Elderly housewife Joyce Smith (
Lin Shaye) is left distraught after her husband Fred mysteriously dies in a slip and fall accident while fixing the roof. Her probate attorney tells her that he owed a substantial amount of money on a loan, and apart from $2,200 in savings, he left no other assets in his name. While in the library, Joyce notices a magazine that teaches homeowners how to turn their properties into a bnb (
bed and breakfast), and later converts her property. A young writer, Sarah, and her husband Edward become the first lodgers. Joyce bonds with Sarah but Edward is put off by her demeanor; they promptly leave but she and Sarah stay in touch via letters. Soon after, a handsome young man named Robert moves into Joyce's house. She becomes infatuated with him, making special dinners, dressing up to impress him, and even gets a satellite dish so he can watch an all-football channel. After divorcing Edward, Sarah visits Joyce and shares an intimate night with Robert, causing a rift between herself and Joyce. Joyce's neighbor Gladys tells Sarah she fell out with Joyce a while back due to her split-thinking and abandonment issues. Gladys also tells her that Fred forced Joyce to abort a baby. After Sarah leaves, Joyce visits Gladys and suffocates her with a pillow. When Robert asks Joyce where Sarah went, she lies and claims she has returned home to her husband, making Robert feel worthless. He later catches Joyce going through his belongings and confronts her; she tells him he reminds her of her son who died years ago. Robert accepts the lie but remains cautious. Joyce makes Robert a home-cooked meal but spikes his food and then rapes him while he is unconscious. She later finds money and cocaine in his belongings, suggesting he is a drug trafficker. After awakening, Robert finds a letter from Sarah, revealing Joyce's lies and manipulations. He confronts Joyce and then collects his belongings, intending to move out, but Joyce bludgeons him with a frying pan, killing him. She reads the rest of Sarah's letter to Robert, in which Sarah reveals that she is pregnant. Joyce, who has always wanted a child, invites Sarah to stay at her home while Joyce takes a vacation using Robert's drug money. Joyce buries Robert's remains in the backyard and gets rid of his personal items. Sarah goes to Robert's old room but finds it locked. Unbeknownst to Sarah, Joyce has redesigned the room into a nursery, leaving behind a welcoming sign from grandma, foreboding her return after Sarah has given birth. ==Cast==