Affliction (2021) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Nina's mother died from illness, but in her grief and psychological distress, Nina became convinced that her mother had decapitated herself with a knife. This traumatic belief stems from her fragile mental state following the loss, and it creates her fear that her mother-in-law Dayu might suffer the same fate. The belief haunts Nina throughout the film, driving her to seek answers about Dayu's condition.

• nina
• mother
• death
• decapitation
• grief
• mental state

Dayu's dementia went beyond typical memory loss and confusion. She exhibited supernatural behaviors including whispering cryptic phrases, appearing in shadows around the house, and attempting to harm herself. The caretaker noted this disturbing turn, suggesting something beyond natural illness plagued her. These paranormal manifestations were connected to the buried secret on her property, the bones of a man Hasan had killed.

• dayu
• dementia
• supernatural
• paranormal
• caretaker
• frightening

Ari Kibar translates to "Arah kiblat," which means the direction of the qibla (the direction Muslims face during prayer). In the film, this cryptic phrase haunts Dayu and appears during paranormal events. When Nina investigates, she discovers the qibla direction from Dayu's home points toward a tree where human bones are buried, revealing the location of Dimas' hidden grave.

Foreshadowing: Dayu repeatedly whispers the phrase before any supernatural occurrence.

• ari kiblat
• arah kiblat
• qibla
• direction
• bones
• tree

The caretaker who tended to Dayu was not a real person. When Nina followed her from the village, she discovered the woman vanished into a remote house that held news clippings about Hasan and a man named Dimas. The fake caretaker was part of the cover-up surrounding Dimas' death, someone Dayu had hired or arranged to maintain the false narrative about her condition.

• caretaker
• fake
• deception
• dimas
• clippings
• cover-up

Hasan and Dimas were once close friends who both tried to win Dayu's favor by displaying their supposed talents. During a violent confrontation between them, Hasan killed Dimas with a knife. This murder occurred years before the film's events, and both Hasan and Dayu kept the truth hidden, Dayu to protect Hasan and spare Dimas' family from pain, Hasan to avoid consequences for his crime.

• hasan
• dimas
• secret
• murder
• knife
• confession

Hasan and Dimas competed for Dayu's approval and affection. In a violent argument, Hasan killed Dimas with a knife. The exact trigger is not detailed, but the confrontation stemmed from their rivalry and tension. Hasan confessed to this murder when Nina uncovered the truth, revealing the violent past that haunted the family.

• hasan
• dimas
• killed
• murder
• fight
• rivalry

Dayu chose to conceal Hasan's murder of Dimas to protect him from imprisonment and to spare Dimas' family from the painful truth of how he died. Dayu buried Dimas' bones beneath a tree on her property and arranged the fake caretaker to maintain the lie. Her silence, though well-intentioned, allowed the secret to fester and ultimately contributed to the family's destruction.

• dayu
• hidden
• crime
• secret
• bury
• bones
• family

Dayu died after drinking ginger tea that Nina prepared for her. The death occurred under inexplicable circumstances, appearing supernatural to the family. While the exact cause is not explicitly stated, it follows a period of intense paranormal activity and psychological torment. The death adds to the film's mystery and reinforces the dark atmosphere surrounding Dayu's condition and the buried secret.

Foreshadowing: Dayu's strange behavior and self-harming attempts preceded her death.

• dayu
• death
• tea
• ginger
• cause
• mysterious

When Nina discovered Hasan's confession about killing Dimas, she planned to flee with their children. Hasan, desperate to prevent his secrets from being exposed, attacked Nina with the intent to kill her. His violence escalated from a protective instinct over his hidden crime to attempted murder, reflecting how the long-buried secret finally drove him to deadly action.

• hasan
• nina
• attack
• kill
• violence
• flee
• secret

A neighbor who was connected to Dimas overheard Hasan confessing to the murder and attempting to kill Nina. This neighbor intervened and killed Hasan with a spade, ending his violent rampage. The neighbor's intervention saved Nina and her children, but it also brought swift justice, Hasan was buried alongside Dimas by dawn, their shared past finally closed.

• neighbor
• killed
• hasan
• spade
• dimas
• justice

The bones buried beneath the tree in Dayu's yard were the remains of Dimas, Hasan's friend whom he had killed years earlier. Dayu had secretly buried the body and kept the location hidden. The qibla direction (Ari Kibar) pointed to this tree, allowing Nina to discover the grave and uncover the murder that had haunted the family.

Foreshadowing: The phrase Ari Kibar repeatedly pointed toward this location.

• bones
• tree
• dimas
• buried
• grave
• discovery
• qibla

When Nina followed the fake caretaker, she discovered the woman was not real and instead found a collection of news clippings about Hasan and Dimas. This led her to learn about the qibla direction and the buried bones. Her investigation exposed the long-hidden murder and the family's cover-up, ultimately triggering the violent confrontation with Hasan.

• nina
• investigation
• clippings
• dimas
• discovery
• secret