What Is Tormented About?
The premise of Tormented in 254 words, with nothing given away. The full story follows below.
In the muted corridors of Fairview High, a community of teenagers carries the weight of unspoken cruelty. Darren Mullet, an asthmatic outcast, endures relentless bullying at school, indifference at home, and the ridicule of teachers, a pressure that drives him to a desperate act of self‑destruction. His death unveils the hidden darkness of adolescent life, where the line between cruelty and indifference blurs, and the atmosphere grows thick with dread and unease.
Among the students is Justine Fielding, the school’s head girl, whose polished exterior masks an inner conflict about belonging and responsibility. She moves through a world of cliques and expectations, navigating friendships that feel fragile and a social hierarchy that rewards conformity. Alongside her is Jason Banks, Darren’s equally marginalized friend, who bears witness to the same oppressive environment and quietly observes the unfolding tension. The trio’s intersecting lives hint at deeper undercurrents of guilt, loyalty, and the desperate need for acknowledgment.
When Darren rises from the grave as a vengeful spirit, the film shifts into a stark, atmospheric horror that juxtaposes the familiar setting of a teenage high school with an unsettling, otherworldly menace. The tone is relentless and oppressive, blending the raw anxiety of adolescent isolation with a creeping, supernatural retribution that promises a “final reckoning” for those who participated in his torment. The story invites viewers to stare at the mirror of teenage cruelty, asking what lingers when the line between victim and avenger is crossed, all while keeping the true scope of the haunting actions shrouded in suspense.
What Happens in Tormented?
The complete story of Tormented, from the first scene to the last, in 740 words (about 3 minutes). Spoilers throughout. Names in the text link to 1 cast member page.
Spoilers ahead
Justine Fielding, Tuppence Middleton, the head girl at Fairview High, is escorted out by the police as her classmates watch.
Five days earlier, Justine stands to read the eulogy at the funeral of Darren Mullet [Calvin A. Dean], an unpopular, asthma-suffering student whose death exposes the cruelty that festers within the school. Mullet’s equally unpopular friend, Jason Banks [Olly Alexander], is ripped from the church by a sadistic P.E. teacher after he calls Justine a hypocrite because he hardly knew him. Later, Justine agrees to attend a party with Alex [Dimitri Leonidas], organized by his popular circle—Bradley White [Alex Pettyfer], Natasha “Tasha” Cummings [April Pearson], Khalillah [Larissa Wilson], Sophie [Georgia King], and Marcus [Tom Hopper].
At the party, the DJ Jez [Ben Lloyd-Hughes] is egged on—by Tasha—into rapping unflatteringly about Justine, and is tossed out. Bradley’s crew launches a barrage of insulting texts from Mullet’s number to the party-goers, including Marcus and Sophie. When Justine and Alex slip away to a bedroom to kiss, Bradley interrupts with a prank: a clown costume and a pretend chainsaw. The in-crowd later toasts Mullet, and Justine confesses she never really knew him. Jez later goes to the cemetery and urinates on Mullet’s grave, only to be stabbed with a wooden crucifix by the ghost.
Back at school, Bradley threatens Nasser [James Floyd], the leader of the emo clique, over removing a website he helped create about Mullet. Justine abandons her old friends Helena [Mary Nighy] and Emily [Ruby Bentall] to chase the popular crowd. A teddy bear—stolen from Mullet’s grave—appears in Justine’s locker, and she assumes it’s from Alex, agreeing to a second date. Jason tells her that Mullet loved her and hands her his suicide note. In the recording studio, Mullet’s ghost compels Nasser to listen to blaring music through his headphones, leaving him permanently deaf.
Bradley and Marcus attack Jason, believing he sent the messages, but another message arrives that Jason could not have sent. The P.E. teacher arrives, dismissing the bullies and detaining Jason. Justine confronts Jason; he denies forging the note and confesses that Mullet killed himself because of the bullying, including the cruel website and texts from the popular students. The girls assault Justine’s former friends Helena and Emily; Tasha shatters her own phone after being accused of sending the messages. After swimming practice, Sophie urges Justine to sleep with Alex that night, but she returns to retrieve her watch and is drowned by Mullet.
Mullet’s ghost brings flowers for Justine, but after witnessing her kiss with Alex, he tears the badge from her uniform and rearranges her fridge magnets, calling her a “dirty slut.” During football training, Marcus is driven to hysteria by the apparition and is nearly blinded by a towel-whip, then impaled on an iron fence by the ghost. The gang later quarrels at Bradley’s house; Tasha fights Justine and throws her into the swimming pool.
Justine learns from Alex’s website that she could have helped Mullet and discovers that Alex led the bullying. The relationship ends as she admits she did not help Mullet when he needed it. Bradley, broken by grief, has sex with Tasha in the car, but Mullet drags him out and rips off his penis, causing him to bleed to death. Tasha escapes and runs into an open grave, where Mullet decapitates her with a shovel.
The next day, Justine tells Jason that she was responsible for Mullet’s death; he accepts some blame, saying he was afraid of being bullied, too. After Justine leaves the Art Room, Mullet stabs Jason with a screwdriver, killing him. Justine pleads with her old friends Helena and Emily to take her back, but they refuse, choosing to stay with Alex and the others.
Khalillah tells Justine she received a text from Tasha to meet in the Art Room. There, Mullet places a plastic bag over Khalilah’s head and then cuts off her hands with a guillotine. Justine and Alex arrive to find Jason and Khalillah dead and are attacked by Mullet. They stab him with a screwdriver and move to the common room, where Mullet nails Alex’s hand to the floor. Justine stops him, but he regains strength thanks to another inhaler. Mullet then impales Alex in the throat with the screwdriver before disappearing. Police arrive, having found Justine’s badge near the bodies of Bradley and Tasha, and she is led away in a police vehicle, arrested for the murders that Mullet had committed.
Tormented Timeline: Every Key Event in Order
12 key events in the order they happen, from “Funeral eulogy and first fallout” to “Climax and police end the night”. 12 events name a place, across 11 locations.
- 1
Funeral eulogy and first fallout
Justine Fielding reads the eulogy at Darren Mullets funeral as the community reacts with cold indifference. In the same moment, Jason Banks is expelled from the church after calling Justine a hypocrite. The scene foreshadows the cruelty that will shape the rest of the story.
When:Five days before the party Where:Funeral Church
- 2
Justine invited to the popular party
Justine agrees to attend a party hosted by the popular crowd led by Bradley. The party atmosphere quickly shifts as Jez insults Justine, prompting Bradley to eject him. The invitation marks Justine's drift from her old friends.
When:Evening Where:Bradley's party
- 3
Texts and a risky kiss
During the party, the in-crowd receives insulting text messages attributed to Mullet. Alex and Justine share a kiss in a bedroom, only to be interrupted by Bradley in a clown suit who pretends to attack them with a chainsaw. The moment underscores the cruel dynamics at the event.
When:Night Where:Party venue
- 4
Mullet's grave and a brutal retaliation
Jez goes to the cemetery and urinates on Mullet's grave, a defiant act of disrespect. Mullet's ghost retaliates, stabbing Jez with a wooden crucifix. The supernatural element signals that the dead will haunt the living.
When:Night Where:Cemetery
- 5
Power shifts at school
Back at school, Bradley pressures Nasser over removing a website about Mullet. Justine abandons her old friends Helena and Emily to join the popular crowd. A teddy bear appears in her locker, supposedly from Alex, complicating her sense of loyalty and dating choices.
When:Next day Where:School corridors and lockers
- 6
Mullet's haunting in the studio
In the schools recording studio, Mullet's ghost forces Nasser to listen to music at maximum volume, rendering him permanently deaf. The haunting bleeds into the students' daily lives, intensifying the fear around the bullying.
When:Next day Where:School recording studio
- 7
Suicide note and truth about Mullet
Jason tells Justine that Mullet was in love with her and hands over his suicide note. He explains that Mullet killed himself because of relentless bullying by the popular crowd and online harassment. Justine processes the revelation and its implications for her actions.
When:Following day Where:School
- 8
Bullying escalates and detention follows
Bradley and Marcus assault Jason, assuming he is behind the messages, until another message reveals the real truth. The P.E. teacher intervenes, stops the attack, and gives Jason detention. The bullying cycle continues to tighten its grip on the school.
When:Day after Where:School
- 9
Justine faces the truth and ends things
Justine learns that Alex led the bullying and watches him mock her in the school’s online circle. She decides to end their relationship, realizing the cruelty that she has become entangled with. The social world around her remains fragile and dangerous.
When:Later that day Where:School/common area
- 10
Sophie and the pool tragedy
After swimming practice, Sophie treks back to the pool area but is attacked and drowned by Mullet's ghost. The incident marks a horrifying deepening of the hauntings and increases the sense that no one is safe from the dead bully's turn of events.
When:Evening Where:Swimming pool
- 11
Khalilah's grisly death in the art room
Khalilah receives a text from Tasha to meet in the Art Room. There Mullet places a plastic bag over her head and cuts off her hands with a guillotine. Justine and Alex arrive to find the bodies and are swiftly attacked by Mullet.
When:Next day Where:Art Room
- 12
Climax and police end the night
Justine and Alex confront Mullet in the Art Room, stabbing him with a screwdriver. The ghost regains strength through a hidden inhaler, stabs Alex in the throat, and then disappears. Police arrive to find the chaos; Justine is arrested for the murders that Mullet committed, ending the immediate terror but leaving a grim legacy.
When:Police arrival; end Where:Art Room / Police arrival
Who Are the Main Characters in Tormented?
14 characters, among them Justine Fielding (Tuppence Middleton), Darren Mullet and Jason Banks: who each one is and the part they play in the story. Every profile links to the actor’s page.
-
Justine Fielding (Tuppence Middleton)
Played by Tuppence Middleton
Justine starts as head girl within the popular circle but quickly becomes entangled in the cruelty surrounding Mullet. She experiences a shift from self-preservation to guilt and moral accountability as the consequences unfold. Her arc centers on awakening to her role in the events and the impact of her choices.
- 🎭 Drama
- 👥 High School
- 🔄 Transformation
- DM
Darren Mullet
Played by Calvin A. Dean
Darren Mullet is the unpopular, asthmatic student whose death triggers the escalating cruelty. His spirit haunts the school, targeting the bullies and those who enabled them, turning social aggression into a deadly confrontation. His presence highlights the damage caused by exclusion and mockery.
- 👤 Outcast
- 💬 Bullying
- 👻 Ghost
- JB
Jason Banks
Played by Olly Alexander
Jason is a friend of Mullet who becomes entangled in the cruel dynamics around the bullying. He questions the escalating cruelty and ultimately falls victim to Mullet’s revenge. His arc underscores the costs of fear and complicity.
- 💬 Rumors
- 🗡️ Violence
- 🧭 Loyalty
- A(
Alex (Bradley White)
Played by Dimitri Leonidas
Alex is the charismatic leader of the popular crowd, orchestrating pranks, online bullying, and social exclusion. His influence demonstrates the lure and danger of popularity, and his actions contribute to the cycle of cruelty until the truth fractures the group.
- 🎭 Popularity
- 👥 Clique
- 🗡️ Cruelty
-
Bradley White
Played by Alex Pettyfer
Bradley is part of the in crowd and participates in the social torment. He embodies how peer pressure and group dynamics push individuals toward cruelty, and his fate shows the unpredictable consequences of the crowd’s cruelty.
- 🎭 Popularity
- 👥 Peer Pressure
- 🗡️ Violence
- N'
Natasha 'Tasha' Cummings
Played by April Pearson
Tasha is a member of the popular group who participates in the social games and betrayals. Her influence fades as the group’s cruelty deepens, and she becomes a casualty of the unfolding chaos.
- 🎭 Clique
- 💬 Gossip
- 💀 Death
- K
Khalillah
Played by Larissa Wilson
Khalillah is part of the in crowd and is drawn deeper into the cruelty. Her fate, like the others, highlights the indiscriminate harm caused by the crowd’s actions.
- 🎭 Clique
- 👤 Individuality
- 🩸 Tragedy
- S
Sophie
Played by Georgia King
Sophie is among the popular group; she becomes entangled in the dangerous social web and is killed by Mullet’s ghost after a reckless night.
- 🎭 Popularity
- 🌊 Danger
- 💬 Gossip
-
Marcus
Played by Tom Hopper
Marcus is part of the popular crowd who experiences fear and anger as the haunting escalates. His final confrontation with the ghost leads to a brutal death.
- 👥 Clique
- 🕯️ Fear
- 🗡️ Violence
- N
Nasser
Played by James Floyd
Nasser leads a teen emo clique; the ghost manipulates his senses, leaving him deaf, illustrating how the haunting disrupts the school’s social balance.
- 💬 Cliques
- 🤫 Secrets
- 🗡️ Violence
- J
Jez
Played by Ben Lloyd-Hughes
Jez is the party DJ who is expelled by peers for contributing to the cruelty. He is part of the broader social machine that is dismantled by the haunting and consequences.
- 🎶 Music
- 🗡️ Violence
- 💬 Gossip
- H
Helena
Played by Mary Nighy
Helena is Justine’s former friend who is attacked by the group in the toilets, illustrating the fragility of friendships under pressure and the cost of social warfare.
- 💬 Bullying
- 👥 Broken friendships
- 🩸 Violence
-
Emily
Played by Ruby Bentall
Emily is Justine’s former friend who shifts her loyalties to the popular crowd, revealing how shifting alliances reinforce the cycle of cruelty and exclusion.
- 💬 Gossip
- 👥 Social dynamics
- 🧩 Loyalty
- DM
Darren Mullet (Ghost)
Played by Calvin A. Dean
The ghost of Darren Mullet relentlessly targets the living, using memory and fear to expose the brutality behind the in-crowd and force accountability for the cruelty endured.
- 👤 Outcast
- 👻 Ghost
- 🗡️ Revenge
Where and When Is Tormented Set?
Tormented is set in Fairview High School, Cemetery, Recording Studio, Art Room and Swimming Pool. Here is why the place matters to the story.
Where
Fairview High School, Cemetery, Recording Studio, Art Room, Swimming Pool
The story largely unfolds within the corridors and facilities of Fairview High School, with key scenes in the schoolyard, a cemetery near the grounds, and the recording studio where the bullying is discussed. The school environment acts as a pressure cooker where social hierarchies determine who is safe and who is targeted. The setting shifts between classrooms, the pool, and shared spaces, illustrating how cruelty propagates through teen culture.
- 🏫 School
- 👥 Cliques
- 💬 Gossip
What Are the Themes of Tormented?
4 ideas the story keeps returning to, among them Bullying, Guilt and Consequences.
-
01
Bullying
The film centers on how taunts, rumors, and online harassment escalate within the school’s social circles. The popular crowd targets Darren Mullet, and their cruel behavior triggers a chain reaction that affects every character. The story shows how bystanders can enable bullying through silence, and how consequences ripple beyond the initial act.
-
02
Guilt
Justine’s journey reveals the weight of bystander guilt and the possibility of redemption. She grapples with her role in Mullet’s death, denial, and the urge to ignore the truth. The haunting presence of Mullet amplifies the moral costs of their actions and forces accountability.
-
03
Consequences
Cruel choices set off a chain of violence and tragedy, culminating in multiple deaths. The film emphasizes that cruelty cannot be isolated to a single moment; it reverberates through friendships, families, and futures. The narrative ends with attempts at justice and the heavy cost of collective cruelty.
-
04
Haunting
Darren Mullet’s ghost terrorizes the living, weaponizing memory and fear. The supernatural element exposes the brutality behind the in-crowd’s facade and compels the characters to confront what they ignored in life. The haunting functions as a moral reckoning for the school’s social dynamics.
What Kind of Film Is Tormented?
Dark in tone, with fast pacing and a straightforward story, going by the plot summary.
- Tone
- Dark
- Pacing
- Fast
- Story
- Straightforward
- Intensity
- High
- Ending
- Bleak
A brutal and fast-paced supernatural horror film that delivers a grim atmosphere of relentless teenage cruelty, escalating violence, and bleak consequences driven by a vengeful ghost.
- vengeful
- oppressive
- brutal
- anxious
- violent
- cruel
- bullying
- revenge
- supernatural horror
- coming of age
Content notes: suicide, bullying, graphic violence, murder, sexual content.
Quiz
How well do you remember Tormented? Test yourself on the story.
