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The Carmilla Movie (2017) movie poster

Characters & Themes

The Carmilla Movie (2017) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

Release, runtime and language
2017 · 94 mins · English
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Directed by
Spencer Maybee
Starring
Elise Bauman, Cara Gee, Grace Lynn Kung, Nicole Stamp, Dominique Provost-Chalkley, Sharon Belle

Five years after vanquishing the apocalypse and becoming human, Laura and Carmilla enjoy a peaceful life in Toronto. Carmilla adjusts to her new mortal existence while Laura pursues her journalism career. However, their tranquility is disrupted when Carmilla starts exhibiting vampiric tendencies again, and Laura experiences unsettling dreams. They must reunite with friends from Silas University to confront a mysterious supernatural force threatening humanity, and potentially Carmilla's own existence.

Romance Horror Comedy Cast, crew & box office
On this page (7)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Characters explained (9)
  3. 3 Where & when it takes place
  4. 4 Themes & meaning (4)
  5. 5 Character & meaning questions
  6. 6 Movie threads
  7. 7 Every angle
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9 main characters · contains spoilers

The Carmilla Movie Characters Explained: Who Is Who

The main characters of The Carmilla Movie (2017), heroes and villains: what drives them, how they change over the course of the story and what each of them reveals about the film's bigger ideas.

  • Laura Eileen Hollis (Elise Bauman)

    A determined aspiring journalist who balances her career with a secret, supernatural romance with Carmilla. Her nightmares connect to Carmilla's past, driving the plot and forcing courageous choices. She demonstrates loyalty under pressure as danger mounts.

    • 🧭 Determined
    • 💖 Loyal
    • 📰 Journalist

  • Carmilla Karnstein (Natasha Negovanlis)

    A centuries-old vampire seeking to reclaim her humanity, torn between love and mortality. The fading 'Spark' of humanity pushes her to risk everything for Laura and their friends. She remains formidable, protective, and capable of sacrifice.

    • 🧛 Vampire
    • 🧭 Conflicted
    • 💪 Loyal

  • Elle Sheridan (Dominique Provost-Chalkley)

    Carmilla's centuries-old friend who betrays her and becomes a vengeful spirit. She manipulates Laura's nightmares to reclaim Carmilla's life and resents the life the pair built together. Cunning and ruthless, she relentlessly pursues her goals.

    • 🪬 Villain
    • 🧠 Cunning
    • 🗺️ Manipulative

  • LaFontaine (Kaitlyn Alexander)

    A pragmatic, loyal ally who helps coordinate the group's plan. She remains supportive of Carmilla and Laura, acting as a stabilizing force amid escalating danger. Her resourcefulness helps keep the mission on track.

    • 🤝 Loyal
    • 🧭 Pragmatic

  • Perry (Annie Briggs)

    A supportive friend who helps monitor the group and provide resilience during crises. She contributes humor and steadiness that bolster the team's morale. Perry's loyalty remains constant as the danger intensifies.

    • 🗝️ Loyal
    • 🎯 Focused

  • Mattie Belmonde (Sophia Walker)

    A ghost from Carmilla's past who appears to guide the group through supernatural peril. She offers warnings about threats and helps navigate the emotional terrain of the afterlife. Her presence reinforces the connection between past and present.

    • 👻 Ghost
    • 🧭 Guiding

  • Charlotte (Grace-Lynn Kung)

    played by Grace Lynn Kung

    The last remaining ghost who tests the group's resolve as they work to free the spirits. Though initially a trap, she eventually participates in guiding the living toward safety. Her presence underscores the ghosts' need for release and peace.

    • 👻 Ghost
    • 🕊️ Guides

  • Melanippe 'Mel' Callis (Nicole Stamp)

    A close ally who acts decisively, including shooting Elle to subdue her. She contributes practical courage and helps secure the ritual's success. Mel's bravery reinforces the group's ability to endure danger.

    • 🛡️ Courageous
    • 🤝 Supportive

  • Wilson Kirsch (Matt O'Connor)

    A steady ally who assists the group during the mission. Though not a primary focus, his presence provides reliable support as the team faces supernatural threats. He helps maintain balance within the group dynamic.

    • 🤝 Ally
    • 🗺️ Guide

Last updated: October 01, 2025 at 12:25

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Setting

Where and When Does The Carmilla Movie Take Place?

The setting of The Carmilla Movie (2017): the year and time period, the places and locations, and how they shape the characters, the mood and the tension of the story.

Time period

Contemporary / Present day

The events occur in the present day, five years after the series concluded. Laura's dreams link to Carmilla's past, driving the quest and heightening the stakes of their relationship. The journey to Austria and the Ash Moon ritual anchor the story in a mythic cycle within a modern timeframe.

Location

Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Austria

The film begins in modern Toronto, where Laura pursues a journalism career and Carmilla enjoys life as a human. The group travels to a grand Austrian mansion, where Carmilla confronts ghosts from her past. The settings blend urban Canadian life with a Gothic European estate to heighten the contrast between everyday romance and supernatural danger.

  • 🗺️ Toronto
  • 🏰 Austria

Last updated: October 01, 2025 at 12:25

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4 major themes

The Carmilla Movie Meaning: Themes & Message Explained

What is The Carmilla Movie (2017) really about? The emotional, social and philosophical themes the film keeps returning to, its symbolism and the message beneath the surface.

  • Love vs Immortality

    The film centers on Laura and Carmilla's relationship, showing how love persists despite supernatural dangers. Carmilla's struggle with fading humanity tests whether love can coexist with immortality. Their commitment guides them through peril and ultimately shapes their future together.

  • Sacrifice

    The Ash Moon Ritual demands Carmilla surrender her mortality by channeling it into a gem for the ghosts' passage. The theft of the gem by Elle raises the stakes and thrusts the group into a life-or-death confrontation. Sacrifice becomes a central theme, driving both personal and communal resolution.

  • Memory & Trauma

    Laura's nightmares reveal Carmilla's past betrayals and traumas, tying memory to present danger. The nightmare realm forces characters to confront their darkest memories as a test of courage. Reclaiming memories helps them move toward healing and closure for the spirits.

  • Friendship & Loyalty

    A tight-knit group — including Perry, LaFontaine, and Mel — supports Laura and Carmilla against Elle's threats. Their cooperation is crucial to protecting each other and overcoming the dangers of the nightmare realm. Loyalty and teamwork enable the ritual's success and the ghosts' release.

Last updated: October 01, 2025 at 12:25

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Character & theme questions

The Carmilla Movie Characters & Meaning: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask about The Carmilla Movie (2017): who the characters really are, their relationships, what the symbols mean, where it takes place and what the movie is really about. Each answer contains spoilers.

Q1

Where is the movie set?

The movie takes place primarily in modern Toronto, Ontario, Canada, where Laura works as a journalist and Carmilla lives as a human. The story then shifts to a grand Gothic mansion in Austria, where the supernatural confrontation occurs. This contrast between urban Canadian life and the eerie European estate heightens the tension between everyday romance and supernatural danger.

  • toronto
  • austria
  • setting
  • gothic mansion
  • locations
Q2

When does the story take place?

The events occur in the present day, approximately five years after the original web series concluded. Laura's dreams connect to Carmilla's past, anchoring the narrative in a contemporary timeframe while incorporating mythic elements like the Ash Moon ritual.

  • present day
  • timeline
  • five years later
  • contemporary
Q3

What are the main themes of the movie?

The film explores four major themes: Love vs Immortality, as Carmilla struggles between her humanity and vampire nature for Laura; Sacrifice, shown through the Ash Moon ritual requiring Carmilla to surrender her mortality; Memory & Trauma, where Laura's nightmares force characters to confront past betrayals; and Friendship & Loyalty, demonstrated through the group's cooperation against supernatural threats.

  • themes
  • love
  • immortality
  • sacrifice
  • memory
  • trauma
  • friendship
  • loyalty
Q4

Who is Elle and what is her role?

Elle Sheridan is Carmilla's centuries-old friend who becomes a vengeful spirit and the film's primary antagonist. She betrays Carmilla and resents the peaceful life Carmilla built with Laura, manipulating Laura's nightmares to reclaim Carmilla's life. Elle's cunning and ruthless pursuit creates the central conflict of the story.

  • elle sheridan
  • antagonist
  • villain
  • betrayal
  • revenge
Q5

What is Carmilla's role in the story?

Carmilla Karnstein serves as the central figure torn between love and mortality. After becoming human to be with Laura, she begins exhibiting vampiric tendencies again as her humanity fades. Her struggle to reclaim her humanity while protecting those she loves drives the emotional core of the film.

  • carmilla karnstein
  • vampire
  • humanity
  • mortality
  • transformation
Q6

What is the Ash Moon ritual?

The Ash Moon ritual is a mythic ceremony that demands Carmilla surrender her mortality by channeling it into a gem for the ghosts' passage to the afterlife. This ritual becomes the crux of the film's climax, forcing characters to make life-or-death choices and testing the limits of sacrifice.

  • ash moon ritual
  • sacrifice
  • supernatural
  • ceremony
  • ghosts
Q7

What role does Laura play in the story?

Laura Hollis is the determined aspiring journalist whose romantic relationship with Carmilla anchors the entire narrative. Her nightmares connect to Carmilla's past, driving the investigation forward. Her loyalty under pressure and willingness to face danger for love makes her the emotional heart of the film.

  • laura hollis
  • protagonist
  • journalist
  • relationship
  • nightmares
Q8

Who are the supporting characters?

The core group includes LaFontaine, a pragmatic loyal ally who helps coordinate the plan; Perry, who provides steady humor and support; Mel Callis, who contributes practical courage including decisive action against Elle; and Wilson Kirsch, a reliable ally throughout the mission. Mattie Belmonde, a ghost from Carmilla's past, also guides the group through supernatural peril.

  • lafontaine
  • perry
  • mel callis
  • wilson kirsch
  • mattie
  • supporting characters
Q9

How do the settings contribute to the story?

Toronto represents the peaceful, everyday domestic life Laura and Carmilla have built together, while the Austrian Gothic mansion represents Carmilla's dark supernatural past. This contrast between modern urban romance and the haunting European estate emphasizes the clash between normalcy and the supernatural dangers that threaten their relationship.

  • setting contrast
  • gothic
  • toronto
  • austria
  • atmosphere
Q10

What is the tone and emotional approach of the movie?

The film maintains a tense but hopeful tone, balancing supernatural threat with romantic warmth. While it deals with dark themes of betrayal, trauma, and potential loss, the core remains a resilient love story. The ending reaffirms the central romance despite bittersweet costs, with post-credits scenes suggesting an adventurous future ahead.

  • tone
  • emotional
  • hopeful
  • romance
  • dark themes
  • narrative style

Movie threads

More Movies Like The Carmilla Movie, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes The Carmilla Movie tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Supernatural Sapphic Romance Movies like The Carmilla Movie

Queer couples fighting supernatural forces that endanger their relationship. If you enjoyed the blend of sapphic romance and supernatural crisis in The Carmilla Movie, you'll find more movies like it here. These films feature queer women whose love is challenged by ghosts, magic, or otherworldly dangers, creating a unique mix of heartfelt drama and tense adventure.

  • tense
  • romantic
  • mysterious
  • hopeful
  • confrontational
  • supernatural
  • Tone: tense, romantic, hopeful
  • Pacing: steady, building to a confrontation
Why these movies?

The story pattern: These stories typically begin with a period of peaceful romance that is disrupted by an emerging supernatural threat. The central couple must then investigate the mystery, often with the help of friends, confronting a force that has a personal connection to one of them. The climax involves a ritual or confrontation where personal sacrifice is required to restore balance, leading to a reaffirmed but changed relationship.

Why they belong together: They are grouped by their unique combination of a central sapphic romance narrative with a supernatural horror or adventure plot. The emotional core is the resilience of love in the face of otherworldly peril, creating a specific vibe that is tense, romantic, and ultimately hopeful.

The Carmilla Movie movie poster

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Movies About Confronting the Past like The Carmilla Movie

Characters forced to confront a dangerous history they thought was behind them. Fans of The Carmilla Movie who enjoyed the theme of a resurfaced supernatural past will find similar stories here. These movies feature characters whose hard-won peace is shattered when an old threat returns, demanding they face history alongside their found family.

  • mysterious
  • tense
  • dreamlike
  • confrontational
  • psychological
  • facing the past
  • Tone: mysterious, tense, dreamlike
  • Pacing: steady, investigative
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative follows characters who have escaped a dark chapter in their lives, only to have the signs of that past slowly reappear, often through dreams or unexplained phenomena. This forces them to reconnect with a 'found family' from that time to investigate. The journey leads to a confrontation in a realm tied to their history, requiring a sacrifice to break the cycle for good.

Why they belong together: These movies share a specific narrative pattern of a resurfaced threat and the emotional journey of confronting a past that won't stay buried. The vibe is a blend of mystery, psychological unease, and the strengthening of bonds through shared adversity.

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Every angle

The Carmilla Movie (2017) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about The Carmilla Movie in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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