Night of the Living Dread

Night of the Living Dread

Year: 2021

Runtime: 12 mins

Language: English

Director: Ida Melum

AnimationComedyHorror

A sudden power outage disrupts Ruby's evening, unleashing uncomfortable echoes of her past selves. To find rest, she must face these spectral visitations and learn to embrace her true identity. It's a journey of self-acceptance and confronting past regrets to achieve a peaceful night.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – Night of the Living Dread (2021)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Night of the Living Dread (2021). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Late 1960s (around 1968)

The events unfold during a period when radio and television broadcasts shape public perception of danger. The plot hints at Cold War era anxieties, including space-age fears, with references to a returning Venus probe and radiation as possible causes for the dead coming back to life. The timeframe grounds the tale in an era of improvisation and limited emergency infrastructure.

Location

Rural Pennsylvania, Farmhouse, Cemetery

The story is set in a rural area of Pennsylvania, centering on a secluded farmhouse near a cemetery. The isolated location creates a siege environment where danger presses in from outside. The house becomes a makeshift fortress as the survivors barricade doors and windows and fight to hold out until a potential rescue.

🏚️ Rural farmhouse 🪦 Cemetery 🗺️ Rural Pennsylvania 🚨 Survival chaos

Last Updated: October 01, 2025 at 10:11

Main Characters – Night of the Living Dread (2021)

Meet the key characters of Night of the Living Dread (2021), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Barbra

Barbra is the sister who survives the initial cemetery attack but becomes nearly catatonic from trauma. She struggles to adapt to sheltering with strangers and gradually relies on others for protection. Her presence anchors the early fear and highlights the human cost of violence in crisis.

😨 Traumatized 🧭 Cautious 💪 Determined

Johnny

Barbra's brother, who is killed early by a pale attacker, triggering Barbra's trauma. His death serves as a brutal catalyst for the survivors' efforts to stay alive. His memory haunts the group as they fight to endure the night.

😠 Impulsive 🛡️ Protective 🪦 Victim

Ben

A pragmatic, resourceful stranger who arrives to help defend the farmhouse and coordinates efforts to secure supplies. He devises a plan to reach a rescue center but is killed by an armed posse who mistake him for a ghoul. His actions drive the group's strategy and the moral ambiguity of survival.

🧭 Pragmatic 🤝 Resourceful 🔫 Protector

Harry

Harry is the wary father who advocates staying underground in the cellar and questions the safety of the aboveground fight. He is disarmed and killed by Ben, then dies in the cellar beside his daughter. His stance embodies the tension between safety and action during the crisis.

🛡️ Protective 🏚️ Stubborn 💔 Tragic

Helen

Helen is Harry's wife who seeks refuge with the group in the cellar. She remains a caring presence among the survivors until a brutal turn of events leads to her death in the chaos. Her experience reflects the collateral tragedy of familial bonds under siege.

👩 Protective 😢 Grief-stricken 🗡️ Victim

Karen

Karen is Harry and Helen's young daughter who suffers an arm injury and becomes a ghoul after worsening injuries. She ultimately turns on her own family, culminating in a tragic confrontation. Her arc underscores the fragility of innocence within a collapsing world.

👶 Innocent 🧬 Tragic 🌀 Corrupted

Tom

Tom is a survivor who, along with Judy, seeks shelter after hearing emergency broadcasts. He participates in the defensive effort but dies when a fuel pump explodes during a mission to obtain supplies. His death marks the escalating toll of the crisis.

🛡️ Brave 💥 Fatal

Judy

Tom's partner, Judy is part of the sheltering group and shares in the group’s peril. She ultimately dies in the pump explosion, highlighting the high casualty rate and fragility of hope during the siege.

💔 Courageous ⚠️ Fatal

Last Updated: October 01, 2025 at 10:11

Major Themes – Night of the Living Dread (2021)

Explore the central themes of Night of the Living Dread (2021), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🛡️ Survival

Facing an overwhelming threat, the group must improvise shelter, weapons, and escape plans. The plan to reach a rescue center underscores the constant tension between safety and uncertainty. Conflicts over resources and leadership reveal how fear drives decisions and shapes group dynamics under siege.

😨 Isolation & Fear

The relentless siege creates claustrophobic tension that amplifies paranoia and distrust. Characters cycle between cooperation and suspicion as the safe footing of the farmhouse becomes increasingly unstable. The atmosphere emphasizes the psychological toll of confinement during a crisis.

📰 Media & Reality

Radio and TV broadcasts frame the catastrophe as a nationwide disaster, guiding survivors' actions and hopes for rescue. A scientific explanation about radiation from a Venus probe provides a veneer of rationalization amid chaos. The survivors must contend with misinformation and the fear that their fate rests on fragile information.

Last Updated: October 01, 2025 at 10:11

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Night of the Living Dread Summary

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Night of the Living Dread Summary

Night of the Living Dread Timeline

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Night of the Living Dread Timeline

Night of the Living Dread Spoiler-Free Summary

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Night of the Living Dread Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Night of the Living Dread

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