Boardinghouse

Boardinghouse

Year: 1982

Runtime: 99 mins

Language: English

HorrorHorror

When a once‑infamous boarding house reopens after years of standing empty following a series of gruesome murders, the new tenants assume they’ve left the horror behind. Yet the rent isn’t the only threat, as a fresh wave of bloodshed erupts, forcing everyone to confront the house’s deadly legacy.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – Boardinghouse (1982)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Boardinghouse (1982). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

1982

The present-day action unfolds in 1982 as Jim Royce reopens the house as a boarding house in the Los Angeles area. The film weaves in a backstory from 1972 when Dr. Hoffman and his wife died under mysterious circumstances. The early 1980s setting contributes to a glossy yet sinister atmosphere around occult interests and supernatural events.

Location

Mulholland Drive ranch house, the Beach

The story centers on a secluded mansion perched on Mulholland Drive in Los Angeles, a place steeped in tragedy and mystery. In 1982 it is reopened as a boarding house that attracts a wave of young actresses and models. The house’s dark past—marked by the Hoffman deaths and eerie occurrences—casts a long shadow over every room, including the nearby beach where a body is recovered.

🏚️ Haunted residence 🔮 Occult mystery 🌇 Los Angeles setting

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 13:42

Main Characters – Boardinghouse (1982)

Meet the key characters of Boardinghouse (1982), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Terri (Elizabeth Hall)

Terri is a young aspiring actress who moves into the boarding house after responding to Jim's ad. She navigates the tense dynamics among the tenants and becomes entwined in the escalating supernatural danger. Terri embodies the hopeful talent drawn to the glamour of the house, yet she remains wary of its eerie forces.

🌟 Aspiring actress 🏠 Boarding house resident 🌀 Entangled in supernatural events

Jim Royce (John Wintergate)

Jim is the nephew who has inherited the house and uses it as a playground for occult experiments. A playboy with a dangerous fascination for telekinesis, he wields his powers to manipulate events and people around him. His alliance with the supernatural creates a volatile dynamic that drives the house’s terror.

🧿 Occult enthusiast 💼 Playful yet dangerous 🔥 Telekinetic powers

Debbie Hoffman (Alexandra Day)

Debbie is Dr. Hoffman's daughter who returns to claim the home. She harbors a disturbing past, including an incestuous relationship with her father, and uses supernatural means to eliminate those she deems trespassers. Debbie serves as the central antagonist whose powers unleash the house’s deadliest events.

🧬 Supernatural antagonist 🎭 Calculating manipulator 👁️ Incestuous past

Victoria (Kalassu)

Victoria is an aspiring singer who is drawn to Jim's talent and the house's mystique. She soon discovers her own telekinetic abilities and becomes a key ally against Debbie. Victoria experiences visions and fears the looming, monstrous force that haunts the home.

🎤 Aspiring singer 🔮 Telekinetic learner 👁️ Visionary ally

Cindy (Mary McKinley)

Cindy is Jim’s ex-girlfriend who moves into the boarding house. Her stay is marked by secrecy and romantic tension, and she eventually disappears after a beach rendezvous with Richard. Her fate ties into the network of betrayal and supernatural danger in the house.

💃 Former partner 🏖️ Beach memory 🗝️ Mysterious disappearance

Richard Grant (Brian Bruderlin)

Richard is a detective who pursues reasons behind the house’s strange happenings and has a complicated past with Cindy. He periodically confronts the escalating occult activity, and his interactions anchor the human threat within the supernatural events. His presence adds a grounded, investigative perspective to the terror.

🕵️ Detective 💔 Ex-lover 🧭 Investigative presence

Sandy (Selma Kora)

Sandy is one of the tenants who answers the boarding house ad. She joins the circle of aspiring actresses and models drawn to the house’s opportunities and danger. Sandy becomes part of the shared experience of fear and intrigue that defines the occupancy.

🎬 Model 🎭 Aspiring actress 🧭 New to the boarding house

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 13:42

Major Themes – Boardinghouse (1982)

Explore the central themes of Boardinghouse (1982), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🔮 Occult power

Telekinesis and occult practices drive the plot, with Jim and Debbie exploring and expanding their supernatural abilities. The house seems to amplify psychic forces, drawing in those who seek to harness them. The tension between power and control fuels both fascination and danger.

👁️ Haunted home

The boarding house acts as a living, malevolent presence where visions, premonitions, and sudden violence erupt. Rooms and hallways become stages for psychic manifestations and mysterious disappearances. The setting itself is a character that feeds fear and paranoia among the tenants.

💀 Obsession and danger

Desire to possess the house and its secrets drives characters toward violence and betrayal. Hidden family pasts emerge, revealing disturbing dynamics and temptations. The pursuit of power and security leads to deadly consequences for those who trespass.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 13:42

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Explore Movie Threads

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Campy supernatural slasher movies like Boardinghouse

Horror-comedies where a darkly funny tone meets bloody, supernatural mayhem.For viewers who liked Boardinghouse, this thread collects horror comedies and slasher parodies that mix supernatural suspense with dark humor and gory violence. Find similar movies with a playful, self-aware tone where the scares are real but the mood is lightened by campy, parodic elements.

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Narrative Summary

Stories typically center on a group of characters (often teenagers or young adults) who become targeted by a killer, ghost, or other entity in a contained location like a house or camp. The narrative unfolds with a mix of traditional horror suspense and intentionally clichéd or exaggerated situations, poking fun at genre conventions while still delivering the thrills.

Why These Movies?

Movies are grouped here based on their unique blend of high-intensity horror and comedy. They share a dark but playful tone, a straightforward plot structure focused on survival, and a clear intent to entertain through both suspense and laughter, often featuring exaggerated violence and archetypal characters.

Haunted house horror movies with a bloody legacy like Boardinghouse

Stories where a place's violent past awakens to claim new victims.If you liked the premise of Boardinghouse, where a haunted boardinghouse's murderous history repeats itself, you'll enjoy these movies. This collection features horror stories centered on cursed locations with a violent past that inevitably ensnares new residents, leading to bleak confrontations and supernatural slayings.

supernaturalanxiousgorysuspensefulhauntedbleakinescapableatmospheric

Narrative Summary

The narrative follows a predictable but effective pattern: characters, often unaware or skeptical, enter a location with a dark reputation. Their presence disturbs the dormant evil, which systematically targets them. The story explores the uncovering of the location's secrets while the characters fight for survival, usually culminating in a bleak ending that suggests the cycle will continue.

Why These Movies?

These films are connected by their core premise of a 'cursed location' as the central threat. They share a high-intensity, dark tone, and often a variable pacing that builds atmosphere before erupting into violence. The emotional journey revolves around confronting an inescapable, supernatural force tied directly to a specific place.

Unlock the Full Story of Boardinghouse

Don't stop at just watching — explore Boardinghouse in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Boardinghouse is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Boardinghouse Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Boardinghouse, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

Boardinghouse Summary

Boardinghouse Timeline

Track the full timeline of Boardinghouse with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

Boardinghouse Timeline

More About Boardinghouse

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Boardinghouse: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

More About Boardinghouse

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