Six months after the events of the first film and immediately following the events of the short film Rings, Samara Morgan’s cursed videotape has been circulating through teenagers in Astoria, Oregon. Jake Pierce is on his seventh day as per the tape’s rules, and asks his friend Emily to watch the tape. He briefly steps into his kitchen while Emily supposedly watches the tape. Jake receives a phone call and initially thinks it is Samara but is relieved to realize it is only his friend with whom he had planned to trick Emily into watching the tape. Suddenly, Jake notices dark liquid pouring from under the kitchen door and runs outside to the living room, only to discover Emily closed her eyes while watching the tape. Jake is then promptly murdered by Samara.
Rachel Keller and her son, Aidan, have moved to Astoria from Seattle after sending the tape off into the ether. Rachel works at The Daily Astorian for editor Max Rourke. Rachel learns of Jake’s death, inspecting his body, only for Samara to appear, declaring that she has been looking for her. Rachel breaks into Jake’s house, obtains the videotape and burns it. Aidan experiences a nightmare where Samara drags him into a television. He soon starts developing hypothermia and bruises on his arms. At a county fair, Aidan wanders into a restroom and takes photographs of his reflection, where Samara appears. Rachel takes him home but they are attacked by multiple wild deer on the way, wrecking the car. After the stampede, Rachel returns home with Aiden and worries about his health. It is during this time that Rachel realizes Aidan may be possessed by Samara.