Open Graves

Open Graves

Year: 2009

Runtime: 88 mins

Language: English

Director: Álvaro de Armiñán

ThrillerHorrorHorror the undead and monster classicsGory gruesome and slasher horrorGothic and eerie haunting horror

Jason discovers the uncanny board game Mamba; when his surfer friends start playing, the game triggers a lethal curse that gruesomely kills each loser. Legend claims the victor earns a wish. As his companions fall, Jason realizes the only hope is to keep playing. Together with his girlfriend Erica, he rolls the dice, hoping to secure the wish before the curse claims them.

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Timeline & Setting – Open Graves (2009)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Open Graves (2009). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Medieval era and present day

The film juxtaposes a medieval origin with a contemporary timeline. In the past, Mamba’s punishment explains the curse embedded in the game. In the present, the friends’ actions unfold in a sequence that leads to mounting fear, time manipulation, and a chilling conclusion.

Location

Medieval Spain, Present-day Spain

The story shifts between medieval Spain, where the witch Mamba is tortured and her skin used to forge a cursed board game, and present-day Spain where a group of friends encounter the game. Key settings include a beach house, a funeral, and a seaside villa as events escalate and the deaths mount. The haunting influence of the game travels between eras, tying locations together through supernatural consequence.

🗺️ Historical 🕯️ Supernatural 🏖️ Modern Horror

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 17:44

Main Characters – Open Graves (2009)

Meet the key characters of Open Graves (2009), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Jason (Mike Vogel)

A pragmatic, cautious member of the friend group who becomes determined to reverse the tragedy. He shifts from skepticism to a fixation on victory, forging a tense dynamic with Erica as they navigate the game's rules. His choices propel the narrative toward the final twist and the perpetual loop.

🎯 Determined 🧭 Strategic 💔 Loyal

Erica (Eliza Dushku)

Witty and supportive, she helps drive the group through the game and forms a romantic bond with Jason. She ultimately sacrifices herself to try to save everyone, is later revealed to be possessed by Mamba, and becomes central to the game’s final manipulation of reality.

💖 Loyal 🗣️ Resourceful 🧭 Brave

Tomàs (Tomàs) (Ethan Rains)

One of the central friends who participates in the initial attempt to appease the game’s demands. He meets a violent end at the hands of Detective Izar after attempting to escape, marking the first major shock in the group’s deadly ordeal.

🧭 Courageous 💥 Impulsive

Lisa (Lindsay Caroline Robba)

A member of the group who suffers a rapid decline as the game imposes its toll. She grows gravely ill, ages into an old woman, and dies, embodying the grim cost of the game’s curse.

🧬 Fragile 🕯️ Courageous

Elena (Naike Rivelli)

Elena’s fate is sealed by a car accident that ends in a fatal fire, illustrating how the game’s influence reaches even those who attempt to remain distant from its reach.

🚗 Fatal 🕯️ Tragic

Miguel (Ander Pardo)

Miguel participates in the photoshoot at an empty wood-cutting factory and is later killed by a swarm of snakes, a brutal demonstration of the game’s lethal symbolism.

🕷️ Perilous 🧭 Unlucky

Pablo (Boris Martinez)

Pablo’s death occurs early when he falls off a cliff after taking a car for a beer, and a group of crabs gouge his eyes, delivering a gruesome reminder of the game’s predestination.

⚰️ Early victim 💀 Tragic

Detective Izar (Gary Piquer)

A relentless investigator who pursues the truth behind the mysterious deaths. He ultimately confronts the group and fatally shoots Tomas while attempting to escape, enforcing the danger bound to the game.

🕵️‍♂️ Obsessed ⚖️ Relentless

Malek (Lex O'Dogherty)

The disabled shop owner who sells the cursed game. In the end, he reveals that he won the game and used his wish to cure his disability, highlighting the personal costs embedded in the game’s lore.

🧰 Mysterious 🪄 Insightful

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 17:44

Major Themes – Open Graves (2009)

Explore the central themes of Open Graves (2009), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

⏳ Time Loop

A cursed board game traps players in an endless week, forcing them to relive events and deaths. Each misstep echoes through the present, bending reality as the characters try to break free. The loop magnifies the cost of every decision and reveals how fragile life becomes when time itself is weaponized.

🔮 Fate & Wishes

The winner of the game gains a wish while the losers pay with their lives, entwining desire with doom. Characters chase control, only to learn that wishes carry irreversible consequences. The narrative uses the mechanism of fate to critique meddling with life and death.

💀 Consequences of Power

The lure of altering reality tests loyalties and moral boundaries. Attempts to outsmart the supernatural lead to betrayals, fear, and fatal outcomes. The story suggests that power over life comes with a price too steep to bear.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 17:44

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Open Graves Summary

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Open Graves Timeline

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Open Graves Timeline

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