Robert Aldrich directs this thriller starring Bette Davis as Charlotte Hollis, an ageing recluse who was accused of killing her lover, John Mayhew (Bruce Dern), as a young woman. Now living in the family home, alone except for her housekeeper, Velma (Agnes Moorehead), Charlotte faces eviction as plans for a new highway get underway. She refuses to leave, however, and asks for help with her predicament from her cousin, Miriam (Olivia de Havilland), and local doctor Drew (Joseph Cotten). While Charlotte's already fragile mental health worsens, Agnes senses Miriam and Drew are after her employer's money and seeks assistance from insurance investigator Harry Willis (Cecil Kellaway) who has already shown an interest in the murder case and has been in contact with Mayhew's widow, Jewel (Mary Astor). While the situation becomes even more horrific for Charlotte, the truth about what happened on the night of the murder may finally be revealed...