Homebodies

Homebodies

Year: 1974

Runtime: 96 mins

Language: English

Director: Larry Yust

ComedyHorrorCrude humor and satireGory gruesome and slasher horrorSpooky scary comedy

When a tranquil group of pensioners learns their homes are slated for demolition to make way for a new block of flats, they band together to resist. Their quiet protest quickly turns violent, escalating into a brutal campaign of murder that targets both the developers and the construction workers.

Warning: spoilers below!

Haven’t seen Homebodies yet? This summary contains major spoilers. Bookmark the page, watch the movie, and come back for the full breakdown. If you're ready, scroll on and relive the story!

Timeline & Setting – Homebodies (1974)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Homebodies (1974). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Location

Cincinnati, Ohio, Downtown neighborhood near a demolished apartment building

Set in Cincinnati, Ohio, the story centers on a rundown apartment building slated for demolition to make way for a gleaming skyscraper. The neighborhood is shaped by rapid modernization, with residents facing relocation and the loss of familiar space. Tension grows as a deadly accident at the construction site foreshadows the violence to come.

🏙️ Urban 🏗️ Construction 🏚️ Tenement

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 18:26

Main Characters – Homebodies (1974)

Meet the key characters of Homebodies (1974), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Mrs. Loomis (Ruth McDevitt)

An elderly tenant who anchors the building's community. She navigates the moral gray area of survival, sometimes supporting drastic measures while considering reporting crimes. By the end, she grapples with loyalty to neighbors and the weight of potential consequences.

🏚️ Elderly 🧭 Loyalty ⚖️ Morality

Mr. Loomis (Ian Wolfe)

The elderly husband and quiet, protective partner of Mrs. Loomis. He helps drive some of the group’s plans and keeps a steady hand, balancing pragmatism with loyalty. His restraint contrasts with the mounting violence around them.

🏚️ Elderly 🗺️ Protector ⚖️ Morality

Mr. Blakely (Peter Brocco)

An elderly blind man whose vulnerability makes him both a symbol of nostalgia and a target of relocation. He embodies the tenants’ fear of being uprooted and the fragility of their world. His presence underscores the human cost of the redevelopment.

🏚️ Elderly 🕊️ Vulnerable 🕯️ Memory

Mr. Sandy (William Hansen)

A writer in the building who resists eviction and embodies defiant tenant spirit. He contributes to the group’s dynamic with wit and stubbornness, fueling the resistance to relocation. His stance highlights the clash between personal art and social upheaval.

✍️ Writer 🧭 Defiance 🤝 Ally

Miss Pollack (Linda Marsh)

A social worker delivering relocation notices who becomes a symbol of the system enforcing displacement. Her office visits intensify the tenants’ fear and set the stage for the later murders. She represents authority clashing with homemade justice.

🧳 Eviction 👮 Authority 🔎 Oversight

Miss Emily (Frances Fuller)

An agoraphobic woman who reflects on her upbringing in the neighborhood. Her claustrophobic world and memories intertwine with the building’s fate, making her a key figure in the escalating crisis. Her presence adds psychological depth to the story.

😷 Agoraphobia 🧠 Memory 📚 Nostalgia

Mattie (Paula Trueman)

An elderly pensioner who drives the central plot with fierce attachment to her home. She orchestrates violent acts and becomes the film’s most dangerous force, blurring lines between defense and vengeance. Her stubborn resolve keeps the struggle for the building’s future burning hot.

🧓 Elderly 🔪 Violence 🧭 Obsession

Mr. Crawford (Douglas Fowley)

A businessman funding the skyscraper who embodies modernization’s cold logic. He promises relocation to a nicer building, becoming a target of the tenants’ wrath. His murder marks a tipping point in the tenants’ revolt against demolition.

🏢 Developer 💰 Wealth ⚔️ Conflict

Construction Boss (Kenneth Tobey)

The head of the site who oversees the demolition project. He represents the corporate push toward redevelopment and the dangerous power of large-scale construction. His presence foreshadows the deadly consequences that follow.

👷 Construction 🏗️ Site 🔨 Authority

Construction Foreman (Wesley Lau)

A foreman on the demolition crew who witnesses the project’s brutal realities. He embodies the hard-edged labor force caught between corporate goals and personal risk. His actions help propel the plot’s escalation of tension.

👷 Foreman 🔨 Labor 🏗️ Site

Construction Worker (Nicholas Lewis)

One of the workers on the demolition site who shares in the danger and the stakes of the project. His presence highlights the human cost of rapid redevelopment. He is part of the wider tragedy surrounding the eviction.

👷 Worker 🔧 Labor 🧱 Site

Apartment Superintendent (Norman Gottschalk)

The building superintendent who enforces building rules and facilitates the relocation notices. His role places him at the heart of the eviction process and the community’s tension. He represents the administrative machinery behind the demolition.

🧰 Superintendent 🏢 Building 🗝️ Maintenance

Woman in Floppy Hat (Ireene Webster)

A minor bystander who appears amid the building’s chaos, underscoring the crowded urban setting where every face becomes part of the story. Her presence hints at the wide social circle affected by the demolition. She serves as a small detail that enriches the crowd’s texture.

👒 Bystander 🧭 Urban Life 🪶 Texture

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 18:26

Major Themes – Homebodies (1974)

Explore the central themes of Homebodies (1974), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🏗️ Displacement

Urban redevelopment drives the central conflict as tenants face eviction and relocation. The looming skyscraper shadows the lives of people who have called the building home for years. The film uses the housing crisis and construction as a catalyst for fear, neighborly loyalty, and bad decisions.

🔪 Revenge

A vigilant hunger for vengeance drives Mattie and her fellow tenants to drastic acts. The group adopts brutal measures to protect their home, blurring the line between self-defense and murder. The tension escalates from plan to execution, revealing how desperation can corrupt moral judgment.

🧓 Aging Resistance

The elderly residents band together to resist impersonal modern forces. Along with fear of losing their long-held space, memory and nostalgia fuel a stubborn resistance. The story treats aging as both vulnerability and strength, showing how experience informs resilience in the face of change.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 18:26

Mobile App Preview

Coming soon on iOS and Android

The Plot Explained Mobile App

From blockbusters to hidden gems — dive into movie stories anytime, anywhere. Save your favorites, discover plots faster, and never miss a twist again.

Sign up to be the first to know when we launch. Your email stays private — always.

Unlock the Full Story of Homebodies

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

Homebodies Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Homebodies, 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.

Homebodies Summary

Homebodies Timeline

Track the full timeline of Homebodies with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

Homebodies Timeline

More About Homebodies

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Homebodies: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

More About Homebodies