What Is The Oracle About?
The premise of The Oracle in 263 words, with nothing given away. The full story follows below.
In a cramped, aging apartment building where the walls seem to retain the memory of every life that has passed through its corridors, an uneasy stillness lingers. The place bears the weight of an ancient, unseen power—something that has allowed the dead to whisper across the veil of death. This subtle menace infuses the everyday routine with a quiet, unsettling dread, turning ordinary moments into potential portals for something far older than the bricks themselves.
Jennifer arrives with her husband Ray, eager to claim a fresh start in the modest flat that once belonged to a reclusive elderly woman, Mrs. Malatesta. The apartment’s past is hinted at through odd trinkets and the lingering scent of rituals long forgotten, yet the couple is initially more concerned with the practicalities of moving in than the building’s shadowed history. As Jennifer begins to settle, she feels the house’s atmosphere pressing in, as if the very air is alive with faint, desperate calls from beyond.
The film’s tone walks a fine line between intimate domestic drama and unsettling gothic horror. It cultivates a mood where the ordinary—shared meals, quiet evenings, the simple act of unpacking—coexists with the palpable sense that an unseen presence watches, waiting for an opening. The ancient power hinted at in the opening promise suggests that a murdered soul is reaching out, hoping to inhabit the body of the newcomer. This uneasy blend of the familiar and the supernatural keeps the audience constantly questioning what is real, what is imagined, and how thin the barrier truly is between the living and the restless dead.
What Happens in The Oracle?
The complete story of The Oracle, from the first scene to the last, in 799 words (about 3 minutes). Spoilers throughout. Names in the text link to 8 cast member pages.
Spoilers ahead
An eerie, fate-steeped tale begins when an old woman, Mrs. Malatesta, Irma St. Paule, uses an artificial hand with a quill as a planchette to reach the afterlife. Jennifer, Caroline Capers Powers, moves into Mrs. Malatesta’s apartment with her husband Ray, Roger Neill. The property manager, Pappas, Chris Maria De Koron, insists the old woman disappeared without a trace, casting a shadow over the place and its odd belongings. The moment Jennifer dives into the apartment’s history, she uncovers a box that hides the strange hand, setting off a chain of discoveries that will blur the line between the living and the dead.
As Jennifer settles in, a menacing sequence unfolds outside the quiet routine of daily life. A corpulent stranger escorts a prostitute to a room and kills her, only to be revealed later as a woman named Farkas, a chilling figure connected to the house’s haunting aura. Farkas, Pam La Testa, becomes a recurring presence in the story, a glyph of danger that looms over Jennifer’s investigations and the box’s unsettling power.
The tension spikes at a Christmas party hosted by Jennifer and Ray, where the planchette is treated as a party gag. The device suddenly begins to write messages on its own, starting with the urgent word “Help me.” It then spells out the name William Graham and a phone number, pulling Jennifer into a web of secrets. When she shares the bizarre message with her friend Cindy, Stacey Graves calls the number and learns that William Graham had died by suicide three weeks earlier, a fact that only deepens the mystery and hints at foul play.
Jennifer’s fear turns into a fierce obsession as the planchette continues to operate on its own. She tosses the box into a wastebasket, hoping to end the strange occurrences, but Ray, doubting Jennifer’s grip on reality, wants to discard the disturbing artifact as well. In a tense moment of coincidence, Pappas reappears and takes the box from them, pulling them further into a dangerous, unknown force. The box, when disturbed, releases a malevolent presence that attacks Pappas and convinces him to see monstrous figures scattered across his body, driving him to stabbing himself to death in a grisly frenzy.
The mystery thickens when Ray learns that Graham was found suffocated in his car at a warehouse, a detail that implies murder rather than suicide. Jennifer retrieves the planchette and uses it as a conduit to seek the truth, discovering that William Graham did not take his own life, but was murdered by Farkas and an accomplice. She heads to see Dorothy Graham, Graham’s widow, to share these findings and press for answers. Dorothy Graham, Victoria Dryden, is introduced as a grieving figure whose past becomes entangled with the planchette’s inquiries. Mr. Graham, the deceased’s husband, is represented in the cast by James Styles, a detail that ties the living to the dead through a single lineage of pain and suspicion.
The tension explodes at a New Year’s Eve party when Farkas, disguised as a waitress, closes in on Jennifer. Jennifer fights back, and the planchette reveals that Farkas is the predatory killer behind the murders. Cindy, still skeptical of Jennifer’s visions, brings a psychiatrist to the scene, but the planchette’s dark power eliminates the psychiatrist before the truth can be calmly explained. As Jennifer wanders after dark, Farkas attempts to end her life by driving into her, but Jennifer escapes and seeks aid at a museum, where she pleads for help from a security guard. In the chaos, Ray is killed by the box’s force, a grim reminder that the artifact’s power is indiscriminate and deadly.
Jennifer is eventually taken to a psychiatric institution, where Farkas’ accomplice, disguised as a doctor, attempts to finish the job. The planchette’s otherworldly reach proves too strong, enabling Jennifer to escape once more. A dramatic reunion with Dorothy appears to offer shelter, but Doroty’s alliance with Farkas becomes clear as they drive toward the warehouse where Graham was killed. Inside, Farkas closes in with an ax, but William Graham’s reanimated corpse rises to kill Farkas, granting Jennifer a narrow window to flee. Mrs. Graham, discovering Farkas’ body, barricades herself in her husband’s car, only for Graham’s zombie to gas her to death in the car, sealing the tragedy’s terminal twist.
In the film’s final, fateful image, Jennifer sits alone in front of the planchette once more, suggesting that she has, in effect, stepped into Mrs. Malatesta’s role and taken on the burden of the house’s restless dead. The eerie ritual of contact with the beyond has rewritten her future, casting a long shadow over the apartment and confirming that this is a story where the living and the supernatural collide, leaving a permanent mark on all who touch the hand with the quill.
The Oracle Timeline: Every Key Event in Order
12 key events in the order they happen, from “Mrs. Malatesta's planchette contact” to “Final confrontation and Jennifer's new role”. 12 events name a place, across 11 locations.
- 1
Mrs. Malatesta's planchette contact
An elderly woman uses an artificial hand with a quill as a planchette to reach the afterlife. The hand writes cryptic messages, foreshadowing a dangerous presence looming over the tenants.
Where:Malatesta's apartment
- 2
New tenants arrive; old woman vanishes
Jennifer and Ray move into the apartment, and the property manager Pappas notes that Mrs. Malatesta disappeared without a trace. The mystery surrounding the hand and its previous owner begins to feel personal.
Where:Malatesta's apartment
- 3
Farkas murders a prostitute
A corpulent stranger escorts a prostitute to a room and murders her; the killer is later revealed to be a woman named Farkas. This violent act introduces the danger connected to the planchette and the haunted hand.
Where:unknown location
- 4
Christmas party; the planchette speaks
Jennifer and Ray host a Christmas party and bring out the planchette as a party gag. The hand suddenly begins writing, and the message appears: 'Help me', shocking the guests and freezing the mood.
When:Christmas party night Where:Jennifer and Ray's apartment
- 5
The name William Graham and a phone number
The planchette starts spelling the name William Graham and a phone number. Cindy calls the number and learns that Graham reportedly committed suicide weeks earlier, deepening the mystery.
Where:Jennifer's circle
- 6
Jennifer discards the relic; box is retrieved
Jennifer throws away the hand and its box, blaming the scare on her imagination. Ray is uneasy but agrees to dispose of them, only to be intercepted by Pappas who takes the box away.
Where:apartment building corridor
- 7
The box retaliates: monster attack on Pappas
As Pappas handles the box, it releases a monstrous force that attacks him. He experiences horrifying visions and ends up stabbing himself to death, overtaken by the box's malicious influence.
Where:hallway
- 8
Graham is murdered, not suicidal
Ray discovers that Graham was found suffocated in his car at a warehouse. Jennifer uses the planchette to uncover that Graham was murdered by Farkas and an accomplice, not a suicide.
Where:Graham's warehouse
- 9
Dorothy becomes an ally
Jennifer meets Graham's widow Dorothy to share the findings from the planchette. Dorothy begins to support Jennifer's investigation, recognizing a shared danger.
Where:Dorothy's home
- 10
New Year's Eve confrontation
At a New Year's Eve party, Farkas, disguised as a waitress, attacks Jennifer. The planchette reveals that Farkas is the same person who killed Graham, tying the haunt to a single perpetrator.
When:New Year's Eve Where:Party location
- 11
The psychiatrist and the museum escape
Cindy brings a psychiatrist to help Jennifer, but the planchette's dark force kills the psychiatrist. Jennifer flees and seeks help at a museum, where a security guard offers assistance.
Where:Museum / nearby location
- 12
Final confrontation and Jennifer's new role
Ray is killed by the box's force after finding it in the laundry basket. In the warehouse climax, Graham's reanimated corpse kills Farkas, allowing Jennifer to escape once more. Mrs. Graham unknowingly barricades herself in her husband’s car, where Graham's zombie finishes her, and the final shot hints that Jennifer has taken Mrs. Malatesta's place at the planchette.
When:final scene Where:warehouse / car
Who Are the Main Characters in The Oracle?
11 characters, among them Jennifer (Caroline Capers Powers), Ray (Roger Neill) and Mrs. Malatesta (Irma St. Paule): who each one is and the part they play in the story. Every profile links to the actor’s page.
- J(
Jennifer (Caroline Capers Powers)
Played by Caroline Capers Powers
A new tenant who unravels the mystery surrounding the planchette and the murders. She begins skeptical but grows determined to stop the malevolent force, using the hand as a means to uncover truth while facing increasing danger.
- 🧭 Investigator
- 🎭 Protagonist
- 🔬 Skeptic
- R(
Ray (Roger Neill)
Played by Roger Neill
Jennifer's husband, initially pragmatic and cautious. He becomes a casualty of the artifact's menace, underscoring the peril of underestimating the supernatural forces at work.
- 💑 Husband
- ⚖️ Skeptic
- 🛡️ Protector
- MM
Mrs. Malatesta (Irma St. Paule)
Played by Irma St. Paule
An elderly woman who uses an artificial hand with a quill as a planchette to contact the afterlife. Her disappearance and the enduring power of the hand set the haunting in motion, with Jennifer ultimately taking on a similar role at the end.
- 🧙 Elder
- 🕯️ Occult
- 🗝️ Planner
- P(
Pappas (Chris Maria De Koron)
Played by Chris Maria De Koron
The property manager who handles the apartment. He becomes an early victim of the planchette's power, succumbing to imagined monsters and stabbing himself in a trance.
- 🏢 Manager
- 🧩 Suspect
- 💀 Victim
- F(
Farkas (Pam La Testa)
Played by Pam La Testa
A mysterious antagonist who commits brutal killings and manipulates others through disguises and fear. She attempts to eliminate Jennifer and is implicated in the larger conspiracy surrounding Graham's murder.
- 🧭 Villain
- 🗝️ Manipulator
- 💀 Killer
- WG
William Graham (James Styles)
Played by James Styles
The man found suffocated in his warehouse; his death is later revealed to be murder. His demise triggers the planchette's revelations and the unraveling of the case.
- 🕳️ Victim
- 💼 Wealth
- 🗝️ Legend
- DG
Dorothy Graham (Victoria Dryden)
Played by Victoria Dryden
Widow of William Graham who is later revealed to be behind her husband's murder. She alternates between aiding Jennifer and remaining a key conspirator in the crime.
- 👩 Widow
- 🕵️♀️ Deceiver
- 🧩 Partner
- MG
Museum Guard (John Munn)
Played by John Munn
A guard who helps in the museum setting and becomes involved when the supernatural force leads Jennifer there for safety. He embodies a rational counterpoint to the occult threat.
- 🛡️ Guard
- 🧭 Guide
- DR
Dr. Ryker (Ethel Mark)
Played by Ethel Mark
The psychiatrist at the psychiatric institution who becomes a victim to the planchette's dark force. His death underscores the menace pursuing the protagonist.
- 🧠 Doctor
- 🩺 Authority
- 💀 Victim
- W(
Waitress (Joan Leonard)
Played by Joan Leonard
A waitress who becomes the disguise for Farkas during an attempt to murder Jennifer, illustrating the planchette's ability to mislead and threaten.
- 🍽️ Waitress
- 🗡️ Assassin
- D(
Doctor (Lou Bartholomew)
Played by Lou Bartholomew
A doctor involved in the hospital sequences, representing the medical world’s attempt to intervene but ultimately failing against the supernatural escalation.
- 🩺 Doctor
- 🛡️ Authority
Where and When Is The Oracle Set?
The Oracle is set in Mrs. Malatesta's apartment, Graham's warehouse, a museum and a psychiatric…. Here is why the place matters to the story.
Where
Mrs. Malatesta's apartment, Graham's warehouse, a museum, a psychiatric institution
The story moves between an old woman's apartment, a warehouse where a murder occurs, a public museum, and a psychiatric institution, creating a sense of enclosed danger. The apartment is the origin of the haunting via the planchette and hand, while the warehouse and museum provide climactic confrontations. The settings shift from intimate interiors to public spaces, heightening tension and vulnerability.
- 🏙️ Urban
- 🔮 Supernatural
- 🧭 Mysterious
What Are the Themes of The Oracle?
3 ideas the story keeps returning to, among them Occult, Murder & Deception and Violence & Horror.
-
01
Occult
An artificial hand with a quill becomes a conduit to the afterlife, blurring the line between life and death. Messages written by the planchette reveal hidden truths and propel the investigation. The plot centers on supernatural forces manipulating events around the characters, turning curiosity into danger.
-
02
Murder & Deception
Graham's alleged suicide is reinterpreted as murder uncovered through the planchette's messages. Clues accumulate, exposing motives and betrayals, including the involvement of Dorothy and Farkas. The revelations reframe relationships and escalate the conspiracy.
-
03
Violence & Horror
The narrative escalates from eerie signs to brutal killings, including the box-triggered deaths and a hospital sequence. A reanimated corpse intensifies the horror, culminating in a high-tension pursuit through the warehouse and museum. Death operates as both a physical threat and a supernatural force driving the plot.
What Kind of Film Is The Oracle?
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 intensely dark and oppressive supernatural thriller that steadily builds dread around a malevolent artifact, trapping its protagonist in a paranoid investigation ending in tragedy and a bleak, cyclical curse.
- eerie
- anxious
- oppressive
- sinister
- paranoid
- claustrophobic
- supernatural possession
- investigation
- occult power
- murder
Content notes: suicide, murder, graphic violence, self-harm, possession, psychological torment.
Quiz
How well do you remember The Oracle? Test yourself on the story.
