The Devil’s Tomb

The Devil’s Tomb

Year: 2009

Runtime: 90 mins

Language: English

Director: Jason Connery

HorrorScience FictionActionThrillerMonsters aliens sci-fi and the apocalypse

An ancient evil sealed for two millennia is suddenly uncovered. Captain Mack commands an elite military team sent to locate a missing scientist, only to encounter a malevolent force hidden beneath the Middle Eastern desert. This otherworldly menace was never meant to be released.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – The Devil’s Tomb (2009)

Explore the full timeline and setting of The Devil’s Tomb (2009). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Present-day, contemporary

The mission unfolds in modern military and intelligence terms, with CIA operatives, Special Ops, and tech support coordinating in real time. The search for Cardell's father takes place against a backdrop of current weapon research and covert programs. The events move quickly from a desert dig site into an ancient tomb, blending today's technology with timeless threats.

Location

Middle Eastern desert, archaeological dig site, temple

A remote desert dig site in the Middle East serves as the entry to an underground temple. The site is depicted as a bunker-like complex where scientists and priests work, hinting at hidden, otherworldly powers. The environment shifts from surface operations to claustrophobic tunnels beneath, where danger and possession unfold.

🏜️ Desert 🏛️ Archaeology 🧭 Dig Site

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 18:13

Main Characters – The Devil’s Tomb (2009)

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

Mack (Cuba Gooding Jr.)

A seasoned Special Ops captain who leads the rescue mission with cool resolve. He is haunted by memories of a mentor he once had to kill, which fuels his resolve and complicates his decisions under pressure. By the end, he embraces a new purpose in the ancient war between God and the Nephilim.

🎖️ Leader ⚔️ Soldier 🧠 Strategist

Doc (Taryn Manning)

The team's medic, skilled and steadfast, who is plagued by visions of her sister. Her footing and judgment are tested as she is repeatedly drawn into danger and eventually possessed, leading to a tragic fate. Her character embodies the line between science and supernatural threat.

🩺 Medic 💭 Trauma 👁️ Visions

Dr. Elissa Cardell (Valerie Cruz)

A CIA operative who coordinates the mission and ultimately sacrifices to save her father. She drives the team toward the temple and makes morally complex choices, choosing personal salvation for her father over immediate escape.

🧭 Agent 🗺 Strategic 💼 Ambition

Wesley (Ron Perlman)

A scientist and father of Cardell, captured at the dig site. He becomes a target of possession but remains central to the motive of Cardell’s operation. His fate is closely tied to the Nephilim’s influence.

🧪 Scientist 🧭 Containment 🧬 Experiment

Nickels (Zack Ward)

Communications specialist who stays on the surface to fix gear and observe the mission. He becomes entangled in the possession dynamic as the Nephilim influence spreads, surviving the ordeal.

🗣 Communication 🧭 On-site 🛡 Protector

Click (Brandon Fobbs)

I.T. specialist whose quick thinking activates elevators and uncovers the Gehenna Project. He is killed during the assault on the temple, marking a sharp counterpoint to the film’s reliance on tech.

💻 Tech ⚡ Quick thinker 🔎 Observer

Hammer (Franky G)

Demolitions expert who helps rescue teammates, ultimately self-destructing to impede the possessed threats. His sacrifice underscores the film’s themes of courage and selflessness.

🧨 Demolitions 🛡 Protector 🕯 Sacrifice

Prof. Duncan (Bill Moseley)

A scientist who becomes a threat after becoming possessed, attacking the team with corrosive goo. His death ends his threat and exposes the temple’s danger.

🧪 Scientist 👁️ Possessed ⚔️ Antagonist

Father Fulton (Henry Rollins)

A priest who helps guide the team toward the temple, but is killed after attempting to escape the unfolding catastrophe. His guidance frames the religious dimension of the mystery.

🙏 Priest 🧭 Guide 🗡 Sacrifice

Yoshi (Stephanie Jacobsen)

A team member who becomes entangled with the possessed Doc, ending as a conduit for manipulation within the group. The character’s arc demonstrates how possession corrupts trust and safety.

🧭 Ally 🌀 Possession 🕯 Manipulation

Father Jacoby (Weston Blakesley)

A priest who appears during the descent, who resists as the temple’s danger intensifies. He is killed by Doc, highlighting the film’s brutality and the attack on spiritual figures.

👤 Priest 🗡 Courage 🕊 Faith

Demon/Nephilim (central entity)

The central otherworldly presence whose possession power undermines rational defense and drives the plot toward its apocalyptic climax. The entity’s influence is exercised through scientists, priests, and soldiers alike.

👁️ Supernatural 🌀 Entity ⚡ Power

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 18:13

Major Themes – The Devil’s Tomb (2009)

Explore the central themes of The Devil’s Tomb (2009), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

👁️ Possession & the Supernatural

The plot centers on Nephilim possession that can inhabit scientists, priests, and soldiers alike. Characters are repeatedly overtaken by malevolent forces, blurring lines between allies and threats. The temple acts as a conduit for this otherworldly influence, forcing characters to confront unseen powers. The theme examines how belief, fear, and trust are eroded when unseen entities manipulate the living.

💭 Trauma & Guilt

Doc's visions of her dead sister reveal the psychological cost of combat missions. Mack wrestles with memories of a mentor he was ordered to kill, hinting at haunted duty and unresolved guilt. Hallucinations plague the team, underscoring how extreme events leave lasting scars. The narrative shows how past traumas influence present decisions under pressure.

🕊️ Sacrifice & Morality

Several characters confront whether to sacrifice personal goals for the greater good. Cardell absorbs the Nephilim to save her father, choosing personal salvation for her father over immediate escape. Hammer's self-sacrifice blocks a mass assault, illustrating the cost of defending others. The film frames sacrifice as a painful but defining act.

⚔️ Duty, Power & Choice

The mission pits duty to country and family against forbidden knowledge. The Gehenna project is a self-destruct mechanism that limits the spread of evil, showing how humans contain dangerous power. The end reveals a reborn sense of purpose in Mack as he accepts a newfound role in the ongoing war between God and the Nephilim. The narrative ties moral choices to the fate of many lives.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 18:13

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The Devil’s Tomb Summary

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The Devil’s Tomb Summary

The Devil’s Tomb Timeline

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The Devil’s Tomb Timeline

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