The motif of cinematic and theatrical allusions is woven throughout the narrative to develop the theme of The Unraveling of Performed Identities. From the outset, deception is framed as a performance. During her bachelorette weekend, Abigail and a handsome stranger adopt aliases. He suggests, “How about I make up your name and you make up mine?” (35). Because he decides to call her “Madeleine,” Abigail decides to call him “Scottie” in reference to Alfred Hitchcock’s film Vertigo, a story of obsession and fabricated identity. This initial role-playing foreshadows the larger, more sinister performances to come. Bruce Lamb’s identity as a kind, devoted husband is a meticulously crafted role designed to conceal his controlling and violent nature. The Quoddy Resort itself operates like a theatrical set, where staff and guests play their parts in a horrifying drama orchestrated by the men. This motif culminates in the cult’s ritual in the woods, where the men don masks. The masks are the final, literal props in their performance, dropping the facade of civilization to reveal the monstrous characters they truly are, turning their deadly game into a grotesque piece of theater.