They Live in the Grey (2022)

Suicidal social worker Claire Yang struggles with ongoing trauma stemming from the tragic death of her young son Lucas, which also led to the end of her marriage to Fresno police officer Peter. Sensitive to supernatural spirits, Claire additionally suffers from intermittent visions of violent ghosts, causing her to sleep in her closet for her safety and sanity.

Claire's boss at Child Protective Services, Lloyd, assigns Claire to investigate the suspected abuse of a young girl named Sophie Lang. While interviewing Sophie and her parents, Giles and Audrey, Claire observes paranormal activity in the family's home. After seeing a woman's ghost during one of her sudden trances, Claire concludes a supernatural entity is responsible for Sophie's injuries, but is unsure how to handle the case since Lloyd and Sophie's school would not believe the truth. The ghostly woman seemingly slaps Sophie, locks her in her closet, and trashes her room. In a subsequent interview with the girl, Sophie tells Claire that her father Giles had an affair while Audrey was pregnant with her. Lloyd continues pressuring Claire to close the seemingly straightforward case. During a family dinner, the ghost contorts Audrey's hand and forces it down on a knife blade. While Giles insists on taking his wife to the hospital, Audrey only questions him about his affair from several years earlier. With the paranormal activity growing more violent, Audrey asks Claire if she could use her ability to communicate with the ghost to get it to leave. Claire ends up choked unconscious when she experiences a vision in the family's bathroom of a woman killing her husband with a sewing needle and then slashing her wrists in grief upon seeing their dead son on the floor. When she wakes in the hospital, Claire learns her ex-husband Peter sat with her for an entire day. Ada, an elderly woman later revealed to be another ghost, talks to Claire about unfairly blaming yourself for another person's death and the need to heal broken relationships. Claire has other ghostly encounters while in the hospital, including one with the woman grieving for her dead son in the morgue. Claire confronts her boss upon learning he closed the Lang case while she was in the hospital, resulting in CPS planning to take Sophie away from her parents. Lloyd fires Claire. Claire visits her son's ghost in the field where he was found after being killed by a hit-and-run driver. The experience compels Claire to give up her prescription meds, which she blames for making her miss a scheduled pickup that forced Lucas to walk home from school when he was killed. Claire also moves out of the closet and back into her bed. As the final step in dealing with her grief and finally moving forward, Claire calls Peter to say she wants to start over. Peter agrees to renew their relationship. The woman's ghost attacks Claire in her home. A flashback shows Claire that the distraught woman killed her husband and then herself after discovering her husband murdered their son. Another flashback shows that Audrey had been abusing Sophie all along, and the ghost was merely trying to protect the girl. Claire rushes to the Lang family's house with the woman's ghost guiding her. Claire finds Audrey holding Giles at gunpoint while Sophie cowers in fear. As Giles pleads that Audrey needs mental help, Audrey expresses long-held resentment over his affair, which she blames for destroying her life. Audrey admits she abuses Sophie, and she threatens to shoot their daughter in order to take away what Giles loves most. Claire physically intervenes, inadvertently causing Audrey to kill Giles instead of Audrey. Claire and Audrey wrestle over the gun as Audrey continues firing wildly. Audrey ends up falling down the stairs. Hearing the gunshots, the neighbors call 911. Peter and his police officer partner Beckett respond to the call. Claire tries to sneak out of the house with Sophie, but Audrey suddenly stabs her. With Audrey continuing to attack, Claire asks the ghost for help. The ghost contorts Audrey's limbs in different directions until she drops dead. Peter and Beckett arrive to rescue Claire and Sophie. In the aftermath, Claire finally tells Peter about her unusual ability to see the ghosts and how the trauma it fostered led to her pushing him away. Claire takes up specialized work to help troubled families solve their paranormal problems. (thanks to culturecrypt)