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Trance (2020) movie poster

Timeline

Trance (2020) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
2020 · 170 mins · Malayalam
Echo score 77
JustWatch #7,281 4
Directed by
Anwar Rasheed
Starring
Joju George, Fahadh Faasil, Soubin Shahir, Dileesh Pothan, Unnimaya Prasad, Chemban Vinod Jose

A disheartened motivational speaker gets hired by a corporate to become a preacher until his live stint on television puts him and his service under the scanner.

Thriller Drama Cast, crew & box office
On this page (5)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Events in order (12)
  3. 3 Timeline questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch Trance (2020)

Where can you watch Trance? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on aha, Amazon Prime Video and Plex: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

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12 events in order · contains spoilers

Trance Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of Trance (2020) in order, scene by scene, with when and where it takes place. Use it to untangle flashbacks, time jumps and parallel storylines, to refresh your memory before the sequel or to find the exact scene you are thinking of.

  1. Deth is recalled to service in the 23rd century

    Jack Deth, a retired police trooper in the 23rd century, is called back into service to pursue the criminal mastermind Martin Whistler. Whistler wields psychic powers that turn ordinary people into mindless Trancers who follow his commands. Deth's mission hinges on his ability to detect trance targets with a special bracelet.

    When
    23rd century
    Where
    23rd-century Earth

  2. The Trancers phenomenon and the bracelet

    Trancers appear as normal humans until Whistler triggers them; their features twist into savage expressions when under his control. Deth explains how the bracelet identifies trance states, making it a crucial tool for hunting Whistler's victims. The hunt relies on distinguishing free minds from controlled ones.

    When
    23rd century
    Where
    Earth (future)

  3. Whistler escapes to 1985 and takes over Weisling

    Whistler uses a drug-assisted time-travel technique to slip back to 1985. His consciousness travels down his ancestral line to inhabit Los Angeles police detective Weisling. With Weisling's body under his control, Whistler begins a murder spree that crosses time.

    When
    1985
    Where
    Los Angeles, 1985

  4. Deth destroys Whistler's vessel and follows him through time

    Deth locates the possessed Weisling and destroys Whistler's vessel in the past, effectively leaving Whistler stranded there with no body to return to. He then chases Whistler through time, eventually ending up in the body of his ancestor, journalist Phil Dethton. The act sets up a new chase across generations.

    When
    1985
    Where
    Los Angeles, 1985

  5. Deth inhabits Phil Dethton and teams with Lena

    Now in Phil Dethton's body, Deth partners with Lena, Phil's date from the night before, to pursue Whistler across 1985. Lena brings street-smart grit and loyalty, helping them navigate a city where minds can be bent to another's will. Together they begin tracking Whistler's influence on new trance victims.

    When
    1985
    Where
    Los Angeles, 1985

  6. Whistler's trance network expands

    Whistler expands his control as more victims fall under trance, feeding his plans for the future of Angel City. Deth relies on the bracelet to identify trance victims and track Whistler's spread. The chase intensifies as Whistler's power grows in the city.

    When
    1985
    Where
    Los Angeles, 1985

  7. Whistler's plan to murder council ancestors

    Whistler reveals a broader aim: kill the ancestors of Angel City's future governing council to erase the council from history. Deth learns Hap Ashby is one of those key ancestors, forebear to Chairman Ashe. The threat grows as Whistler targets a lineage critical to the council's survival.

    When
    1985
    Where
    Angel City, 1985

  8. Deth gains high-tech gear

    Deth is supplied with futuristic equipment in the past: a sidearm containing two time-drug vials and a long-second wristwatch that slows time. The watch stretches one second into ten, giving him a crucial edge in the time-bending chase. He later receives a second watch to enhance his options.

    When
    1985
    Where
    Los Angeles, 1985

  9. The final chase and the vial crisis

    In the climactic confrontation, a vial breaks, leaving only one vial to reach the future. Deth must choose between killing Weisling, who is still Whistler's host, or using the vial to send Whistler back to 2247 and risking his own stranded future. He injects Weisling, saving the lieutenant but dooming Whistler to an eternity without a body.

    When
    1985
    Where
    Los Angeles, 1985

  10. Deth remains in 1985 with Lena; McNulty watches

    With Whistler defeated for now, Deth decides to stay in 1985 with Lena, continuing the fight from the past. The future boss McNulty appears to observe from the shadows, having traveled down his own ancestral line and now inhabiting the body of a young girl.

    When
    1985
    Where
    Los Angeles, 1985

  11. Hap Ashby is safeguarded

    Despite Whistler's murder spree, Hap Ashby—the ancestor linked to the council’s last surviving member—is safeguarded by Deth. This act preserves a vital ancestral line that could ensure a future council's continuity in Angel City.

    When
    1985
    Where
    Angel City, 1985

  12. Whistler stranded; a time-travel shadow lingers

    Whistler remains stranded in the past, unable to return without a vessel, effectively ending his immediate threat to the future. Deth's choice to stay in 1985 ensures the mission continues, while McNulty's presence hints that time travel's consequences will echo across generations.

    When
    1985
    Where
    1985

Last updated: October 14, 2025 at 04:08

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Timeline questions answered

Trance Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of Trance (2020): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why does Jack Deth destroy Whistler's vessel in 1985?

Deth destroys Whistler's vessel (Detective Weisling's body) to strand the villain in the past without a host. By destroying the body, Whistler loses his physical vessel and cannot return to his own time, effectively neutralizing his immediate threat to the future. This desperate act forces Whistler into an eternal void with no body to inhabit.

  • jack deth
  • whistler
  • vessel
  • destroy
  • 1985
  • stranded
Q2

How does Whistler's time travel method work?

Whistler uses a drug-assisted method of time travel, transferring his consciousness back through time by traveling down his ancestral bloodline. He doesn't physically travel but instead inhabits the body of his ancestor, in this case, 1985 Los Angeles detective Weisling. This method requires a living descendant to possess.

  • time travel
  • drug
  • consciousness
  • ancestor
  • whistler
  • possess
Q3

What are Trancers in the movie?

Trancers are ordinary people whose minds have been enslaved by Whistler's psychic powers. When Whistler triggers them, their eyes change, their posture shifts into savage expressions, and they become mindless, obedient enforcers who carry out his commands without question. Deth can detect them using a special bracelet that identifies trance states.

  • trancers
  • whistler
  • psychic
  • mind control
  • bracelet
Q4

Why does Jack Deth choose to stay in 1985?

Deth stays in 1985 because he uses his last vial to inject and save Lieutenant Weisling, who is still possessed by Whistler. This choice means he cannot return to his own time in the future. Rather than going home, he decides to build a life with Lena in the past, continuing the fight against evil from there.

  • deth
  • 1985
  • lena
  • stay
  • future
  • sacrifice
Q5

What is Whistler's plan to destroy the future council?

Whistler's plan is to eliminate the future governing council of Angel City by murdering their ancestors in 1985. By killing the ancestors who will one day birth the council members, he erases the council from existence entirely. This genealogical murder spree threatens to reshape the future by eliminating the leadership before they can be born.

  • whistler
  • council
  • ancestors
  • murder
  • angel city
  • future
Q6

Why does Deth inject Weisling instead of sending Whistler back?

During the final confrontation, Deth faces a devastating choice: one vial remains, and he must decide between killing Weisling (Whistler's host) to send Whistler back to 2247, or saving Weisling's life. Deth chooses to inject Weisling with the remaining vial, saving the innocent lieutenant but condemning Whistler to an eternity without a vessel.

  • weisling
  • vial
  • inject
  • whistler
  • deth
  • choice
  • sacrifice
Q7

What does the long-second wristwatch do?

The long-second wristwatch is a time-dilating device that stretches one second into ten, dramatically slowing time around the wearer. This gives Deth a crucial edge in combat and strategy, allowing him to react faster than normal humans. The device is finite and precious, making each use a strategic decision.

  • long-second
  • watch
  • time dilation
  • slow time
  • device
Q8

Who is McNulty and why is he in a young girl's body?

McNulty is Deth's future boss who travels down his own ancestral line to observe the events in 1985. He inhabits the body of a young girl to watch the outcome of Deth's mission from the shadows. His presence hints that time travel's consequences will echo across generations.

  • mcnulty
  • boss
  • future
  • girl
  • body
  • observe
Q9

Why is Hap Ashby important to the story?

Hap Ashby is a washed-up former baseball player who is actually a crucial ancestor, he is the forebear to Chairman Ashe, a member of Angel City's future governing council. Protecting Hap ensures the council's lineage remains intact, making him a vital link in preventing Whistler's plan to erase the council from history.

Foreshadowing: The timeline reveals early that Whistler targets council ancestors, making Hap's role critical once this connection is discovered.

  • hap ashby
  • baseball
  • council
  • ancestor
  • chairman ashe
  • protect
Q10

How does Deth identify Trancers?

Deth uses a special bracelet that detects the telltale signs of trance states. When a target is triggered by Whistler, their eyes change, their posture shifts, and their features twist into savage expressions. The bracelet allows Deth to distinguish between free-minded individuals and those under Whistler's psychic control.

  • bracelet
  • detect
  • trancer
  • eyes
  • posture
  • whistler
Q11

Why does Deth inhabit Phil Dethton's body?

Deth possesses the body of his ancestor, journalist Phil Dethton, to pursue Whistler into 1985. Since Whistler traveled down his own ancestral line, Deth must do the same to follow him through time. Phil is Deth's direct ancestor, making him the compatible host for the time-travel journey.

  • deth
  • phil dethton
  • possess
  • ancestor
  • body
  • journalist
Q12

What is the difference between being in a trance and being a Trancer?

Being in a trance refers to the temporary state when Whistler activates his psychic control over someone, their eyes change and they become obedient. A Trancer is someone who has been converted into one of Whistler's loyal enforcers through this process. Once Tranced, they remain under Whistler's control until freed or eliminated.

  • trance
  • trancer
  • psychic
  • control
  • difference
  • whistler

Movie threads

More Movies Like Trance, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes Trance tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Fast-paced sci-fi chase thrillers like Trance

Desperate heroes race against a ticking clock to prevent a futuristic catastrophe. If you enjoyed the urgent, high-stakes race against time in Trance, you'll find similar adrenaline in these movies. This thread gathers tense, action-packed sci-fi stories where heroes are in a desperate chase to avert a future calamity, perfect for fans of strategic urgency and futuristic threats.

  • tense
  • action-packed
  • suspenseful
  • anxious
  • futuristic
  • determined
  • Tone: tense, urgent
  • Pacing: fast, relentless
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative follows a clear, urgent objective: stop a catastrophic event. The journey is a linear, fast-moving chase filled with obstacles and confrontations, driven by the protagonist's determination and the escalating stakes. The plot emphasizes action and strategy over deep emotional exploration.

Why they belong together: Movies in this thread share a core experience of relentless pacing, high tension, and a clear, urgent goal. They are united by a vibe of anxiety and strategic action, focusing on the mechanics of the chase and the intellectual duel between hunter and hunted within a sci-fi framework.

Time to Hunt movie poster

Time to Hunt

2020
Off the Grid movie poster

Off the Grid

2025
The Last Chase movie poster

The Last Chase

1981
Fast Track: No Limits movie poster

Fast Track: No Limits

2008
The Fix movie poster

The Fix

2024
Time Runner movie poster

Time Runner

1993
Scorcher movie poster

Scorcher

2002
57 Seconds movie poster

57 Seconds

2023

Movies with bittersweet victories like Trance

Stories where saving the world comes at a profound personal cost. For viewers who appreciated the poignant, sacrificial ending of Trance, this thread highlights similar stories. These films feature heroes who achieve their goal but must pay a steep personal price, resulting in a victory that feels bittersweet and emotionally resonant.

  • bittersweet
  • melancholic
  • hopeful
  • sacrificial
  • determined
  • solemn
  • Tone: bittersweet, melancholic
  • Pacing: variable, building to climax
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The story builds towards a climactic resolution of the primary conflict, often saving many lives or ensuring a better future. However, the conclusion pivots on the hero making a voluntary sacrifice—such as losing their home, loved ones, or a part of themselves—making the win feel earned but personally costly.

Why they belong together: This thread groups movies based on their distinctive emotional conclusion. The shared element is the thematic focus on sacrifice and the specific emotional mix of a successful outcome tempered by personal loss, creating a powerful and thought-provoking ending feel.

Victory movie poster

Victory

2009
Winged Victory movie poster

Winged Victory

1944
A Time for Miracles movie poster

A Time for Miracles

1980
The Ultimate Gift movie poster

The Ultimate Gift

2007
Bright Victory movie poster

Bright Victory

1951
Hero movie poster

Hero

1992
The Keys of the Kingdom movie poster

The Keys of the Kingdom

1944
Men of the Fighting Lady movie poster

Men of the Fighting Lady

1954

Every angle

Trance (2020) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Trance in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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