Grave Encounters (2011)
A found-footage horror that locks a ghost-hunting TV crew inside a haunted psychiatric hospital — with terrifying results.
Grave Encounters - Movie Information
- Original Title: Grave Encounters
- Release Year: 2011
- Directed by: Stuart Ortiz, Colin Minihan
- Type: Movie
- Genres: Thriller, Horror
- Runtime: 1h 33m
- Original Language: English
- Spoken Languages: English
- Release Date (Theatrical): September 9, 2011 (United States), April 20, 2012 (United Kingdom - 15), September 2, 2012 (Germany - 18), September 18, 2012 (Australia - MA15+)
- Alternative Titles: Cold Spots (CA), Fenômenos Paranormais (BR), Fenómeno siniestro (AR), Fenómeno Siniestro (SV), Fenomeno Siniestro (MX), Искатели могил (RU), 그레이브 인카운터 1 (KR), Grave Encounters 1 (US)
- Production Companies: Digital Interference Productions, Darclight, Twin Engine Films
- Production Countries: Canada
Grave Encounters - Plot
A crew from a paranormal reality television show lock themselves in a haunted psychiatric hospital. They search for evidence of paranormal activity as they shoot what ends up becoming their final episode.
Grave Encounters - Trailer
Watch the official trailer and see what awaits inside the walls of Collingwood Psychiatric Hospital:
They were searching for proof... they found it.
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Grave Encounters - Cast & Crew
Director(s)
- Stuart Ortiz
- Colin Minihan
Main Cast
- Sean Rogerson
- Ashleigh Gryzko
- Merwin Mondesir
- Mackenzie Gray
- Juan Riedinger
- Arthur Corber
- Luis Javier
- Shawn Macdonald
- Bob Rathie
- Benjamin Wilkinson
Writers
- Stuart Ortiz
- Colin Minihan
Producers
- Shawn Angelski
Grave Encounters - FAQs
What is Grave Encounters about?
Grave Encounters follows a ghost-hunting reality TV crew who lock themselves overnight inside the abandoned Collingwood Psychiatric Hospital. What starts as a staged paranormal investigation quickly turns terrifying as the building itself seems to come alive, trapping them in an ever-shifting labyrinth with no way out.
Is Grave Encounters based on a true story?
No, Grave Encounters is entirely fictional, though it's presented as found footage to feel authentic. The Collingwood Psychiatric Hospital doesn't exist. The film was shot at Riverview Hospital in Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada — a real former psychiatric facility that lends the movie its genuinely unsettling atmosphere.
Does Grave Encounters have a twist ending?
The ending is deliberately bleak and disorienting. The hospital's supernatural geometry keeps shifting, making escape impossible. The final moments reveal the footage was "discovered" — a classic found-footage payoff. It's ambiguous enough to spark debate, but most viewers agree it leans into hopeless, nihilistic horror rather than a neat resolution.
Where can you stream Grave Encounters right now?
You can watch Grave Encounters for free on Tubi TV, Pluto TV, The Roku Channel, YouTube Free, Plex, Hoopla, Kanopy, and Fawesome. If you prefer ad-free viewing, it's available to rent or buy on Amazon Video, Fandango At Home, Google Play Movies, and YouTube.
Is Grave Encounters worth watching for horror fans?
Absolutely — especially if you enjoy found-footage horror. Grave Encounters is widely praised as one of the better entries in the subgenre, delivering genuine dread through claustrophobic atmosphere and escalating chaos. It avoids many genre pitfalls and earns its scares organically. Horror fans regularly rank it among the best haunted-asylum films.
Who are the main actors in Grave Encounters?
Sean Rogerson leads the cast as Lance Preston, the cocky host of the fictional ghost-hunting show. He's joined by Ashleigh Gryzko as Sasha Parker, Merwin Mondesir as T.C. Gibson, Mackenzie Gray as Houston Gray, and Juan Riedinger as Matt White. Rogerson's performance is a standout — convincingly shifting from showman to terrified survivor.
Where was Grave Encounters filmed?
The film was shot almost entirely at Riverview Hospital in Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada. The real decommissioned psychiatric facility provided the production with genuinely eerie, decaying corridors and wards — no set dressing needed. Its authentic atmosphere is a huge reason the film feels so unsettling and believable.
Does Grave Encounters have a sequel?
Yes! Grave Encounters 2 followed in 2012, directed by John Poliquin and written by the Vicious Brothers. It takes a meta approach — a film student becomes obsessed with the original movie, convinced it's real footage. While divisive among fans, it expands the mythology and delivers some creative scares of its own.
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