在离开家乡维罗纳的五年里，希尔达·克兰已经离婚两次，名声也不太好。她从纽约回到一位责骂的母亲身边，她希望希尔达能理智地嫁给成功的建筑商拉塞尔·伯恩斯，并最终安定下来。

A pathologist, Dr. Warren Chapin (played by Vincent Price), discovers that the tingling of the spine in states of extreme fear is due to the growth of a "tingler"—a spinal parasite which can kill the host unless it is destroyed by screaming.