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Characters & Themes

The Void (2017) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

Release, runtime and language
2017 · 90 min · English
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Directed by
Steven Kostanski, Jeremy Gillespie

During a routine patrol, Officer Daniel Carter discovers a mysterious and injured man. Transporting him to a nearby rural hospital, Carter finds himself embroiled in a terrifying ordeal as patients and staff begin to transform into monstrous creatures. As the hospital descends into chaos, he must lead a small group of survivors through the eerie underground tunnels, desperately trying to escape the escalating horror and uncover the source of the terrifying outbreak.

On this page (8)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Characters explained (5)
  3. 3 Where & when it takes place
  4. 4 Themes & meaning (3)
  5. 5 Character & meaning questions
  6. 6 Movie threads
  7. 7 Movies like The Void
  8. 8 Every angle
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5 main characters · contains spoilers

The Void Characters Explained: Who Is Who

The main characters of The Void (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.

  • Daniel Carter

    Daniel is a troubled police officer grappling with personal trauma and the horrors he encounters at the hospital. His determination to save others is evident, but he is also an embodiment of vulnerability as he navigates both physical and psychological threats.

    • 👮 Police
    • 🧠 Trauma
  • Allison

    Allison is Daniel's estranged wife working as a nurse at the hospital. Caught in a traumatic situation, her character highlights themes of hope and despair as her fate intertwines with dark forces and the desire to be a mother.

    • 👩‍⚕️ Nurse
    • 💔 Estrangement
  • Dr. Richard Powell

    Dr. Powell is a disturbingly obsessed doctor who delves into necromancy and dark experimentation in pursuit of his deceased daughter's return. His transformation into a grotesque figure illustrates the depths of his madness and the horror that ensues.

    • 🧑‍🔬 Scientist
    • 🦠 Madness
  • Vincent

    Vincent is one half of the father-son duo seeking revenge against the cult responsible for their family's demise. His character reflects themes of loss and desperation, driving the narrative toward a tragic confrontation.

    • 👨‍👦 Fatherhood
    • 🔥 Revenge
  • Maggie

    Maggie plays a pivotal role as she grapples with her own dark secret. Her character embodies the duality of innocence and malevolence, especially as her actual allegiances are revealed in shocking climaxes.

    • 👶 Expecting
    • 💀 Betrayal

Last updated: May 04, 2025 at 18:46

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Setting

Where and When Does The Void Take Place?

The setting of The Void (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

The film's events occur in a modern-day setting, where contemporary elements such as police officers, hospitals, and drug culture are present. The narrative is set against a backdrop of a society grappling with darkness, violence, and the supernatural.

Location

Rural home, Hospital

The movie is primarily set in a rural area, where a grim scene unfolds at a home that becomes the site of a brutal murder. The central location shifts to a nearby hospital, described as understaffed and in the process of shutting down due to a devastating fire, which becomes a hotspot for strange and horrific events.

  • 🏥 Hospital
  • 🌲 Rural

Last updated: May 04, 2025 at 18:46

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3 major themes

The Void Meaning: Themes & Message Explained

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

  • Cultism

    The theme of cultism is central to the plot, as characters are entangled in a web of rituals and sacrifices led by Dr. Powell. This obsession with transcendence over death leads to horrifying transformations and experiments on human lives, raising questions about morality and the human condition.

  • Survival

    Survival is a prominent theme as the characters navigate the chaos in the hospital. Faced with grotesque creatures and a murderous cult, they must form uneasy alliances and make drastic decisions to protect themselves and their loved ones.

  • Motherhood

    The concept of motherhood is explored through the characters of Allison and Maggie, both in contexts of sacrifice and violence. This theme is intricately linked to the horror elements as the desire for motherhood becomes twisted in the realm of cult rituals and experimentation.

Last updated: May 04, 2025 at 18:46

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Character & theme questions

The Void Characters & Meaning: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask about The Void (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 Void set?

The movie is set in a rural area, primarily at a remote farmhouse and a nearby hospital. The hospital is understaffed and in the process of shutting down after a devastating fire, which becomes the central location for the horror events.

  • setting
  • rural
  • hospital
  • location
  • house
Q2

What is the hospital like in The Void?

The hospital where much of the story takes place is described as understaffed and in decline, in the process of shutting down due to a fire. This setting creates an atmosphere of isolation and abandonment, making it a perfect backdrop for the terrifying events that unfold.

  • hospital
  • setting
  • abandoned
  • shut down
Q3

When does The Void take place?

The Void is set in modern-day, featuring contemporary elements like police officers, hospitals, and drug culture. The setting reflects a society grappling with darkness, violence, and supernatural horror.

  • time period
  • modern day
  • contemporary
Q4

What are the main themes in The Void?

The main themes include cultism, survival, and motherhood. Cultism is central, with a doctor leading rituals and experiments. Survival plays a major role as characters face grotesque creatures and make desperate choices. Motherhood is explored through characters entangled in dark sacrifices and twisted desires.

  • themes
  • cultism
  • survival
  • motherhood
  • horror themes
Q5

What is the cult in The Void about?

The cult is led by Dr. Richard Powell, who is obsessed with necromancy and dark experimentation. His goal is to transcend death and bring back his deceased daughter, leading to horrifying transformations and human experiments on patients and staff.

  • cult
  • dr powell
  • necromancy
  • ritual
  • sacrifice
Q6

Who is Daniel Carter in The Void?

Daniel Carter is a police officer who discovers a mysterious injured man during a routine patrol and transports him to the hospital. He is a troubled protagonist dealing with personal trauma, and his determination to save others drives much of the narrative as he navigates both physical and psychological threats.

  • daniel carter
  • police officer
  • protagonist
  • hero
Q7

Who is Dr. Powell in The Void?

Dr. Richard Powell is a disturbed doctor who becomes the central antagonist. He is obsessed with necromancy and dark experimentation in his pursuit to bring back his deceased daughter. His transformation into a grotesque figure illustrates the depths of his madness and the horror that follows.

  • dr powell
  • doctor
  • villain
  • antagonist
  • necromancer
Q8

Who is Allison in The Void?

Allison is Daniel Carter's estranged wife, working as a nurse at the hospital. Her character highlights themes of hope and despair as her fate becomes intertwined with the dark cult forces and her desire to become a mother.

  • allison
  • nurse
  • wife
  • estranged wife
Q9

Who is Maggie in The Void?

Maggie is a character who grapples with her own dark secret and embodies the duality of innocence and malevolence. Her allegiances are revealed in shocking climaxes, connecting to the motherhood theme as her role becomes twisted within the cult's rituals.

  • maggie
  • character
  • secret
  • allegiance
  • mystery
Q10

What kind of movie is The Void?

The Void is a sci-fi, mystery, and horror film known for its intense body horror, violent transformations, and cosmic dread. The tone is dark and oppressive, rooted in existential terror with heavy themes of loss, grotesque human experimentation, and a bleak, ambiguous ending.

  • horror
  • sci-fi
  • mystery
  • body horror
  • cosmic horror
  • genre
Q11

What role does motherhood play in The Void?

Motherhood is explored through characters like Allison and Maggie, both facing sacrifice and violence in contexts tied to the cult's rituals. The desire for motherhood becomes twisted within the realm of dark experimentation, adding a disturbing layer to the horror elements.

  • motherhood
  • sacrifice
  • themes
  • allison
  • maggie
Q12

What is the tone and atmosphere of The Void?

The Void has an extremely intense tone with a fast-paced, relentless assault of body horror, violence, and psychological dread. The atmosphere is dark and oppressive, with no humor or romance. The sadness score is high due to pervasive loss, disturbing transformations of loved ones, and a bleak, ambiguous conclusion.

  • tone
  • atmosphere
  • dark
  • horror
  • intense
  • bleak

Movie threads

More Movies Like The Void, by Mood & Story

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

Movies with a cosmic horror siege like The Void

Stories of characters trapped and besieged by incomprehensible, reality-bending forces. If you liked the feeling of being trapped and besieged by cosmic forces in The Void, explore this list of similar horror movies. These films feature characters isolated in a single location, facing an escalating onslaught of body horror, mutations, and existential threats from beyond.

  • claustrophobic
  • desperate
  • nightmarish
  • gory
  • surreal
  • anxious
  • Tone: dark, oppressive, desperate
  • Pacing: fast, relentless
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative typically begins with a seemingly ordinary or isolated setting that quickly becomes a cage under siege. The threat is not just physical but existential, often involving a cult, mad science, or a rift in reality. The story unfolds with escalating, grotesque body horror and a desperate struggle for survival, where characters must confront the futility of understanding the forces arrayed against them. The structure is often straightforward but packed with relentless action and dread.

Why they belong together: Movies are grouped here because they share a core premise of confinement under siege by cosmic horror elements. They deliver a similar high-intensity, claustrophobic experience with a dark tone, heavy emotional weight from loss and transformation, and a focus on survival against impossible odds. The pacing is typically fast, with little respite from the onslaught of terror.

Movies with intense body horror transformation like The Void

Tales where the human body becomes a site of grotesque mutation and psychological terror. For viewers who appreciated the gruesome body horror and transformations in The Void, this list features similar movies. Discover films where the horror is deeply physical, exploring themes of loss, mutation, and the grotesque breakdown of the human form in terrifying detail.

  • gory
  • disturbing
  • anxious
  • surreal
  • nightmarish
  • oppressive
  • Tone: dark, grotesque, disturbing
  • Pacing: fast, escalating
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative journey in these films is a literal and metaphorical descent, as characters witness their own bodies or those of loved ones undergo horrifying changes. The plot often involves a catalyst like a scientific experiment, a virus, or a curse. The emotional core is the trauma of losing one's humanity, paired with graphic, practical-effect-driven visuals. The story structure builds towards a climax of complete physical and psychological dissolution, often ending on an ambiguous or bleak note.

Why they belong together: These movies are unified by their primary focus on body horror as the main source of terror. They share a dark, oppressive tone, high intensity from graphic visuals, and a heavy emotional weight born from the tragedy of transformation. The pacing can vary but often accelerates as the mutations escalate, creating a sense of inevitable, horrific change.

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Movies Like The Void

Similar movies to The Void: the same genre, themes or kind of story. Each one comes with its own plot summary, timeline and ending explained.

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Every angle

The Void (2017) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about The Void 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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