Victor Robinson (John Savage), his wife Sheila (Barbara Sukowa), and their kids Jesse (Nicholas Diegman) and Meghan (Laura Harling) move into a country home near Chesapequa, New York so that Meghan, who is autistic, can attend a special school. In a disused room, Victor and Jesse discover a Frequency Harmonizer, a device built by Thomas Edison that can supposedly contact the dead. Shortly afterwards, strange things start happening, and Victor and Sheila start to think that Meghan is communicating with the ghosts of Chloe Markel and Joshua Norris, two children who were murdered eight years ago.
Nightworld: Lost Souls contains examples of:
- Ascend to a Higher Plane of Existence: After Graham's death, two shapes start rising towards the sky. Victor says, "They've been addressed."
- Bound and Gagged: Victor finds Jesse tied up like this in the cave.
- Dumb Struck: Elson Garret went missing around the time of the murders. He showed up a few days later and has been withdrawn and mute ever since. This leads Victor to think he was the killer. He was in fact traumatized by witnessing the murders. He didn't commit them.
- False Confession: Jack Mennias, the man imprisoned for the murders, was a mentally ill drifter who was constantly confessing to different crimes he didn't commit, and who "forgot" almost every detail of the murders. Most people agree that his conviction was a miscarriage of justice.
- Gotta Get Your Head Together: When Meghan has the ghosts attack Graham Scofield, he screams and clutches his head.
- Nightmare Fuel Coloring Book: Meghan has always enjoyed finger painting, but most of her work consists of random streaks and blotches. But under the influence of the ghosts, she starts drawing stick figures in a hole, with an unnaturally tall, thin figure towering over them. Victor finds more detailed pencil sketches of the same subject matter under Elson's bed.
- Shovel Strike: Graham attempts to knock Victor out with a shovel. Victor grabs onto the shovel and forces him against the wall with it.
- The Speechless: Meghan has never spoken a word in the twelve years since she was born. Her parents are astonished when she starts singing "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" along with a music box, especially when they hear two voices singing along with her even though she's alone.
- What Are Records?: When Victor and Jesse find the Frequency Harmonizer, Victor comments, "Looks like an old phonograph." Jesse says, "What's that?" Victor says, "An old record player." Jesse says, "What's that?" Victor says, "Never mind."
- Winds Are Ghosts: Almost every time something supernatural happens, a strong wind starts blowing, even indoors.
