Famine

Famine

Year: 2011

Runtime: 77 mins

Language: English

Horror

Thirty students sign up for a 24‑hour charity fast at Sloppy Secondary, two years after a flesh‑eating acid prank nearly killed beloved teacher Mr. Balszack. As the graduating class starts the event, a mysterious figure disguised as the school’s handyman mascot appears, driven by an insatiable hunger that threatens to turn the fast into a deadly nightmare, leaving no survivors.

Dark
Bleak ending
Emotionally heavy
High intensity
Fast pacing
Moderate complexity

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – Famine (2011)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Famine (2011). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Present day

The events take place in a contemporary high school over the course of a single day. The story relies on modern school routines, equipment, and architecture to heighten realism and claustrophobia. The time constraint intensifies paranoia as secrets surface and loyalties fracture.

Location

Sloppy Secondary High School, School Gym, Cafeteria

Sloppy Secondary High School is the central locale where the action unfolds. The gym becomes a confinement zone during the 24 Hour Famine, while the cafeteria, classrooms, and hallways harbor threats and the aftermath of violence. The setting blends sterile academic spaces with sudden gore, underscoring the fragility of trust within a school community.

🏫 High school setting 🗡️ Slasher atmosphere 🕯️ Survival scenario

Last Updated: November 22, 2025 at 15:40

Main Characters – Famine (2011)

Meet the key characters of Famine (2011), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

The Nailer (Ryan Nicholson)

A masked killer who stalks the students during the famine, using stealth and brutality to pick off targets. His presence creates constant unease and drives the film's suspense as victims struggle to identify the threat. The character embodies unchecked violence within the confines of a school setting.

🗡️ Slasher 🕵️‍♂️ Mystery 🏃‍♂️ Predator

Philip Balszack

A figure connected to the famine's dark past whose supposed disfigurement and disappearance fuel the cycle of vengeance. His legacy colors the present events and motivates some characters to act under the shadow of rumor and history.

🩸 Villain 🕳️ Tragic past

Cathy (Beth Cantor)

A student whose actions and history with Balszack influence the course of events. She is at once a participant and a catalyst for revelations about the famine's history, highlighting how popularity and fear intertwine.

💃 Drama 🧭 Betrayal

Sarah (Karyn Halpin)

A student whose courage and vulnerability become focal points as she navigates danger and brutality. Her experiences show the fragility of safety and the resilience needed to endure a night of terror.

🧭 Courage 🗣️ Resilience

Nick (Christopher Lomas)

A student who threads through the tension and becomes a key ally before facing a brutal fate. His arc underscores the fragility of survival and the cost of staying alive in a slaughter of this scale.

🗡️ Slasher 🧭 Survival

Darren (Des Larson)

A student who becomes a casualty of the carnage, his death highlighting the indiscriminate brutality of the killer and the high stakes of a single-night crisis.

💥 Horror 🗡️ Violence

Terry (Gustavo MacSerna)

A student involved in sabotaging food who meets a violent end, emphasizing how the famine's pressures escalate into lethal consequences.

⚔️ Conflict 🔪 Violence

Vanessa (Thabi Maphoso)

A student whose fate underlines the peril of the famine and the unpredictable danger within the building.

💀 Danger 🧭 Survival

Andrea (Ady Mejia)

A student whose presence intensifies the tension and who becomes a victim in the sequence of brutal events.

🎭 Drama 🔪 Violence

Jenny

A surviving student who tries to uncover the truth, challenging the prevailing rumors and seeking accountability.

🗣️ Investigation

Peterson

A student who is caught in the carnage, contributing to the film's shocking death toll and sense of chaos.

💀 Death

Katie

A student who hides food, triggering the early violence and amplifying the sense of danger throughout the building.

🔎 Tension 🥫 Hunger

Tim

The scarred janitor whose discovery and involvement become a pivotal clue in the investigation.

🧠 Mystery 🧱 Horror

Principal Nielson

The school's Nazi-styled principal whose death and mutilation reveal a history of corruption within the administration.

⚡ Authority 🗝️ Secrets

Ms. Vickers

The new teacher who organizes the famine and becomes a central figure in the one-day nightmare.

🏫 Authority 🧭 Manipulation

Last Updated: November 22, 2025 at 15:40

Major Themes – Famine (2011)

Explore the central themes of Famine (2011), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🛡️ Survival

A crowded school building becomes a trap as students and teachers must cope with dwindling resources and escalating danger. Trust dissolves under fear, forcing choices between self-preservation and cooperation. The film examines how the will to survive reshapes relationships and values when danger is constant.

🔪 Revenge

The killer's return embodies a quest for vengeance rooted in past trauma and rumors. Motives are revealed gradually, reframing previous actions and alliances. The pursuit of retribution drives the plot toward a brutal confrontation and a final twist.

🗣️ Secrets

Rumors about the previous famine and the school's past haunt the present, influencing who is trusted and who is suspected. Perceptions shift as lies and half-truths propagate within the group. The narrative critiques how gossip can become a weapon as deadly as the blades and traps.

Last Updated: November 22, 2025 at 15:40

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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.

Claustrophobic Slasher Survival movies like Famine

Characters are hunted in a confined space by a relentless, masked predator.If you liked the high-stakes terror of being trapped in a school in Famine, explore these similar movies. This list features slasher and survival horror films where characters are hunted in confined spaces, creating intense, paranoid experiences with a relentless killer.

claustrophobictensebrutalparanoidanxioussurvivalrelentless

Narrative Summary

These narratives typically begin with a group of people isolated in a specific location—a school, a camp, a house—where a killer begins a systematic hunt. The plot unfolds rapidly as characters are picked off one by one, focusing on survival, hidden motives, and the terrifyingly intimate nature of the threat.

Why These Movies?

Movies are grouped here for their shared core experience: the visceral fear of being trapped and hunted. They prioritize fast pacing, high intensity, and a dark, grim tone, creating a cohesive vibe of brutal, confined horror.

Trauma-Driven Revenge Horror movies similar to Famine

A killer's violent spree is fueled by a deeply personal, traumatic past event.For viewers who appreciated the complex motive behind the killer in Famine, this list highlights horror films where revenge is the central theme. These movies feature killers driven by a traumatic past, blending brutal slasher action with heavy emotional weight and bleak consequences.

vengefulgrimdisturbingtensepsychologicalbrutaltraumatic

Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern involves a hidden identity being unveiled, connecting the present-day killings to a past incident. The story often explores themes of blame, guilt, and the destructive ripple effects of rumors or cruelty, leading to a climax that emphasizes the cyclical and devastating nature of revenge.

Why These Movies?

These films are united by their focus on revenge as a core motive, which shapes the entire plot and tone. They share a dark, bleak atmosphere, heavy emotional weight from dealing with trauma, and a narrative structure that reveals a tragic past to explain the present horror.

Unlock the Full Story of Famine

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

Famine Summary

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Famine Summary

Famine Timeline

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Famine Timeline

Famine Spoiler-Free Summary

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Famine Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Famine

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More About Famine

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Famine (2011) Plot Summary & Movie Recap

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