
Synopsis/Details
#VanLife
By Keegan Bartel
778-888-6190 -- bartelkeegan61@gmail.com
After escaping a toxic relationship, a #VanLife YouTuber delves into investigating the haunting of the demonically possessed camper van she just bought, determined to uncover the mysterious events that led to its supernatural affliction.
MAYA, a struggling #VanLife YouTuber, aims to rejuvenate her solo channel after a breakup with her former YouTube partner and toxic boyfriend, Reece, by restoring a vintage campervan she recently discovered that is peak 1970s. Waterbed, shag carpet, lava lamps and The Glorious Dead posters. But during the cleaning process, she stumbles upon something juicy.
A journal filled with pentagrams, rituals, and Wicca symbols.
Realizing this is a mystery worth exploring, Maya delves into the internet and her slowly growing viewership to uncover the van's dark history—a murder-suicide involving Ambrosia Emerson and Dawn Nadur, with the killer at large—she sets out on an adventure to solve it.
As Maya delves deeper into the case, strange occurrences linked to the van escalate. During a meeting with the Park Ranger, a deer aggressively headbutts the van. In an abandoned mental asylum, the van inadvertently causes the death of a homeless thief while Maya searches for Ambrosia’s personal records, revealing that Dawn was her psychiatrist.
As Maya experiences a surge in her audience, she decides to conduct a seance in hopes of communicating with the spirits and uncovering the truth behind the murders. Beneath the shag carpet, she discovers a PENTAGRAM. However, during the seance the paranormal event spirals out of control. In a panic, Maya falls into the waterbed and is transported to a different time—1971.
At the time of the original murder.
In this chilling past, she witnesses the truth: Ambrosia and Dawn are to be married in a Wicca ceremony, but Kurt Nadur, the park ranger and husband to Dawn, in a jealous rage, murdered them both. When Maya returns to the present, the haunted van presents an ominous ultimatum to Maya through the radio—confront and kill Kurt to break the curse or take his place. Maya refuses, stating she is no murderer.
But then the van starts to get cold. Really cold.
The van becomes a psychological battlefield. Whether it’s a fridge spewing mean comments or exploding blood-filled lava lamps…Maya must unearth inner strength, confront her traumas, and grow into an empowered force to escape the haunted van's malevolent clutches.
Why This Movie?
The script seamlessly blends 70s vintage van culture with demonic possession mystery, offering a distinctive twist on the haunted house subgenre. The narrative unfolds in limited yet impactful locations, all the while providing a fresh perspective on trauma in the internet age. With over three million #VanLifers in the USA alone and the average person dedicating 21 hours a week to streamed content, the story caters to an underserved audience, making it a timely and compelling movie.
All Accolades & Coverage
Winner, Friday Night Frights - Night Frights LA 2025
Finalist in
Quarterfinalist, ScreenCraft Horror Competition 2025
More Placements in
Official Selection, HorrOrigins Film Festival 2024
Story & Logistics
Story Type:
Road Trip
Story Situation:
Daring enterprise
Story Conclusion:
Ambiguous
Linear Structure:
Linear
Moral Affections:
Bad Man, Condemnation, Disrespect, Illegality, Impurity, Punishment, Selfishness, Virtue
Cast Size:
Couple
Locations:
Few
Special Effects:
Blood, Minor cgi, Other on-set effects
Characters
Lead Role Ages:
Female Young Adult
Hero Type:
Ordinary
Villian Type:
Supernatural
Stock Character Types:
Final girl
Advanced
Subgenre:
Demonic Possession, Ghosts, Mysteries, Religious
Subculture:
Video game culture
Equality & Diversity:
Female Protagonist
Time Period:
Contemporary times
Country:
United States of America (USA)
Relationship Topics:
Abusive relationship, Breakup, Domestic, Jealousy