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Evil Things (2012) movie poster

Characters & Themes

Evil Things (2012) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

Release, runtime and language
2012 · More mins · English
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Directed by
Simone Gandolfo
Starring
Marta Gastini, Sara Lazzaro, Pietro Ragusa, Jennifer Mischiati, Giuseppe Lo Console, Jun Ikicawa

…and how evil are you? Four kids take part in a pervert game - a torturer, the blog’s master, four victims, none of them really innocent.

On this page (7)
  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 Every angle
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7 main characters · contains spoilers

Evil Things Characters Explained: Who Is Who

The main characters of Evil Things (2012), 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.

  • Ariel/Nina (Marta Gastini)

    A filmmaker among the group who documents the trip, Ariel/Nina is curious and observant. Her camera becomes a lens through which the group’s dynamics are recorded, amplifying both attachment and vulnerability as fear grows.

    • 🎬 Filmmaker
    • 🧭 Curious
    • 🤐 Secretive
  • Kymberly (Sara Lazzaro)

    Kymberly is one of the college friends whose presence anchors the trip. As the tension rises, her reactions reveal the strain of being watched and the instinct to keep everyone together under pressure.

    • 🎭 Friend
    • 🕵️‍♀️ Suspicious
    • 🌬️ Resilient
  • Pussy 94 (Jennifer Mischiati)

    A bold, free-spirited member of the group, Pussy 94 brings levity and defiance to the weekend. Her attitude sharpens the contrast with the creeping danger outside the house.

    • 💃 Free-spirited
    • 🎥 Group dynamic
    • 🗣️ Outspoken
  • Il Cacciatore (Giuseppe Lo Console)

    The stalking figure who stalks the group from the shadows. The hunter uses surveillance and proximity to unsettle the friends, turning the weekend into a calculated pursuit.

    • 👁️ Predator
    • 🧭 Elusive
    • 🗡️ Menacing
  • Akira (Jun Ikicawa)

    A member of the friend group whose calm demeanor under pressure helps balance the escalating fear. Akira contributes to the group’s attempts to navigate the threatening situation.

    • 🧭 Calm
    • 💡 Resourceful
    • 🕵️‍♀️ Cautious
  • Power 89 (Aaron Omossiese)

    Tech-savvy and capable, Power 89 copes with the crisis by trying to manage communication and devices. His actions highlight the fragility of modern connectivity when danger looms.

    • 🧰 Tech-minded
    • 🛰️ Connected
    • 🔊 Practical
  • I.Q 187 (Nicola Sorrenti)

    One of the perceptive friends, I.Q 187 adds a calculated, analytical perspective to the group’s decisions. His presence underscores the tension between reason and fear as events spiral.

    • 🧠 Analytical
    • 🧩 Observant
    • 🤼‍♂️ Tactical

Last updated: October 03, 2025 at 06:36

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Setting

Where and When Does Evil Things Take Place?

The setting of Evil Things (2012): 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 unfold over a single contemporary weekend, a few days of tension that escalate from casual gathering to a claustrophobic chase. The setting hints at winter or late autumn with snow in the forest, amplifying isolation. Modern technology—phones, radios, and cameras—becomes both a tool and a vulnerability as signals fail and a watchful eye remains unseen.

Location

New York City, Catskills

The story begins in the bustling streets of New York City before retreating to a secluded country house in the Catskills. The Catskills setting provides a remote, wooded backdrop that intensifies the sense of being watched. The house sits on snow-dusted grounds, with winding roads and dense woods that trap the friends in a quiet, eerie landscape.

  • 🌆 Urban start
  • 🏡 Rural retreat
  • 🌲 Forested isolation

Last updated: October 03, 2025 at 06:36

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3 major themes

Evil Things Meaning: Themes & Message Explained

What is Evil Things (2012) really about? The emotional, social and philosophical themes the film keeps returning to, its symbolism and the message beneath the surface.

  • Surveillance

    A central thread is the constant watching: a maroon van appears at every turn and the group is captured by a hidden observer. The videotaped footage becomes a chilling document of their movements and vulnerabilities. The looming question is who is watching them and for what purpose?

  • Fear & Paranoia

    The group’s sense of safety collapses as whispers, noises in the walls, and the stalker’s presence turn the house into a claustrophobic trap. Trust frays as every encounter—gas stations, calls, or the silent camera—feels like part of an unseen design against them. The line between friend and threat blurs under pressure.

  • Trust & Intrigue

    The party atmosphere inside the house is contrasted by an undercurrent of betrayal and secret observation. Laughter and warmth coexist with the knowledge that someone is always watching. The group’s dynamics shift as fear overrides camaraderie, revealing hidden tensions.

Last updated: October 03, 2025 at 06:36

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Character & theme questions

Evil Things Characters & Meaning: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask about Evil Things (2012): 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

Where is Evil Things set?

The movie begins in New York City before moving to a secluded country house in the Catskills. The remote, snow-dusted woods around the house create an isolated backdrop that amplifies the group's vulnerability and sense of being trapped.

  • catskills
  • new york city
  • setting
  • remote house
  • wooded location
Q2

When does Evil Things take place?

The events unfold over a single contemporary weekend in present day. The setting suggests winter or late autumn with snow in the forest, which adds to the isolation and claustrophobic atmosphere.

  • present day
  • modern time
  • weekend
  • winter
  • snowy setting
Q3

What is the main theme of Evil Things?

The central theme is surveillance, characters are constantly watched through a hidden camera, a maroon van that appears everywhere, and an unseen stalker. This violation of privacy and the question of who is watching and why drives much of the film's tension.

  • surveillance
  • watching
  • stalking
  • privacy
  • hidden camera
Q4

Who is Il Cacciatore in Evil Things?

Il Cacciatore is the stalking figure who hunts the group from the shadows. Using surveillance and constant proximity, he turns the weekend into a calculated pursuit, systematically unsettling the friends rather than attacking blindly.

  • il cacciatore
  • stalker
  • hunter
  • villain
  • antagonist
Q5

How does surveillance function as a theme in Evil Things?

Surveillance manifests through videotaped footage that documents the group's every move, making the camera both a record of attachment and a tool of vulnerability. The group is captured by hidden observers, and the blurred line between documentarian and victim intensifies the psychological horror.

  • camera
  • filmmaker
  • documentary
  • videotape
  • observation
Q6

Who is Ariel/Nina in Evil Things?

Ariel/Nina is a filmmaker among the group who documents the trip with her camera. Her curiosity and observational nature make her both a witness to the group's dynamics and a vulnerable target as fear escalates.

  • ariel
  • nina
  • marta gastini
  • filmmaker
  • camera
  • documentarian
Q7

What role does fear and paranoia play in Evil Things?

As the stalker's presence becomes undeniable, the house transforms into a claustrophobic trap where trust collapses. Whispers, unexplained noises, and the feeling of being watched cause paranoia to override camaraderie, blurring the line between friend and threat.

  • paranoia
  • fear
  • trust
  • psychological terror
  • claustrophobia
Q8

What is the Catskills house like in Evil Things?

The country house sits on snow-dusted grounds surrounded by winding roads and dense woods. This remote, wooded landscape traps the friends in a quiet, eerie environment where help cannot quickly arrive and escape becomes difficult.

  • catskills house
  • woods
  • remote location
  • snowy grounds
  • isolation
Q9

How do technology and modern devices factor into Evil Things?

Modern technology like phones, radios, and cameras becomes both a tool and a vulnerability. As the stalker closes in, signals fail and communication devices become unreliable, highlighting the fragility of modern connectivity when danger looms.

  • phones
  • technology
  • communication
  • modern devices
  • connectivity
Q10

What does the maroon van symbolize in Evil Things?

The maroon van appears at every turn, serving as a constant visual reminder that the group is being watched. It embodies the unseen surveillance and the stalker's persistent presence throughout the film.

  • maroon van
  • stalking vehicle
  • watching
  • constant surveillance
Q11

Who are the main characters in Evil Things?

The core group includes Ariel/Nina the filmmaker, Kymberly as an anchoring college friend, free-spirited Pussy 94, tech-savvy Power 89, calm Akira, and analytical I.Q 187. Opposing them is Il Cacciatore, the hunter who stalks them through the shadows.

  • characters
  • cast
  • group
  • main characters
  • friend group
Q12

What is the tone of Evil Things?

The film employs a slow-burn pacing that builds unease through small, unsettling details rather than sudden shocks. This measured approach creates a oppressive, claustrophobic atmosphere where psychological torment outweighs physical violence, resulting in a bleak and hopeless feel.

  • tone
  • slow burn
  • psychological horror
  • claustrophobic
  • oppressive atmosphere

Movie threads

More Movies Like Evil Things, by Mood & Story

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

Movies with unseen stalker dread like Evil Things

Movies where an unseen presence creates a pervasive atmosphere of fear. If you felt the creeping anxiety of Evil Things, you'll find more movies like it here. These films feature unseen antagonists, constant surveillance, and a deep sense of paranoia. They are psychological horror and thriller stories where the fear is ambient and the threat remains mysterious.

  • paranoid
  • unsettling
  • dread-filled
  • anxious
  • oppressive
  • claustrophobic
  • Tone: tense, bleak, oppressive
  • Pacing: slow, deliberate
Why these movies?

The story pattern: Narratives in this thread typically follow a simple, linear descent into fear. Characters gradually realize they are being watched or followed, with small, unsettling details confirming their worst suspicions. The conflict is one-sided, pitting vulnerable individuals against an invisible and unstoppable force, leading to an inevitable feeling of doom.

Why they belong together: These films are grouped together because they share a core mechanic: an unseen antagonist. This creates a specific type of fear focused on psychological torment, the violation of privacy, and the helplessness that comes from an enemy you cannot confront. The mood is consistently anxious, paranoid, and oppressive.

Slow-burn horror movies with bleak endings like Evil Things

Stories where tension builds slowly towards an inescapably grim conclusion. For fans of the slow, dreadful pacing and hopeless ending of Evil Things. This collection features horror and thriller movies that are slow-burns, focusing on building an oppressive atmosphere and a sense of inevitable doom. If you like movies where tension simmers until a bleak conclusion, explore these similar titles.

  • slow burn
  • dread-filled
  • bleak
  • oppressive
  • cold
  • unsettling
  • Tone: tense, bleak, cold
  • Pacing: slow burn, deliberate
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern is a straightforward downward spiral. The story begins in a state of normalcy that is slowly eroded by a rising threat. There are few, if any, victories for the protagonists; the plot beats serve only to underscore their powerlessness. The ending offers no catharsis, only confirmation of the characters' fate.

Why they belong together: These movies are united by their specific combination of pacing, tone, and narrative structure. The slow pacing amplifies the emotional weight and dread, while the bleak ending ensures there is no relief from the heavy atmosphere. They deliver an experience of sustained tension and psychological distress.

Every angle

Evil Things (2012) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Evil Things 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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