The Pyramid (2014) Plot Summary Explained

Anubis killed Holden because in Egyptian mythology, he weighs the hearts of the dead to determine if they are worthy of the afterlife. Holden was judged and found wanting, so Anubis consumed his heart. This is why Holden was bound to the large scale in the burial chamber, the scene depicted the ancient ritual of the Weighing of the Heart ceremony.

Foreshadowing: The mural earlier in the pyramid depicted Anubis weighing hearts according to the Book of the Dead, foreshadowing this ritualistic execution.

• anubis
• holden
• heart weighing
• egyptian mythology
• afterlife judgment

The hieroglyphs in the pyramid revealed that it was constructed specifically to imprison Anubis. The ancient builders wanted to contain the god because Anubis was seeking to reunite with his creator, Osiris. Rather than allowing him to leave, they trapped him within the pyramid structure itself.

• pyramid
• anubis
• imprisonment
• osiris
• ancient egypt

After Zahir's leg was crushed and pinned beneath rubble from the collapsed floor, the remaining team members had to make a desperate choice. The path was becoming increasingly dangerous, and they believed they could find another exit and return to help him. However, when they heard his screams moments later and returned, only his severed leg remained.

• zahir
• team
• abandoned
• death
• pyramid

In Egyptian mythology, cats were sacred animals associated with the goddess Bastet, who was a protector deity and often opposed or balanced the power of Anubis. The sudden onslaught of cats attacking Anubis appears to be a manifestation of this mythological conflict, allowing Nora the opportunity to escape while Anubis is distracted by the feline assault.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Sunni was attacked by a faceless feline creature, establishing that cats existed within the pyramid's ecosystem.

• cats
• anubis
• bastet
• egyptian mythology
• attack

A clawed hand burst through Holden's chest and tore out his heart. This was Anubis himself, the larger, more terrifying predator that had been pursuing the group. Holden was then bound to a ritual scale where Anubis weighed his heart to determine his worthiness for the afterlife, after which Anubis consumed the heart, killing him.

Foreshadowing: The mural earlier showed Anubis performing the heart-weighing ceremony from the Book of the Dead, directly foreshadowing Holden's fate.

• holden
• anubis
• heart
• death
• burial chamber

Nora reaches the pyramid's exit and collapses outside, appearing to have survived. However, the ending is deliberately ambiguous, she wakes to find a child playing with her camera, and Anubis suddenly lunges from the darkness toward them both. The screen cuts to black, strongly implying that both Nora and the child are killed in the final attack.

• nora
• escape
• ending
• death
• ambiguous

The emaciated feline creatures and the larger predator that killed the Egyptian soldier were ancient beings imprisoned within the pyramid alongside Anubis. They appear to be guardians or manifestations of the pyramid's deadly purpose, serving as additional threats beyond the god himself. Their exact origin is not explicitly explained, but they were released along with Anubis when the team explored deeper.

• creatures
• cats
• anubis
• hunters
• pyramid

The journal found in the burial chamber belonged to an explorer who had previously entered the pyramid and discovered a possible escape route. Holden's study of this journal gave the team hope that another way out existed. This historical context implied that others had survived the pyramid before, or at least reached further than the team would.

• journal
• explorer
• escape route
• 19th century

Sunni fell into a pit while retreating from the creatures and was impaled on spikes at the bottom. Despite the team's efforts to rescue her, her injuries were fatal. She succumbed to her wounds, forcing the surviving members to withdraw without her.

• sunni
• death
• pit
• spikes
• impaled

In Egyptian mythology, Anubis is the god of embalming and the dead, traditionally depicted as the son of Osiris. The hieroglyphs revealed that Anubis was imprisoned in the pyramid because he was seeking to reunite with his creator and father, Osiris. This suggests a desire for restoration or transcendence beyond his imprisonment.

• anubis
• osiris
• reunion
• father
• egyptian gods

The rover was sent to map the pyramid's interior, but it went offline shortly after entering. This forced the archaeological team to venture inside themselves to recover the equipment. The rover's failure is what initiated their deeper exploration into the pyramid, ultimately leading them to awaken the ancient forces within.

• rover
• technology
• map
• interior
• exploration

The heart-weighing scene depicts the ancient Egyptian Judgment of the Dead, where Anubis places the deceased's heart on a scale against the feather of Ma'at (truth). If the heart is lighter than the feather, the person enters the afterlife; if heavier (meaning weighed down by sins), a creature devours them. Holden was judged and his heart was found unworthy, resulting in his execution.

• heart weighing
• ceremony
• judgement
• maat
• afterlife
• book of the dead