Round the Decay (2025) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

Newport's Valley is a remote, forested enclave in New Hampshire where the past haunts the present. The town centers around the decaying Barn Owl Inn, once a tourist destination now struggling economically. A cave system called Widow's Gap runs through the area, steeped in legend and fear. The valley carries a generations-old curse born from a brutal colonial-era ritual, with secrecy and guilt coloring its inhabitants' lives.

• newport's valley
• new hampshire
• barn owl inn
• widow's gap
• setting
• rural horror

The Barn Owl Inn is a historic hotel in Newport's Valley that serves as a central location in the story. Run by Bart Blakewell, it represents the town's decaying tourist economy and becomes a critical link in uncovering the town's dark writings about past victims. The inn anchors the community and provides shelter as the townsfolk confront the rising threat.

• barn owl inn
• bart blakewell
• hotel
• setting

Widow's Gap is a cave system in Newport's Valley that draws both curiosity and fear from locals. Steeped in legend, the cave becomes central to the Wrexsoul's mythology and serves as the site where the creature's ritual origins are explored. The cave and its dark history attract hikers and become a focal point of the climactic confrontation.

• widow's gap
• cave
• ritual site
• supernatural location

The film operates on two timelines: a late 17th-century colonial settlement era and contemporary present day. In the past, settlers performed a dark rite that unleashed the Wrexsoul, binding the entity to the land. In the present, the town struggles with inherited trauma, hidden covenants, and a cycle of disappearances that trace back to that original sin.

• time period
• dual timeline
• 17th century
• colonial
• present day

The Wrexsoul is a supernatural entity born from an ancient binding of spirit and flesh. It feeds on trauma, re-creating pain in its victims and thriving where guilt and silence meet. The creature cannot be slain by ordinary means and requires a willing soul to trap it anew through ritual. It is tied to the land of Newport's Valley through an original covenant.

• wrexsoul
• creature
• supernatural entity
• monster
• horror

Trauma in the film is both personal and collective, functioning as a psychic wound that the Wrexsoul feeds on. The town hides painful histories while new violence emerges from unprocessed grief. Protagonist Kenzie Rhodes carries guilt over her fiancé Ben's disappearance, and her memories and dreams braid the past with the present, drawing the group toward the valley's danger.

• trauma
• grief
• guilt
• psychological
• personal trauma
• collective trauma

The legacy theme revolves around ancient covenants that bind land and people together. The town preserves this tradition through secrecy, with the Wrexsoul specifically targeting the bloodline of Whelan Newport. The town's elite help sustain the ritual to keep power intact. The protagonists must confront and attempt to reverse the covenant that has haunted Newport's Valley for generations.

• legacy
• covenant
• tradition
• bloodline
• whelan newport
• town elite

Kenzie Rhodes is the protagonist portrayed by Victoria Mirrer who returns to Newport's Valley after her fiancé Ben vanished. She carries deep guilt and a resolve to uncover the truth behind the town's haunted history. Her memories and visions serve as a bridge between past and present, pushing others to confront the Wrexsoul's legacy and the covenants that bind the land.

• kenzie rhodes
• victoria mirrer
• protagonist
• main character
• hero

Munroe, played by Damian Maffei, is a seasoned hunter of regional folklore who serves as the group's guide and knowledge source. He explains the Wrexsoul's nature and the town's secret history, guiding the protagonists through the supernatural threat. His sacrifice in the final confrontation marks the end of the immediate threat, demonstrating the cost of confronting ancient evil.

• munroe
• damian maffei
• folklore
• hunter
• guide
• mentor

Roz Jackson, played by Sienna Hubert-Ross, is Kenzie Rhodes' old school friend and the town bartender. She senses danger and tries to warn Kenzie away from the woods, embodying loyalty and pragmatic caution. Her perspective grounds the group as they face the Wrexsoul, balancing memory with the town's uneasy present.

• roz jackson
• sienna hubert-ross
• bartender
• supporting character
• ally

Mary Newport, played by McKenna Parsons, is a member of the Newport family that gives the valley its name. She represents the town's old elite whose lineage hints at long-standing influence behind the valley's dark traditions. Her connection to the original settlers ties directly to the covenant that binds the Wrexsoul to the land.

• mary newport
• newport family
• elite
• lineage
• original settlers

The supernatural in Round the Decay operates through ancient magic tied to ritual and sacrifice. The Wrexsoul cannot be destroyed by conventional means, it requires someone to willingly trap it anew through ritual. The cave system and an underground ritual room become the battleground where courage, sacrifice, and old magic combine to threaten the entity's form.

• supernatural
• magic
• ritual
• sacrifice
• rules
• mythology