Butter on the Latch

Butter on the Latch

Year: 2013

Runtime: 72 mins

Language: English

Director: Josephine Decker

FantasyDramaHorror

Sarah and Isolde, drawn together by their love for Balkan music and dance, embark on a camping trip hoping to strengthen their bond. However, the atmosphere shifts when Sarah develops an interest in a fellow camper, Steph. This seemingly minor attraction sparks a sudden change in the relationship between the two friends, leading them down an unexpected and complex psychological journey that challenges their connection and the initial excitement of the trip.

Tense
Sad ending
Moderately emotional
Medium intensity
Slow pacing
Moderate complexity

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – Butter on the Latch (2013)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Butter on the Latch (2013). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Contemporary

The events occur in a contemporary setting, combining modern communication and present-day relationships with folktale-like visions. The mood shifts between real-time camp life and surreal, memory-like flashes that blur boundaries between perception and reality. The timeframe supports a current-day atmosphere of romance, jealousy, and unintended consequences.

Location

Unfamiliar house, Balkan music camp, River and woods

The film opens with Sarah waking in an unfamiliar house, a claustrophobic setting that hints at a larger mystery. The action then moves to a Balkan music camp set in a rural, forested area where campers attend classes and socialize. The surrounding river and woods create a sense of isolation and a threshold between reality and the dreamlike events that unfold.

❄️ Mystery 🎶 Music 🌲 Nature

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 09:37

Main Characters – Butter on the Latch (2013)

Meet the key characters of Butter on the Latch (2013), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Sarah (Sarah Small)

Sarah is a dancer who wakes in an unfamiliar house and fights to escape. She is empathetic and emotionally driven, drawn to Isolde and Steph despite the tension between them. As the camp unfolds, she experiences disorienting visions that blur love with danger, culminating in a dangerous moment by the river.

Dancer Emotionally driven Curious

Isolde (Isolde Chae-Lawrence)

Isolde is a friend with a guarded, magnetic presence who shares stories of failed relationships. She alternates between warmth and distance, fueling tension with Sarah and Steph. Her actions and reactions at the camp reveal a complex, emotionally volatile character.

Complex Guarded Romantic tension

Steph (Charlie Hewson)

Steph is a charming but often irritating camper whose flirtations drive the love triangle. He forms a connection with Sarah and attracts Isolde’s attention, becoming a focal point of tension at the camp. His death by the river marks a turning point that injects mystery and tragedy into the story.

Flirtatious Conflicted Catalyst

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 09:37

Major Themes – Butter on the Latch (2013)

Explore the central themes of Butter on the Latch (2013), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

💔 Love & Jealousy

A complex love triangle forms between Sarah, Isolde, and Steph, driving jealousy, secrecy, and shifting loyalties. The campers' desires collide with insecurity, creating dramatic tension and misread signals. The emotional turbulence accelerates toward a fatal moment that changes the group’s dynamics.

🌀 Dreams & Reality

The story frequently blurs dreaming and waking life, with visions intruding on ordinary moments. Sarah’s flashes of memory and supernatural-like sequences challenge what is real, making the campsite feel like a threshold between different states of mind. The line between hope and fear becomes increasingly unstable as events unfold.

🎶 Music & Folklore

Music acts as both a binding force and a doorway to folklore at the camp. A teacher’s remark about Bulgarian folklore hints that even good things can be haunted or altered by an evil spirit. The camp songs, rhythms, and dances intensify emotions and reveal hidden tensions beneath the surface. The folklore motif adds a layer of ominous possibility to the characters' experiences.

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 09:37

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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.

Movies about friendships falling apart like in Butter on the Latch

Intimate stories where jealousy and rivalry tear close bonds apart, leading to psychological distress.If you were captivated by the psychological unraveling of the friendship in Butter on the Latch, explore these other movies. This section features similar stories where female friendships are tested by envy and rivalry, leading to tense, character-driven dramas with ambiguous and often sad endings.

unsettlingclaustrophobicanxiouspsychologicaltensemelancholic

Narrative Summary

The narrative follows a close-knit pair of friends whose relationship is destabilized by an external factor, such as a new person or a competitive situation. The story charts the growing tension, miscommunication, and psychological warfare as the friendship corrodes from within, typically building to a climax of emotional devastation or permanent separation.

Why These Movies?

These films are grouped together because they share a core focus on the nuanced and painful dynamics of a friendship collapsing. They prioritize psychological realism and emotional tension over plot, often featuring slow pacing and a tone that grows increasingly tense and uneasy as the characters' connection disintegrates.

Dreamlike psychological horror movies similar to Butter on the Latch

Atmospheric tales where dreams, folklore, and reality blur to create a pervasive feeling of uncanny dread.Fans of the uncanny, folkloric atmosphere and psychological ambiguity of Butter on the Latch will find more to explore here. Discover similar movies that blend dreams with reality, use slow pacing to build eerie dread, and feature ambiguous narratives where the horror is more psychological than graphic.

dreamlikeeerieuncannyunsettlingpsychologicalfolkloreambiguous

Narrative Summary

These narratives often follow a protagonist into an isolating setting where their grip on reality begins to slip. Dreams, memories, and potentially supernatural elements (like local folklore) seep into their waking life, creating a nonlinear and confusing experience. The plot is secondary to the atmospheric build-up of psychological dread and the ambiguity of the events.

Why These Movies?

This thread connects films that prioritize a specific mood: an eerie, dreamlike, and unsettling atmosphere where psychological tension is paramount. They share a slow, deliberate pace that allows the unease to simmer, a moderate complexity from ambiguous storytelling, and a focus on internal horror over external action.

Unlock the Full Story of Butter on the Latch

Don't stop at just watching — explore Butter on the Latch 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 Butter on the Latch is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Butter on the Latch Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Butter on the Latch, 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.

Butter on the Latch Summary

Butter on the Latch Timeline

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

Butter on the Latch Timeline

Butter on the Latch Spoiler-Free Summary

Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of Butter on the Latch that covers the main plot points and key details without revealing any major twists or spoilers. Perfect for those who want to know what to expect before diving in.

Butter on the Latch Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Butter on the Latch

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

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Butter on the Latch (2013) Plot Summary & Movie Recap

Butter on the Latch (2013) Scene-by-Scene Movie Timeline

Butter on the Latch (2013) Spoiler-Free Summary & Key Flow