In this cleverly crafted psychological thriller, the concept of being “scared to death” takes center stage. The protagonist, Mike, invites his friends to his grandparents’ home for a Halloween gathering where they will all embody their deepest fears through costumes. Mike is haunted by the fear that he has inherited a murderous tendency from his father, who was a serial killer and took his own life after killing Mike’s mother in front of him when he was just five years old. This fear prevents Mike from fully committing to his long-term girlfriend, Peg, as he worries he might harm her. The plot thickens when an ancient Native American totem, a wooden figure named Morty, comes to life and begins eliminating Mike’s friends by turning their worst fears into reality. The story reaches its climax when Mike must confront his ultimate fear—his father.