In this film, based on a Tony Award winning play, Sidney Bruhl (Michael Caine) is a famous playwright. After his latest play turns out to be a flop, he receives a manuscript of a play called "Deathtrap" from one of his former students, Clifford Anderson (Christopher Reeve). Sidney invites Clifford to his home for dinner and murders him with the intent of claiming the play as his own. Soon after Clifford is buried, a mysterious psychic appears and warns of an evil presence around the Bruhl residence. Later that night, Clifford makes his reappearance, but he's returned for a somewhat unexpected reason.