Campfire Tales

Campfire Tales

Year: 1997

Runtime: 88 mins

Language: English

Director: Martin Kunert

HorrorHorror the undead and monster classicsTerrifying haunted and supernatural horrorGory gruesome and slasher horrorTwisted dark psychological thriller

Deep in the woods, no one can hear you scream. Anthology of famous, scary urban legends done with a modern twist.

Warning: spoilers below!

Haven’t seen Campfire Tales 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 & Setting – Campfire Tales (1997)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Campfire Tales (1997). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

1950s; present day (early 2000s)

The Honeymoon segment is set in the 1950s Nevada desert, capturing a nostalgic yet tense mood. The framing segments and the other two tales unfold in present day, emphasizing contemporary fears like online predation and rural horror. The film juxtaposes eras to show that fear persists across time.

Location

Nevada desert and caverns, Abandoned church foundation in the woods, Drive-in theater, Suburban home, Rural farmhouse

Campfire Tales unfolds across a mix of American locales: a Nevada desert honeymoon with caverns, a woods-hidden abandonment by a church, a late-night drive-in, a suburban home with online danger, and a rural farmhouse. The frame story centers on a car crash near the forest, where friends gather around a campfire to tell spooky tales. The settings connect through a shared sense that danger lurks just beyond the firelight.

❄️ Horror 🎭 Anthology 🌵 Desert setting 🏚️ Abandoned places 🚗 Road trip

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 16:34

Main Characters – Campfire Tales (1997)

Meet the key characters of Campfire Tales (1997), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Rick (Ron Livingston)

Rick is a warm, proactive husband on a desert honeymoon who confronts danger head-on. The attack leaves him with severely damaged vocal cords, isolating him as he tries to communicate with Valerie. His grisly death—hanging from a tree after the creature attacks—cements the story’s brutal reminder that danger can strike even in romance and isolation.

🧭 Desert setting 😨 Fear 💔 Tragedy

Valerie (Amy Smart)

Valerie is Rick’s practical and resourceful wife who fights for safety, peppersprays the intruder, and seeks help. She endures terror in the RV and remains vigilant until the police arrive. Her survival in the moment contrasts with Rick’s fate, highlighting resilience amid unimaginable danger.

🌙 Survival 😨 Fear 💪 Resilience

Cliff (Jay R. Ferguson)

Cliff is the reckless, alcoholic driver whose erratic behavior sparks the frame story’s crash. He acts as a chaotic catalyst for the night’s campfire revelations. His death at the crash site underscores the fragility of life and the consequences of reckless choices.

🥃 Drunk 🚗 Accident 💀 Tragedy

Lauren (Christine Taylor)

Lauren is Cliff’s girlfriend and a participant in the frame story. She rides through the events with the group, but she and her companions vanish as the tale shifts into the campfire narratives. Her fate signals the looming danger that plagues all the storytellers.

👭 Relationships 😨 Fear 💔 Tragedy

Eric (Michael Dempsey)

Eric is Lauren’s younger brother who accompanies the group. He shares in the crash and the eerie disappearance of the campers. His presence amplifies the sense of vulnerability among the group and the stakes of the night’s terror.

👦 Kid 😨 Fear 💔 Tragedy

Amanda (Alex McKenna)

Amanda is an eleven-year-old girl in the online-predation tale; she chats with someone posing as a peer, triggering a dangerous sequence at home. The chilling moment when the phrase 'People can lick too' appears marks the predator’s incursion into her world. Her thread warns about vulnerabilities in the digital age.

🖥️ Online danger 😨 Fear 🧩 Online Predator

Katherine (Devon Odessa)

Katherine is Amanda’s teenage sister who leaves to meet her boyfriend, leaving Amanda home alone. She returns to help and witnesses the grim events surrounding the online threat. Her actions reflect a protective older-sibling role amid growing danger.

👧 Teen 🕵️‍♀️ Responsibility 😨 Fear

Jessica / Internet Man (Jonathan Fuller)

Jessica is the online predator persona luring Amanda, exploiting a child’s vulnerability. The segment shows the chilling ease with which predators manipulate trust in digital spaces. The encounter serves as a stark caution about online safety and deception.

💻 Online Predator 😨 Fear 🕵️‍♂️ Deceit

Scott Anderson (Glenn Quinn)

Scott is a weary motorcyclist who seeks shelter at a rural farmhouse and meets Heather, a mute woman who communicates by chalkboard. He forms a wary bond with her as danger escalates, and they flee together toward an uncertain future. His encounter with Heather binds human connection to survival.

🏍️ Motorcycle 🗺️ Mystery 💔 Connection

Heather Wallace (Jacinda Barrett)

Heather is a mute woman who communicates through chalkboard messages and lures Scott into her haunted world. She becomes a figure of vulnerability and danger within the farm setting’s dark history. Her fate unfolds with a chilling final reveal tied to her locket and the house’s secrets.

🗨️ Silence 🚪 Mystery 💔 Tragedy

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 16:34

Major Themes – Campfire Tales (1997)

Explore the central themes of Campfire Tales (1997), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🕯️ Campfire Tales

The film uses a campfire frame to braid three horror stories into a single experience, showing how storytelling shapes fear. Each tale leverages the glow of the fire to blur the line between safety and danger. The narratives reveal how quickly a story can become a warning that precedes tragedy.

🧭 Frame Narrative

The present-day frame sets up the three legends, suggesting that the act of sharing stories mirrors confronting danger. The fates of the frame characters intersect with the events of the tales, creating a circular sense of consequence. This structure reinforces how perception and narration influence fear.

⚰️ Consequences

All three tales culminate in fatal outcomes, underscoring that curiosity, arrogance, and vulnerability invite harm. The stories warn that warnings are often ignored, and safety is illusory once danger arrives. The film leaves the viewer with a lingering sense that some terrors return with the night.

💻 Online Threats

The second story centers on a real-world danger: online predation preying on a young girl through a fake persona. It demonstrates how technology can blur boundaries and exploit innocence. The tale cautions about the visibility and vulnerability of people in digital spaces.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 16:34

Mobile App Preview

Coming soon on iOS and Android

The Plot Explained Mobile App

From blockbusters to hidden gems — dive into movie stories anytime, anywhere. Save your favorites, discover plots faster, and never miss a twist again.

Sign up to be the first to know when we launch. Your email stays private — always.

Unlock the Full Story of Campfire Tales

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

Campfire Tales Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Campfire Tales, 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.

Campfire Tales Summary

Campfire Tales Timeline

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

Campfire Tales Timeline

Campfire Tales Spoiler-Free Summary

Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of Campfire Tales 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.

Campfire Tales Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Campfire Tales

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Campfire Tales: 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 Campfire Tales

Similar Movies to Campfire Tales

Discover movies like Campfire Tales that share similar genres, themes, and storytelling elements. Whether you’re drawn to the atmosphere, character arcs, or plot structure, these curated recommendations will help you explore more films you’ll love.