Terror

Terror

Year: 1978

Runtime: 87 mins

Language: English

Director: Norman J. Warren

HorrorHorror the undead and monster classicsGory gruesome and slasher horrorGothic and eerie haunting horrorTerrifying haunted and supernatural horror

It Buried For A Hundred Years… But Never Laid To Rest! The descendants of a witch hunting family and their close friends are stalked and killed by a mysterious entity.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – Terror (1978)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Terror (1978). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Present day

The story unfolds in contemporary times, following a modern cast as they navigate a haunted estate and a film industry backdrop. The narrative moves between a current-day gathering at the Garrick House and the aftermath in urban and rural settings, highlighting how an ancient curse intrudes on modern life. The historical flashback of Mad Dolly’s execution anchors the curse across generations, culminating in supernatural disturbances during a contemporary screening.

Location

Garrick House, London hostel, Surrounding woods near Garrick House, James Garrick's film studio, Roadside garage, Strip club

The Garrick House is the central location, an imposing centuries-old mansion tied to the family’s cursed legacy. In present-day, it hosts a preview screening of a horror film that claims to be based on true events, with the house’s corridors and inherited sword amplifying the eerie mood. Nearby, a London hostel serves as a grim waypoint where a victim’s bloodied return and mounting dread unfold, while the surrounding woods become the site of past and present killings tied to the curse.

🏰 Haunted 🎭 Aristocratic 🗺️ Manor 🕯️ Supernatural 🏢 Studio 🚗 Industrial

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 18:59

Main Characters – Terror (1978)

Meet the key characters of Terror (1978), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Ann Garrick

Cousin of James and an aspiring actress who becomes entangled in the family curse. She is hypnotised at a party, uses Mad Dolly’s sword to wound James, and later dies when the curse’s spirit fatally impales her. Her uneasy memory and shifting grip on reality drive much of the film’s escalating horror.

🎭 Ambition 🌀 Possession 🔪 Violence

James Garrick

A film director who hosts the horror screening and believes his film is rooted in true events. He inherits Mad Dolly’s sword and survives initial attacks, but his perception of reality becomes increasingly unstable as supernatural forces close in.

🎬 Director 🕯️ Haunting 🧭 Reality-Shift

Lady Garrick

A noble matriarch from the family’s past who is executed in the original tale. Her confrontation with Mad Dolly and the subsequent curse loom over the Garrick descendants, anchoring the supernatural menace in the family’s history.

🏰 Aristocracy 👻 Ghosts 🗝️ Mystery

Lord Garrick

Patriarch who orders Mad Dolly’s execution, setting the family’s doomed saga in motion. His role is retrospective, shaping the curse that plagues later generations.

🗡️ Authority 🕯️ Era-Old 🧭 Legacy

Suzy

Ann’s roommate in London who ends up entangled in the terror as the stalking figure closes in. She witnesses police questioning and experiences a sequence of near-misses that hint at a malevolent presence.

👀 Observer 🧭 Suspense 🧩 Mystery

Gary

A mesmerist who hypnotises Ann as a party trick, triggering the chain of violence that reveals the curse’s grip. His actions catalyze the breakdown of reality for several characters.

🪄 Manipulator 🌀 Psyche 🧨 Catalyst

Philip

James’s assistant at the film studio; he is present during the eerie disturbances and is decapitated when props and equipment go berserk, underscoring the film’s intrusion into reality.

🧰 Studio 🧪 Tension 🔪 Violence

Viv

One of Ann’s friends who is murdered at the hostel; the death underscores the toll of the curse on the group and escalates the sense of danger surrounding the Garrick circle.

🎀 Victim 🧭 Fear 🚨 Tragedy

Carol Tucker

A guest who departs the Garrick house only to be murdered later in the woods, her fate reinforcing the curse’s reach beyond the estate.

👗 Socialite 🗡️ Attack 🕯️ Haunting

The Mechanic

A tall, shadowy garage worker who stalks Suzy and plays a crucial role in the sequence of near-fatal encounters on the road and at the garage.

🛠️ Worker 🚗 Shadow 🕳️ Suspense

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 18:59

Major Themes – Terror (1978)

Explore the central themes of Terror (1978), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🔮 Supernatural Curse

A centuries-old curse from the witch Mad Dolly lingers across generations, resurfacing through living characters and deadly events. The sword, the beheading, and the mysterious deaths mark a pattern that transcends time, suggesting a fate that cannot be escaped. The film’s ending reinforces the idea that past horrors bleed into the present, affecting everyone connected to the Garrick line.

🎬 Meta-Film

The movie within the movie blurs fiction and reality as the ending reveals itself as a real haunting rather than mere cinema. Characters confront a story that mirrors their own lives, and the audience’s awareness of the film’s fiction heightens the dread. This meta aspect underscores how storytelling can trap both viewers and participants in a shared nightmare.

🕯️ Haunted Lineage

The Garrick family lineage is depicted as perpetually tainted by tragedy, with each generation confronting the consequences of past choices. Descendants grapple with corridors of power, fame, and ancestral guilt, which manifest as psychological and supernatural disturbances. The theme explores how heritage shapes identity and fate, driving characters toward confrontation with their inherited sins.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 18:59

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

Terror Summary

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Terror Summary

Terror Timeline

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

Terror Timeline

More About Terror

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Terror (1978) Plot Summary & Movie Recap

Terror (1978) Scene-by-Scene Movie Timeline

Terror (1978) Spoiler-Free Summary & Key Flow