What Is The Boneyard About?
The premise of The Boneyard in 319 words, with nothing given away. The full story follows below.
When a mysterious infection transforms a group of children into relentless, flesh‑hungry zombies, the outbreak converges on an unlikely battleground: the city’s sprawling morgue. The sterile, dimly lit corridors that usually house quiet reverence become a nightmarish arena where the line between the living and the dead blurs. The atmosphere is thick with dread, a claustrophobic pressure that turns every echo into a warning, and the looming threat of an unseen contagion hangs over the facility like a dark veil.
Into this chaos steps Alley Oates, a weary psychic whose once‑sharp gifts now flicker and fade. She carries the weight of past visions that have left her both haunted and hardened, and her intuition—though dimmed—still offers a glimmer of insight into the unnatural events spiraling around her. Alley moves through the morgue with a fragile confidence, her heightened senses constantly scanning for the next hint of danger, while also battling the personal shadows that threaten to drown her resolve.
Partnered with her is Jersey Callum, a hardened police detective whose pragmatic worldview clashes with the supernatural. Jersey is a veteran of the city’s darkest streets, his instincts honed by years of confronting human evil. He approaches the morgue’s siege with a steady, methodical calm, relying on procedure and grit to keep the situation from spiraling completely out of control. Their uneasy alliance is built on mutual necessity—Alley’s psychic depth complementing Jersey’s street‑smart determination.
Sharing the cramped, grim space are the morgue’s two forensic coroners, seasoned professionals whose expertise in the anatomy of death becomes an unexpected asset. Their clinical precision and detached composure provide a stark contrast to the chaos, yet they are forced to confront the grotesque reality that their work has always been a step removed from. Together, this unlikely quartet must navigate a world where the very walls they thought were safe now pulse with terror, setting the stage for a tense, atmospheric fight for survival.
What Happens in The Boneyard?
The complete story of The Boneyard, from the first scene to the last, in 395 words (about 2 minutes). Spoilers throughout. Names in the text link to 11 cast member pages.
Spoilers ahead
The film dives into the nightmarish world of Alley Oates, Deborah Rose, a depressed psychic whose burdens pull her and her detective partner Jersey Callum, Ed Nelson, into a case that quickly spirals beyond ordinary crime. The investigation centers on Chen, Robert Yun Ju Ahn, the fortress-like mortuary’s owner and prime suspect, who claims the three mummified corpses are not children at all but ancient demons known as “kyoshi.” These beings are said to have haunted the world for centuries, tied to an age-old curse that can only be placated with offerings of human flesh—a practice Chen has allegedly sustained for years.
When Chen is jailed on murder charges, the mortuary’s walls seem to come alive as the under-fed ghouls awaken. They trap the staff and devour them, turning a place of rest into a claustrophobic slaughterhouse. The survivors, including Alley and Jersey, must improvise with whatever tools they can find and rely on grit and teamwork to withstand the surge of horror.
The threat intensifies as the demons possess the bodies of the mortuary staff, turning them into grotesque monsters. Miss Poopinplatz, Phyllis Diller, becomes a conduit for the nightmare, joined by her poodle as the mutated duo stalks the halls. The living must confront this physical and supernatural onslaught, pushing through fear to outwit the ancient appetite.
Within this nightmare, the living face a gallery of ghoul figures, including the Medium Ghoul, Janice Dever; the Big Ghoul, Cindy Dollar-Smith; and other fearsome creatures like Floofsoms and Poopinplatz Ghouls, portrayed by Michael Haun. The film weaves a network of dread that ties generations of horror to the present crisis.
The story also threads in Oriental Mother, Bo Sook Ahn; Chinese Ghoul #1, Sally Middleton; Dead Child #2, Brian Ahn; and Dead Child #3, Jessica Lasher. These appearances deepen the sense that the mortuary’s history is a corridor of horror across time, each awakening threatening to swallow the living.
As Alley and Jersey confront the kyoshi and the mutated horrors, the film builds a mood of suffocating dread woven with emotional stakes. The characters seek a path to survival not merely through brute force but through courage, quick thinking, and a willingness to confront the darkest corners of legend and desire. The final confrontation becomes a tense reckoning where the fortress-like mortuary will either yield to the living or be claimed by its ancient hunger.
The Boneyard Timeline: Every Key Event in Order
12 key events in the order they happen, from “Alley Oates drawn into the case” to “Climactic struggle and uncertain outcome”. 12 events name a place, across 3 locations.
- 1
Alley Oates drawn into the case
Alley Oates, a depressed psychic, becomes involved in a grisly child-murder case. She and her detective partner Jersey Callum intensify their investigation and are drawn toward an imposing, fortress-like mortuary.
When:Night Where:City
- 2
Investigators reach the fortress-like mortuary
Oates and Callum arrive at the fortress-like mortuary, seeking answers about the murders. The imposing building and its secrets set the tone for the confrontation to come.
When:Night Where:Mortuary
- 3
Chen introduces the kyoshi theory
Chen, the funeral home owner, explains that the three mummified corpses are not children but ancient demons called kyoshi. He claims the demon presence predates modern times and is tied to a curse.
When:Night Where:Mortuary
- 4
Demons placated by human flesh
Chen asserts the kyoshi can only be placated with offerings of human flesh, a practice he has sustained for years. This macabre revelation explains the mortuary's gruesome operation and the ongoing murders.
When:Night Where:Mortuary
- 5
Chen arrested for murder
Following the revelations, Chen is jailed on murder charges. The case takes a dark turn as the true danger remains the unmurdered corpses and the cursed demons.
When:Night Where:Police station / Jail
- 6
Demons awaken and terrorize the mortuary
With Chen imprisoned, the under-fed ghouls awaken and begin terrorizing the mortuary staff. They trap the staff inside the building and devour them, showing the immediacy of the threat.
When:Night Where:Mortuary
- 7
Oates and Callum fight the demons
Survivors Alley Oates and Jersey Callum mobilize their resources and fight against the kyoshi. They improvise defenses and use every means at their disposal to survive.
When:Night Where:Mortuary
- 8
Demon possession of Mrs. Poopinplatz and her poodle
The demons possess morgue attendant Mrs. Poopinplatz and her poodle, mutating them into grotesque monsters. The possession intensifies the danger for everyone inside the mortuary.
When:Night Where:Mortuary
- 9
The staff confronts the mutated monsters
The staff's transformation into monsters raises the stakes as Oates and Callum confront the possessed beings. The siege tightens as the mortuary walls become a trap.
When:Night Where:Mortuary
- 10
The curse and centuries-long history loom
The film reveals the curse's long history and the demons' centuries-long existence, underscoring that these events are more than a single murder mystery. The characters grapple with this ancient evil as they strive to survive.
When:Night Where:Mortuary
- 11
Attempt to placate or seal the kyoshi
The survivors attempt to find a way to placate or seal the kyoshi to end the threat. They explore unconventional methods and rely on their wits and resolve to endure the night.
When:Night Where:Mortuary
- 12
Climactic struggle and uncertain outcome
A final confrontation pits the living against the demon-possessed corpses in a desperate fight for survival. The ending remains a tense balance between containment and continued threat, underscoring the film's nightmarish mood.
When:Night Where:Mortuary
Who Are the Main Characters in The Boneyard?
10 characters, among them Alley Cates (Deborah Rose), Jersey Callum (Ed Nelson) and Chen (Robert Yun Ju Ahn): who each one is and the part they play in the story. Every profile links to the actor’s page.
- AC
Alley Cates (Deborah Rose)
Played by Deborah Rose
A depressed psychic whose involvement in a grisly child-murder case drives the plot. Her clairvoyant abilities provide crucial clues while also threatening to overwhelm her sanity. She partners with Jersey Callum to confront the kyoshi demons and protect the living from the morgue’s horrors.
- 🧠 Psychic
- 😔 Depressed
- 🕵️♀️ Determined
- JC
Jersey Callum (Ed Nelson)
Played by Ed Nelson
A practical detective who teams with Alley to investigate the murders. He stays calm under pressure and helps organize a counterattack against the demonic siege. His steady presence balances Alley’s volatility and drives the plan to survive the night.
- 🕵️ Detective
- 🧭 Loyal
- 🧰 Resourceful
- C(
Chen (Robert Yun Ju Ahn)
Played by Robert Yun Ju Ahn
Owner of the funeral home and the prime suspect in the case. He is manipulative and morally compromised, insisting the corpses are ancient demons rather than children. His past actions have fed the kyoshi curse, turning the mortuary into a conduit for the monsters.
- 🗝️ Secretive
- 🧭 Cunning
- 🧪 Morally corrupt
- MP
Mrs. Poopinplatz (Phyllis Diller)
Played by Phyllis Diller
The morgue attendant who becomes a vessel for the ghoul possession, allowing the demon to inhabit the staff and mutate the environment. Her transformation embodies the film’s grotesque horror and absurd humor’s dark edge. The possessed figure drives the danger as the ghouls reveal their power.
- 👹 Possessed
- 🐕 Mutated
- 🧟 Monster
- MG
Medium Ghoul (Janice Dever)
Played by Janice Dever
A demonic host that possesses a morgue attendant, enabling the kyoshi to move within the mortal world. The ghoul’s presence escalates tension and showcases the horror of body-horror possession. It exemplifies how the living's trust is eroded by an unseen enemy.
- 👹 Possessed
- 🪤 Ghoul
- 🗡️ Predator
- BG
Big Ghoul (Cindy Dollar-Smith)
Played by Cindy Dollar-Smith
Another formidable host for the demon, a grotesque entity that amplifies the threat within the mortuary. The ghoul’s sheer size and ferocity test the survivors’ resolve and teamwork. It serves as a blunt reminder that the enemy can inhabit multiple forms.
- 👹 Possessed
- 🐾 Mutated
- 🧨 Threat
- OM
Oriental Mother (Bo Sook Ahn)
Played by Bo Sook Ahn
A ghoul figure among the possessed, contributing to the diverse host pool that the kyoshi demon can inhabit. Her presence underscores the film’s broader supernatural tapestry. She embodies the eerie, predatory nature of the haunting.
- 👺 Possessed
- 🗡️ Predator
- 🧭 Mysterious
- CG
Chinese Ghoul #1 (Sally Middleton)
Played by Sally Middleton
One of the ghoul manifestations that terrorize the mortuary and its staff. The ghoul’s movements are a physical embodiment of the curse’s reach. Its presence ramps up the fear factor and the urgency to resolve the haunting.
- 👹 Possessed
- 🧭 Unnerving
- 🐉 Monster
- DC
Dead Child #2 (Brian Ahn)
Played by Brian Ahn
A victim of the child-murder case who is reimagined as part of the demon’s host network. The apparition functions as a grim reminder of the crimes and their lasting impact. His presence adds a spectral dimension to the mortal danger.
- 💀 Victim
- 👁️ Haunting
- 🕯️ Spectral
- DC
Dead Child #3 (Jessica Lasher)
Played by Jessica Lasher
Another innocent victim whose memory is invoked by the survivors as they fight the demonic force. The ghostly presence underscores the human cost of the curse. It anchors the emotional stakes of the night-long siege.
- 💀 Victim
- 👁️ Haunting
- 🕯️ Spectral
Where and When Is The Boneyard Set?
The Boneyard is set in The mortuary and fortress-like funeral home. Here is why the place matters to the story.
Where
The mortuary, fortress-like funeral home
The primary setting is a fortress-like mortuary where the dead are stored and secrets buried. Its cold, locked corridors become a trap for the living as the kyoshi demons awaken. The building’s oppressive architecture heightens fear and isolates the characters from help. The mortuary itself becomes a character, driving the tension as survivors fight to escape the evil.
- 🕯️ Gothic
- 🏚️ Fortress-like
- 🧭 Mysterious
What Are the Themes of The Boneyard?
3 ideas the story keeps returning to, among them Supernatural, Trauma and Siege.
-
01
Supernatural
The film centers on an ancient curse and demonic kyoshi that inhabit the bodies within the mortuary. The mummified corpses are claimed to be demons rather than children, reframing a murder case as a battle against otherworldly forces. The possession drives the action and reveals how fear can weaponize belief. The conflict asks how far people will go to survive a supernatural threat.
-
02
Trauma
Alley Cates’s depression and psychic abilities are tested by the grisly case, pushing her toward the edge of sanity. The investigation reopens old wounds and forces the characters to confront guilt and memory. The story uses psychological horror to explore how trauma shapes perception and choices under siege. The demon threat amplifies personal demons, blurring lines between mind and menace.
-
03
Siege
The mortuary becomes a besieged fortress where survivors fight for life against immortal horrors. Staff and detectives improvise as the kyoshi demons possess bodies of the living and the dead. The claustrophobic setting heightens danger, forcing quick, high-stakes decisions. The siege theme emphasizes resilience and the will to resist a seemingly unending evil.
What Kind of Film Is The Boneyard?
Dark in tone, with fast pacing and a moderate story, going by the plot summary.
- Tone
- Dark
- Pacing
- Fast
- Story
- Moderate
- Intensity
- High
- Ending
- Ambiguous
A relentless and claustrophobic horror film that traps its characters in a mortuary overrun by demonic entities, creating an atmosphere of suffocating dread and frantic survival.
- claustrophobic
- dread-filled
- grotesque
- stressful
- supernatural
- unsettling
- supernatural horror
- ancient curse
- survival horror
- police investigation
Content notes: child death, zombie horror, demonic possession, cannibalism, graphic violence, corpses.
Where to Watch The Boneyard
Stream it on Amazon Prime Video and Fawesome, or rent or buy it from Amazon Video and Fandango At Home. US availability and prices from JustWatch.
Stream 8
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Plex Channel 
Pluto TV 
The Roku Channel 
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