In the early 19th century, two brothers, Wilhelm and Jacob, traverse Germanic territories as con artists, exploiting local superstitions by offering their services to protect towns from enchanted creatures. They fabricate hauntings and then stage elaborate exorcisms for a fee, playing off the folk tales and myths that pervade the countryside. Their charlatanry works well until they encounter a town genuinely on the edge of a dark and ominous forest, rumored to be cursed. The villagers are tormented by real disappearances, which the brothers initially dismiss as just another opportunity for profit.

However, they quickly realize that they are dealing with forces beyond their understanding or control. Tasked by the French-occupied authorities to solve the mystery of the missing girls, they enter the forest and soon find themselves entangled in a genuine fairy tale, complete with an evil queen who has been controlling the forest’s dark magic to sustain her own life. As they delve deeper, their usual tricks and schemes are rendered useless against the genuinely supernatural threats they encounter, forcing them to confront their own skepticism and to rely on each other's strengths genuinely. Along the way, they begin to realize that the stories they've been exploiting for their gains hold more truth than they ever imagined, drawing them into a battle for survival against a malevolent force seeking to break free from its ancient bonds.