Maléfique

Maléfique

Year: 2002

Runtime: 90 mins

Language: French

Director: Eric Valette

MysteryHorrorFantasyIntense violence and sexual transgressionHorror the undead and monster classics

Will you make it out alive? Four prisoners discover a handwritten book of black magic in their cell, and decide to use it to escape.

Warning: spoilers below!

Haven’t seen Maléfique 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 – Maléfique (2002)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Maléfique (2002). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

1920s, Present Day

The narrative moves between the 1920s, centering on a vanished prisoner named Danvers, and the contemporary prison where Carrere and the others confront the book’s powers. The aging journal bridges eras, bringing a ghostly past into the present confinement. Time shifts underscore how the past’s secrets haunt the living and blur the line between escape and fate. The dual periods reinforce the theme that imprisonment can traverse centuries through myth and memory.

Location

Prison cell, France

The story unfolds primarily inside a stark French prison, where four inmates share a cramped cell. A hidden, hand-written journal found behind a wall brick becomes the doorway to strange phenomena, turning the space into a theatre of visions. The action also shifts into an older, dilapidated prison room from the 1920s, revealing the book’s past and linking past and present. The setting emphasizes confinement as both physical imprisonment and a psychological trap.

🔒 Prison 🕯️ Mystery

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 14:49

Main Characters – Maléfique (2002)

Meet the key characters of Maléfique (2002), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Carrere

A middle-class family man imprisoned for financial fraud, Carrere clings to the book as his only path to seeing his son again. He is pragmatic and increasingly haunted by visions, becoming the group’s anchor as the journal’s pull intensifies. His longing for connection drives his choices, even as danger closes in around him.

🧭 Motivation 🔎 Investigation 📜 Determination

Lassalle (Philippe Laudenbach)

An elderly, bookish prisoner who initially treats the journal with scepticism but is drawn to its occult power. He becomes both a fan and victim of the book, ultimately merging with it as the true nature of the power is revealed. His obsession exposes a fear of oblivion and a need to master forbidden knowledge.

📚 Knowledge 🗝️ Mystery 🧪 Obsession

Pâquerette (Dimitri Rataud)

A childlike, unstable inmate who is irresistibly drawn to the book’s powers. He violently transforms after attempting to consume its pages, illustrating the body’s corruption by magical forces. Paquerette’s death marks the brutal reach of the book and destabilizes the group’s dynamics.

👶 Innocence ⚠️ Danger 💥 Violence

Marcus (Clovis Cornillac)

A muscular, young transgender woman whose crime is not disclosed, Marcus longs for a gender transition. The story shows that desire alone is not enough to secure escape; the book demands a grave price for freedom. Marcus’s arc centers on identity, longing, and the limits of magical means.

🏳️‍⚧️ Identity 💪 Strength 🌀 Transformation

Hippolyte Picus (Didier Bénureau)

A cheerful, eccentric new prisoner who always carries a video camera. He becomes a catalyst for the group’s encounters with the book, then vanishes—leaving behind only his camera and the journal. The final footage shows an incantation unleashing a doorway, hinting that the book fabricates appearances to reveal its powers.

🎥 Camera 🧪 Experiment 🗝️ Mystery

Danvers (1920s prisoner)

The original occupant linked to the journal’s era, a prisoner whose obsession with youth drives his disappearance. His presence is reconstructed through the journal’s history, guiding later readers toward the book’s dark truth.

📜 History 🕰️ Archive 🗝️ Mystery

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 14:49

Major Themes – Maléfique (2002)

Explore the central themes of Maléfique (2002), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🪄 Magic

A mysterious journal of incantations unleashes uncanny powers that bend reality. The book conjures bright doorways and visions, but it never guarantees true escape. Each inmate tests the limits of the magic, discovering that power comes with a disturbing price. The magical force reveals how forbidden knowledge can transform, corrupt, or consume those who seek it.

🔥 Desire Price

Characters pursue personal wishes—youth, transformation, reunion with loved ones—through the book’s rituals. The fulfillment of these desires exacts brutal consequences, up to death or irreversible change. The story insists that longing untempered by restraint carries a heavy toll. True freedom remains out of reach while the price keeps rising with every wish granted.

🔒 Confinement

The prison environment functions as a crucible for character and choice, turning walls into both physical barriers and psychological traps. The book’s powers trap the inmates in alternate realities, testing their will to stay human. The shift between present and past shows confinement as a timeless force shaping identity. Freedom, when it comes, is earned through sacrifice and acceptance of the costs of desire.

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 14:49

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 Maléfique

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

Maléfique Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Maléfique, 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.

Maléfique Summary

Maléfique Timeline

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

Maléfique Timeline

Maléfique Spoiler-Free Summary

Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of Maléfique that covers the main plot points and key details without revealing any major twists or spoilers. Perfect for those who want to know what to expect before diving in.

Maléfique Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Maléfique

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Maléfique: 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 Maléfique

Similar Movies to Maléfique

Discover movies like Maléfique that share similar genres, themes, and storytelling elements. Whether you’re drawn to the atmosphere, character arcs, or plot structure, these curated recommendations will help you explore more films you’ll love.