Ghostkeeper

Ghostkeeper

Year: 1981

Runtime: 87 mins

Language: English

Director: Jim Makichuk

ThrillerHorrorHorror the undead and monster classicsGothic and eerie haunting horrorTerrifying haunted and supernatural horror

After a snowmobiling mishap leaves three friends stranded at an isolated mountain lodge, they encounter a reclusive elderly woman who guards a terrifying creature confined to the basement. The friends must decide who will become the next keeper of the flesh‑eating beast.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline – Ghostkeeper (1981)

Trace every key event in Ghostkeeper (1981) with our detailed, chronological timeline. Perfect for unpacking nonlinear stories, spotting hidden connections, and understanding how each scene builds toward the film’s climax. Whether you're revisiting or decoding for the first time, this timeline gives you the full picture.

1

Trip planning and blizzard threat

Jenny, Marty, and Chrissy spend New Year's Eve on a snowmobile trip in the Rocky Mountains after chatting with a ski shop storekeeper. They decide to ride before dark but quickly get swallowed by a worsening blizzard that closes in around them. In the distance they spot a seemingly abandoned hotel at the end of the snow trail and drive there to seek shelter.

New Year's Eve, dusk Rocky Mountains ski trail
2

Arrival at the abandoned hotel

The trio reaches the isolated hotel on the snow trail and enters to escape the storm. The building feels deserted, yet a stubborn heat lingers, hinting that someone might still inhabit it. Inside, they brace themselves for the unknown as night falls.

Night Hotel on snow trail
3

Heat without light and stories

The hotel is warm but shrouded in darkness, with lights out. They light a fire in the lounge and begin sharing memories to pass the long night. The eerie quiet and flickering flames heighten their unease as the blizzard rages outside.

Night Hotel lounge
4

The old woman and her sons

Marty encounters an brash old woman in the kitchen who claims to live in the hotel with two unseen sons. She offers hospitality and lets them stay in rooms, though her behavior remains evasive and unsettling. The trio grows wary of her presence as the night wears on.

Night Hotel kitchen
5

Chrissy Bath and Danny's attack

Chrissy goes to bathe in the hotel’s archaic plumbing, when Danny suddenly attacks her in the bathroom and drags her underwater. Jenny, unsettled, goes to check on Chrissy but finds the bathroom candlelit and empty. The old woman’s cryptic demeanor deepens the sense that danger is closing in.

Night Hotel bathroom
6

Confrontation and evasive answers

Jenny checks on Chrissy after the assault and runs into the old woman, who gives evasive answers about Chrissy’s disappearance and the hotel’s history. The old woman’s cryptic reply and the manor’s secrecy heighten the sense of threat. Meanwhile, Marty remains unaware of the immediate danger building around them.

Night Hotel hallway and kitchen
7

Basement abduction and murder

Danny carries Chrissy to the basement, where he slits her throat and stores her body in the freezer. The act happens in the depths of the hotel while the others remain upstairs, unaware of the violence below. The grim discovery foreshadows the house becoming a place of unspeakable peril.

Night Hotel basement
8

Morning attempts and evasive hospitality

In the morning, Marty tries to start the snowmobiles but they won’t turn over. He searches the old shed for tools while Jenny stays with the old woman in the kitchen, who offers tea that masks her suspicion. Jenny presses about Chrissy’s disappearance, but the old woman dodges the question, keeping silent and evasive.

Morning Outside hotel; kitchen
9

Jenny drugged and the Wendigo foreshadowing

After a tense exchange, Jenny returns to a lounge and realizes she has been drugged. She wakes later in the basement and finds a First Nations folklore book that explains how a Wendigo can be kept by an old woman who has inherited power. The revelation shifts the danger from a purely human threat to something supernatural within the hotel.

Morning Hotel basement
10

Wendigo discovery and pursuit

Jenny discovers the Wendigo contained in the freezer, confirming the old woman’s sinister role. Danny arrives with a chainsaw and chases Jenny through the hotel, forcing her to flee up to the attic. The chase heightens the suspense as the predator shifts from human to monstrous.

Night Basement to attic
11

Balcony escape and Danny’s fall

Jenny bursts onto a small balcony from the attic and, in a desperate push, sends Danny over the edge. He is impaled on an iron fence below, ending the immediate danger he posed. She takes a moment to collect herself after this brutal escape.

Night Attic balcony / outside
12

Storekeeper’s arrival and murder

The storekeeper arrives at the hotel seeking shelter, but is stabbed by the old woman on entry. The violence expands beyond the trio and signals that the killer’s reach extends into the town. The hotel’s secrets threaten to explode into the open.

Night Hotel exterior / entrance
13

Confrontation in the foyer

Jenny re-enters the hotel and finds Danny’s body dragged into the foyer. She locates a shotgun in a storage room and confronts the old woman, who claims to be Jenny’s deceased mother. The personal revelation adds a chilling layer to the confrontation.

Night Hotel foyer / storage room
14

Final kills and the Wendigo fate

Jenny shoots and kills the old woman, ending her immediate threat. She then encounters the Wendigo still trapped in the freezer and tells it that she will look after it now. Outside, Marty’s body lies unmoving, and the film ends with Jenny seated by a fireplace as the old woman’s voice haunts the room.

Night Freezer / Lounge

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 14:51

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Ghostkeeper Summary

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Ghostkeeper Summary

Characters, Settings & Themes in Ghostkeeper

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Characters, Settings & Themes in Ghostkeeper

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