Arthur Kipps, an attorney, has hired an actor to help him tell the story about an experience from his youth.

It is Kipps’ hope that the telling of this story will somehow “exorcise” the experience from his mind and rid him of his persistent nightmares.

The actor rehearses with Kipps in an old Victorian theatre, convincing Kipps to make an effort to make the story more vivid for his audience. Soon, the two become immersed in the strange tale of Mrs. Drablow and her Eel Marsh House.

His efforts reveal secrets and unexplainable events.

Who is this woman in black?

Why are the townspeople so hesitant to answer his questions?

What happens to haunt Kipps years later?

As Kipps and the actor struggle to tell the story and exorcise both their demons, we learn the chilling answer to these questions - and more.