Between the second and third films, the Freeling family has sent Carol Anne (Heather O'Rourke) to live with her Aunt Pat (Nancy Allen) and Uncle Bruce Gardner (Tom Skerritt). Carol Anne insists on calling her aunt "Trish," (a common nickname for Patricia). This is an important plot point later in the film to identify an impostor Carol Anne.
Along with Donna (Lara Flynn Boyle), Bruce's daughter from a previous marriage, they live in the luxury skyscraper (Chicago's 101-story John Hancock Center) of which Bruce is the manager. Pat is the sister of Diane, Carol Anne's mother. Carol Anne has been told she is in Chicago temporarily to attend a unique school for gifted children with emotional problems, though Pat thinks it's because Steve and Diane just wanted Carol Anne out of their house. Pat seems to have no knowledge of the events from the first two films, just noting that Steven was involved in a bad land deal.
For a number of months, Carol Anne has been made by her teach
er/psychiatrist, Dr. Seaton (Richard Fire), to discuss her experiences from the first and second movie. Seaton believes her to be delusional, however the constant discussion has enabled Kane (Nathan Davis) to locate Carol Ann and bring him back from the limbo he was sent into at the end of the second film. Dr. Seaton, who has never experienced the supernatural, believes that Carol Anne is simply a manipulative child who has created something of a mass hysteria within her family, falsely making them believe they were attacked by ghosts.
Also during this period, Tangina realizes that Kane has found Carol Anne and travels cross-country to protect her.
Kane drains the high rise of heat and takes possession of the character's reflections in mirrors, causing the reflections to act independently of their counterparts in the real world. When Carol Anne is left alone that night, Kane attempts to use the mirrors in her room to capture her, but she escapes with the help of Tangina (Zelda Rubinstein).
Donna and her boyfriend, Scott, see a frightened Carol Anne running through the high rise's p
arking lot, and move to rescue her. However, before they can, all three are taken to the Other Side by Kane. By this point, Tangina and Dr. Seaton are both at the high rise, along with Trish and Bruce. Dr. Seaton believes that Carol Anne has staged the entire thing, while Tangina tries to get her back.
Scott is seemingly released from the Other Side through a pool in the high rise, and Donna reappears after Tangina is taken by Kane disguised as Carol Anne. Scott is left at his home with his parents. Nobody notices that the symbols on Donna's clothing are reversed from what they were before she was taken.
As Dr. Seaton attempts to calm Donna, Bruce sees Carol Anne's ref
lection in the mirror and chases her while Pat follows. Dr. Seaton is not far behind, and he believes he sees Carol Anne in the elevator. After Dr. Seaton approaches the elevator doors, however, Donna appears behind him and pushes him into the empty elevator shaft. At this point it is revealed that Donna did not actually come back, but rather the person who came back was an evil reflection of Donna who then vanishes back into the mirror, with an evil reflection of Scott at her side.
Pat and Bruce try to find Carol Anne, but Bruce is captured and eventually Pat is forced to prove her love for Carol Anne in a final face off against Kane.
The ending is somewhat unclear, but Tangina manages to convince Kane to go into the Light with her. Donna, Bruce and Carol Anne are returned to Pat. What became of the real Scott is never explained. (It was shown that it was actually an "evil" version of him that had returned earlier.) The final shot of the film is that of the high rise as lightning strikes it followed by Kane's laughter.
Along with Donna (Lara Flynn Boyle), Bruce's daughter from a previous marriage, they live in the luxury skyscraper (Chicago's 101-story John Hancock Center) of which Bruce is the manager. Pat is the sister of Diane, Carol Anne's mother. Carol Anne has been told she is in Chicago temporarily to attend a unique school for gifted children with emotional problems, though Pat thinks it's because Steve and Diane just wanted Carol Anne out of their house. Pat seems to have no knowledge of the events from the first two films, just noting that Steven was involved in a bad land deal.
For a number of months, Carol Anne has been made by her teach
er/psychiatrist, Dr. Seaton (Richard Fire), to discuss her experiences from the first and second movie. Seaton believes her to be delusional, however the constant discussion has enabled Kane (Nathan Davis) to locate Carol Ann and bring him back from the limbo he was sent into at the end of the second film. Dr. Seaton, who has never experienced the supernatural, believes that Carol Anne is simply a manipulative child who has created something of a mass hysteria within her family, falsely making them believe they were attacked by ghosts.Also during this period, Tangina realizes that Kane has found Carol Anne and travels cross-country to protect her.
Kane drains the high rise of heat and takes possession of the character's reflections in mirrors, causing the reflections to act independently of their counterparts in the real world. When Carol Anne is left alone that night, Kane attempts to use the mirrors in her room to capture her, but she escapes with the help of Tangina (Zelda Rubinstein).
Donna and her boyfriend, Scott, see a frightened Carol Anne running through the high rise's p
arking lot, and move to rescue her. However, before they can, all three are taken to the Other Side by Kane. By this point, Tangina and Dr. Seaton are both at the high rise, along with Trish and Bruce. Dr. Seaton believes that Carol Anne has staged the entire thing, while Tangina tries to get her back.Scott is seemingly released from the Other Side through a pool in the high rise, and Donna reappears after Tangina is taken by Kane disguised as Carol Anne. Scott is left at his home with his parents. Nobody notices that the symbols on Donna's clothing are reversed from what they were before she was taken.
As Dr. Seaton attempts to calm Donna, Bruce sees Carol Anne's ref
lection in the mirror and chases her while Pat follows. Dr. Seaton is not far behind, and he believes he sees Carol Anne in the elevator. After Dr. Seaton approaches the elevator doors, however, Donna appears behind him and pushes him into the empty elevator shaft. At this point it is revealed that Donna did not actually come back, but rather the person who came back was an evil reflection of Donna who then vanishes back into the mirror, with an evil reflection of Scott at her side.Pat and Bruce try to find Carol Anne, but Bruce is captured and eventually Pat is forced to prove her love for Carol Anne in a final face off against Kane.
The ending is somewhat unclear, but Tangina manages to convince Kane to go into the Light with her. Donna, Bruce and Carol Anne are returned to Pat. What became of the real Scott is never explained. (It was shown that it was actually an "evil" version of him that had returned earlier.) The final shot of the film is that of the high rise as lightning strikes it followed by Kane's laughter.