Christina’s House 2000

Mystery

Thriller

Drama

Horror

Runtime

90 mins

Language

English

Directed by

Gavin Wilding

Made by

Rampage Entertainment

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Christina’s House Plot Summary

Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for Christina’s House (2000). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.

Christina Tarling is a teenager who moved from Los Angeles, California to a small town in Avendon, Washington with her father, James Tarling and younger brother Bobby Tarling to be closer to Joanne Tarling, Christina’s mother who, due to her mental state, was placed into a psychiatric hospital in Avedon. Christina is shown to be a popular student, and because of his work commitments, James is often out of the house, giving Christina the opportunity to spend time with her boyfriend Eddy Duncan, whom James is not fond of.

Over the days that follow, Christina begins to notice bizarre occurrences happening around her home, especially in the attic, where their Handyman, Howie Rhodes, is constantly inspecting and repairing faults in the house. Sheriff Sheriff Mark Sklar is investigating a missing girl and questions Christina, Bobby, and Karen, Christina’s friend. Michelle, a classmate of Christina and Eddy’s ex-girlfriend who dislikes Christina, is sent a note allegedly from Eddy claiming he ended things and to meet him outside Christina’s house. Outside, Michelle hears a male voice coming from the woods claiming to be Eddy, though the figure remains unseen. Days later, Christina, Karen, and Bobby discover Michelle’s decomposing and dismembered body in a river outside the house.

Eddy grows jealous of Howie’s bond with Christina, which leads him to physically assault Howie. On her 17th birthday, James plans a surprise party with Eddy and all her friends in attendance. During the party, Eddy and Christina sneak away into the attic to get intimate, but James interrupts them. After an argument between James and Christina, James notices a gift hidden away from the others, and when he opens it, he finds a dead rat caught on a mousetrap inside. Startled, James leaves the party. Karen, upstairs, hears noises from the attic and goes to investigate before being dragged away by an unseen man.

After visiting her mother, Christina begins to suspect that James might have had something to do with her mother’s condition, which he denies. Christina begins to hear noises around the house, including a Boombox playing. Christina tries to exit the house with Bobby but finds they are trapped inside. Eddy arrives, and Howie emerges from the attic, revealing he’s behind all the occurrences under Joanne Tarling’s orders of “protecting” Christina, a figure he says he encountered at the psychiatric hospital when he was a patient.

Eddy attempts to stand his ground, but Howie overpowers him with one hand and murders him by impaling the side of his head with a maul, then giving chase to Christina. James arrives at the house but falls into a modified trap rigged with circular saw blades, severely wounding him. Howie catches Christina and takes her to the attic, where he stores the bodies of Karen and the missing girl the sheriff is searching for. James, having escaped the trap, intervenes but is stabbed by Howie. Christina and Bobby set the same trap used on James, then lure Howie out, causing him to fall into it. Christina then pushes a dresser into the trap, crushing Howie to death.

James, having survived, lies in the hospital recovering with Christina and Bobby by his side. After a brief conversation with Sheriff Sklar, Christina and Bobby decide to walk home. At the psychiatric hospital, a newly released patient notices Joanne sitting a distance away. Joanne begins chanting, using the same method she had used on Howie to control him, and she smiles at him as he leaves the building. Later that evening, the lights in the attic at Christina’s house turn on, indicating the man has assumed Howie’s former role.

Christina’s House Timeline

Follow the complete movie timeline of Christina’s House (2000) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.

Family relocates to Avendon to be near Joanne in a psychiatric hospital

Christina Tarling moves with her father James and younger brother Bobby from Los Angeles to a small town in Avendon, Washington to stay close to Christina's mother, Joanne, who is in a psychiatric hospital. James' work keeps him away most days, giving Christina time to spend with her boyfriend Eddy. The family settles into a new house whose attic and handyman will soon become focal points of troubling events.

Shortly after arriving in Avendon Avendon, Washington

Strange attic repairs and odd occurrences begin

The house’s attic becomes a center of strange noises and repairs, with Howie the handyman constantly inspecting faults. Christina starts noticing unsettling happenings tied to the attic and the hidden spaces of the home. The tension between the family and their surroundings begins to grow as the attic seems to exert an eerie pull.

In the days following the move Christina's house attic

Sheriff investigates missing girl

Sheriff Mark Sklar opens a case about a missing girl and begins questioning Christina, Bobby, and Christina's friend Karen. The investigation tightens around the Tarling household and the wider Avendon community. Suspicion and fear ripple through the neighborhood as no lead yet points to the culprit.

Early in the investigation Avendon town / nearby sheriff's office

Michelle is found murdered

Michelle, Christina and Eddy's classmate, receives a note that supposedly comes from Eddy, prompting her to meet someone outside Christina's house. A male voice is heard from the woods, and Michelle is dragged behind a tree where her neck snaps out of sight. Days later, her decomposing body is found in a river near the house.

Days after the note Outside Christina's house and nearby river

Eddy grows jealous and assaults Howie

Eddy's jealousy over Howie's bond with Christina leads him to physically attack Howie, escalating the tension surrounding Christina and the house. The conflict foreshadows the darker events to come within the home. The confrontation adds a volatile edge to the already strained dynamic.

Before the birthday party Near Christina's home

Christina's 17th birthday party

James plans a surprise party with Eddy and Christina's friends. During the party, Christina and Eddy slip away to the attic for privacy, but James interrupts the moment after discovering them. A morbid gift—a dead rat on a mousetrap—appears, startling James who then leaves in frustration. The party atmosphere sours as tensions rise.

On Christina's 17th birthday Christina's house

Karen vanishes in the attic

While upstairs, Karen overhears noises from the attic and goes to investigate. She is suddenly dragged away by an unseen figure, and the sounds echo the danger looming inside the walls. The disappearance deepens the mystery surrounding Joanne's control and the house's sinister attic.

During the party Attic

Christina suspects James and learns the truth about the hauntings

After visiting her mother, Christina becomes suspicious of her father's involvement in her mother's condition, though James denies any wrongdoing. She begins hearing strange noises and finds a Boombox playing by itself, signaling that something is manipulating the house. Howie suddenly emerges from the attic, revealing that he, under Joanne's orders to 'protect' Christina, has orchestrated the disturbing events.

After visiting her mother Christina's house

Howie murders Eddy

In a brutal confrontation, Howie overpowers Eddy with one hand and murders him by impaling the side of his head with a maul, then pursues Christina through the house. The shocking act confirms Howie’s role as the orchestrator of the house's terror. The tragedy marks a turning point as Christina fights to survive inside the trap-filled home.

During the confrontation Christina's house

James is trapped and gravely wounded

James arrives to intervene but falls into a modified trap rigged with circular saw blades, sustaining severe injuries. He manages to escape the immediate danger but is left hospitalized as Christina and Bobby grapple with the escalating peril. The household's structure has collapsed into a deadly cat-and-mouse game.

During the same confrontation Inside Christina's house

Howie is lured to his demise

Christina and Bobby set the same trap once used on James and lure Howie out. He falls into the trap, and Christina pushes a dresser into the mechanism, crushing Howie to death. The siblings' plan counters Joanne's control and ends Howie's reign of terror within the house.

After James's injury Attic / trap area

Aftermath and a haunting implication

James survives and is recovering in the hospital while Christina and Bobby stand by his side. The sheriff briefs Christina on the ongoing investigation as the family contemplates returning home. At the psychiatric hospital, Joanne is seen with a new patient who seems to be under her influence, and the attic lights mysteriously turn on, implying the mind control has found a new vessel to serve as Howie’s replacement.

Evening following the chaotic events Hospital, then Christina's house attic

Christina’s House Characters

Explore all characters from Christina’s House (2000). Get detailed profiles with their roles, arcs, and key relationships explained.

Christina Tarling (Allison Lange)

A popular teenage student who relocates with her family to Avendon to be near her mother in the hospital. With her father often away for work, she navigates a tense home life and a developing romance with Eddy. As strange events mount, she grows increasingly determined to uncover the truth and protect her brother.

👧 Teen Protagonist 🏫 Popular Student 🛡️ Resourceful

James Tarling (John Savage)

Christina's hard-working father who tries to keep the family together after the move. He is frequently absent due to work, which strains Christina and fuels tension at home. He becomes entangled in the danger and, despite injuries, survives the ordeal alongside his daughter.

👨 Father 🛡️ Protective 🧩 Family Tension

Joanne Tarling (Chilton Crane)

Christina's mother, whose mental state lands her in a psychiatric hospital. Though physically distant, she exerts a dark, controlling influence through Howie under the pretense of 'protecting' Christina. Her presence haunts both the hospital and home, driving much of the plot's tension.

🧠 Mental Health 🗝️ Hidden Influence 🧭 Family Secrets

Howie Rhodes (Brad Rowe)

The handyman hired to fix the house, but he operates under Joanne's orders to 'protect' Christina. He orchestrates the eerie events, using the attic as a trap and ruthlessly eliminating anyone who stands in his way. His reign ends when Christina and the others turn the tables on him.

🧰 Handyman 🕷️ Villain 🪚 Violent

Eddy Duncan (Brendan Fehr)

Christina's boyfriend who grows jealous of Howie's bond with her. His confrontation with Howie escalates the danger and ultimately leads to his murder at the attic. His death marks a turning point and deepens Christina's resolve to survive.

💔 Teen Romance 😠 Jealousy ⚔️ Tragic

Karen (Crystal Bublé)

Christina's friend who attends the party and becomes a victim of the unseen killer. She is heard and later found dead, a grim reminder of the danger lurking in Christina's world. Her disappearance deepens the town's fear and the investigation.

👭 Friend 🕵️ Witness 🩸 Tragic

Sheriff Mark Sklar (Jerry Wasserman)

The local sheriff investigating the missing girl case, who questions Christina, Bobby, and Karen. He anchors the external investigation and drives the pursuit of answers in tandem with the family's efforts to uncover the truth.

🕵️ Detective 🗺️ Investigation 🧭 Authority

Bobby Tarling (Lorne Stewart)

Christina's younger brother who sticks close to his sister as danger escalates. He proves to be brave and loyal, helping to implement a plan to trap Howie and survive the household nightmare.

👦 Brother 🛡️ Loyal 💪 Resilient

Michelle (Sigrid Spade)

Christina's classmate who dislikes Christina and is drawn into the peril through a manipulated note. She becomes a victim of the unseen killer, highlighting the collateral danger surrounding Christina's circle.

👧 Classmate 🕵️‍♀️ Perceived Rival 💀 Victim

Christina’s House Settings

Learn where and when Christina’s House (2000) takes place. Explore the film’s settings, era, and how they shape the narrative.

Time period

The story unfolds in a contemporary, modern-day setting over a few days surrounding Christina's 17th birthday, focusing on a tight, sequential sequence of terrifying events within the home.

Location

Avendon, Washington, Christina's House

Avendon, Washington is a quiet, close-knit town anchored by Christina's family home. The attic and house itself become sites of escalating fear and mystery as the family confronts dangerous events. A psychiatric hospital in Avedon and the nearby river provide the external contexts that shape the danger surrounding Christina and her family.

🏡 Small-town setting 🏥 Psychiatric hospital backdrop 🏚️ Attic as focal point

Christina’s House Themes

Discover the main themes in Christina’s House (2000). Analyze the deeper meanings, emotional layers, and social commentary behind the film.

🏚️

Home Horror

The film uses the family home as a trap, turning a familiar space into a source of dread. The attic becomes a central stage for the escalating terror, where hidden secrets and threats emerge. The setting reinforces how private spaces can conceal danger and erode a sense of safety.

🔒

Control

Control is exercised through Joanne's influence and Howie's coerced compliance, framed as attempts to 'protect' Christina. The notion of protection blurs with manipulation, revealing how power can be used to isolate and threaten. The dynamic drives much of the conflict and fuels the suspense.

🕵️

Mystery

A missing girl, a series of unnerving events, and an unseen assailant create a pervasive sense of mystery. The investigation by Sheriff Sklar and Christina's own suspicions push the narrative forward as clues accumulate. The unseen antagonist and concealed motives keep the audience guessing.

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Christina’s House Spoiler-Free Summary

Discover the spoiler-free summary of Christina’s House (2000). Get a concise overview without any spoilers.

In the rain‑slick outskirts of Avendon, Washington, a teenage girl named Christina finds herself thrust from the sun‑soaked bustle of Los Angeles into a sprawling, aging farmhouse that seems to breathe with its own nervous rhythm. She lives with her father James, a hard‑working but often absent figure, and her younger brother Bobby, while the shadow of their estranged mother hangs over the household, her fate sealed within the walls of a distant psychiatric facility. The house, with its creaking floors and a mysterious attic that constantly draws the attention of a local handyman, becomes a silent character in its own right—its every nook whispering hints of history and unease.

Christina quickly settles into the rhythm of a small‑town high school, where the social currents swirl around her popular status and a budding romance with Eddy, a charismatic boyfriend whose presence both comforts and unsettles her father. Friendships with classmates such as Karen add a layer of teenage camaraderie, while the town’s sheriff, Mark Sklar, drifts through the background, hinting at hidden currents beneath the community’s quiet façade. As Christina balances school, family expectations, and the lingering mystery of her mother’s condition, an undercurrent of tension begins to seep through the ordinary—odd sounds echo from the attic, familiar objects seem displaced, and an inexplicable sense of being watched settles over the home.

The film cultivates an atmosphere that blends suburban dread with the claustrophobic intimacy of a family in transition. Shadows linger in the corners of hallways, and the very walls seem to pulse with secrets waiting to surface. Amid the everyday trials of teenage life—birthdays, first loves, and strained parental bonds—Christina feels an increasing pressure to stay awake and breathe, as if the house itself demands her attention. This lingering unease sets the stage for a story where the line between ordinary life and something far more unsettling begins to blur, inviting viewers to linger in the suspenseful quiet of a home that may hold more than the Tarling family anticipates.