The Carpenter

Year: 1988

Runtime: 89 mins

Language: English

Director: David Wellington

ThrillerHorror

The spirit of a carpenter sentenced to death by electric chair returns to complete the house he never finished. When a young married couple moves into the home, they discover the walls turning into a nightmare as the vengeful carpenter haunts and torments them, forcing them to confront his dark past and the horror he left behind.

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Psychological Haunting movies like The Carpenter

Where a home's dark past awakens to torment its inhabitants.If you liked The Carpenter, explore more movies where a haunted house serves as a psychological prison. These films focus on the slow, oppressive dread of a home turning against its residents, revealing dark histories and tormenting them with supernatural forces tied to the property's past.

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Narrative Summary

Narratives typically begin with characters moving into a new home, only to discover it is a vessel for a vengeful or trapped spirit. The haunting escalates from eerie phenomena to direct psychological and physical threats, forcing the inhabitants to uncover a dark secret—often involving murder, betrayal, or injustice—that is the key to the ghost's unrest. The house becomes an inescapable setting for a confrontation with the past.

Why These Movies?

Movies are grouped here by their shared use of a confined, domestic setting to generate sustained dread and their focus on a ghost's motive being rooted in a specific, traumatic history. The similarity lies in the oppressive atmosphere and the narrative structure of uncovering a mystery to survive a supernatural siege.

Supernatural revenge stories similar to The Carpenter

When the wronged dead return to force the living to face the truth.Find more movies like The Carpenter where a vengeful ghost seeks retribution. These stories often involve characters being tormented by a supernatural force until they uncover a past injustice, creating a tense and morally complex thriller with heavy emotional weight and dark themes.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative follows a clear cause-and-effect pattern: a historical act of violence or betrayal creates a restless spirit. This entity then actively pursues vengeance, often by haunting those connected to the original wrong. The plot revolves around the protagonists piecing together the truth, which serves as both the mystery and the key to their potential survival, resulting in a confrontation with the consequences of past sins.

Why These Movies?

This thread groups movies based on the central motif of a ghost with a explicit, motivated agenda for revenge. The similarity is defined by the thematic focus on justice, the uncovering of a dark past, and the intense, often bleak, atmosphere that comes from being hunted by a wronged entity.

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The Carpenter Summary

Read a complete plot summary of The Carpenter, 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 Carpenter Timeline

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

Characters, Settings & Themes in The Carpenter

Discover the characters, locations, and core themes that shape The Carpenter. Get insights into symbolic elements, setting significance, and deeper narrative meaning — ideal for thematic analysis and movie breakdowns.

More About The Carpenter

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Similar Movies to The Carpenter

Discover movies like The Carpenter that share similar genres, themes, and storytelling elements. Whether you’re drawn to the atmosphere, character arcs, or plot structure, these curated recommendations will help you explore more films you’ll love.