Of Unknown Origin

Of Unknown Origin

Year: 1983

Runtime: 89 min

Language: English

Director: George P. Cosmatos

Horror

A meticulous banker’s life is thrown into chaos when a giant rodent takes residence in his meticulously renovated Manhattan brownstone. He finds himself in a desperate battle to protect his home and livelihood as the creature causes increasing damage. As he struggles to adapt and survive, he's forced to confront deeply buried anxieties and the raw instincts that exist even in the heart of the city.

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Timeline & Setting – Of Unknown Origin (1983)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Of Unknown Origin (1983). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Modern Day

The movie unfolds in a contemporary setting, reflecting the pressures of modern urban life where personal and professional challenges often collide. The time is marked by increased stress and alienation due to work demands, highlighting the effects of urban living on mental health.

Location

Bart's home, Vermont

Bart's home serves as the primary setting for his psychological struggle against the invasive rat, representing his escalating personal chaos. Vermont symbolizes the family getaway he turned down, juxtaposing his intense work stress with the tranquility he missed. This contrast heightens the sense of isolation and conflict in his life.

🏠 Home 🌲 Nature

Last Updated: October 22, 2024 at 23:14

Main Characters – Of Unknown Origin (1983)

Meet the key characters of Of Unknown Origin (1983), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Bart Hughes (Peter Weller)

Bart Hughes is a diligent investment banker caught in a whirlwind of personal and professional crises. Initially appearing as an unremarkable character, his journey shows his descent into desperation as he battles with an incessant rat. He embodies the struggle between maintaining a facade of normalcy while grappling with internal chaos and pressure.

🏦 Career 😟 Struggle 🎭 Family

Meg (Jennifer Dale)

Meg is Bart's wife, whose absence during the family's planned vacation becomes a source of tension. Her return highlights the chaos Bart experienced in her absence, forcing him to face the consequences of his actions. Meg represents the familial connection that Bart yearns for amidst his turmoil.

👩‍❤️‍👨 Family 💔 Strain

Eliot Riverton (Kenneth Welsh)

Eliot is Bart's superior who pressures him to excel professionally, representing the corporate expectations weighing heavily on Bart. He serves as a counterbalance to Bart's personal struggles, reminding him of his work obligations while illustrating the disconnect between professional responsibilities and personal life.

💼 Work ⚖️ Pressure

Last Updated: October 22, 2024 at 23:14

Major Themes – Of Unknown Origin (1983)

Explore the central themes of Of Unknown Origin (1983), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🐀 Identity Crisis

Bart's struggle against the rat evolves into a larger metaphor for his inner turmoil and loss of control. As the rat disrupts his life, it symbolizes the challenges Bart faces in his career and marriage. This theme captures the conflict between personal identity and external pressures, forcing Bart to confront his fears.

🎭 Isolation

Despite being surrounded by people, Bart experiences profound isolation, accentuated by his inability to communicate his struggles. The rat, representing both a physical and psychological adversary, intensifies his solitude as he confronts issues that he feels he must face alone. This theme powerfully highlights the disconnect between Bart and his family.

Last Updated: October 22, 2024 at 23:14

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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.

Home Invasion Horror Movies like Of Unknown Origin

Stories where a safe space becomes a psychological battleground.If you liked the tense battle for survival in Of Unknown Origin, explore these movies where a home becomes a fortress under siege. These stories feature protagonists pushed to their limits by a relentless intruder, creating similar feelings of claustrophobia and psychological strain.

claustrophobicanxiousdesperateunsettlingtensepsychological strainsurvival

Narrative Summary

Narratives in this thread follow a pattern of intrusion, escalation, and desperate defense. A protagonist's orderly life is shattered by a threat that invades their personal space. The conflict is intensely focused, often unfolding in a single location, as the character's sanity and resourcefulness are tested in a high-stakes, close-quarters confrontation.

Why These Movies?

These movies are grouped by their shared focus on the home as a primary setting for horror and psychological tension. They create a similar vibe of anxious claustrophobia and the unsettling feeling of a safe space turning hostile, driven by a steady, escalating pace and high intensity.

Movies with Obsessive Protagonists like Of Unknown Origin

Characters whose meticulous nature spirals into a single-minded, destructive fixation.Fans of Of Unknown Origin will appreciate these films about characters consumed by a singular, all-encompassing goal. Watch as meticulous plans give way to primal desperation in these tense psychological thrillers and dramas about the cost of obsession.

obsessionpsychologically straineddarkly comedicunravelingtensemethodicaldesperate

Narrative Summary

The narrative arc follows a character's transformation from competence to compulsion. A problem disrupts their ordered world, and their attempts to solve it methodically fail. This failure triggers a deeper, more primal obsession, leading them to abandon reason and social norms in a protracted, often solitary struggle that reveals their deepest anxieties.

Why These Movies?

These films share a core character journey: the spiral into obsession. They are united by a tense tone, a steady pacing that mirrors the character's increasing fixation, and a focus on the psychological strain of battling an opponent that becomes a personal demon.

Unlock the Full Story of Of Unknown Origin

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

Of Unknown Origin Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Of Unknown Origin, 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.

Of Unknown Origin Summary

Of Unknown Origin Timeline

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

Of Unknown Origin Timeline

Of Unknown Origin Spoiler-Free Summary

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Of Unknown Origin Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Of Unknown Origin

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