He neglects to tell them the house belonged to the family whose murders he is researching.
In the attic he unexpectedly finds a box of Super8 film and projector. When Ellison plays the first film it breaks from innocent family scenes to footage of the murders. How can this be: it makes no sense that the Police would have missed this at the time.
He considers reporting this but when the other films in the box show a series of bizarre murders seemingly committed by the same person he decides that cracking this will be the relaunch his career needs.
No good will come of this.
CW: snuff movie footage, jump
Another off a "best of Blumhouse" list this really is one of the best of the lot.
While it is horror and clearly owes a lot to The Ring it also shares ground with many a straight drama where somebody investigating terrible crimes gets mentally shattered by them. As Ellison stalks the house at night having heard noises it's not clear how much is really happening or sprung from his fevered mind.
It does have very conventional supernatural horror elements but they are sparingly deployed, mostly being saved for the later sections. Even when they do come in they are more highly unnerving than out and out scary. Which is really effective.
Ethan Hawke is excellent but the relationship with his wife (Juliet Rylance) is oddly portrayed. They frequently clash about his work then suddenly it is forgotten again.
While it doesn't have the complicated themes of something like "It follows" it is similarly affecting so I'm surprised it's not better known and received. Maybe it's just old enough to be from a time before people acknowledged horror can be something good and isn't all just trashy because it has scares in.
Highly recommended 8/10.