What Is Necromancy About?
The premise of Necromancy in 329 words, with nothing given away. The full story follows below.
In the quiet shadows of northern California lies Lil Lith, a town that clings to old superstitions as tightly as it embraces the modern trappings of a toy‑making industry. After the heartbreak of a stillbirth, Lori and her husband Frank leave Los Angeles seeking a fresh start, and Frank’s new position at the company’s advertising division promises the stability they crave. Their arrival soon feels less like a simple relocation and more like stepping onto a stage where whispered rituals linger in the air and the line between everyday commerce and the arcane blurs beneath a veneer of small‑town charm.
Frank’s enigmatic employer, Mr. Cato, exerts an uncanny influence over the community, his presence felt in the way local businesses operate and in the curious interests of the town’s younger residents. During a casual dinner, Cato casually hints that the job will involve more than conventional marketing, offering Lori a strange grimoire that suggests a deeper, hidden layer to the town’s daily life. The atmosphere is one of restrained tension, a place where ordinary routines are tinged with an unsettling sense that something older and more powerful watches from the margins.
Lori, already burdened by recent loss, finds herself drawn into the town’s quiet mysteries. Her instincts clash with the subtle pressure exerted by Cato and the townsfolk, who seem to view her as a possible bridge between life and death. As she navigates this new environment, the couple’s relationship is tested by the juxtaposition of mundane responsibilities and the uncanny undercurrents that suggest Lil Lith may be more than just a backdrop—it feels like a living entity eager to reveal its secrets.
The film settles into a tone that is both eerie and contemplative, letting the audience feel the weight of grief, the lure of the unknown, and the delicate balance between hope and dread that defines Lori and Frank’s uneasy foothold in a place where magic is whispered in the corners of a toy company’s conference room.
What Happens in Necromancy?
The complete story of Necromancy, from the first scene to the last, in 489 words (about 2 minutes). Spoilers throughout. Names in the text link to 4 cast member pages.
Spoilers ahead
After Los Angeles housewife Lori Brandon, Pamela Franklin suffers a stillbirth, her husband Frank Brandon, Michael Ontkean obtains a job in the advertising division of a toy company in the northern California town of Lilith. On the way, they witness a violent car accident: an oncoming vehicle swerves off an embankment, killing the female driver Jennie. When their own car runs out of gas, Frank walks toward town while Lori waits, wandering into a field and discovering a gravestone beneath a tree where she experiences a surreal vision of a young boy’s funeral.
Upon arriving in Lilith, Lori and Frank share dinner with his new boss, the eccentric Mr. Cato, Orson Welles, who hints that Frank’s job will involve magic and presents Lori with a grimoire as a gift. Priscilla, another of Cato’s employees, mentions Cato’s dead son Timothy, whom he believes is merely “resting.” Lori also learns that the house they moved into had previously been rented by Jennie, the woman who died in the accident, a detail that unsettles her about the town’s strange history.
Lori grows increasingly uneasy as she witnesses the power Cato holds over Lilith—owning all the town’s businesses and guiding its young residents who seem unusually drawn to occult pursuits. Cato explains his lifelong pursuit of necromancy, the art of raising the dead, and he claims to have been unable to achieve it—until he believes Lori might hold the key between life and death and could help him revive his son Timothy.
At a party, Lori discovers that the gathering is a formal initiation into Lilith’s coven, a ritual she refuses to join. The next day she experiences an apparition of Timothy that lures her into the basement of her own home, where she is attacked by a swarm of rats. Later, Priscilla and Dr. Jay, another coven leader, reveal that Lori is meant to take Timothy’s place during a necromancy ceremony. Terrified, Lori tries to locate Frank when he fails to come home from work. She phones Nancy, Sue Bernard, who is in the midst of an affair with Frank, and Nancy lies, telling Lori that Frank has returned to Los Angeles.
Priscilla later calls Lori, claiming she wants to leave Lilith and hints at confidential information about Frank; Lori discovers Priscilla drowned in a creek in the woods before their planned meeting. After a sequence of hallucinatory episodes, Lori stumbles upon the necromancy ceremony at Timothy’s grave and is buried alive in exchange for Timothy’s revival.
Lori awakens to realize the events were not a simple nightmare. Frank consoles her, but she quickly grasps that what she experienced was a premonition—an eerie déjà vu—that hints at a future drive to Lilith with consequences not yet faced. In the quiet aftermath, the sense that something ancient and ominous remains rooted in Lilith hangs over them, inviting a deeper look at the town’s occult undercurrents and the fragile boundary between life and death.
Necromancy Timeline: Every Key Event in Order
13 key events in the order they happen, from “Stillbirth and aftermath” to “Premonition revealed as future warning”. 13 events name a place, across 13 locations.
- 1
Stillbirth and aftermath
Lori Brandon suffers a stillbirth, a tragedy that shatters her sense of normalcy and begins to gnaw at her emotional stability. The loss leaves her grieving and more vulnerable to the strain in her marriage. This event sets a somber tone for the couple's life and their future with Frank's new job looming ahead.
When:aftermath of the stillbirth Where:Los Angeles, Lori's home
- 2
Departure for Lilith
Frank secures a job in the advertising division of a toy company in Lilith, prompting the move to northern California. En route, they witness a violent car accident, an ominous foreshadowing of the peril to come. The couple leaves behind their old life as the mystery of Lilith begins to unfold.
When:en route to Lilith Where:On the road to Lilith
- 3
Jennie's death in the crash
An oncoming vehicle swerves off an embankment, killing the female driver Jennie. Lori and Frank watch the grim scene from the road, a stark reminder of the fragility of life. The traumatic moment unsettles Lori further as they continue toward Lilith.
When:during the drive to Lilith Where:Roadside crash site
- 4
Gravestone vision in the field
Their car runs out of gasoline, forcing Frank to walk to town while Lori waits by the car. In a field beneath a tree, Lori finds a gravestone and experiences a bizarre vision of a young boy's funeral. The eerie vision hints at the town's occult undercurrents and Lori's developing sense of danger.
When:shortly after car breakdown Where:Field with a gravestone
- 5
Arrival and the gift of a grimoire
Lori and Frank arrive in Lilith and join a dinner with their host, the enigmatic Mr. Cato. He hints that Frank's job will involve magic and presents Lori with a grimoire. The conversation reveals Cato's occult influence over Lilith and plants the seed of necromantic ambitions.
When:after arrival Where:Lilith, at Mr. Cato's residence
- 6
Jennie's house and Timothy's rumor
Lori learns the house they moved into had previously been rented by Jennie, the woman who died in the accident. Priscilla references Cato's dead son Timothy, insisting he is resting rather than gone. The town's quiet exterior masks a buried history and a hunger for the occult.
When:after moving in Where:Lori and Frank's new home in Lilith
- 7
Coven initiation observed
Lori is invited to a party that turns out to be a formal initiation into Lilith's coven. She refuses the ritual, sensing danger and manipulation. The confrontation marks a turning point as the town's occult underpinnings become undeniable.
When:the night of the party Where:Lilith party venue
- 8
Timothy's apparition and the basement attack
The following day, Lori witnesses an apparition of Timothy, luring her into the basement of her home. She is attacked by a horde of rats, a harrowing premonition of the cult's powers at work. The nightmare deepens her fear and resolve to resist the coven.
When:the following day Where:Lori's home basement
- 9
Confrontation and the necromancy promise
Priscilla and Dr. Jay confront Lori, informing her that she is to take Timothy's place during a necromancy ceremony. Lori fears the lengths to which the cult will go and questions her own safety. The confrontation accelerates the sense of imminent danger.
When:after the basement attack Where:Lori's home
- 10
Frank's betrayal exposed
Lori calls Nancy, one of Cato's associates, and learns that Frank is with Nancy. Nancy lies, claiming Frank has returned to Los Angeles, deepening Lori's isolation. The revelation reveals how deeply the coven has infiltrated her personal life.
When:after the confrontation Where:Lori's home, over the phone
Show the other 3 events of Necromancy Hide the last 3 events
- 11
Priscilla's death in the woods
Priscilla is found drowned in a creek in the woods, removing a key insider from the coven. The death heightens the claustrophobic sense of danger within Lilith and fuels Lori's growing paranoia. The town's secrets feel increasingly inescapable.
When:soon after the call Where:Creek in the woods
- 12
The necromancy ceremony at Timothy's grave
Lori experiences a cascade of hallucinations and stumbles upon the necromancy ceremony at Timothy's grave. She is buried alive in exchange for Timothy's return, a chilling culmination of the coven's plan. The scene crystallizes the horrific cost of reviving the dead.
When:during the ceremony Where:Timothy's grave
- 13
Premonition revealed as future warning
Lori awakens and believes the events were a nightmare, only to realize it was a premonition. Frank consoles her, but the sense of déjà vu lingers as they discuss their impending drive to Lilith. The nightmare is reframed as a warning of what is to come.
When:after awakening Where:Lori and Frank's home
Who Are the Main Characters in Necromancy?
7 characters, among them Lori Brandon (Pamela Franklin), Frank Brandon (Michael Ontkean) and Mr. Cato (Orson Welles): who each one is and the part they play in the story. 6 of them link to the actor’s page.
- LB
Lori Brandon (Pamela Franklin)
Played by Pamela Franklin
A grieving housewife whose fear and intuition pull her through the town’s occult undercurrents. Her resolve to protect herself and her husband drives the central tension, making her both a target and the possible key to breaking the necromantic cycle.
- 🎭 Protagonist
- 🧠 Intuitive
- 🌀 Vulnerable
- FB
Frank Brandon (Michael Ontkean)
Played by Michael Ontkean
Lori’s husband who relocates to Lilith for a new job in advertising. His involvement with another woman reveals fragility in their marriage, complicating Lori’s grip on reality as the town’s secrets close in.
- 💼 Husband
- 💔 Infidelity
- 🌀 Misdirection
-
Mr. Cato (Orson Welles)
Played by Orson Welles
A charismatic yet ominous figure who controls Lilith and leads its occult faction. He pursues necromancy to resurrect his son, exercising a chilling mix of charm and menace to bend others to his will.
- 👁️ Leader
- 🕯️ Cultic figure
- P(
Priscilla (Lee Purcell)
Played by Lee Purcell
Cato’s associate within the coven who embodies the town’s occult faction. Loyal to the group, she hints at leaving Lilith but ultimately becomes entwined in the town’s dark rites, meeting a tragic fate.
- 🧪 Cult member
- 🗡️ Loyalist
- DJ
Dr. Jay (Harvey Jason)
Played by Harvey Jason
A fellow cult leader who participates in the necromancy rites and helps shape the town’s rituals. He represents the clinical, controlling side of the coven’s influence.
- 🧭 Cultist
- 🧬 Planner
- N(
Nancy (Sue Bernard)
Played by Sue Bernard
A member of Cato’s circle who bullies Lori’s trust, including an affair with Frank. Her deception illustrates how the coven’s network corrodes ordinary relationships.
- 💋 Seduction
- 🕵️ Deception
- T
Timothy
The dead son whom Cato seeks to revive, a focal point for the coven’s obsession with necromancy. Timothy’s presence drives the ritual promises and casts a shadow over the town’s actions.
- 🧿 Ghost
- 🕊️ Loss
Where and When Is Necromancy Set?
Necromancy is set in Lilith and Northern California. Here is why the place matters to the story.
When
The events unfold in a contemporary suburban setting, focusing on a housewife and a toy company’s advertising division. The town’s social structure and rituals hint at a modern era where hidden forces invade everyday life. The tone suggests a present-day world of appearances, control, and impending doom rather than a distant historical period.
Where
Lilith, Northern California
Lilith is a northern California town dominated by a charismatic figure who owns most local businesses and exerts influence over its residents. The community is tightly controlled, with a disturbing undercurrent of occult activity that involves its exclusively young inhabitants. The setting emphasizes a claustrophobic atmosphere where appearances mask danger and power is exercised through secrecy.
- 🏘️ Lilith
- 🕯️ Occult influence
- 🏦 Corporate control
What Are the Themes of Necromancy?
3 ideas the story keeps returning to, among them Power, Necromancy and Premonition.
-
01
Power
Mr. Cato’s sway over Lilith drives the narrative, as he buys influence, controls local commerce, and manipulates the town’s rituals. Lori becomes entangled in a web where authority is exercised through fear, secrecy, and seductive promises. The story probes how power warps morality and isolates individuals who challenge it.
-
02
Necromancy
Necromancy sits at the core of the conflict, as Cato pursues the resurrection of his dead son Timothy. The ritualistic pursuit is framed as dangerous, costly, and morally ambiguous, affecting everyone involved. The film treats magic less as spectacle and more as a corrupting force that reshapes truth and agency.
-
03
Premonition
Lori’s visions and sense of déjà vu blur the line between dream and waking life, creating a sense of impending fate. These premonitions propel the plot toward a cycle of fear and potential doom that characters attempt to escape. The theme explores fate, free will, and how forewarning can become a self-fulfilling trap.
What Kind of Film Is Necromancy?
Dark in tone, with slow pacing and a moderate story, going by the plot summary.
- Tone
- Dark
- Pacing
- Slow
- Story
- Moderate
- Intensity
- High
- Ending
- Ambiguous
A slow-burning, deeply unsettling occult horror that follows a grieving woman's psychological unraveling within a town controlled by a sinister cult, creating a paranoid and melancholic experience.
- sinister
- creepy
- unsettling
- anxious
- melancholic
- gothic
- necromancy
- grief and loss
- occult practices
- small town cult
Content notes: child death, traumatic birth, buried alive, animal attack (rats), psychological manipulation.
Quiz
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Where to Watch Necromancy
Stream it on FlixHouse and The Roku Channel, or rent or buy it from Amazon Video. US availability and prices from JustWatch.
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