The Void (2016) Horror Movie Poster

The Void (2016)

MovieBody HorrorSupernatural HorrorCreature Feature
Released: September 22, 2016
Runtime: 84 min
R
Canada
English

A small-town deputy finds a wounded man crawling along a dark road and takes him to a nearly abandoned hospital. Soon, the hospital is surrounded by silent figures in white robes, each with a black triangle on its face. Inside, the staff and patients begin turning into something monstrous. Written and directed by Steven Kostanski and Jeremy Gillespie, The Void is a Canadian Lovecraftian horror film. Its practical creature effects were funded through a crowdfunding campaign. It is loved by fans of 1980s horror like The Thing and Hellraiser, and people still try to work out what the triangle and the void really mean.

6.9/10

Horror Jungle Rating

IMDb
IMDb

5.9/10

IMDb Rating

Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes

78%

Rotten Tomatoes

QUICK HORROR SNAPSHOT

Creepiness & Uncanny
9/10
Monster / Killer Threat
8/10
Atmosphere & Dread
8/10
Re-watch Value
6/10
Gore & Violence
9/10
Jump Scares
6/10
Psychological Terror
6/10
Overall Scare Factor
7/10
Tension & Suspense
7/10

Official Trailer

Where to watch

Updated November 12, 2026

Tubi
TubiCA
Free
Apple TV
Apple TVAU · CA · UK
Rent/Buy
Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Prime VideoAU
Rent/Buy
Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Prime VideoCA · UK
Available

SHOULD YOU WATCH IT?

Worth Watching?A must for fans of practical creature effects and Lovecraft.
Yes
Watch Alone?The basement scenes are grim.
Maybe
Watch in the Dark?The red-lit corridors look great.
Yes
Good for Date Night?Only for gore fans.
Maybe
Watch With Parents?Extreme gore.
No
Beginner Friendly?Very gory and confusing.
No
Family Friendly?Graphic body horror and violence.
No
Slow Burn?The action starts within minutes.
No
Headphones Recommended?The droning score adds to the mood.
Maybe
18+
Age RecommendationContains strong horror content, violence, and disturbing themes.
18+

Spoiler Free Review

Deputy Daniel Carter (Aaron Poole) brings an injured young man to a small hospital where his estranged wife, Allison (Kathleen Munroe), works as a nurse under Dr Richard Powell (Kenneth Welsh). Then a nurse brutally kills a patient, hooded cultists surround the building, and two armed men arrive hunting the patient Daniel brought in.

The film is at its best when it shows off its creatures. They are slimy, tentacled and horribly real, built with old-fashioned practical effects. The hooded cultists are also very creepy.

The story, though, is confusing, and many of the characters are thin. The second half becomes a series of chaotic scenes in the basement, and the mythology is left very vague.

It is not as strong as the classics it admires. But The Void is a gory, ambitious love letter to 1980s horror, and its effects alone make it worth a watch for genre fans.

What Works

Impressive practical creature effects.
Creepy, iconic hooded cultists.
A strong sense of 1980s horror style.
Moody red and blue lighting.

What Doesn't Work

A confusing, underexplained story.
Thin characters.
The middle section drags.

FINAL VERDICT:

The Void is a messy but gruesome tribute to 1980s horror, carried by its creature effects. Watch it for the monsters, not the story.

spoiler-warning

Be Careful, Spoilers Ahead

Plot Summary (Spoilers)

James escapes from a farmhouse into the woods, where two men, Vincent and Simon, shoot a woman and set her on fire. Deputy Daniel Carter finds James crawling along a road and takes him to a local hospital, partly abandoned after a fire. His estranged wife, Allison, is a nurse there, working with Dr Richard Powell and a small staff and patients, including a pregnant young woman, Maggie, and her grandfather, Ben.

Daniel finds nurse Beverly, in a trance and with her face cut off, killing a patient, and shoots her. Robed cultists surround the hospital. Beverly's corpse turns into a tentacled creature. Vincent and Simon arrive, hunting James. In the chaos, James stabs Dr Powell, who seems to die, and the creature kills a state trooper.

Allison goes to the basement for medical supplies and is captured by Powell, who is alive again. Daniel discovers that Powell is the cult's leader. Powell explains that he found a way to defeat death after losing his daughter, Sarah, and that something is now growing inside Allison. In the basement, James is killed by deformed, reanimated corpses.

Maggie goes into labour, then kills her grandfather, revealing she is carrying Powell's creation. Daniel finds Allison mutated, with a creature growing out of her, and is forced to kill her. Powell offers to bring back Daniel's dead child if he lets go.

Maggie's body bursts open, giving birth to a creature meant to be Powell's daughter. Vincent sacrifices himself so Simon can set it on fire. Daniel refuses Powell's offer and tackles him, and both fall into the void. Simon escapes and finds himself back in the hospital with Kim, the only other survivor. Daniel and Allison are seen holding hands in another world, beneath a giant black pyramid.

Ending Explained

What is the void? A doorway to another dimension, home to ancient beings "older than time". Powell uses it to try to defeat death.

What is the triangle? The symbol of the cult and of the other world. The filmmakers deliberately left its meaning open.

What did Powell want? To bring back his dead daughter, Sarah, through monstrous births and transformations.

What happens to Daniel? He tackles Powell into the void. In the final shot, he and Allison walk hand in hand in another world beneath a black pyramid, suggesting they are together after death.

Who survives? Simon and Kim, who end up back in the hospital.

Hidden Meaning & Symbolism

  • Grief: Both Powell and Daniel have lost children; Powell refuses to let go.

  • Rebirth: Pregnancy and birth become monstrous.

  • Cosmic horror: Human lives are tiny next to the ancient beings beyond the void.

  • The triangle: A symbol left open for the audience to interpret.

Scariest Moments

1

Beverly: A nurse with her face cut off kills a patient.

2

The Cultists: Silent white-robed figures surround the hospital.

3

The Basement: Deformed, reanimated corpses attack in the dark.

4

The Birth: Maggie's body bursts to release a monster.

Parents Guide / Trigger Warnings

Graphic Gore

Severe

Flayed faces, mutilated bodies and monstrous births.

Jump Scares

Moderate

Several sudden creature attacks.

Flashing Lights

Moderate

Strobing lights and flares in dark scenes.

Child Death / Peril

Moderate

Lost children are central to the story, and a newborn is turned into a monster.

Nudity

Mild

Some nudity on mutated bodies.

Suicide / Self Harm

Mild

A character sacrifices himself in fire.

Substance Abuse

None

No substance abuse.

Animal Death

None

No animal deaths.

Sexual Content

None

No sexual content.

Trigger Warning Notes:

Contains extreme body horror, pregnancy horror, burning, mutilation, the death of children (referenced) and graphic violence.

Trivia

  • The creature effects were funded through an Indiegogo campaign that raised $82,510.

  • Its directors are members of the Canadian filmmaking group Astron-6, but it was not released under that name because it is not a comedy.

  • Jeremy Gillespie was inspired after hearing Guillermo del Toro talk about making a new kind of H.P. Lovecraft film.

  • Members of the Suicide Squad effects team, then filming in Toronto, helped with the creatures.

  • It was filmed in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, at a former school that was demolished in 2016.

  • It premiered at Fantastic Fest in September 2016.

FAQS (Frequently Asked Questions)

What is the void in The Void?

A doorway to another dimension, home to ancient beings older than time.

What does the triangle mean in The Void?

It is the cult's symbol. The directors left its meaning deliberately ambiguous.

Who survives The Void?

Simon and Kim survive. Daniel falls into the void and is reunited with Allison in another world.

Is The Void inspired by H.P. Lovecraft?

Yes. It is a Lovecraftian horror film about cosmic beings and a cult.

Are the effects in The Void practical?

Yes. The creatures were built with practical effects, funded by crowdfunding.

Is The Void very gory?

Yes. It has graphic body horror and mutilation.

What films is The Void similar to?

It is often compared to The Thing, Hellraiser and Prince of Darkness.

Where can I watch The Void?

It streams on Amazon Prime Video in the UK and Canada, and free on Tubi in Canada.

Movie Information

Original Title

The Void

Release Date

September 22, 2016

Runtime

84 min

Country

Canada

Language

English

Status

Released

Director

Steven Kostanski, Jeremy Gillespie

Writer

Steven Kostanski, Jeremy Gillespie

Main Cast

Aaron Poole, Kenneth Welsh, Daniel Fathers, Kathleen Munroe, Ellen Wong, Mik Byskov, Grace Munro, Evan Stern, Art Hindle

Production Company

Cave Painting Pictures

Distributor

Screen Media Films

IMDb Page

View on IMDb