Celia

Year: 1989

Runtime: 103 mins

Language: English

Director: Ann Turner

HorrorDramaFantasy

Set in rural Australia, the film follows an imaginative yet troubled young girl whose vivid fantasies about evil creatures and oddities serve as a shield for her deep insecurities. As she navigates the challenges of growing up, her innocence is gradually corrupted by the darkness of her inner world.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – Celia (1989)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Celia (1989). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Location

Box Hill, Victoria, Rock Quarry, Victoria, Sydney, New South Wales, Melbourne Zoo

Box Hill is a quiet Melbourne suburb in Victoria, providing the domestic backdrop for Celia Carmichael's childhood. The story moves from the Carmichael home to the Tanner family's rock quarry adventures and the local church, reflecting a tightly-knit yet suspicious community. The setting broadens to Sydney as Evan and his family relocate, and to the Melbourne Zoo where pet rabbits are eventually reclaimed under government policy.

🗺️ Suburban Melbourne setting 🕰️ 1950s era 🐾 Pet policy & local life

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 13:35

Main Characters – Celia (1989)

Meet the key characters of Celia (1989), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 13:35

Major Themes – Celia (1989)

Explore the central themes of Celia (1989), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 13:35

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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 corrupted innocence like Celia

Stories where a child's fragile imagination is fractured by trauma and adult fears.If you were captivated by how Celia portrays a child's imagination turning dark, you'll find similar stories here. This collection features movies like Celia, where young protagonists navigate traumatic events that shatter their innocence, blending drama and psychological horror in a deeply affecting way.

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Narrative Summary

Narratives in this thread often follow a young protagonist whose idyllic or imaginative world is systematically dismantled by harsh realities. The plot is driven by a series of traumatic revelations or events—such as loss, abuse, or societal paranoia—that force the child to reinterpret their world through a lens of fear and anger. The climax typically involves a moment where fantasy and reality dangerously collide, leading to a psychological breaking point.

Why These Movies?

Movies are grouped here because they share a specific, powerful emotional core: the visceral pain of a child's loss of innocence. They utilize a dark tone and heavy emotional weight to explore this theme, often employing a child's point-of-view to make the psychological unraveling more intimate and distressing. The pacing is usually steady, building pressure towards an inevitable emotional collapse.

Slow burn oppressive dramas like Celia

Films where a steady, mounting tension creates a palpable sense of unease and doom.For fans of the steady, building dread in Celia, this section collects similar movies with an oppressive atmosphere. Find other films like Celia that use a slow, steady pace to create high tension and a heavy mood, often set in isolating environments where darkness closes in on the characters.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern involves a slow, cumulative layering of distressing events or revelations. There is no rushed pacing; instead, each scene adds another brick to a wall of impending doom. Conflicts are often internal (psychological turmoil) as well as external (threatening environments or ideologies), and the story structure is linear but focused on the escalating emotional and psychological pressure on the characters.

Why These Movies?

These films are grouped by their shared approach to pacing and tone. They prioritize a steady, often slow-burn narrative that meticulously crafts an atmosphere of unease. The experience is defined by a sense of inescapable pressure and a dark, sometimes bleak, tone that results in a viewing experience that is intensely anxious and psychologically gripping.

Unlock the Full Story of Celia

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

Celia Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Celia, 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.

Celia Timeline

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

Celia Spoiler-Free Summary

Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of Celia 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.

More About Celia

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

Similar Movies to Celia

Discover movies like Celia 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.