When the Lights Went Out

When the Lights Went Out

Year: 2012

Runtime: 86 mins

Language: English

Director: Pat Holden

ThrillerHorrorDramaHorror

In 1974 Yorkshire, the Maynard family moves into their ideal home, only to have the dream turn into a terrifying nightmare. They soon uncover a horrifying truth that will enter the history books: the house is already haunted by the most violent poltergeist recorded, a spirit that can wrench occupants from their beds and drag them into darkness.

Tense
Mixed feelings
Emotionally heavy
High intensity
Steady pacing
Simple story

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline – When the Lights Went Out (2012)

Trace every key event in When the Lights Went Out (2012) with our detailed, chronological timeline. Perfect for unpacking nonlinear stories, spotting hidden connections, and understanding how each scene builds toward the film’s climax. Whether you're revisiting or decoding for the first time, this timeline gives you the full picture.

1

Move to a new home in Yorkshire

In 1974 Len and Jenny Maynard relocate with their daughter Sally to a new house in Yorkshire. Sally soon begins to be haunted by two malevolent presences: the Pale Girl and the demonic Monk. The house is filled with unsettling noises and glimpses of unseen shadows.

1974 Yorkshire, England
2

Sally's haunting begins

Sally experiences visions and disturbances tied to the ghosts of Pale Girl and Monk. The hauntings intensify, with cold patches, whispers, and objects moving on their own around the house.

1974 Len's house, Yorkshire, England
3

Mr Price informs Len

Sally's history teacher, Mr Price, learns that the family is haunted by the spirit of a murdered forest girl and informs Len. He suggests the haunting is real and warns of the danger.

1974 Len's house, Yorkshire
4

Paranormal attempt to contact the spirit

The family hires a paranormal specialist who attempts to contact the spirit during a session. However, the entity violently disrupts the séance, attacks the group, and the specialist is unable to banish the spirits from the house.

1974 Len's house
5

Len and Brian seek Father Clifton

Len and his friend Brian convince Father Clifton to perform an exorcism. Clifton initially refuses due to lack of church permission, but the pair force his hand by exposing his affair with Mrs Blithe. The plan is to restore safety to the household.

1974 Len's house
6

Clifton explains the monk's crimes

Clifton reveals the backstory of the monk who preyed on young girls, cut out their tongues, and murdered a girl in the forest to prevent exposure. The monk was secretly tried, hanged, and buried to preserve the church's honor.

1974 Len's house
7

The exorcism at Len's house

They proceed with the exorcism at Len's house. The spirit resists the rite, but Clifton ultimately drives the malevolent presence from the home. The house fills with heat and flickering lights as the ritual concludes.

1974 Len's house
8

Return to normal life

After the exorcism, the family tries to resume normal life, though the memory of the hauntings lingers. They settle back into routine, with the house feeling quieter, at least for a time.

1974 Len's house
9

The spirit returns and attacks Sally

One night, the spirit returns with renewed force and attempts to hang Sally. Len and Jenny rush to intervene but are knocked unconscious by the spectral assault.

late 1974 Len's house, Sally's bedroom
10

Sally acts to end the danger

Sally grabs the young girl's locket and casts it into the electric heater, starting a fire that destabilizes the haunting. The act triggers a confrontation with the monk's spirit that is still haunting the house.

late 1974 Len's house
11

The final confrontation

The young girl's spirit confronts the evil monk's spirit, and the monk's presence is driven from the house. The house stabilizes as the two spirits clash and disintegrate.

late 1974 Len's house
12

Aftermath and Sally's new boundaries

The family remains in the house, but Sally no longer enters her bedroom, marking the lasting impact of the haunting. The other rooms feel safer, and the family remains protective of Sally's comfort.

late 1974 Len's house

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 06:47

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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.

Grim historical hauntings like in When the Lights Went Out

True-story hauntings with violent, documented poltergeist activity and grim outcomes.If you liked the true-story terror of When the Lights Went Out, you'll find more movies here based on documented hauntings. These films explore violent poltergeist activity with a grim, historical foundation, delivering similar feelings of oppressive dread and family trauma in the face of a seemingly unstoppable evil.

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Narrative Summary

These stories typically follow a family or group moving into a new space, only to uncover its violent paranormal history. The narrative progresses from initial skepticism to terrifying confirmation, often involving outside experts or religious figures. The climax is a desperate confrontation with the entity, frequently leaving lingering trauma even if the immediate threat is subdued.

Why These Movies?

They are grouped by their grounding in real-world paranormal claims, a focus on violent physical hauntings (poltergeists), and a consistently grim, high-intensity tone. The shared experience is the claustrophobic terror of a home turned hostile by a malicious presence with a documented backstory.

Claustrophobic domestic terror movies like When the Lights Went Out

The home becomes a prison as a family is tormented from within its walls.For viewers seeking similar films to When the Lights Went Out, this thread features horror stories where the home itself becomes the enemy. Discover movies about families trapped and psychologically tormented by supernatural forces, all sharing a tense, claustrophobic atmosphere and a heavy emotional weight focused on survival.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative revolves around a family's struggle for survival within their own compromised sanctuary. The threat is internal and pervasive, escalating from subtle disturbances to direct physical attacks. The story explores themes of familial bonds under extreme stress, psychological torment, and the desperation to reclaim a sense of safety that has been violently shattered.

Why These Movies?

These films share a core premise of domestic invasion by a supernatural entity, resulting in a uniquely claustrophobic and anxious viewing experience. They are united by a high-intensity, tense tone, a steady pacing that builds oppressive dread, and a focus on the emotional devastation of having one's safest space violated.

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When the Lights Went Out Summary

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Characters, Settings & Themes in When the Lights Went Out

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Characters, Settings & Themes in When the Lights Went Out

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