Cameron’s Closet

Cameron’s Closet

Year: 1988

Runtime: 87 mins

Language: English

Director: Armand Mastroianni

Horror

A father conducts dangerous experiments to harness his son’s psychokinetic abilities, never realizing that each trial opens a gateway to a demonic force. The demon slips into the boy’s closet, plotting to possess his soul, turning the home into a new arena of terror.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – Cameron’s Closet (1988)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Cameron’s Closet (1988). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Location

Rural house in the countryside, Los Angeles, California

The story centers around a secluded countryside residence where Cameron's powers surface, then shifts to the urban setting of Los Angeles when the family moves. The rural home becomes the first cradle of the supernatural events, while the city provides a backdrop for the investigation and interactions with police and professionals.

🏚️ Isolated rural house 🌆 Los Angeles

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 13:33

Main Characters – Cameron’s Closet (1988)

Meet the key characters of Cameron’s Closet (1988), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Cameron Lansing (Scott Curtis)

A 10-year-old introverted boy with psychic abilities whose imagination can manifest supernatural dangers. He is the catalyst for the events, often withdrawn and vulnerable, yet capable of bending reality when focused. The demon in the closet is born from his mind, making him both victim and conduit of the horror.

🔮 Psychic 🧠 Supernatural 👦 Child Prodigy

Owen Lansing (Tab Hunter)

Cameron's father, a research scientist who subjects the boy to intense testing to uncover hidden powers. His obsession drives the tragedy that unfolds and foreshadows the demon's origin. He dies early in the story in a mysterious machete incident.

🧪 Scientist 🧠 Obsession 👨‍👦 Father

Dory Lansing (Kim Lankford)

Cameron's mother who moves to Los Angeles with her boyfriend Bob Froelich, unaware of her son's burgeoning abilities. She is protective and pragmatic, caught between family drama and the escalating supernatural danger.

👩‍👧 Mother 🌆 City Life

Bob Froelich (Gary Hudson)

Dory's obnoxious actor boyfriend whose presence destabilizes the family dynamics and becomes a target of the demon. He is murdered and later gruesomely resurrected by the demon, illustrating the rising threat.

🎭 Actor 😡 Troublemaker

Dr. Nora Haley (Mel Harris)

A psychiatrist working with the LAPD who helps Cameron's caregivers see his paranormal powers. She follows his nightmares and visions, connecting them to real-world deaths and guiding the investigators.

🧠 Psychiatrist 🕵️‍♀️ Investigator

Sergeant Sam Taliaferro (Cotter Smith)

A Homicide detective with sleep troubles whose work is consumed by the Cameron case. He partners with Groom, seeks help from Dr. Haley, and ultimately faces the supernatural danger linked to Cameron.

🕵️‍♂️ Detective 💤 Sleep-deprived

Pete Groom (Leigh McCloskey)

Detective and Sam's partner who becomes entangled in the case. His skepticism gives way to fear as the demon targets the living, and he is killed by the demon's influence.

🕵️‍♂️ Detective 🗡️ Danger

Ben Majors (Chuck McCann)

Owen's assistant who helps uncover the truth about Cameron and the Mayan demon. He is kidnapped by the sinister force and later murdered by the demon.

🧑‍🏫 Scholar 🪄 Occult

Captain Navarro (David Povall)

A police captain involved in coordinating the investigation into Cameron's case and the escalating supernatural occurrences.

👮 Authority 🧭 Law

Demon: Little Demon (Doc D. Charbonneau)

The Mayan demon known as the Deceptor that Cameron unleashes through his imagination; it manifests in Cameron's closet and menaces the characters, seeking to sever the boy from his powers.

👹 Demon 🗝️ Manifestation

Cameron Lansing (additional minor cast)

As Cameron's extended arc includes various figures interacting with his psychic abilities and the demon, these roles underscore the boy's central influence on the case and its stakes.

👦 Child Prodigy 🧠 Psychic

Joe Crespy (Wilson Smith)

A minor figure connected to the local world around Cameron, adding to the environment in which the paranormal events unfold.

👤 Supporting

Policeman (Kerry Yo Nakagawa)

A member of the police force involved in the investigation surrounding the murders and the Cameron case.

👮 Law enforcement

Physician (Raymond Patterson)

A medical figure who appears in scenes related to the investigation and the broader health implications of the case.

🩺 Medical

Newscaster (Skip E. Lowe)

A broadcast figure that reflects the public attention surrounding the eerie events in Cameron's life.

📰 Media

Newswoman (Bonnie Bradigan)

Another media character providing coverage of the unfolding events tied to the Cameron case.

📰 Media

Reporter (Paul W. Zecevic)

A press figure who reports on the strange happenings connected to the investigations.

🗞️ Reporter

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 13:33

Major Themes – Cameron’s Closet (1988)

Explore the central themes of Cameron’s Closet (1988), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🌀 Paranormal Power

Cameron's psychic abilities cause his thoughts to influence reality, turning imagination into dangerous, tangible events. The Deceptor, a Mayan demon born from his mind, takes up residence in Cameron's closet and preys on those around him. The narrative uses this power to explore how a child's inner world can unleash terrifying external consequences.

🔮 Foreknowledge and Fate

The investigators discover that Cameron's visions foretell events, creating a precarity where attempting to understand the future can invite catastrophe. Focus and belief around the boy amplify the supernatural occurrences, blurring lines between dream, prophecy, and reality. The theme probes ethical questions about how to handle a child with such dangerous foresight.

🛡️ Protection and Responsibility

Adults—parents, detectives, and clinicians—strive to shield Cameron from the demon's influence while confronting their own limits. The group collaboration shows the heavy burden of safeguarding a child whose mind can summon deadly forces. The threat escalates as the dead return and the boundary between Cameron's world and theirs grows thinner.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 13:33

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Claustrophobic supernatural horror movies like Cameron’s Closet

Stories where the domestic space becomes a battleground against demonic forces.If you liked the domestic terror and demonic invasion in Cameron’s Closet, you'll find similar movies here. These films focus on supernatural horror that turns the home into a haunted battleground, often centered on a child's vulnerability, creating an intensely unsettling experience.

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Narrative Summary

These narratives typically begin with an ordinary family setting disrupted by an ancient evil. The story unfolds as characters discover the supernatural threat rooted within their own home, leading to a desperate struggle for survival that tests familial bonds against inhuman forces.

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Movies in this thread share a core focus on domestic invasion by the supernatural, a high-intensity emotional weight centered on family trauma, and an oppressive, anxious mood. They create horror from the corruption of safety and the vulnerability of childhood.

Movies about psychic gateways and ancient evil like Cameron’s Closet

When unlocking supernatural gifts unleashes a malevolent force from the past.Fans of Cameron’s Closet will enjoy these similar stories where psychic experiments or innate powers open a door to demonic forces. These movies explore the theme of unintended consequences, blending supernatural horror with the heavy cost of unlocking hidden abilities.

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Narrative Summary

The pattern involves a character, often a child or an experiment subject, possessing latent psychic powers. When these abilities are awakened or exploited, they inadvertently summon or empower a dormant ancient evil, leading to a catastrophic conflict where stopping the entity requires a great personal sacrifice.

Why These Movies?

These films are grouped by their shared narrative engine: psychic ability as a conduit for evil. They combine themes of supernatural horror, scientific hubris or family exploitation, and a bittersweet victory achieved through immense trauma and loss.

Unlock the Full Story of Cameron’s Closet

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Cameron’s Closet Summary

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Cameron’s Closet Summary

Cameron’s Closet Timeline

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Cameron’s Closet Timeline

Cameron’s Closet Spoiler-Free Summary

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Cameron’s Closet Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Cameron’s Closet

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