), ▁are ▁on ▁their ▁h one ym oon . ▁They ▁check ▁into ▁a ▁grand ▁hotel ▁on ▁the ▁Ost end ▁sea front ▁in ▁Belg ium , ▁int ending ▁to ▁catch ▁the ▁cross - channel ▁fer ry ▁to ▁England , ▁though ▁Stefan ▁seems ▁odd ly ▁un enth used ▁at ▁the ▁prospect ▁of ▁introdu cing ▁his ▁new ▁b ride ▁to ▁his ▁mother . ▁It ▁is ▁off - season , ▁so ▁the ▁couple ▁are ▁alone ▁in ▁the ▁hotel . ▁Al one , ▁that ▁is , ▁until ▁the ▁sun ▁sets ▁and ▁a ▁myster ious ▁Hung arian ▁count ess , ▁Elizabeth ▁B á th ory ▁( Del ph ine ▁Se yr ig ) ▁arriv es ▁in ▁a ▁v int age ▁Br istol ▁driven ▁by ▁her ▁" secret ary ", ▁Il ona ▁( And rea ▁R au ). ▁The ▁middle - aged ▁con cier ge ▁at ▁the ▁hotel ▁swe ars ▁that ▁he ▁saw ▁the ▁Count ess ▁at ▁the ▁same ▁hotel ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁little ▁boy . ▁The ▁pair ▁may ▁have ▁a ▁connection ▁to ▁three ▁separate ▁gru esome ▁mur ders ▁of ▁young ▁girls ▁that ▁occurred ▁in ▁Bru ges ▁the ▁previous ▁week . ▁On ▁a ▁day ▁trip , ▁Stefan ▁and ▁Val erie ▁witness ▁the ▁after math ▁of ▁a ▁fourth . ▁At ▁the ▁hotel , ▁the ▁Count ess ▁quickly ▁becomes ▁obs essed ▁with ▁the ▁newly w eds ▁and ▁the ▁resulting ▁interaction ▁of ▁the ▁four ▁people ▁leads ▁to ▁sad ism ▁and ▁murder . ▁First ▁Il ona , ▁then ▁Stefan , ▁then ▁the ▁Count ess ▁dies , ▁leaving ▁Val erie , ▁now ▁transformed ▁into