Totem

Totem follows Kellie, a practical teenager who finds herself fighting to keep her family safe when a malevolent supernatural force closes in on their quiet home. As strange events mount, Kellie clings to a protective totem and to the belief that she can shield her parents and younger sister from harm. The pressure grows as the haunting evolves from unsettling noises to dangerous manifestations, and the line between superstition and reality becomes blurred. With time running out, Kellie must summon courage and make hard choices, testing the bonds that hold the family together while the unseen threat tightens its grip. At night the house seems to breathe with creaks and flickering lights, and Kellie begins to notice patterns in the haunt that only she seems to understand.

Marcel Sarmiento directs Totem from an original screenplay by Evan Dickson. It marks character driven entry in 2017 horror, aiming for atmosphere over gore. Kerris Dorsey stars as Kellie with Ahna O'Reilly, James Tupper, Lia McHugh and Braeden Lemasters supporting.

Box office: Totem had a limited release in select theaters and on demand, with a modest gross that reflects its niche appeal. No wide international rollout was reported, which is typical for smaller budget horror titles in many markets.

Cultural impact: Totem never became a widely cited touchstone in horror culture. It occupies a niche among late 2010s supernatural thrillers and horror dramas focused on family dynamics, with few lines or scenes that entered broader pop culture consciousness. Its approach favors atmosphere over spectacle, a hallmark of this subgenre.

Reception & themes: Critics offered mixed takes, praising the tense atmosphere and Kerris Dorsey's lead while noting pacing that sometimes lags. Some reviewers highlighted the film's clean production and restrained scares, while others wished for sharper character arcs. Core themes include the costs of protecting loved ones, the strain of secrecy, and how fear tests a family under pressure. The result is a horror drama that leans on emotional stakes as much as dread.