Totem

Totem

Year: 2017

Runtime: 92 mins

Language: Polish

Director: Jakub Charon

Crime

Following his release from prison, Wild finds work as a goalkeeper at a nightclub where his girlfriend, Dagmara, performs as a dancer. Driven by ambition and a desire to escape poverty, he looks to his brother Igor, a powerful gangster, as an example. Igor wants to shield Wild from his criminal enterprise. When Dagmara becomes pregnant and a dancer is violently assaulted, Wild seeks revenge. Drawn into the city's illicit drug trade, he plans a robbery with Igor's help, leading to escalating gang warfare and a spiraling cycle of retribution.

Warning: spoilers below!

Haven’t seen Totem yet? This summary contains major spoilers. Bookmark the page, watch the movie, and come back for the full breakdown. If you're ready, scroll on and relive the story!

Timeline – Totem (2017)

Trace every key event in Totem (2017) with our detailed, chronological timeline. Perfect for unpacking nonlinear stories, spotting hidden connections, and understanding how each scene builds toward the film’s climax. Whether you're revisiting or decoding for the first time, this timeline gives you the full picture.

1

Kellie discovers Lexy's moving necklace

After Lexy’s death, Kellie finds a necklace that belonged to her mother. The object seems capable of moving things, hinting at a link to Lexy’s spirit. This discovery sets the stage for a widening supernatural influence in the family.

After Lexy's death Kellie's room
2

Totem knocks trophies; James suspects Kellie

The totem smashes a row of Kellie's trophies, drawing James's suspicion that Kellie is sabotaging his relationship with Robin. Kellie tries to explain, but the incident heightens the household tension. The haunting remains unseen, yet increasingly menacing.

Evening Family home, Kellie's room
3

Robin moves in and changes the household routine

Robin arrives as James's girlfriend and begins handling household duties to normalize Kellie's life. Kellie feels unsettled by the changes but tries to be kind to Robin. The power of the unseen entity grows as the family adjusts.

First days after Robin's move-in Family home
4

Kellie has a disturbing vision at track practice

During track practice, Kellie is startled by a vision of a standing corpse wrapped in plastic on the bleachers. The eerie sight hints at a dark history connected to the house. The vision deepens Kellie’s fear that the entity is actively targeting the family.

Track practice (afternoon) Track field
5

Bernard visits and reveals Robin's past ties

Bernard, Lexy’s father, visits Kellie and Robin and reveals a shared past with them as mutual friends. The revelation complicates loyalties and stirs old memories. Kellie’s trust in the adults around her begins to fracture under the weight of the haunting.

Day of Bernard's visit Family home
6

Kellie sets up ornaments and motion detectors

Kellie decorates doors with Christmas ornaments and installs motion detectors to document the entity's activity. She hopes this will prove the haunting to her family. The preparation marks a shift toward a more obsessive, investigative response to the supernatural presence.

Evening House hallways/doors
7

The cat's proximity triggers the entity's activity

Around the family cat, the entity becomes more reactive, causing the motion detectors to beep frantically. The cat's fear and the detectors' alerts heighten the sense that the entity is surveilling the household. Kellie grows more determined to uncover and confront the entity.

Later that night House interior
8

A violent supernatural attack; a bookcase falls

In a confrontation with the entity, a bookcase is toppled and crushes the family cat, showing the entity's dangerous power. The moment shatters the family’s sense of safety and escalates the fear among the occupants. Kellie realizes the entity will not be easily exorcised or controlled.

That night Living room
9

Abby is abducted; Bernard initially refuses to believe

The entity intensifies and attempts to abduct Abby, forcing the family to call Bernard for help. At first, Bernard refuses to believe their story, delaying any rescue. After considering the possibility the entity is Lexy’s ghost, he rushes back into the house to assist.

Night Family home
10

Bernard's death due to Kellie's deception

Bernard struggles with respiratory issues, and Kellie deceitfully exhausts his inhaler, depleting his puffs and causing his death. The tragedy hits the family hard and widens the rift between Kellie and the others. The hauntings take on a new, personal and deadly edge.

Following night Bernard's location within the home
11

Wedding ring discovery and Robin's confrontation

Robin discovers a wedding ring hidden in the base of a Kellie trophy, triggering a confrontation about Kellie's motives. Kellie claims her mother was weak and pushes Robin into the bathtub, causing her to appear to drown. The family fractures further as fear and guilt overwhelm them.

Late night Trophy room / Bathroom
12

Todd's murder and the family confrontation peaks

Kellie sneaks up on Todd and strikes him dead before hurrying to Abby in the crawlspace. James discovers the bodies and realizes Kellie is responsible, tying him to a chair as Kellie tries to destroy the totem. The confrontation escalates until Kellie is confronted by her mother's spirit, and she is impaled on a spike as Robin attempts to intervene.

Late night Family home
13

Survivors retreat to a tiny house

The three survivors retreat to a tiny house parked in a deserted, serene location, offering a fragile sense of safety. Abby continues to talk to someone unseen, suggesting lingering contact with the supernatural. The image ends with a wary hope for a calmer, yet unsettled future.

Ending Tiny house in a desert location
14

A fragile new routine

The family attempts to settle into a fragile routine in exile, aware that the entity's influence may not be completely gone. Abby continues to speak to someone beyond the visible world, hinting at ongoing haunting threads. The ending leaves a quiet, uneasy sense of hope amid the trauma.

After ending Deserted location / Tiny house

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 15:52

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Crime spirals of ambition and revenge like in Totem

Characters lured into a criminal life seeking escape, only to be consumed by it.If you liked Totem's story of a man drawn into gang warfare despite his brother's efforts to protect him, you'll find similar movies here. These crime dramas feature protagonists whose ambitions for a better life lead them down a dark path of escalating violence and bitter consequences, echoing the feel of Totem.

sinisteroppressiveanxiousgrief-strickenviolentfutilegrim

Narrative Summary

The narrative follows a protagonist, typically motivated by ambition, poverty, or a desire to protect loved ones, who enters the criminal underworld. Initially seeing it as a solution, they soon find themselves entangled in a web of obligations and violence. Their attempts to control their situation or seek revenge only accelerate their descent, leading to inevitable tragedy and loss.

Why These Movies?

These films are grouped by their shared exploration of the corrupting influence of crime and the inescapable nature of violent cycles. They share a dark tone, heavy emotional weight, and a steady pacing that builds towards an intense, often bleak or bittersweet conclusion, focusing on the psychological toll of the criminal life.

Movies about the burden of protection like Totem

Stories where shielding loved ones from danger leads to catastrophic consequences.This collection features movies similar to Totem, where characters grapple with the heavy responsibility of shielding their family from harm. If you were captivated by Igor's attempts to protect Wild from his criminal life and the tragic outcomes that follow, you'll find compelling parallels in these emotionally heavy, dark-toned dramas.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative revolves around a protector figure, often an older sibling or parent, who tries to insulate a loved one from a dangerous environment or their own flawed choices. Their methods of protection—secrecy, control, or involvement in the very danger they seek to avoid—create tension and often backfire spectacularly, pulling the person they wanted to save deeper into the fray and leading to shared tragedy.

Why These Movies?

These movies share a focus on familial bonds strained by external pressures and well-meaning but misguided actions. They are united by a dark, oppressive mood, high emotional stakes, and a steady pacing that builds towards a climax where the act of protection itself becomes the source of the conflict.

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Totem Summary

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Totem Summary

Characters, Settings & Themes in Totem

Discover the characters, locations, and core themes that shape Totem. Get insights into symbolic elements, setting significance, and deeper narrative meaning — ideal for thematic analysis and movie breakdowns.

Characters, Settings & Themes in Totem

Totem Spoiler-Free Summary

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Totem Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Totem

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