A Night to Dismember

A Night to Dismember

Year: 1983

Runtime: 69 mins

Language: English

Director: Doris Wishman

HorrorHorror

Lust, betrayal and dismemberment… A woman from a “cursed” family is released from a mental facility, and soon dismembered corpses start turning up.

Warning: spoilers below!

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A Night to Dismember (1983) – Full Plot Summary & Ending Explained

Read the complete plot breakdown of A Night to Dismember (1983), including all key story events, major twists, and the ending explained in detail. Discover what really happened—and what it all means.

The Kent family of Woodmire Lake is tied to a chilling belief: they’re cursed, and that curse seems to drive a trail of murder and familicide through each generation. Bonnie Kent is among the first to fall, found hacked to death with an axe by her sister Susan; after committing the brutal act, Susan slips in the bathroom and falls onto the blade, killing herself. Later, Broderick Kent’s wife Lola Kent, Lola Kent, Cindy Boudreau is discovered murdered in her bathtub; he initially denies involvement, but soon confesses to the crime before taking his own life. Broderick’s niece Vicki Kent, Vicki Kent, Samantha Fox, is then revealed to have murdered two neighborhood boys in August 1981 and is sent away to an asylum.

Six years pass before Vicki is released, apparently having overcome the homicidal tendencies that plagued her. Her return unsettles her family—especially her brother Billy and sister Mary, who want her recommitted—while Adam and Blanche, her parents, struggle to help her readjust. Vicki tries to reconnect with her ex, Frankie, and is soon haunted by unsettling visions as she attempts to rebuild her life. One night, Frankie and his new girlfriend are murdered during a private moment; an unseen assailant decapitates Frankie and burns the head in the fireplace, a grisly act that shakes the household to its core.

Tension thickens as Vicki seeks out relatives, including Uncle Sebastian and Aunt Ann; Great-aunt Bea is staying with them as well. They turn her away, deeming her and her siblings dangerous and unsafe to be around. The next morning, Sebastian is murdered with a hatchet, and Ann is run down by a car. Bea is pursued inside the house and decapitated, her head wrapped in a cloth and stored away. Out by the lake, Vicki is chased by a pale, zombie-like figure that rises from the water, only to discover later that it is Billy trying to terrify her.

Vicki’s attempt to resurface socially continues as she tries to lure Tim O’Malley, a detective investigating the murders of Sebastian, Ann, and Bea, into a dangerous encounter by performing a striptease; the moment becomes a hallucinogenic fantasy of a sexual encounter between them. Billy, William Szarka, repeats his harassment with a Halloween mask, driving Vicki further toward the edge. Mary, meanwhile, has a nightmare in which her entire family turns on her and stabs her to death. The house’s electricity flickers out, and Adam, Saul Meth, goes to check the main breaker, only to be stabbed to death by an unseen assailant. Blanche is then brutally murdered in her bed, leaving the home soaked in fear and confusion.

Billy discovers his parents’ bodies and is later killed by Mary, who, convinced her family has conspired against her, strikes him down with a rock. Mary then experiences the lingering voices that echo through the house, a chorus of disembodied reminders that keep steering her thoughts toward madness. She retreats to the basement, but the voices continue to taunt her as she flees into the woods, seeking an escape from the relentless memories.

Detective O’Malley arrives at Woodmire Lake and uncovers the staggering carnage—Vicki stands among the corpses, her hands still dripping with blood, gripping a hatchet. In a desperate struggle, she fights back, but the detective overpowers her and strangles her to death. In a somber voiceover, O’Malley reads diaries from each family member, ultimately revealing a shocking truth: Mary committed all the murders for which Vicki had been blamed, including the two neighborhood boys’ deaths that led to Vicki’s confinement. As the tale closes, Mary leaves Woodmire Lake in a taxi and murders the taxi driver with a hatchet, a final act that seals the grim legacy of the Kent curse.

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 14:49

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Explore Movie Threads

Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Cursed family horror movies like A Night to Dismember

Blood-soaked tales where a family's dark secrets lead to brutal internal destruction.If you liked the grisly family dynamics and internal betrayal in A Night to Dismember, explore more movies in this thread. These films focus on horror that erupts from within a family, featuring cursed lineages, feigned insanity, and brutal acts of violence between relatives, all set in an oppressive, paranoid atmosphere.

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Narrative Summary

Stories in this thread typically center on a family with a cursed or traumatic past. A catalyst, like the return of a relative or the uncovering of a secret, triggers a spiral of violence. The narrative relies on misdirection, often pointing to an external threat before revealing the killer is among the family, leading to a climax of shocking betrayal and brutal murder.

Why These Movies?

These movies are grouped by their shared focus on the family as both the victim and the monstrous entity. They create a specific, unsettling mood by combining the familiarity of home with the terror of betrayal, using graphic violence to underscore the theme of internal collapse. The pacing is often frenetic, matching the chaotic unraveling of familial bonds.

Frenetic and grisly slasher movies like A Night to Dismember

Movies that deliver a non-stop barrage of graphic violence and paranoid dread.Fans of the fast-paced, high-intensity horror in A Night to Dismember will find more chaotic slasher experiences here. These movies prioritize a relentless pace, grisly murder sequences, and an overall oppressive, unsettling atmosphere with high tension and bleak outcomes, perfect for viewers who want a non-stop thrill.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern is straightforward but effective: a violent threat is introduced early, and the film proceeds with a series of brutal encounters. Character development is often secondary to the rapid succession of events, creating a experience focused on visceral shock and sustained anxiety. The mystery of the killer's identity may provide a through-line, but the primary drive is the constant escalation of violence.

Why These Movies?

These films are united by their shared commitment to a specific viewing experience: one of high-octane, chaotic horror. The similarity lies in the pace, the unapologetic gore, and the ability to maintain a state of high tension and unease from start to finish. They are less about slow-building dread and more about immediate, frenetic terror.

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A Night to Dismember Timeline

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Characters, Settings & Themes in A Night to Dismember

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Characters, Settings & Themes in A Night to Dismember

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More About A Night to Dismember

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