Handyman from Hell is a catchy title, but sadly, the film is not nearly as catchy. It may sound like a horror film, but the film is a simple revenge drama with shades of the thriller genre thrown in the mix. The acting is not abysmal, but it’s not remarkable either, probably because the scenes aren’t constructed in a believable manner, characters are never allowed to fully express themselves, and neither do the actors seem to care. The story revolves around Maggie, who shifts to a new home after separating from her husband. Soon, a psychopath named Nate comes into her life with ulterior motives. Maggie has the support of her friends but ditching them and trusting Nate may just prove fatal.

Spoilers Ahead

Plot Synopsis: What Happens In The Film?

Maggie had a stressful life. She was having emotional breakdowns after her separation and had moved into a new house near her office. Getting help from her elder brother Michael, she was new to managing Steel City Firm, an architectural company her father had run like the powerful magnate that he was. Now, there was only Maggie and Michael. Having nightmares about never finding companionship, she was looking for comfort in the responsibility of running the company. There was Harriet, Michael’s girlfriend, who visited her often in the new house, but Maggie really needed an intimate relationship. She wasn’t divorced yet and was in a moral dilemma about waiting for David, her husband, to show a miraculous change. He had cheated on her, but she still wasn’t sure if she wanted a divorce. Shifting focus, she started interviewing contractors who could fix up her house. After going through many of them, Nate came into her life as a breath of fresh air, but little did Maggie know that he had already murdered a woman, and God only knew what his real goal was.

How Did Nate Make His Way Into Maggie’s Life?

Maggie was already sad and lonely, and Nate wasn’t bad-looking at all. He exuded charm and came disguised as a contractor. He carefully hacked into Maggie’s fitness app and started to keep tabs on her location. There was something he obviously wanted from her, and seduction was his strong suit. With his puppy face, manipulative emotional support, and an aura of competence, he slowly started to act like he was genuinely interested in Maggie as a potential partner. His fake disappointments over her marital status and sudden glee, knowing David was almost out of her life, started to convince Maggie as well that he was truly interested in her. Also, Maggie’s fantasies about Nate really helped him grow closer to her, as he wasn’t nearly as attractive as he appeared in Maggie’s wet dreams.

Why was Maggie In A Dilemma Regarding David?

A sudden kiss on one of Nate’s work visits confirmed that Maggie had bought the lie and that he could make her do anything if he did not err in keeping up the facade. Maggie, on the other hand, grew conflicted as she still wore her wedding ring, symbolic of the fact that somewhere, she still had hope that David would return to her and things would return to normal. This was countered by her nightmares, where David used to disdainfully look down upon her and tell him that her fate was sealed and she would die a lonely woman. On a game night, where Michael, Harriet, and some other friends had come to her house, David came as a surprise guest. Maggie’s hopes went up, and she forgot about Nate for a while. Nate knew that if she went back to David, his whole plan would be jeopardized, so he decided to take David out.

Why Did Michael Suspect Nate?

Michael was truly a caring brother, but he could be a real irritating presence with his overly interrogative approach to things. When he offered to contact some contractors for Maggie’s kitchen, she declined and made a deal with someone she had interviewed online. Nate killed the man on arrival and took his place. Nate said his surname was Brothers, but Michael couldn’t find him online and it was odd for him to not even have a website, and nobody in the area knew about him. Michael never suspected him of murder, but he grew wary of him, which is why he had asked for his credentials. Nate grew careful, but he had faltered, and if Maggie had just paid attention, she would have seen through his deception. Being overwhelmed by emotions, she couldn’t see that Nate was just forcing her to reveal secret information about her office’s safe and other stuff about Hillsborough Arts Centre.

Why Did Nate Want To Leave Maggie Alive?

Nate went back to his dingy garage where he often talked to himself, as if he were in dialogue with a ghost. Actually, he had long conversations about his plans with his late brother. No, he wasn’t present as a ghost, but Nate’s insanity had made him conjure up a spirit who talked back at him. He was truly a lost cause, but not without a tragic past. A while back, Nate’s brother died after a building collapsed. The building was designed by Michael himself, and it was he and perhaps his father who had planned to resurrect the Hillsborough Arts Centre on the site of the collapsed building. Nate’s brother neither received any compensation for his brother’s death nor did he win his case against Steel City.

Maggie grew a little concerned about Nate’s motives when his mask slipped while she showed him her office. He had seen the safe where he suspected Michael had kept his money, which he was after. He had already killed all the contractors and builders associated with the collapse. Only Michael remained. When Maggie searched for Nate online, she found a video of him as Nate Hawkings, showing his maniacal side, ready to avenge his brother’s death. Michael was right in his initial hunch that Nate was trouble, but it seemed too late. He had already kidnapped Michael and cut off his thumb to break into the office. Nate, in one of his dialogues with his dead brother, displayed his unwillingness to kill Maggie, as she was totally innocent. It was Michael who was guilty, and he deserved to die, according to him. His brother’s voice tortured him for deviating from the original plan, which must have been to wipe everyone related to Steel City Firm from the face of the earth, but he came up with convoluted rationales to justify leaving Maggie alive. He had actually begun to fancy her and wanted to keep her to himself as a trophy, unlike the other women he had killed.

Maggie, having found out about Nate’s real surname, didn’t know he was a killer. Nate tried to kill her, but she retaliated and asked him to reveal the truth about his motives. He would have killed her if Michael had not barged in after having escaped from Nate’s van. Nate was filled with such fury that he overpowered both of them, but suddenly the police showed up. It was Harriet who had called them. Funnily enough, the smartwatches on both Michael and Maggie’s wrists indicated that their heart rate was insanely high, and the notification went to Harriet, maybe setting in to warn her to call for help in case of a panic attack. Suspecting foul play, Harriet quickly informed the police, and Nate was arrested. There was a hint at the very end that Maggie wasn’t completely safe, and that Nate would somehow find a way to kill her. After having gone through the harrowing experience, Maggie knew she could tackle anything. She took her company to new heights and overcame her loneliness. Perhaps Nate might come back somehow in a sequel, but Maggie was now ready for it.