The Premonition

The Premonition

Year: 1976

Runtime: 94 mins

Language: English

Director: Robert Allen Schnitzer

ThrillerScience FictionHorror

A chilling blend of terror and suspense follows a deranged woman and her carnival‑working boyfriend as they scheme to kidnap her biological daughter from the child's foster parents. Meanwhile, the foster mother is tormented by vivid premonitions and psychic visions that forewarn danger, heightening the film’s relentless tension.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – The Premonition (1976)

Explore the full timeline and setting of The Premonition (1976). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Location

School, Bennetts' home, Carnival, University, Lake, Abandoned farmhouse

The story unfolds in a small town that blends everyday life with eerie undertones. Principal settings include Janie's school, the Bennetts' home, and a nearby carnival where danger intensifies. The town also features a university campus, a rain-soaked lake, and an isolated farmhouse that serve as backdrops for pursuit, discovery, and subtle supernatural hints.

🏫 School 🏡 Home 🎪 Carnival 🎓 University 🏞️ Lake 🏚️ Farmhouse

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 18:17

Main Characters – The Premonition (1976)

Meet the key characters of The Premonition (1976), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Detective Denver (Jeff Corey)

A seasoned detective pursuing Andrea's trail and the strange events surrounding Janie. He methodically follows leads, questions suspects, and pieces together the timeline as fear tightens its grip on the town.

🕵️ Detective 🔎 Investigation

Sheri Bennett (Sharon Farrell)

Janie's protective mother figure who begins experiencing psychic visions after Andrea's stalking. She becomes entangled with Miles and Jeena as they attempt to interpret the signs and safeguard Janie.

👩‍👧 Motherhood 🌌 Psychic phenomena

Jude (Richard Lynch)

Andrea's obsessive boyfriend who uses his circus clown persona to blend menace with charm. He violently defends Andrea and accelerates the danger surrounding Janie, including the murder of Lenore.

🎭 Antagonist ⚔️ Violence

Miles Bennett (Edward Bell)

An astrophysics professor and Sheri's confidant who helps analyze the strange events. He wrestles with his affair with Jeena while supporting the search for Janie.

🎓 Scientist 🔬 Rational

Janie Fletcher (Danielle Brisebois)

A five-year-old girl raised by foster parents, the central figure of Andrea's obsession. She is innocent and vulnerable, drawing danger toward herself as events unfold.

👧 Child 🧭 Centerpiece

Andrea Fletcher (Ellen Barber)

A clinically unstable former pianist whose obsession with Janie drives the plot. Her confrontations with Sheri set off the chain of violent events that follow.

💀 Obsession

Dr. Jeena Kingsly (Chitra Neogy)

A parapsychology doctor who studies Miles's beliefs and assists in Sheri's attempt to contact Andrea's spirit. She bridges science and the supernatural.

🧪 Science 🔮 Paranormal

Lenore (Rosemary McNamara)

A carnival fortune teller who tries to alert authorities but is murdered by Jude before she can reveal more. Her warning hints at the clock ticking on Janie's fate.

🎪 Carnival 🚨 Danger

Andrea's Landlady (Margaret Graham)

A watcher of Andrea's unstable behavior, she represents the town's awareness of Andrea's deteriorating situation and its consequences.

🏡 Landlady

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 18:17

Major Themes – The Premonition (1976)

Explore the central themes of The Premonition (1976), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🔮 Premonitions

Sheri experiences visions that blur the line between reality and the supernatural, driving much of the tension. Miles and Jeena represent scientific attempts to interpret the inexplicable, challenging what Sheri perceives as truth. The film uses these premonitions to explore whether signs can foretell danger or simply reflect paranoia. The clash between belief and proof keeps the audience guessing about the nature of danger.

👩 Motherhood

Janie sits at the center of competing maternal instincts—Andrea's possessive obsession and Sheri's protective love for the child. Sheri's care for Janie tests her sanity as fear and hope intertwine. The narrative probes how motherhood can drive courage, but also expose vulnerable people to risk. The town's crisis magnifies the stakes surrounding what it means to protect a child.

🌀 Obsession

Andrea's fixation on Janie catalyzes the entire plot, turning affection into a catalyst for danger. Jude's violent protection of Andrea heightens the threat, culminating in murder and a frantic pursuit. The film examines how obsession warps perception and endangers innocents, exposing fragility in the community's defenses. As Janie's fate hangs in the balance, obsession becomes the forces driving the narrative toward its dramatic climax.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 18:17

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The Premonition Summary

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The Premonition Summary

The Premonition Timeline

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The Premonition Timeline

More About The Premonition

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