Totem (2017) Spoiler-Free Summary – What It's About

In the wake of a sudden loss, a family is forced to rebuild its fragile routine amid lingering grief. Kellie—a determined seventeen‑year‑old—finds herself caught between the memory of her mother and the uneasy presence of her father's new partner, Robin. Together with her younger sister Abby and her father James, they navigate a house that feels both familiar and subtly altered, as everyday objects begin to hint at something unseen.

Kellie’s curiosity sharpens when she discovers a lingering artifact from her mother’s past, a trinket that seems to pulse with an inexplicable energy. The subtle disturbances it creates stir a mixture of skepticism and dread among the household, especially as the teenage sister tries to protect the fragile balance of her family. Meanwhile, Bernard, a visiting relative with his own quiet burdens, provides a link to the family’s history, adding another layer of unease to the already charged atmosphere.

The film sways between the quiet intensity of a grieving household and the growing sense that an unseen force watches from the shadows. Its tone is a blend of psychological tension and understated horror, where the ordinary—family meals, teenage arguments, and the hum of daily life—becomes a backdrop for something far more unsettling. The cinematography leans into muted lighting and tight framing, amplifying the feeling that every creak and flicker could be a clue to the lingering presence.

As the teenage sister confronts the strange phenomena, she is driven to consider measures far beyond ordinary coping. The story teeters on the edge of desperation, hinting that the lengths she will go to shield her loved ones may lead her down a dark and uncharted path, leaving the audience to wonder just how far a protective instinct can be stretched when the ordinary world collides with the supernatural.