The Beldham

A struggling young mother named Harper moves into a historic Southern home with her infant daughter, Christine, to help her mother, Sadie, renovate the property. However, Sadie strictly monitors Harper's behavior, hires a live-in aide named Bette, and threatens to take the baby away if Harper's mental state deteriorates. Soon, Harper begins suffering from terrifying visions and senses a sinister presence in the walls. She uncovers a 1958 diary belonging to a former resident named Harriet, who claimed a winged monster called the "Beldham" stole her baby, leading Harper to become fiercely paranoid that the same witch is coming for Christine. Harper's fears culminate in a severe breakdown where she locks herself away and frantically screams for her missing child. When a caseworker named Lois arrives to intervene, she repeatedly addresses her as "Harriet," revealing the heartbreaking reality: the protagonist is actually an elderly woman suffering from severe dementia. The "young mother" persona and baby Christine are manifestations of Harriet's fragmented mind and the trauma of losing an infant decades prior. Sadie is not her overbearing mother, but rather Harriet's devoted adult daughter who was recently granted legal guardianship over her. The terrifying "Beldham" represents the dementia itself, stealing her memories and reality, until Harriet finally experiences a brief moment of lucidity to recognize Sadie and let her phantom baby go.