The Open House

The Open House

Year: 2023

Runtime: 19 mins

Language: Catalan

Director: Julieta Lasarte Pigrau

Documentary

An imagined reconstruction, the open house becomes a timeless stage where characters from different eras converge. Shot in layered 16 mm, the house acts as a theater of memory, encapsulating time. The film weaves death, mourning, birth, presence and absence into a journey that seeks to reunite a fragmented family.

Warning: spoilers below!

Haven’t seen The Open House 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 – The Open House (2023)

Explore the full timeline and setting of The Open House (2023). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Location

Suburban home, Sister's secluded mountain chalet

Naomi and Logan move from a familiar suburban home to their sister's secluded mountain chalet to wait for the property to sell. The chalet is described as beautiful but isolated, making it a perfect stage for the unfolding eerie events. The open house days create a rhythm of outsiders entering the space, turning the home into a source of tension rather than safety.

🏡 Suburban 🏔️ Mountain retreat 🏚️ Isolated setting

Last Updated: October 01, 2025 at 09:52

Main Characters – The Open House (2023)

Meet the key characters of The Open House (2023), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Naomi

A recently unemployed mother who moves with her son to her sister's mountain chalet to wait for a sale. She reacts with fear and determination as the house's bizarre events unfold, trying to protect Logan while facing escalating danger. Her trust is tested as secrets and intrusions creep closer to home.

🧑‍👧 Family 😨 Fear 🏚️ Isolated setting

Logan

Naomi's teenage son who becomes entangled in the house's mysterious disturbances. He tries to navigate a terrifying situation and protect his mother, but he is ultimately hunted by the intruder.

🧒 Teen 🏠 Danger 🥶 Survival

Martha

The elderly neighbor who exhibits strange behavior and uncertainty about her husband’s fate, later revealed to be dealing with Alzheimer's. Her interactions add to the sense of uncanny danger surrounding the house.

👵 Neighbor 🧠 Alzheimer's 🏚️ Eerie

Chris

A friendly store clerk who offers to stay overnight, becoming another volatile element in the house's fragile safety net. He is later found murdered, highlighting the deadly consequences of the intruder's reach.

🧑‍💼 Neighbor 🗡️ Tragedy 🏚️ Suspense

Repairman

A technician who checks the faulty hot water tank and reveals whether Martha's husband is truly dead, which helps Naomi situate the neighbors' behavior within the story's reality.

🛠️ Service 🧭 Clarity 🕵️‍♂️ Suspicion

Intruder

An unidentified man who stalks the house during open house days, manipulating the family's sense of security and ultimately driving the tragedy that unfolds.

👤 Unknown 🗡️ Threat 🏚️ Danger

Last Updated: October 01, 2025 at 09:52

Major Themes – The Open House (2023)

Explore the central themes of The Open House (2023), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🏚️ Isolation

Isolation intensifies the suspense as Naomi and Logan are confined to the chalet during open house days. The remote setting makes ordinary sounds feel threatening and cuts them off from immediate help. The house itself becomes a character that amplifies fear and paranoia.

🕵️ Trust vs Suspicion

Fear fractures trust between Naomi and those around her, including her son and the repairman. Misdirected suspicion—such as Naomi doubting Logan and questioning strangers—drives the conflict and deepens the sense of danger. The unraveling of presumed safety underlines the film's core tension.

🗝️ Home Invasion

The open house routine and the intruder's presence transform the house into a threat rather than sanctuary. Break-ins, missing phones, and eerie communications escalate the sense of vulnerability. The intrusion culminates in a lethal confrontation that shatters the family.

Last Updated: October 01, 2025 at 09:52

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Explore Movie Threads

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.

Home invasion psychological terror like in The Open House

Stories where the safety of home is shattered by relentless, unseen threats.If you felt the chilling dread of The Open House, you'll find similar stories here. This collection features movies where psychological terror stems from a violation of the home, focusing on survival against an invasive, often unseen threat. Discover more films that turn domestic safety into a landscape of fear.

claustrophobicanxioussinisterdesperateoppressivefatalisticchilling

Narrative Summary

Narratives in this thread typically follow a linear, escalating structure where minor disturbances evolve into life-threatening situations. The emotional journey is one of increasing powerlessness and despair, as characters confront a predator within their own walls, often leading to tragic conclusions.

Why These Movies?

Movies are grouped here based on their shared core premise of home invasion as a source of psychological horror. They consistently feature high tension, a dark tone, and a heavy emotional weight centered on survival and the loss of security.

Grief-stricken families in peril like in The Open House

Tragedies where a family's emotional fragility is exploited by external horrors.For viewers who appreciated how The Open House wove grief into its horror, this section highlights similar narratives. Explore movies where families grappling with profound loss are pushed into extreme survival scenarios, deepening the emotional impact and sense of tragedy. Find more films that connect raw emotion with relentless suspense.

desperateanxiousfatalisticoppressivechillingsombersinister

Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern involves a family unit defined by a recent tragedy—such as a death—which leaves them emotionally and psychologically exposed. This vulnerability becomes a catalyst for the central conflict, where an external danger preys upon their fractured state, often leading to a compounded tragedy.

Why These Movies?

These films are connected by their fusion of heavy themes like grief and loss with high-stakes thriller or horror plots. The shared experience is one of emotional devastation amplifying physical peril, resulting in a profoundly bleak and weighted viewing experience.

Unlock the Full Story of The Open House

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

The Open House Summary

Read a complete plot summary of The Open House, 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.

The Open House Summary

The Open House Timeline

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

The Open House Timeline

The Open House Spoiler-Free Summary

Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of The Open House 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.

The Open House Spoiler-Free Summary

More About The Open House

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about The Open House: 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 The Open House