Psychosis

Psychosis

Year: 2010

Runtime: 89 mins

Language: English

Director: Reg Traviss

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The film follows a blood‑thirsty serial killer who terrorizes a secluded environmental camp, leaving a trail of carnage. Years later a horror novelist moves to a quiet English village, only to be tormented by relentless, nightmarish visions of the same massacre, pushing him toward madness.

Warning: spoilers below!

Haven’t seen Psychosis 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 – Psychosis (2010)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Psychosis (2010). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

1992, 2007

The story shifts from 1992, when an anarchist group is murdered and a killer is wounded by a river, to 2007, when Susan, a successful crime novelist, moves into the same house. The 1992 killings establish a chilling past, while 2007 chronicles Susan's unraveling sanity and the unraveling truth behind the visions. The two periods frame a mystery about memory, trauma, and predestination.

Location

Countryside house by the river

A secluded countryside house sits beside a river and is surrounded by woods. It becomes the focal point of Susan's move with her husband, and the eerie atmosphere drives her visions. The location's isolation amplifies the line between reality and nightmare as strange events unfold.

🏞️ Rural setting 🌊 River proximity

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 08:16

Main Characters – Psychosis (2010)

Meet the key characters of Psychosis (2010), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Peck (Ricci Harnett)

The house's gamekeeper who exerts a predatory presence around Susan. He sexually assaults Susan and uses intimidation to control the situation, culminating in a violent confrontation that pushes the story toward its deadly climax.

🌲 Woods 💥 Predatory 💀 Violence

Susan (Charisma Carpenter)

A crime novelist whose visions of bloody murders push her toward instability. Her past mental health issues resurface as she becomes a conduit for the house's horrors, while her fame and finances become entwined with her fate.

🧠 Mental health 🖋️ Writer 🎭 Trauma

David (Paul Sculfor)

Susan's husband who purchases the house to aid her writing but is revealed to have ulterior motives, including marshalling her wealth for his own gain and engaging in affairs.

💼 Businessman 💰 Money 🕵️ Deceit

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 08:16

Major Themes – Psychosis (2010)

Explore the central themes of Psychosis (2010), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🌀 Mental Health

Susan's battles with reality versus illusion drive the plot, blurring the line between sanity and madness. Her past mental breakdown resurfaces as the visions invade her home. The film suggests the mind can project future horrors when trauma is repressed.

🔪 Violence

The narrative centers on brutal acts—murders, rapes, and a deadly confrontation—that unsettle the characters and the audience. The violence is linked to the house's history and the killer who may still be present. It culminates in a murderous confrontation that shatters Susan's perception of reality.

💰 Greed & Manipulation

David's actions in the wake of Susan's success hint at ulterior motives, including using her wealth for personal gain and pursuing potential divorce. The book's bestseller status masks deceit as he seeks money and control. The threat of financial and emotional exploitation underpins the tragedy.

🔮 Supernatural vs Reality

Priest and psychic inputs introduce a supernatural layer, but the final reveal reframes the visions as prescient rather than purely supernatural. The house becomes a conduit for future killings, challenging the boundary between destiny and psychosis. The film blurs uncanny phenomena with psychological horror.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 08:16

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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.

Movies about a descent into madness like Psychosis

Stories where sanity slowly fractures under the weight of tormenting visions.If you liked the psychological unraveling in Psychosis, explore these movies about characters losing their sanity. This list features thrillers and horror films where the line between reality and madness blurs, filled with visions, paranoia, and a steady crawl toward a bleak conclusion.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative typically begins with a character in a fragile state, often triggered by trauma or isolation. As unsettling events or visions intensify, their perception of reality becomes increasingly unreliable, leading them—and the audience—to question everything. The journey is marked by paranoia, gaslighting, and a climactic revelation that either confirms their worst fears or leaves them broken.

Why These Movies?

They are grouped by their shared focus on the internal collapse of a protagonist. The experience is defined by a high-tension, oppressive mood, a steady pacing that builds dread, and a heavy emotional weight centered on psychological distress and the terrifying fragility of the human mind.

Isolated psychological thrillers with a vibe like Psychosis

Thrillers set in remote locations that amplify psychological terror and dread.Find more movies like Psychosis that trap their characters in remote, claustrophobic settings. These thrillers and horror films use isolation to build unbearable tension, where the quiet environment becomes as threatening as the killer or visions haunting the protagonist, perfect for fans of anxious, slow-burn dread.

claustrophobicanxiousoppressiveunsettlingsinisterparanoidisolated

Narrative Summary

The plot often involves a character seeking solitude, only to find that isolation intensifies their vulnerabilities. The confined setting limits external help and amplifies every sound and shadow, turning the environment itself into an antagonist. The narrative leverages this seclusion to create a sustained, claustrophobic tension where the threat feels inescapable.

Why These Movies?

They share a core atmospheric device: using a remote or confined setting to psychologically trap the characters. This creates a cohesive vibe of claustrophobia and sustained anxiety, with a steady pacing that allows dread to seep in. The experience is defined by feeling trapped, both physically and mentally.

Unlock the Full Story of Psychosis

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

Psychosis Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Psychosis, 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.

Psychosis Summary

Psychosis Timeline

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

Psychosis Timeline

Psychosis Spoiler-Free Summary

Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of Psychosis 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.

Psychosis Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Psychosis

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