Girl on the Third Floor is a 2019 horror film directed by Travis Stevens, written by Stevens, Paul Johnstone and Ben Parker, and starring Phil "CM Punk" Brooks, Trieste Kelly Dunn and Tonya Kay. The film tells the story of a deeply flawed man who renovates an old home for himself and his wife, and the supernatural events that ensue as they prepare to move in.
Girl on the Third Floor was released world-wide on October 25, 2019, after having garnered largely positive reviews at SXSW, BUFF, and the London FrightFest Film Festivals. Reviewers took note of the command of the genre of newcomer director Travis Stevens, as well as the convincing portrayal of the main character by professional wrestler Phil Brooks. The film received praise by critics for its "wonderful and gross" usage of practical special effects from UK designer Daniel Martin.
Plot
Don Koch, a man from Chicago with a criminal past, purchases an old house in the nearby town of Ellington, Illinois, hoping for a new start for his pregnant wife, Liz, and their dog, Cooper. Shortly after moving in on his own to start repairs, Don meets Ellie Mueller, the pastor living across the street. Later, Don learns from the local bartender about the house's sordid past, and its effect on straight men. Don witnesses strange events within the home, including sludge-like substance seeping from the walls and fixtures, as well as the appearance of marbles throughout the home. Next, Don meets another assumed neighbor, Sarah Yates, who easily seduces him in the upstairs bedroom. After she leaves, the bedroom ceiling collapses revealing a viewing platform in the attic. The next day Sarah appears again and tries to seduce Don, but he admits his guilt and dismisses her.
Milo Stone, Don's former coworker, arrives at the house to help Don patch the bedroom ceiling. He meets Sarah and discovers Don's affair. The two men have an argument, and Don leaves for more supplies and tells Milo not to return if he cannot keep it a secret. While Don is out, Milo follows a marble into the basement where he is murdered by Sarah. When Don returns and does not see Milo, Don assumes Milo left.
The next day, Liz sees Sarah in the background during a call with Don. Becoming nervous, Don installs new locks and security cameras. That night, Sarah lures Cooper downstairs with a marble. When Don wakes up the next morning, he finds his dog dead in the dryer. The police are no help. Furious, Don waits for Sarah to appear, then kills her and attempts to bury her body within the basement walls. He gets a call from Liz and he leaves the body; when he returns to finish the job, Sarah is missing. Don searches for her and breaks through some walls and finds a secret room in the attic with drawings on the wall of a girl with a bird-man figure. While searching in other walls, Don finds Milo's head. Don sees a deformed woman, who attacks him with a marble that tunnels up into his body under his skin. Don slices his neck with a penknife to try to remove the marble, while the woman releases more marbles towards him.
Liz arrives and finds a 1909 newspaper article about the house's past as a brothel and a missing body. Sarah appears and claims she is helping Don renovate the house. Ellie rings the doorbell and tells Liz that the house is bad for relationships. Liz returns to the house and experiences a vision from the house's past with strange men going upstairs to watch "the show". She goes up into the attic and sees a crowd of men in suits peering down into her bedroom where Sarah performs S&M with a masked birdman. She sees a little girl named Sadie in a dark corner of the room drawing on the wall when the masked man gives Sadie a bag of marbles.
When Liz returns to the bedroom she once again sees Sarah, who confesses that the brothel owner killed her and walled in her corpse. Sarah attacks Liz, but Liz hides in the bedroom where she finds Don's lacerated body. He confesses his affair and begs for Liz's forgiveness, but she refuses. Sarah reveals herself inside Don's skin and explains it was a trick and a test before allowing Liz to leave the house for being strong against the will of men. Liz runs downstairs and sees the deformed woman and kills her. As Liz leaves, she finds Ellie, who explains how each person must choose to enter and face their actions. Liz decides to stay in the house to lift the curse. She finds Sarah's body and gives it a proper burial.
Six months later, Liz is living happily alone in the house with her daughter. When the baby is left alone in the crib, Don appears in a ceiling grate and drops marbles into the crib.
Cast
In addition, dog performer Ryker appears in the opening credits, for its performance as Cooper.