Totems

Totems

Year: 2016

Runtime: 8 mins

Language: english

Director: Paul Jadoul

AnimationDrama

While working in a forest, a lumberjack's leg becomes trapped when a tree falls. Isolated and struggling in the beautiful yet unforgiving wilderness, he finds himself confronting despair and the awakening of his primal instincts. The film explores the connection between humanity and our inner animal nature, relying on visual storytelling to convey its message.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – Totems (2016)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Totems (2016). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Present day

Set in contemporary times, the narrative follows a modern household where routine life clashes with a supernatural force. The events revolve around a 17-year-old girl and her sister, their father, and the girlfriend who moves in, all impacted by the totem's power. The finale places the family in an isolated setting, highlighting a grim struggle for survival and reconciliation.

Location

Suburban family home, Track field, Deserted isolated tiny-house location

The story unfolds primarily inside Kellie and Abby's suburban family home, a place that becomes the hub for the haunting tied to Kellie's necklace. The nearby track field and its bleachers appear as unsettling settings where visions strike and tension builds. In the end, the family relocates to a tiny house parked in a deserted, serene location, signaling a fragile attempt at safety.

👪 Family 👻 Supernatural 🕯️ Horror

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 07:51

Main Characters – Totems (2016)

Meet the key characters of Totems (2016), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Kellie

A 17-year-old sister who discovers a necklace that moves objects and believes it channels her mother's spirit. Her growing power corrupts her judgment, driving her to manipulate family members and commit violent acts as she clings to control and belonging.

👧 Teen 🪄 Possessed 🧠 Complex 🔪 Violent

Abby

Kellie's younger sister who becomes a target of the haunting. She hides in a crawlspace during the siege and remains involved as the danger escalates, eventually appearing in tense sequences as the family fights for safety.

👧 Younger sister 🧭 Survivor 🧠 Resilient

James

The father who experiences strain as Kellie’s behavior spirals. He is knocked around and bound during the confrontation but survives, trying to reason with Kellie and protect Abby and Robin.

👨 Father 💪 Protective 🧭 Resourceful

Lexy

The deceased mother whose memory looms over Kellie. Kellie believes the necklace connects to Lexy's spirit, and Lexy's presence lingers through visions and the entity's influence on the family.

👩️ Mother 🪦 Haunted 🧠 Guiding

Robin

James's girlfriend who moves in and tries to play a stabilizing role. She becomes a target of Kellie's rage, uncovers a hidden wedding ring, and fights to escape the escalating danger.

👩 Partner 🛡️ Ally 🧠 Courageous

Bernard

Lexy's father who visits and initially doubts the supernatural threat. He suffers from respiratory issues and becomes a reluctant ally; Kellie's manipulation ultimately leads to his death via a fatal medical lapse.

👴 Grandparent 🫁 Respiratory 🕯️ Skeptical

Todd

Kellie's boyfriend who brings information on destroying totems but is knocked unconscious and killed during Kellie's violent spree.

👦 Boyfriend 🔪 Victim 🧠 Informant

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 07:51

Major Themes – Totems (2016)

Explore the central themes of Totems (2016), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

👪 Family

The film centers on a fractured family and how grief, secrecy, and miscommunication fuel fear and violence. Kellie's obsession with the totem unravels trust between sisters, the father, and the girlfriend, turning love into a battlefield. The narrative explores loyalty, manipulation, and the devastating costs of unresolved grief within a domestic sphere.

👻 Supernatural

A mysterious totem connected to Kellie's deceased mother triggers hauntings and inexplicable events. The entity reacts to family presence, intensifying the danger with visions, possessions, and fatal accidents. The haunting blurs the line between the living and the dead, forcing characters to confront what they believe and what they fear.

🗝️ Obsession

Kellie's fixation on the totem drives a deadly arc, as she uses its power to control and harm those around her. The pursuit of power over family dynamics leads to violent acts and a chilling breakdown of morality. The film portrays the perilous pull of obsession and how it can redefine family bonds and personal identity.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 07:51

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Explore Movie Threads

Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Grief-fueled supernatural horror movies like Totems

Where supernatural forces feed on the raw wounds of family tragedy.If you liked Totems, discover more movies where grief and trauma manifest as supernatural hauntings. This section features similar stories where psychological horror is deeply intertwined with loss, family secrets, and a descent into madness, offering a heavy and tense viewing experience.

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Narrative Summary

Stories in this thread typically begin with a profound loss or the uncovering of a dark family secret. A supernatural presence, often tied directly to the unresolved trauma, begins to intrude, escalating the psychological distress of the protagonists. The narrative explores the unreliable perception of the characters as they question whether the threat is genuine or a manifestation of their grief, culminating in a desperate struggle for survival and a bittersweet or bleak resolution.

Why These Movies?

These films are grouped together because they share a powerful thematic core: the intersection of severe emotional trauma and supernatural horror. They deliver a consistent mood of oppressive dread and psychological claustrophobia, often featuring complex narratives and a dark, heavy tone that prioritizes emotional weight over simple scares.

Movies about psychological isolation and madness like Totems

Confronting inner demons when there is no escape from your surroundings.Find movies like Totems that explore psychological collapse in isolated settings. These films feature characters grappling with despair, paranoia, and their inner animal nature when cut off from society, resulting in tense, claustrophobic stories with high emotional intensity and complex character studies.

claustrophobicparanoidanxiousdescent into madnessprimal fearisolatedpsychological turmoil

Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern involves a character or small group becoming physically or psychologically isolated in a setting that is both beautiful and unforgiving. Cut off from help and routine, they are forced to confront escalating external pressures or their own deteriorating mental state. The story charts their descent into primal fear, madness, or violence, often leaving them irrevocably changed by the experience.

Why These Movies?

These movies share a focus on the intense psychological pressure created by isolation. They deliver a consistent vibe of claustrophobic anxiety and paranoid dread, using the setting as a catalyst for a deep character study. The pacing often builds slowly to a frenetic climax, and the intensity is consistently high.

Unlock the Full Story of Totems

Don't stop at just watching — explore Totems in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Totems is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Totems Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Totems, 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.

Totems Summary

Totems Timeline

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

Totems Timeline

Totems Spoiler-Free Summary

Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of Totems that covers the main plot points and key details without revealing any major twists or spoilers. Perfect for those who want to know what to expect before diving in.

Totems Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Totems

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Totems: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

More About Totems