The Washing Machine (2020) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Yuri's dismembered body was discovered by Ludmilla late at night when blood spilled from the washing machine door. However, by the time police arrived, the body had vanished entirely, leaving the case mysterious. The truth revealed later is that Yuri was never actually dead, he survived, and the entire body discovery appears to have been staged or manipulated by the sisters as part of their larger scheme.

• yuri petkov
• washing machine
• body
• dismembered
• kolbas sisters

Yuri Petkov was alive the entire time. The discovery of his dismembered body in the washing machine was either staged or the body belonged to someone else. Yuri reappears alive later in the film, attacking Nikolai and Stacev, which confirms he faked his death as part of whatever plan was in motion.

Foreshadowing: Earlier moments of the sisters' conflicting stories about Yuri's death hint that something doesn't add up, with each sister offering wildly different accounts of what happened.

• yuri petkov
• alive
• fake death
• survival

Inspector Stacev is killed by being strangled, and his dismembered body is later found inside the same washing machine where Yuri's body was originally discovered. The sisters orchestrate this killing, placing his body in the machine as part of their final act of control and retribution.

Foreshadowing: Stacev's growing entanglement with the sisters, combined with his exposure to their manipulations and his willingness to consider joining them, signals his dangerous trajectory.

• inspector stacev
• death
• killed
• washing machine

Irina, who is Stacev's partner both personally and professionally as a lawyer, grows increasingly aware that the Kolbas sisters are deliberately manipulating Stacev and trying to seduce him into their web. Confronted with this betrayal and feeling used by the unfolding plot, she takes her own life rather than continue to be manipulated.

• irina
• suicide
• death
• stacev partner
• lawyer

The sisters are manipulating the investigation to protect themselves while also pursuing their own goals, wealth from Yuri's criminal stash, control over Inspector Stacev, and maintaining their power dynamic. Each sister has her own agenda: Vida seeks drama, Ludmilla craves attention and control, and Maria uses seduction and manipulation to get what she wants. Their shifting stories keep investigators confused and unable to pinpoint the truth.

• kolbas sisters
• motivation
• manipulation
• lies
• control

Nikolai is killed by Yuri, who is revealed to be very much alive. Yuri murders Nikolai in a brutal confrontation, likely because Nikolai had been withholding crucial information (Stacev's fingerprints at the scene) and was pursuing his own gains by stealing the suitcase of jewels from Stacev's apartment. Yuri's attack on Nikolai appears to be part of his violent reemergence.

• nikolai
• killed
• yuri petkov
• death
• police

The engraved bracelet is what triggers the entire chain of events. Vida discovers that Yuri engraved a bracelet with Maria's nickname, revealing that Yuri was secretly involved with Maria despite his relationship with Vida. This discovery causes Vida to end her relationship with Yuri and sets in motion the sisters' manipulation of the situation, using jealousy and betrayal as weapons.

• bracelet
• engraved
• maria
• yuri petkov
• jewelry

Maria claims she and her blind girlfriend Nidata teased Yuri into a sham relationship to test his loyalties, but the truth appears more complicated. Yuri engraved a bracelet with Maria's nickname, suggesting genuine romantic involvement. Maria's conflicting stories about Yuri throughout the investigation add to the confusion about their actual relationship.

• maria
• yuri petkov
• relationship
• love triangle

Stacev's tea is drugged by someone connected to the sisters or the criminal elements involved. This causes him to have disturbing dreams and hallucinations, including seeing Vida tearing Yuri apart. The drugging appears to be part of the manipulation to confuse his investigation, cloud his judgment, and keep him vulnerable to the sisters' influence.

• stacev
• drugged
• tea
• dreams
• manipulation

Stacev discovers a suitcase full of jewels and cash intended for the sisters and takes it to his apartment to gather evidence before acting. An unseen thief later steals the suitcase from his apartment. The thief is eventually revealed to be Nikolai, who turns against the others in pursuit of his own gain. The jewels ultimately end up back in the sisters' possession.

• suitcase
• jewels
• cash
• stolen
• nikolai
• evidence

In the final confrontation, Yuri, revealed to be alive, attacks Nikolai and Stacev. The sisters force Stacev into the washing machine for a group photo, demonstrating their control. Maria then throws an iron into Yuri's running bath, electrocuting him to death. The five sisters celebrate by laughing together, cementing their power and survival despite the chaos.

• ending
• electrocution
• yuri
• maria
• iron
• bath
• sisters

Yes, the sisters are guilty of multiple murders by the film's end. They kill Yuri Petkov through Maria's electrocution act, they orchestrated Stacev's murder (placing his body in the washing machine), and they were complicit in the overall scheme of deception and violence. However, the film blurs the line between victim and perpetrator, as the sisters position themselves as survivors responding to Yuri's threats and manipulation.

• sisters
• guilty
• murder
• kolbas
• crime