Graverobbers

Graverobbers

Year: 1988

Runtime: 90 mins

Language: English

Director: Straw Weisman

HorrorComedy

A bright‑eyed waitress who also works as a hooker falls for a charming stranger who turns out to be the town’s funeral director. In a community that seems to prefer its women dead, she quickly learns she’s the next likely candidate—his two former wives were left in such a dilapidated state that even death looked better. To survive, she must stay one step ahead of the morbid fate awaiting her.

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Timeline & Setting – Graverobbers (1988)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Graverobbers (1988). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Location

Newbury, upstate New York, local diner, funeral home, cemetery

Graverobbers unfolds in a quiet upstate New York town named Newbury, where a tight-knit community masks a dangerous secret. The action moves between a sleepy diner, a stark funeral home, and a nearby cemetery, highlighting the contrast between everyday life and macabre rituals. The town seems peaceful on the surface, yet its residents participate in necromantic practices that blur the line between life and death. The setting establishes a claustrophobic, secrets-filled atmosphere that drives the horror.

🏘️ Small town 🌫️ Foggy atmosphere 🏚️ Cemetery proximity

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 13:32

Main Characters – Graverobbers (1988)

Meet the key characters of Graverobbers (1988), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Nora Mae Edwards - Elizabeth Mannino

A former New York City prostitute who copes with a sleep disorder and works the graveyard shift as a diner waitress in Newbury. She marries John Henry Cox and follows him to a town whose rituals test her resolve. Nora's intuition and resilience push back against John's control, and she becomes a key figure in the struggle for her life, culminating in a confrontation in the diner.

🧠 Psychological 🌙 Night 🛡️ Survival

John Henry Cox - David Gregory

A mysterious mortician who woos Nora and becomes her husband. He leads a covert operation in Newbury, using embalming and electricity to keep the dead reanimated and under his sway. His charm masks a coercive, dangerous nature, and he actively attempts to drown Nora before a final confrontation.

🕯️ Charismatic 🪦 Necromantic 🧭 Control

Evan Matthews - Jerry Rector

The suspicious brother-in-law figure who suspects John and the town of foul play. He reveals the empty crypt and guides Nora into danger while trying to protect her. Evan's arc shifts as he becomes undead himself, returning to confront Nora and the living.

🗡️ Suspicious 🪦 Undead 🕯️ Protective

Morley the Chauffeur - Kelvin Keraga

The funeral chauffeur who aids in John's grim scheme. He appears zombie-like, is decapitated by Evan, and later resurfaces as part of the undead procession. Morley embodies the town's blend of civility and rot.

🚗 Loyal 🪦 Undead 🧭 Ambiguous

Sheriff Porter - Larry Bockius

A local lawman who initially treats Nora's fears as paranoia yet becomes entangled in the town's dark schemes. He helps in returning Nora to the funeral home and remains a figure of authority within the town's grim machinery as the plot unfolds.

👮 Law 🕯️ Complicity 🛡️ Authority

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 13:32

Major Themes – Graverobbers (1988)

Explore the central themes of Graverobbers (1988), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

💀 Death Control

Death is treated as a resource to be managed and manipulated. John and the town perform grisly acts that keep the dead reanimated and usable. The use of electric currents through a corpse and the ritualistic behavior reveal a chilling willingness to blur the line between life and death. The film explores how a community can normalize control over mortality.

🌊 Small Secrets

Behind the town's quiet facade lies a web of secrets: necrophilic acts by ambulance drivers, a mortician's hidden practices, and the unexplained safety claims about disease. Nora's slow realization that something is terribly wrong drives the tension as she uncovers headstones of John's previous wives and empty crypts. The sequence of events shows how tightly the town guards its dark rituals from outsiders. The secrets culminate in a chase through the cemetery and funeral home that shatters Nora's sense of safety.

🕯️ Unreliable Reality

The line between dream and reality frays as Nora experiences nightmares that may reflect the town's influence or a frightened psyche. Scenes blur what she witnesses with what she imagines, culminating in a climactic diner confrontation that ends with Nora waking up—and shooting the two men, blurring truth and illusion. The film leaves her questioning whether the nightmare was real or a manipulation by John and his cohort. This theme probes perception under extreme fear and manipulation.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 13:32

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Explore Movie Threads

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.

Corrupt Town Survival Horror Stories like Graverobbers

A lone protagonist uncovers a community's dark pact while fighting for their life.If you liked the small-town conspiracy and desperate fight for survival in Graverobbers, explore more movies where a lone individual uncovers a community's dark secret. These films feature unsettling atmospheres, paranoid protagonists, and themes of female survival against a sinister collective.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative typically begins with an outsider or a disillusioned insider discovering that their community is built on a foundation of violence, decay, or a sinister ritual. As they investigate, they become the target, leading to a prolonged chase or cat-and-mouse game where trust is nonexistent and escape seems impossible. The story is driven by the tension between uncovering the truth and simply staying alive.

Why These Movies?

These movies are grouped by their shared setting of a sinister community, the protagonist's role as a truth-seeker and survivor, and the pervasive mood of paranoia and claustrophobia. They explore the horror that arises not from the supernatural, but from the corruption of everyday life.

Grotesque Dark Comedies that Blur Reality like Graverobbers

Darkly humorous stories where the line between nightmare and reality dissolves.For viewers who enjoyed the bizarre, nightmarish humor of Graverobbers, this section features similar movies that mix comedy and horror. These films often have ambiguous endings, high tension, and a tone that balances the grotesque with the absurd, creating a uniquely disorienting vibe.

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Narrative Summary

Narratives in this thread often follow a protagonist descending into a situation so strange and threatening that it feels unreal. The plot structure is frequently non-linear or dreamlike, with events that challenge perception. The comedy arises from the sheer absurdity of the horror, creating a tone that is both shocking and darkly satirical, leading to an ending that may not provide clear answers.

Why These Movies?

These films are united by their specific tonal blend: a high-tension, intense horror foundation punctuated by absurdist, dark comedy. They share a tendency to distort reality, feature grotesque imagery, and leave the audience with an ambiguous, thought-provoking feeling.

Unlock the Full Story of Graverobbers

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Graverobbers Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Graverobbers, 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.

Graverobbers Summary

Graverobbers Timeline

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Graverobbers Timeline

Graverobbers Spoiler-Free Summary

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Graverobbers Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Graverobbers

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