magic of some sort.
They opened the gate there, something dark came through.
[screaming]
[man] So why didn't you leave?
Just leave? How exactly...
I was worried it would follow us.
So I turned to God and prayed, but it only got worse.
[ominous music playing]
[Sam giggling]
Sam?
[Sam giggles]
What are you doing?
[demon growling]
[screaming]
[choking]
What's going on?
What's wrong? Come on. Tell me.
Talk to me. What happened?
[screaming]
Sorry, I just really don't understand
how exactly did this happen?
Why are you looking at me like that?
I told you something ripped her out of my arms.
What ripped you out of your mother's arms, Emily?
There's something in our home,
it attacked me,
chased me from the basement and threw me into a table.
Okay. Well, I'll be back.
Sit tight, okay?
[ominous music playing]
[Latoya] The doctor called Child Services on me,
as if I was the one who injured my daughter.
They asked me about what we were experiencing
in the house and the more I was honest,
the more they looked at me like I was insane.
They assigned a caseworker to us,
Valerie Washington.
She looked at us with that fake smile
as if I couldn't see through it.
She really couldn't make out our situation
so she separated us into different rooms
and questioned us.
The look on those kids' faces...
the way Sam looked at me...
still haunts me 'til today.
Oh, I like that shirt.
Do you like monsters?
It's okay. I don't like them either.
Julian, can you tell me
a little bit about
the experiences you've had in the house?
Julian, I need you to focus.
Tell me about the demons.
Julian?
Julian, tell me about the demons.
[growling]
There is something that I have to tell you
and it cannot wait any longer.
The Department of Child Services has decided
that your kids are in severe emotional danger.
Tomorrow morning, they will be taken into our care.
No, you can't. You can't take them.
They're my life. You have to understand...
Latoya, you need to say goodbye today.
Today.
[sobbing]
I need to get them back.
The police can't help me.
Child Services can't help me.
You're the only one.
[ominous music playing]
In the name of God the Father Almighty.
[grunts]
[groans]
By the power of the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior...
and with the Holy Spirit, I bless you.
Is this the basement door?
[ominous music playing]
[whimpering]
[screaming]
[groaning]
Latoya, the first step in getting your children back
is to cast out whatever evil spirits
have taken over your family.
I'm gonna need permission from the church.
And there are no guarantees.
Please help me, Father.
Sam, can you tell me about your imaginary friend?
Hey, do you wanna play a game?
Close your eyes and imagine yourself
standing in your bedroom.
Try to remember the very first time
you met your friend in the closet.
We are here to help you, Sam,
I promise we will find whatever it is
that's disturbing you.
[ominous music playing]
[demon hissing]
[camera shutter clicks]
[indistinct whispering]
[Sam] They won't find anything.
[case worker] Pardon me?
They won't see them.
Why will no one see them?
Sam?
Why won't they see them?
Stop asking me that!
Stop it! Stop it!
[ominous music playing]
Latoya, look at me.
I need you to understand that the evil
that has befallen your house has nothing to do
with the children.
They are not the lightning rod that's driving evil
into your home.
For some reason the evil spirit
has latched on to you, Latoya.
Now, I need you to be brave.
I need to drive out the demon inside you
so that you can be free.
[ominous music playing]
Hello, Emily, Julian...
thank you for coming to see me this week.
It would be great to chat a bit
about what's been troubling you.
Tell me about the big black monster.
[ominous music playing]
I understand...
sometimes when we're frightened,
it's really hard to talk about it.
I have an idea.
Sometimes it's easier to draw it.
You need to know that the rite of exorcism
in the Catholic Church is taken very seriously
and done very rarely.
I'm telling you this because I need you
to understand the severity of the situation for you
and your soul.
And also, you understand there are risks.
[ominous music playing]
Sam, do you think if your mother
were in the home, they would see them?
Fuck my mother! Fuck you!
[ominous music playing]
The gear is dead.
Battery's dead.
[demon hissing]
[choking]
In the name of the Father and the Son
and the Holy Spirit.
I cast you out unclean spirit.
And all the satanic power inside of you
and all the specter from hell, let this woman be free!
[Val choking]
[woman] Val?
-[Val gasping] -Oh, my gosh Val.
Help. Breathe. Breathe. Breathe.
[man] Val? Val, are you all right?
[woman] Help. Help her.
[ominous music playing]
[screaming]
Let her children be free!
I cast you out!
[screaming]
[sobbing]
Mommy.
[dramatic music playing]