The People In The Walls
A viral ritual allows three kids to conjure people from the walls as they must now try to put them back before it is too late.
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
The People In The Walls (2024) showcases strategically placed plot construction, characteristic of Michael Crum's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 33 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.3, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes A family packs their belongings, preparing for a fresh start in a new home. The parents are optimistic about the move despite visible financial strain.. Of particular interest, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 11 minutes when The youngest daughter discovers a hidden door behind the wallpaper in her closet. Inside, she finds disturbing drawings and evidence that someone has been living in the walls.. At 12% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 24 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 26% of the runtime. This demonstrates the protagonist's commitment to After another disturbing incident, the father decides to actively investigate the hidden passages. He enters the walls with a camera, committing the family to confronting whatever is in their home., moving from reaction to action.
At 47 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 51% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Significantly, this crucial beat The family captures one of the people living in the walls, but the victory is false—they discover there are many more, and they've now provoked them. The people in the walls cut off all exits from the house., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 70 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, The father is dragged into the walls and disappears. The mother finds his camera showing his fate. The family is separated, communications destroyed, and hope seems lost. This is their darkest moment., demonstrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 75 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 81% of the runtime. The mother realizes the people in the walls fear exposure to light and the outside world. She formulates a plan to use the house's structure against them, combining her knowledge with her husband's discoveries., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
The People In The Walls's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs a 15-point narrative structure framework that maps key story moments. By mapping The People In The Walls against these established plot points, we can identify how Michael Crum utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish The People In The Walls within the horror genre.
Comparative Analysis
Additional horror films include Lake Placid, A Nightmare on Elm Street and Cat's Eye.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
A family packs their belongings, preparing for a fresh start in a new home. The parents are optimistic about the move despite visible financial strain.
Theme
The real estate agent mentions, "Every house has its secrets. It's what you do with them that matters." This foreshadows the film's exploration of hidden truths and facing the past.
Worldbuilding
The family settles into their new Victorian home. We learn about their financial troubles, the parents' strained marriage, and the children's anxiety about the move. Strange noises are dismissed as old house sounds.
Disruption
The youngest daughter discovers a hidden door behind the wallpaper in her closet. Inside, she finds disturbing drawings and evidence that someone has been living in the walls.
Resistance
The parents debate whether to investigate or ignore the discovery. Financial constraints prevent them from moving. A local handyman warns them about the house's history but they rationalize staying.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
After another disturbing incident, the father decides to actively investigate the hidden passages. He enters the walls with a camera, committing the family to confronting whatever is in their home.
Mirror World
The family meets a former resident who escaped the house years ago. She represents what happens when you run from your problems versus facing them, mirroring the family's need to confront their issues.
Premise
The family explores the hidden network within the walls, uncovering the dark history of the house. They discover evidence of previous occupants who disappeared. Tension builds as they realize they're being watched.
Midpoint
The family captures one of the people living in the walls, but the victory is false—they discover there are many more, and they've now provoked them. The people in the walls cut off all exits from the house.
Opposition
The people in the walls escalate their attacks. The family's attempts to escape or call for help are systematically thwarted. Internal family conflicts surface under pressure, threatening to tear them apart.
Collapse
The father is dragged into the walls and disappears. The mother finds his camera showing his fate. The family is separated, communications destroyed, and hope seems lost. This is their darkest moment.
Crisis
The remaining family members hide in separate parts of the house, paralyzed by fear and grief. The mother nearly gives up until she finds a message from her husband revealing the people's weakness.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
The mother realizes the people in the walls fear exposure to light and the outside world. She formulates a plan to use the house's structure against them, combining her knowledge with her husband's discoveries.
Synthesis
The family reunites and executes their plan, systematically tearing down the walls and flooding the passages with light. They fight their way to freedom, confronting the leader of the people in the walls in a final showdown.
Transformation
The family stands outside as authorities arrive and the house is demolished. They're together, scarred but united. Unlike the opening's anxious optimism, they now face uncertainty with genuine strength and solidarity.