The Boroughs, a serene retirement community, greets us with its tranquil surroundings. An old woman named Grace, her hair silver in the sunset glow, video calls her husband, Edward, who resides in "The Manor." Edward's voice, though steady, hints at an undercurrent of unease as he whispers, "The owl is in the walls," before the orderlies swiftly make him hang up. That night, a grotesque creature with spindly legs intrudes upon Grace's home. She screams and runs out, calling for help, but the creature's spindly arms drag her back inside.
Meanwhile, Sam Cooper's daughter Claire and his grandchildren drive him to The Boroughs. Kayleigh, a warm-hearted woman, welcomes Sam to Grace's former home. When she introduces him to Seraphim, an AI that promises 24/7 assistance, Sam dismisses it with a wave of his hand and hurls the machine out the window. His wife wanted to move here; he never did. Now, forced by a contract he can't escape from, he's stuck. He bids a reluctant farewell to Claire and her family as they drive away.
That evening, Jack, a neighbor, comes over to introduce himself. They chat for a while before Jack invites Sam to a barbecue at his house. But Sam, still reeling from the loss of his wife and the suddenness of his relocation, declines.
In the morning, Sam is plagued by dreams of his late wife Lily. He's jolted awake by the sound of a car revving. Judy and Art, a couple from the neighboring house, are introduced. Judy, a former journalist now turned amateur sleuth, starts digging up information on Sam.
Sam heads to the administration office to meet with Blaine Shaw, the CEO of the company that runs The Boroughs. The receptionist tries to schedule an appointment for him, but the music playing triggers a memory—a flashback showing Lily and Sam dancing until she suddenly collapses.
At the town's community center, Renee calls the security guards about a robbery. She claims her rose quartz is missing, but the head security guard, Hank, dismisses her as a confused old woman. When Renee's car wakes Sam up again in the morning, he approaches her with his toolkit and fixes it so it won't make any noise. She tries to thank him but is met with his terse demeanor. She tells him off for being a grouch.
Sam returns to his house to find Edward there with a knife and tapping on the walls. Edward rambles about the owl in the walls and then lunges at Sam. Sam calls for help, and the orderlies arrive to take Edward away. Hank arrives on the scene and explains that The Boroughs doesn't have an official police force since it's not legally a town. When Sam insists on calling the sheriff, Hank escorts him to The Manor to see Blaine Shaw.
The Manor was a place where patients requiring more assistance were housed. Sam witnessed Blaine assisting an elderly woman with her meal, and the latter apologized for the inconvenience. Blaine also knew that Sam wanted to terminate his contract and offered to do the same, provided Sam wouldn't call the sheriff. Sam agreed.
Blaine further informed Sam that Edward wanted to apologize. He took Sam to see Edward, who was under medication and apologized to Sam. Afterward, Blaine handed Sam the contract but advised him to consider staying as it might be less lonely. Sam pondered this and then stopped by Jack's house, suggesting that a barbecue would be a good way to meet the other neighbors.
On Friday, Sam prepared for the barbecue. At the party, he was introduced to Judy, Art, and a new character named Wally. Renee was also present.
During the party, Sam realized that the woman Jack liked was none other than Judy. Sam was having a good time until Judy began choking on something. Jack helped her out, and she was okay, but it triggered memories of Lily's death once again.
Sam walked back home, but Jack soon joined him. Sam vented about how the world moved on even though Lily was dead. Jack offered comfort and told him that The Boroughs could be a place to live again.
That night, Sam called Blaine and left a message saying that he had decided to stay at The Boroughs. He then finally unpacked his things and settled into the house. However, he was woken up in the middle of the night by a beeping sound coming from Jack's house. When Jack didn't open the door, Sam broke in.
In the bedroom, he saw an alien creature leaning over Jack and sucking something from his face while the health monitor beeped loudly. When the creature noticed Sam, it tried to attack him and then quickly escaped on spider-like legs.
