What Is The House by the Cemetery About?
The premise of The House by the Cemetery in 297 words, with nothing given away. The full story follows below.
In the quiet outskirts of New Whitby, Massachusetts, an imposing Victorian mansion looms over a mist‑shrouded landscape, its stone façade hinting at long‑forgotten stories. The house, once home to a reclusive doctor whose obsessive research left a lingering unease, now waits for a new chapter as a family seeks refuge within its walls. The setting is drenched in gothic atmosphere, where creaking floorboards and the echo of distant whispers turn everyday moments into unsettling questions about what lies beneath the polished veneer of domestic life.
Norman Boyle, a methodical physician and scholar, arrives with his wife Lucy and their curious son Bob, intent on using the estate as a base for his studies of historic dwellings. Norman’s intellectual curiosity clashes with the house’s ambiguous past, creating a subtle tension between rational inquiry and the inexplicable. Lucy, drawn to the home’s eerie beauty, attempts to nurture a sense of normalcy for her children, yet the mansion’s pervasive silence constantly challenges her optimism.
Bob, an imaginative and sensitive child, begins to experience unsettling visions of a young girl who appears in the shadows of the house, urging him to stay away from something unseen. These fleeting apparitions stir a blend of wonder and dread, hinting at hidden layers of memory that the walls seem to guard. Through Bob’s eyes, the audience feels the pull of the house’s secretive heart, a place where the line between reality and the uncanny blurs.
The film unfolds as a slow‑burning study of a family confronting an environment saturated with history, mystery, and an undercurrent of menace. With each creak and sigh of the old mansion, the atmosphere grows thicker, inviting viewers to linger in the suspenseful space between curiosity and fear, and to wonder what hidden truths might rise from the dust‑laden corridors.
What Happens in The House by the Cemetery?
The complete story of The House by the Cemetery, from the first scene to the last, in 635 words (about 3 minutes). Spoilers throughout. Names in the text link to 5 cast member pages.
Spoilers ahead
A woman searching for her boyfriend in an abandoned house discovers his body, stabbed with scissors, and is then killed with a French knife, dragged through a cellar door by a monstrous figure.
Norman Boyle, Paolo Malco, moves with his wife Lucy Boyle, Catriona MacColl, and their son Bob Boyle, Giovanni Frezza, into Oak Mansion in New Whitby, Massachusetts. Norman plans to study old houses, while the family settles in. The previous owner is Dr. Peterson, Norman’s ex-colleague, who murdered his mistress before taking his own life, and whose shadow lingers over the place. In the quiet days that follow, a real estate office worker mentions that the Freudstein keys should be used for access, and Laura Gittleson, Dagmar Lassander, promises to find the Boyles a babysitter.
Across the street, Mae Freudstein appears to Bob and warns him to stay away. She is not buried where he thinks, and the eerie sense of a hidden past deepens as Lucy sweeps and discovers the tombstone of Jacob Tess Freudstein indoors—an odd feature of the old mansion. That night, Norman taps into Peterson’s materials in the library, only to be interrupted by the staff who seem to recognize him, a clue that Peterson conducted private research on disappearances in the area. He learns that Peterson’s work touched dangerous, long-buried secrets connected to the house.
The babysitter arrives as announced, Ania Pieroni as Ann, and begins to tidy the kitchen and unseal the cellar. Mae shows the boy a cryptic tombstone and recounts that Mae Freudstein is not actually buried there; the unease only thickens when Ann begins cleaning a fresh bloodstain and anxious questions are raised about the house’s history. Peterson’s name surfaces in odd whispers, and the librarian mentions that the Freudstein legacy is more than just a local legend.
Ann’s presence in the cellar becomes a nightmare when Freudstein, the malevolent figure behind the horror, moves through the shadows and decapitates Ann. Bob, terrified, flees upstairs, while Lucy returns to find her son shaken and at first refusing to believe his story. Meanwhile, Norman, worried about the increasing danger, travels to New York to hunt for Freudstein’s origins and to uncover the full truth about Peterson’s madness. He finds an audio cassette documenting Peterson’s descent, but in a moment of resolve, he destroys the evidence by dropping it into a furnace pipe.
The terror escalates as Ann’s fate is confirmed, and Bob is trapped in the cellar. Norman returns just in time to hack the door open with a hatchet, and the path to the cellar reveals a macabre chamber filled with mutilated bodies, surgical tools, and a long, decayed laboratory. Freudstein is a living corpse, aged and rotting, who survives by regenerating blood cells from the parts of his victims. Norman fights him, but Freudstein twists the hatchet away and mortally wounds Norman with a brutal attack, ripping open his throat as Lucy and Bob scramble to escape.
Lucy and Bob climb a ladder toward the cracked tomb above. As Lucy strains to move the stone, Freudstein drags her back down the stairs, and her head strikes each step on the way to a gruesome death. Freudstein advances toward Bob, but Mae, now revealed to be connected to the house’s haunted past, appears with her mother, Mary Freudstein, and Mary leads Mae and Bob down the grove toward an apparent ghost world, suggesting a possible escape beyond the fatal yoke of the house.
In the end, the mansion’s curse remains, and the Freudstein legacy feels both ancient and inexorable. The living dead, the buried past, and the spectral figures of Mae and Mary Freudstein intertwine with the fates of Bob and Lucy, leaving behind a chilling impression of a house that feeds on memory, courage, and the boundaries between the living and the dead.
The House by the Cemetery Timeline: Every Key Event in Order
15 key events in the order they happen, from “Family moves into Oak Mansion” to “Final escape into a ghost world”. 15 events name a place, across 11 locations.
- 1
Family moves into Oak Mansion
The Boyle family—Norman, Lucy, and their son Bob—move into Oak Mansion in New Whitby, Massachusetts, so Norman can research old houses. Bob notices a photograph of a house with a frightened girl on display as his mother packs, hinting at the house's unsettling past. Norman begins perusing Peterson's materials and local records to learn more.
Where:Oak Mansion, New Whitby
- 2
Mae Freudstein warns Bob
Mae Freudstein appears across the street and warns Bob to stay away, and Bob is the only one who can see her. The eerie encounter foreshadows the supernatural danger tied to the Freudstein legacy. The warning sets the tone for the family's troubled stay.
Where:Outside Oak Mansion, New Whitby
- 3
Freudstein keys and Ann the babysitter
In the local real estate office, Mrs. Laura Gittleson reluctantly hands the Freudstein keys to the Boyles, insisting the house is Oak Mansion. She promises to arrange a babysitter, introducing Ann to watch Bob while the parents settle in. The house's ominous past begins to intrude into ordinary life.
Where:Real Estate Office, New Whitby
- 4
Ann arrives and the cellar is sealed
Ann, the assigned babysitter, arrives and is shown the cellar door, which is locked and nailed shut. The locked cellar hints at something living beneath the surface of Oak Mansion. The family begins to sense that security in the house is an illusion.
Where:Oak Mansion, cellar
- 5
Nocturnal noises and the cellar unblocked
That night Norman hears strange noises and discovers Ann unblocking the cellar door, indicating that someone is tampering with the house’s forbidden depths. The discovery raises questions about what Peterson and the past residents left behind. The family becomes increasingly unsettled.
Where:Oak Mansion, cellar
- 6
Library research uncovers Peterson's past
Norman visits the local library to study Peterson's private research on area disappearances connected to Freudstein. The chief librarian seems to know more than he reveals, while the assistant librarian confirms Peterson's odd, secretive work. The past begins to intrude on the present.
Where:Library, New Whitby
- 7
Tombs inside and outside reveal the danger
Mae shows Bob a tombstone labeled Mary Freudstein, insisting she is not buried there. Meanwhile Lucy discovers an indoor tomb labeled Jacob Tess Freudstein, suggesting the house contains odd and ancient secrets. Norman returns and opens the cellar, only to be attacked by a persistent bat, which he defeats by stabbing.
Where:Oak Mansion, internal areas
- 8
Gittleson arrives at the house and dies
While the family waits for a move, Mrs. Gittleson returns to the house to discuss a new property, but she is suddenly killed by a killer who stabs her with a fireplace poker and drags her into the cellar. The house proves it will retaliate against intruders. The event escalates the sense of danger inside Oak Mansion.
Where:Oak Mansion
- 9
Bloodstain mystery and evasive caretaker
Lucy discovers Ann cleaning a fresh bloodstain on the kitchen floor and presses for answers, but Ann remains evasive. The mystery deepens as the family realizes someone is hiding terrible secrets in the house. Paranoia grows as events spiral out of control.
Where:Oak Mansion, kitchen
- 10
Norman travels to New York; Peterson cassette
Norman travels to New York to research Freudstein and finds an audio cassette from Peterson describing his madness. He later destroys the cassette by dropping it into a furnace pipe, erasing a potential warning about the house's past.
Where:New York; Library/Storage
Show the other 5 events of The House by the Cemetery Hide the last 5 events
- 11
Ann is decapitated
Ann goes to the cellar looking for Bob and is decapitated by Freudstein, leaving Bob terrified as he witnesses his mother's severed head. The killer's presence becomes indisputably deadly. The family’s fight for survival grows more urgent.
Where:Oak Mansion, cellar
- 12
Hatchet fight and severed hand
Norman returns and hacks at the cellar door with a hatchet while Freudstein's rotting hand restrains Bob. The weapon finally breaks through, severing the ghoul's hand and enabling a desperate escape attempt. The cellar becomes the site of a grisly confrontation.
Where:Oak Mansion, cellar
- 13
Freudstein reveals his living corpse nature
In the cellar, Norman and Lucy confront Freudstein, a living corpse who regenerates using victims’ parts. Norman stabs Freudstein, causing flesh and maggots to ooze from his old lab coat, but Freudstein rips Norman's throat out in retaliation. Lucy and Bob scramble to flee the horror.
Where:Oak Mansion, cellar
- 14
Lucy dies and the escape attempt
Lucy drags Bob toward a ladder to reach the surface, but Freudstein drags her down the stairs; her head bangs against each step, killing her. Bob fights to escape as the house's dark forces close in around him.
Where:Oak Mansion, cellar stairs
- 15
Final escape into a ghost world
As Freudstein ascends the stairs, Bob is saved by Mae, who is accompanied by her mother Mary Freudstein. Mae leads Bob and Mary into an apparent ghost world beyond the grove, leaving the fate of the living uncertain and the house's horrors unresolved.
Where:Grove outside Oak Mansion, into the ghost world
Who Are the Main Characters in The House by the Cemetery?
10 characters, among them Ann (the Babysitter), Norman Boyle and Lucy Boyle: who each one is and the part they play in the story. Every profile links to the actor’s page.
-
Ann (the Babysitter)
Played by Ania Pieroni
Ann arrives as the appointed babysitter for Oak Mansion and becomes entangled in the house’s danger. She works to unblock the cellar door, but is ultimately decapitated by Freudstein, marking the peril that awaits those who intrude. Her fate signals the lethal reach of the mansion’s secret.
- 🧰 Babysitter
- 🧭 In danger
- NB
Norman Boyle
Played by Paolo Malco
Dr. Norman Boyle is a physician researching old houses and Freudstein’s dark history. He travels to New York to study records, driven by curiosity and a desire to uncover the house’s secrets. His pursuit of knowledge places his family at increasing risk as the supernatural threat closes in.
- 🧠 Scientist
- 🕵️ Investigator
- LB
Lucy Boyle
Played by Catriona MacColl
Lucy is Norman’s wife and Bob’s mother, trying to keep her family safe as the horror unfolds. She engages in the investigation and faces the brutal consequences of Freudstein’s return. Her protective instinct underscores the human cost of confronting a house’s deadly past.
- 👩👦 Family
- 🛡️ Protector
- BB
Bob Boyle
Played by Giovanni Frezza
Bob is Norman and Lucy’s son who sees Mae Freudstein and warns his parents about the danger. He becomes a focal point of the confrontation in the cellar and, with Mae’s aid, begins a journey toward safety beyond the mortal peril.
- 👦 Child
- 🧭 Seer
- MF
Mae Freudstein
Played by Silvia Collatina
Mae Freudstein appears as a childlike figure who warns Bob and leads him toward safety, ultimately guiding him toward a spectral realm. Her presence signifies the house’s persistent memory and its influence on the living.
- 🧒 Spirit
- 👁️ Watcher
- MF
Mary Freudstein
Played by Teresa Rossi Passante
Mary Freudstein is Mae’s mother and part of the spectral Freudstein lineage. She embodies the haunting’s history and participates in the climactic moments that reveal the family’s fate within the house.
- 👩 Spirit
- 🕊️ Legacy
- DF
Dr. Freudstein
Played by Giovanni De Nava
A 150-year-old Victorian surgeon who is revealed as a living corpse, sustaining himself by using victims’ parts. He attacks Norman and drags Lucy into the horror, symbolizing the morbid revival of the past. His grotesque regeneration and predatory nature drive the film’s terror.
- 🧟 Undead
- 🧪 Monster
- LG
Laura Gittleson
Played by Dagmar Lassander
Laura is the real estate agent who presents the Freudstein keys and becomes a victim of the ensuing carnage. Her attempt to facilitate the sale collides with the house’s deadly secret, underscoring the house as an agent of doom.
- 🏠 Real estate
- 🗡️ Victim
- MW
Mr. Wheatley
Played by Carlo De Mejo
Mr. Wheatley is the chief librarian who recognizes Peterson’s private research and its link to the Freudstein mystery. He serves as a bridge between Norman’s investigation and the broader lore surrounding the house.
- 📚 Librarian
- 🕵️ Research
- P
Peterson
Played by Pino Colizzi
Norman’s ex-colleague who murdered his mistress and later suicided, having conducted private research into the house. His work is documented through an audio cassette that Norman eventually destroys, exposing the researcher’s madness and the house’s dark legacy.
- 🧪 Scientist
- 🗃️ Secret
Where and When Is The House by the Cemetery Set?
The House by the Cemetery is set in Oak Mansion, New Whitby, Massachusetts and New York (early 1980s). Here is why the time and place matter to the story.
When
early 1980s
The story unfolds in a present-day early 1980s setting, with modern elements like a real estate office, a library, and audio cassette recordings. The mansion’s ancient horrors collide with contemporary life, intensifying danger for the family that moves in. The contrast between old-world secrets and modern living heightens the sense of intrusion into their home.
Where
Oak Mansion, New Whitby, Massachusetts, New York
Oak Mansion sits in a dilapidated state in the New Whitby area of Massachusetts, hiding a dark past. Its nailed-shut cellar door guards a hidden lab where a 150-year-old Victorian surgeon conducts gruesome experiments, using victims to sustain himself. The surrounding town and the real estate office setting contribute to a claustrophobic mood as the house's secrets unfold.
- 🏚️ Haunted mansion
- 🗺️ Small town
- 🕰️ 1980s setting
What Are the Themes of The House by the Cemetery?
3 ideas the story keeps returning to, among them Supernatural Horror, Unethical Science and Family in Peril.
-
01
Supernatural Horror
The plot centers on a haunted house and a living corpse, Freudstein, who uses victims' parts to regenerate. Spectral warnings and a buried tomb reveal that the past relentlessly resurges within the home. The family's encounter with the murderous force emphasizes how dread can inhabit a familiar space.
-
02
Unethical Science
Freudstein is a Victorian surgeon whose illegal experiments blur the line between medicine and monstrosity. The narrative ties scientific ambition to brutal consequences, showing the danger of pursuing forbidden knowledge. Norman and Peterson’s private research underscores the ethics (or lack thereof) behind disturbing discoveries.
-
03
Family in Peril
A family upheaval unfolds as outsiders stumble into a house with deadly secrets. Norman, Lucy, and Bob must confront a malevolent force that invades their home and endangers their lives. Mae Freudstein’s spectral presence adds a ghostly guide that both warns and lures the living toward a grim fate.
What Kind of Film Is The House by the Cemetery?
Dark in tone, with steady pacing and a moderate story, going by the plot summary.
- Tone
- Dark
- Pacing
- Steady
- Story
- Moderate
- Intensity
- High
- Ending
- Bleak
An oppressive and gory supernatural horror film that steadily builds a sense of claustrophobic dread around a family trapped in a house feeding on its victims, culminating in a bleak and tragic finale.
- oppressive
- claustrophobic
- terrifying
- dread-filled
- gory
- melancholic
- haunted house
- family in peril
- scientific hubris
- supernatural horror
Content notes: graphic murder, child endangerment, dismemberment, rotting corpses.
Quiz
How well do you remember The House by the Cemetery? Test yourself on the story.
