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Dark August (1976) movie poster

Characters & Themes

Dark August (1976) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

Release, runtime and language
1976 · 87 mins · English
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Directed by
Martin G. Goldman
Starring
Kim Hunter, Frank Bongiorno, Karen Lewis, William Robertson, Martin Harvey Friedberg, J.J. Barry

After a careless city driver runs over a young girl, her grieving grandfather invokes ancient mystical powers to lay a death‑curse on the perpetrator. Determined to avoid the fatal penalty, the driver, Barry, turns to a local psychic medium for help, hoping to break the hex before it claims his life.

Mystery Horror Cast, crew & box office
On this page (8)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Characters explained (7)
  3. 3 Where & when it takes place
  4. 4 Themes & meaning (3)
  5. 5 Character & meaning questions
  6. 6 Movie threads
  7. 7 Movies like Dark August
  8. 8 Every angle
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7 main characters · contains spoilers

Dark August Characters Explained: Who Is Who

The main characters of Dark August (1976), heroes and villains: what drives them, how they change over the course of the story and what each of them reveals about the film's bigger ideas.

  • Sal Devito (J.J. Barry)

    A New York City-born visual artist who relocates to rural Stowe and struggles to fit in. He is intelligent and sensitive, yet increasingly paranoid after a car accident that results in a girl's death. Sal experiences inexplicable physical pain and a growing sense that he is being haunted by a hooded figure. His attempts to understand and resist the supernatural drive him toward drastic actions, including seeking help from Adrianna.

    • 🎨 Creative
    • 😨 Anxious
    • 🧠 Burdened

  • Adrianna Putnam (Kim Hunter)

    A local psychic branded as a witch by the townspeople, Adrianna acts as Sal's ally and the catalyst for uncovering the curse. She provides guidance on breaking the malevolent hold and leads the group through a ritual designed to transform negative energy. Her knowledge of occult practices makes her both trusted and dangerous within the town's beliefs. Her sudden death during the ritual intensifies the conflict with the forces at play.

    • 🔮 Psychic
    • 🧭 Mysterious
    • 🕯️ Ritualist

  • Ned McDermott (The Grandfather)

    played by William Robertson

    The grieving grandfather of the young girl who died in the car accident. He appears to stalk Sal, driven by fear, guilt, and a belief that Sal is connected to his granddaughter's death. His presence fuels suspicion and fear around the curse, and his occult practices become a point of tension in the town. Ned's hostility injects a human antagonist into the supernatural conflict.

    • 💔 Grief
    • 🕵️ Suspicion
    • 🏚️ Rumors

  • Jackie (Sal's Girlfriend)

    played by Carolyne Barry

    Sal's partner who relocates with him and remains a source of support despite the mounting danger. She seeks Adrianna's help and organizes the group to participate in the protective ritual. Her fear and loyalty drive her to confront Ned and advocate for Sal's safety, highlighting the personal stakes at the heart of the mystery.

    • 💖 Loyal
    • 🤝 Supportive

  • Paul (Friend)

    played by Richard Allan Fay

    Sal's friend who helps build the art studio and becomes entangled in the supernatural events after the hooded figure appears. His injury while assisting Sal adds to the sense of peril, and his presence reinforces the theme of friendship under strain when confronting unknown forces.

    • 🧰 Builder
    • 🤝 Loyal

  • Theo

    played by Frank Bongiorno

    Sal and Jackie's friend who attends the dinner and shares in the group's attempt to address the curse. Theo's role helps ground the human social circle around Sal, illustrating how the town's collective life intersects with the supernatural occurrences.

    • 🎭 Social
    • 🗺️ Observant

  • Lesley

    played by Kate McKeown

    A clairvoyant friend who senses danger around Sal and participates in the ritual with Adrianna and Jackie. Her readings align with the tarot insights that foreshadow danger and guide the group's actions, adding a spiritual dimension to the investigation.

    • 🔮 Clairvoyance
    • 🧠 Insightful

Last updated: October 04, 2025 at 15:03

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Setting

Where and When Does Dark August Take Place?

The setting of Dark August (1976): the year and time period, the places and locations, and how they shape the characters, the mood and the tension of the story.

Time period

Present day

The events take place in the contemporary era, with everyday modernities like a grocery store, hospital, and fire department anchoring the horror in a recognizable reality. The slow, ordinary rhythm of small-town life collides with sudden, inexplicable occurrences, amplifying the sense that something ancient yet near is at work. The timeframe grounds the paranormal in a believable world, making the supernatural feel personal and immediate.

Location

Stowe, Vermont, New York City

The story unfolds in rural Stowe, Vermont, a forested small town that creates a quiet, isolating backdrop for supernatural tension. Sal's move from bustling New York City into this quiet landscape exposes him to unfamiliar customs and a community with secretive rumors. The natural surroundings—woods, creeks, and a covered bridge—mirror Sal's mounting unease and become active elements in the mystery. The town atmosphere blends close-knit scrutiny with a lingering sense of dread.

  • 🏞️ Rural Vermont
  • 🗽 NYC origins

Last updated: October 04, 2025 at 15:03

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3 major themes

Dark August Meaning: Themes & Message Explained

What is Dark August (1976) really about? The emotional, social and philosophical themes the film keeps returning to, its symbolism and the message beneath the surface.

  • Curse

    A malevolent force attaches to Sal after the car accident, driving the central mystery of the film. The curse is tied to Ned McDermott's suspicions and Adrianna's occult world, creating a sense of inescapable fate. Sal's experience of pain, visions, and near-collapses underscores the personal cost of disturbing hidden powers. The narrative builds toward a ritual attempt that tests whether the curse can be broken or if it will consume him.

  • Isolation

    The forested, small-town setting amplifies Sal's sense of being cut off from his old life and support network. Gossip, suspicion, and fear circulate within the close-knit community, turning strangers into potential threats. The physical distance between Sal and his former urban world mirrors the emotional distance growing between him and those who might help. This isolation heightens the tension and makes every creak in the woods feel menacing.

  • Ritual

    Adrianna's ritual to transform negative energy into protective power becomes the pivotal moment of the film. The ceremony gathers Sal, Jackie, Theo, and Lesley to confront the curse, only to be interrupted by a violent act that reshapes the supernatural dynamics. The ritual's intention is to heal, yet the cost is high, exposing the perils of meddling with dark forces. In the end, the ritual outcome catalyzes a confrontation with the demonic presence.

Last updated: October 04, 2025 at 15:03

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Character & theme questions

Dark August Characters & Meaning: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask about Dark August (1976): who the characters really are, their relationships, what the symbols mean, where it takes place and what the movie is really about. Each answer contains spoilers.

Q1

Why is the story set in rural Vermont instead of a city?

The rural Stowe, Vermont setting serves as a stark contrast to Sal's previous life in New York City, emphasizing his isolation and vulnerability. The forested, small-town environment creates an atmosphere of secrecy and ancient customs that wouldn't exist in an urban setting. The woods, creeks, and covered bridge become active elements that mirror Sal's mounting unease and make the supernatural feel more personal and immediate.

  • rural vermont
  • stowe
  • setting
  • isolation
  • small town
Q2

Does the movie take place in a specific time period?

The events take place in the present day, with modern amenities like grocery stores, hospitals, and fire departments anchoring the horror in a recognizable reality. This contemporary setting makes the supernatural elements feel more unsettling because they occur in a world the audience knows, rather than a distant historical or fantastical period.

  • present day
  • modern era
  • time period
  • contemporary
Q3

What does the curse in the movie represent?

The curse represents inescapable fate and the personal cost of disturbing hidden powers. After Sal accidentally kills a young girl in a car accident, her grandfather Ned McDermott invokes ancient mystical forces to hold him accountable. The curse manifests as physical pain, visions, and a haunting hooded figure, turning Sal's life into a nightmare of guilt and supernatural torment.

  • curse
  • supernatural
  • fate
  • hex
  • mystical powers
Q4

How does the setting contribute to the film's sense of isolation?

The isolated rural setting cuts Sal off from his old urban life and support network. The close-knit community's suspicion and fear turn strangers into potential threats, while the physical distance from New York City mirrors the growing emotional distance between Sal and those who might help him. Every sound in the woods becomes menacing, heightening the psychological terror.

  • isolation
  • community
  • paranoia
  • vulnerability
  • rural life
Q5

Who is Adrianna and what is her role in the story?

Adrianna Putnam is a local psychic branded as a witch by the townspeople of Stowe. She acts as Sal's ally, helping him understand the curse placed on him by Ned McDermott. Her knowledge of occult practices makes her both trusted and dangerous within the town's beliefs. She leads a ritual designed to break the curse, though the outcome is tragic.

  • adrianna putnam
  • psychic
  • witch
  • medium
  • occult
Q6

Why does Ned McDermott target Sal with a curse?

Ned McDermott is the grieving grandfather of the young girl who dies in Sal's car accident. Driven by grief, guilt, and a belief that Sal is responsible for his granddaughter's death, Ned invokes ancient mystical powers to place a death-curse on the driver. His hostility creates a human antagonist within the supernatural conflict, making the horror more personal and grounded.

  • ned mcdermott
  • grandfather
  • grief
  • revenge
  • curse
Q7

What is the significance of the ritual in the film?

The ritual led by Adrianna represents the pivotal attempt to break the curse by transforming negative energy into protective power. It gathers Sal, Jackie, Theo, and Lesley together to confront the supernatural force. However, the ritual is interrupted by violence, which reshapes the supernatural dynamics and exposes the perils of meddling with dark forces.

  • ritual
  • ceremony
  • occult
  • supernatural confrontation
  • protection
Q8

Who is Sal Devito and why is he targeted?

Sal Devito is a New York City-born visual artist who relocates to rural Stowe, Vermont. After a car accident kills a young girl, he becomes the target of a death-curse placed by the girl's grandfather, Ned McDermott. Sal experiences inexplicable physical pain, visions, and haunting by a hooded figure as the curse takes hold, driving him to seek help from psychic Adrianna.

  • sal devito
  • artist
  • protagonist
  • cursed
  • accident
Q9

How does the small-town community affect the story's atmosphere?

The close-knit Stowe community creates an atmosphere of scrutiny and whispered rumors that amplifies Sal's vulnerability. As an outsider from New York City, he stands out and becomes a target for suspicion. The town's belief in witchcraft and occult practices gives credibility to the supernatural elements, while gossip and fear circulate through the community, turning neighbors into potential threats.

  • small town
  • community
  • gossip
  • rumors
  • outsiders
Q10

What makes the horror in this film psychologically unsettling?

The horror blends the supernatural with psychological terror, focusing on guilt, grief, and paranoia rather than graphic violence. Sal's unexplained physical pain, visions, and constant sense of being hunted create an oppressive atmosphere. The curse attacks his mind as much as his body, making him question his own sanity while the entire town seems to turn against him.

  • psychological horror
  • guilt
  • paranoia
  • supernatural terror
  • mental breakdown

Movie threads

More Movies Like Dark August, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes Dark August tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Movies about being hunted by a curse like Dark August

Characters hunted by an inescapable supernatural force, facing inevitable doom. For viewers who liked the relentless dread of Dark August, this list features movies where characters are pursued by supernatural forces. If you enjoy stories of desperate survival against ancient curses and paranormal vengeance, these similar horror thrillers will deliver the same tense, bleak experience.

  • paranoid
  • dreadful
  • desperate
  • sinister
  • inescapable
  • fatalistic
  • Tone: tense, bleak, dreadful
  • Pacing: steady, escalating
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative follows a linear, escalating structure where a single supernatural event triggers a chain of inescapable consequences. The protagonist's journey is one of progressive isolation and desperation, moving from skepticism to fear to resigned acceptance of their fate, often culminating in a definitive and tragic ending.

Why they belong together: These movies are grouped by their core premise of a targeted supernatural threat and the resulting emotional arc of paranoia and despair. They share a high-intensity, tense tone and a steady pacing that builds dread towards an emotionally heavy, typically bleak conclusion.

Curse of the Black Widow movie poster

Curse of the Black Widow

1977
Death of a Ghost Hunter movie poster

Death of a Ghost Hunter

2007
Night of the Hunted movie poster

Night of the Hunted

2023
Dark August movie poster

Dark August

1976
Horror Story movie poster

Horror Story

2013
In Fear movie poster

In Fear

2014
Hunting Humans movie poster

Hunting Humans

2002
Blair Witch movie poster

Blair Witch

2016

Folk horror movies with rural isolation like Dark August

Sinister ancient forces emerge from isolated rural landscapes, punishing outsiders. If you liked the rural setting and folk witchcraft elements of Dark August, this collection features similar movies where isolation amplifies horror. Discover stories of ancient curses, vengeful locals, and psychological torment in remote locations, perfect for fans of slow-burning, atmospheric folk horror.

  • isolated
  • sinister
  • ritualistic
  • ancient
  • primordial
  • claustrophobic
  • Tone: sinister, anxious, bleak
  • Pacing: steady, atmospheric
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern involves a disruption of the natural or social order in a remote location, often by an ignorant intruder. This triggers a response from the land or its keepers, using folk magic or primal forces. The story explores the clash between modernity and antiquity, culminating in a punishment that reaffirms the power of the old ways.

Why they belong together: These films are united by their setting-driven horror, where the location is a character. They share a mood of rural paranoia, themes of folk witchcraft and revenge, a steady, dreadful pacing, and a pervasive sense of being an outsider in a place with its own unbreakable rules.

Dark August movie poster

Dark August

1976
Village of the Damned movie poster

Village of the Damned

1960
Rituals movie poster

Rituals

1977
Within the Woods movie poster

Within the Woods

1978
Curse of the Black Widow movie poster

Curse of the Black Widow

1977
The Town That Dreaded Sundown movie poster

The Town That Dreaded Sundown

1976
Wild Country movie poster

Wild Country

2005
Dark Was the Night movie poster

Dark Was the Night

2015

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Every angle

Dark August (1976) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Dark August in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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