Witchboard (2024)

Emily, a recovering heroin addict, is helping to prepare for her fiancé Christian's opening of a restaurant in New Orleans's French Quarter in a renovated carriage house where they reside. While picking mushrooms in the forest, Emily comes across a historic spirit board which has recently been stolen from a local museum. At a dinner party, Emily shows the board to Christian's ex-girlfriend, Brooke, an academic and antiquities expert, who analyzes some of its symbols.

Emily discovers a pendulum made out of a human finger bone contained within the board's eye centerpiece. Believing that the board is allowing her to communicate with her own subconscious mind, Emily locates her lost engagement ring. Simultaneously, Christian's friend and employee, Richie, hand is dismembered by an electric meat slicer in a violent kitchen accident resulting in his death. Later, the board causes Emily's former drug dealer, Jessie, to fall from a rooftop to his death.

Emily awakens from a nightmare and consoled by Christian. Christian learns the board was stolen and that its thieves have since died, he suggests turning it into the authorities, but Emily refuses, fearing she may be suspected due to her criminal record of drug possession. Emily begins experiencing visions of the board's creator, Naga Soth, a witch who was persecuted in 1690s France, condemned, and outcast from her village in the Lorraine province by Bishop Grogan, a witchhunter who secretly wished to utilize her occult powers himself. After her banishment, the powerful Naga Soth cursed the village, causing them to turn against each other and eventually kill one another.

Worried about Emily's declining mental state, Christian seeks assistance from Alexander Babtiste, a New Age pagan and acquaintance of Brooke. Alexander visits the couple and, during a session with the board, places Emily in a trance during which her soul is transferred back in time to Naga Soth, who comes to possess Emily's body in the present day. As Emily faces execution for Naga Soth's crimes, Naga Soth poisons the guests at Christian's restaurant opening with mushrooms that cause them to hallucinate and kill one another, recreating her past vengeance. Alexander, who is present at the dinner, absconds while Brooke narrowly saves Christian, who is pursued by police.

Brooke brings Christian to Alexander's lavish ancestral estate. Brooke passes through the gate with Christian hiding in the trunk of the car. The trunk opens, revealing Brooke has decided to follow the practice of waca. It is revealed that Alexander is a descendant of Bishop Grogan and Emily a descendant of Naga Soth. Alexander seeks to be the master of Naga Soth, viewing it as a fulfillment of his ancestral lineage. Christian manages to kill several of the cultists and hurl the spirit board into a fireplace before being shot by Alexander. Meanwhile, Naga Soth, recalling Grogan's mistreatment of her, turns against Alexander. As the spirit board begins to burn, Naga Soth's soul is returned across time to her original body, only moments before her burning at the stake. Using her magic, Naga Soth keeps the fire at bay and taunts Grogan. Intent on carrying out the execution, Grogan attempts to decapitate Naga Soth, but she overpowers him and pulls him into the pyre, allowing them both to burn to death. Simultaneously, Alexander manages to save the board from the fireplace before Emily, her soul now restored to her physical body, shoots him to death. Emily consoles Christian as he dies of his wounds. After police descend on the scene, Alexander is placed in a body bag, only to open his eyes as the bag is zipped closed.

Some time later, Brooke visits the Vatican, where a Catholic priest offers her precious diamonds in exchange for the board. Before departing with Emily, the two hand over the bone pendulum. After they leave, the priest begins to communicate with the board before Naga Soth appears behind him.