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Timeline

AKA (2023) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
2023 · 122 min · French
Echo score 58
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Directed by
Morgan S. Dalibert
Starring
Sveva Alviti, Thibault de Montalembert, Alban Lenoir, Kevin Layne, Eric Cantona, Lucille Guillaume

A skilled operative infiltrates a dangerous criminal network, finding himself unexpectedly connected to the kingpin's son, who is more vulnerable than he initially appears. Their complicated relationship creates tension and forces them to question their allegiances as they become entangled in a thrilling and suspenseful game of deception and pursuit.

On this page (6)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Events in order (12)
  3. 3 Timeline questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Movies like AKA
  6. 6 Every angle
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12 events in order · contains spoilers

AKA Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of AKA (2023) 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. Infiltration of a Libyan terror cell

    Adam Franco infiltrates a Libyan terrorist cell to locate a captured reporter and carry out the assigned strike. The operation tests his discipline and combat prowess under cover. This early mission serves as a preface to the bigger task linked to Al Tayeb.

    When
    early phase of the mission
    Where
    Libya
  2. New assignment: flush out a Paris-based warlord

    Kruger, acting on orders from Senator Marconnet, assigns Adam to locate and eliminate Moktar Al Tayeb, the prime suspect in a Paris hotel bombing. The assignment shifts the focus from Libya to France, raising political and operational stakes. Adam plans to get closer by working within criminal networks that tie to Al Tayeb.

    When
    shortly after the Libya mission
    Where
    Paris, France
  3. Infiltration of the Pastore crime syndicate

    Adam infiltrates the Pastore crime syndicate and earns the trust of boss Victor Pastore. Victor’s known business links connect him to Al Tayeb, hinting at a larger conspiracy. Adam uses these connections to observe key players and map the operation’s web.

    When
    early during the Paris operation
    Where
    Pastore crime syndicate hideout
  4. Demonstrating force against rival gangs

    Adam impresses Victor by demonstrating his fighting prowess during clashes with Amet’s rival gang led by an Egyptian fighter. The brutal altercations cement his standing within the syndicate and make him a trusted asset. The exchanges also reveal how intertwined the factions are with Al Tayeb’s aims.

    When
    shortly after joining Pastore
    Where
    Pastore's network territory
  5. A bond forms with Pee Wee and Jonathan

    Adam begins to bond with Pee Wee, a key player connected to Al Tayeb, and forms an unlikely friendship with Jonathan, Victor’s stepson. These relationships complicate his mission, blurring lines between operative duties and personal leverage. The evolving loyalties will shape the choices he makes as events escalate.

    When
    during the infiltrations
    Where
    Pastore safe-house
  6. Birthday party disruption and bank heist

    During Jonathan’s birthday, Pee Wee lures Adam into a bank heist arranged by Victor. A high-stakes gunfight erupts as Amet’s gang ambushes them in the streets. The chaos exposes Natalya as a mole, complicating Adam’s trusted network and deepening the danger.

    When
    the night of the party
    Where
    City streets, Paris
  7. Jonathan kidnapped at the zoo

    At the zoo, Jonathan is kidnapped by Amet’s gang, prompting Victor to refuse a ransom. Adam pursues the kidnapper’s trail with urgency, relying on haunts of his undercover identity. The kidnapping adds a personal deadline to the larger mission.

    When
    day of the kidnapping
    Where
    Paris Zoo
  8. Rescuing Jonathan and confronting Amet

    Adam infiltrates Amet’s gang compound, fights his way inside, and saves Jonathan, killing Amet in the process. He is badly wounded in the confrontation, underscoring the personal cost of his undercover operation. With Amet dead, the net closes on Al Tayeb and his connections.

    When
    rescue sequence
    Where
    Amet's gang compound
  9. Cisko is killed; Adam investigates

    While Adam is recuperating, Cisko spots Al Tayeb and confronts him, only to be killed by Pee Wee. Adam uses a nearby shop to review security footage of Cisko’s murder, realizing there is a mole in Victor’s circle. This discovery raises the stakes and tightens the net around the conspiracy.

    When
    shortly after Cisko’s murder
    Where
    Shop with security footage
  10. Mona’s counter-surveillance and her death

    Mona, Cisko’s partner, helps disrupt Victor’s men and warns Adam, but she dies from a shotgun blast that clips her neck. Youssef, one of Victor’s lieutenants, deduces that Adam is the mole as surveillance collapses around them. The betrayal weighs heavily as the operation presses toward its final phase.

    When
    as the surveillance operation unfolds
    Where
    Victor’s base and surrounding streets
  11. Al Tayeb reveals the frame and funds for his daughter

    Al Tayeb explains he was framed by the French government and reveals his fundraising for his daughter’s medical treatment. He also ties the attack to Senator Marconnet, a connection the senator wants hidden. The revelations reshape the mission from capture to exposing a political conspiracy.

    When
    revelation moment
    Where
    Makeshift hospital
  12. Hospital assault and the mission’s climax

    Kruger dispatches two elite commandos to kill Al Tayeb, Victor, and associates. In the hospital, Adam and Pee Wee fight the commandos and escape with Al Tayeb’s daughter. In the aftermath, Adam kills Kruger, reunites with Hélène and Jonathan, and Pee Wee and Adam expose Senator Marconnet’s ties to Al Tayeb for front-page news.

    When
    climax and aftermath
    Where
    Makeshift hospital / city

Last updated: October 09, 2025 at 16:23

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Timeline questions answered

AKA Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of AKA (2023): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why does Adam Franco infiltrate the Pastore crime syndicate?

Adam Franco infiltrates the Pastore crime syndicate to get close to Moktar Al Tayeb, the South Sudanese warlord he has been assigned to eliminate. Since Victor Pastore has business connections to Al Tayeb, joining the crime syndicate gives Adam access to the criminal network that can lead him to his target. This undercover approach allows him to gather intelligence while operating within the criminal underworld.

  • adam franco
  • pastore syndicate
  • infiltration
  • moktar al tayeb
Q2

Who is the mole in Victor Pastore's operation?

The mole in Victor Pastore's operation is Natalya, Victor's own wife. After the bank heist goes wrong and a shootout erupts in the streets, Franco discovers that Natalya has been working as an informant, likely for French intelligence or another external entity. Franco warns her that exposure is only a matter of time, though the full extent of her betrayal and who she reports to remains ambiguous.

  • natalya
  • mole
  • victor pastore
  • betrayal
Q3

Why does Victor Pastore refuse to pay the ransom for Jonathan?

Victor Pastore refuses to pay the ransom for Jonathan because he believes paying would make him appear weak and vulnerable to his rivals. In the dangerous world of organized crime, showing weakness invites more attacks and extortion attempts. Victor's harden stance reflects the ruthless logic of survival in the criminal underworld, even when it involves his own stepson.

  • victor pastore
  • jonathan
  • ransom
  • kidnapping
Q4

Why does Pee Wee kill Cisko?

Pee Wee kills Cisko because Cisko has discovered Al Tayeb's location and is about to expose him. When Cisko encounters Al Tayeb and confronts him, Pee Wee intervenes and kills him to prevent the information from reaching Victor or the authorities. This act reveals that Pee Wee has deeper allegiances and secrets than his friendship with Adam suggested, tying him more closely to Al Tayeb's operation.

  • pee wee
  • cisko
  • murder
  • al tayeb
Q5

Why was Moktar Al Tayeb framed by the French government?

Moktar Al Tayeb was framed by the French government because Senator Marconnet wanted him eliminated and used political influence to orchestrate it. Al Tayeb was brought to France under false pretenses to discuss Sudanese politics, only to be blamed for a hotel bombing he did not commit. An assassination attempt killed his wife and critically injured his daughter, giving the government a pretext to label him a terrorist. In reality, his charitable funding was only for his daughter's medical care, not terrorism.

  • moktar al tayeb
  • framed
  • senator marconnet
  • french government
Q6

Why does Kruger order the elimination of Al Tayeb, Victor, and everyone connected?

Kruger orders the elimination of Al Tayeb, Victor, and all connected individuals because Senator Marconnet wants to silence everyone who knows the truth about the frame job. The assassination attempt on Al Tayeb and subsequent cover-up would be exposed if any witnesses remained alive. By ordering elite commandos to kill everyone, Kruger follows the senator's orders to erase the conspiracy completely, treating the operation as a cleanup mission to protect high-level political interests.

  • kruger
  • senator marconnet
  • elimination
  • conspiracy
Q7

What is the connection between Senator Marconnet and Moktar Al Tayeb?

Senator Marconnet is the French official who ordered Adam Franco to eliminate Al Tayeb, but the real connection is far more sinister. Marconnet orchestrated Al Tayeb's frame by bringing him to France under false pretenses and then blaming him for the hotel bombing. Al Tayeb reveals that his past ties to Marconnet have been weaponized to cover up the truth and justify his assassination. At the end, Pee Wee and Franco expose these hidden connections, creating a front-page political scandal.

  • senator marconnet
  • moktar al tayeb
  • political conspiracy
  • frame
Q8

Why does Adam Franco save Victor Pastore's children at the end?

Adam Franco saves Victor Pastore's children because, despite Victor being a criminal, the children are innocent and do not deserve to die for their father's crimes. When Kruger's men move to kill Victor's children as part of the broader elimination order, Franco intervenes and stops the execution. This decision reflects Adam's moral line, he will complete his mission and expose the conspiracy, but he refuses to let innocents be murdered, even the family of a crime boss.

  • adam franco
  • victor children
  • rescue
  • moral line
Q9

What is the significance of Al Tayeb's fundraising for his daughter?

Al Tayeb's fundraising is significant because it proves he is not a terrorist but a desperate father trying to save his critically injured daughter. All the money he raised through his charitable connections was directed toward medical treatment for his daughter in France after the assassination attempt that killed his wife. The French government used his funding network as evidence of terrorism, when in reality it was simply a father's attempt to secure medical care for his child.

  • al tayeb daughter
  • medical funding
  • charity
  • frame
Q10

Why does Adam Franco kill Kruger at the end?

Adam Franco kills Kruger because Kruger is actively trying to murder innocent people, including Victor's children, as part of the cleanup operation ordered by Senator Marconnet. When Kruger arrives to carry out the elimination, Franco fights back and kills him to protect the remaining innocent lives and stop the cover-up from completing. This act also removes the immediate threat to Franco, Hélène, and Jonathan.

  • adam franco
  • kruger
  • kill
  • senator marconnet
Q11

How does the truth about Al Tayeb change Adam's mission?

Once Adam learns the truth about Al Tayeb's frame, his mission transforms from assassination to exposure. Instead of killing Al Tayeb, Adam teams up with him and Pee Wee to fight off the commandos and escape with Al Tayeb's daughter. The revelation that the French government framed an innocent man for terrorism shifts Adam's objective from completing his assignment to exposing the political conspiracy and bringing Senator Marconnet to justice.

  • al tayeb truth
  • mission change
  • expose
  • conspiracy
Q12

Why does Franco warn Natalya that exposure is only a matter of time?

Franco warns Natalya because he has discovered she is the mole feeding information to external parties, likely the authorities or rival factions. Despite being an operative himself, Franco chooses to warn her rather than immediately expose her, possibly because her continued presence could be useful to his cover or because he sees her as another person trapped in a dangerous game of betrayal. The warning establishes that Franco knows her secret and could use it against her if necessary.

  • franco
  • natalya
  • warning
  • mole
Q13

What triggers the final confrontation at the hospital?

The final confrontation at the hospital is triggered when Kruger dispatches two elite commando units to eliminate Al Tayeb, Victor, and everyone connected to the operation on Senator Marconnet's orders. When the commandos arrive at the makeshift hospital where Al Tayeb is being treated, they murder Al Tayeb directly, forcing Franco and Pee Wee to fight back. This assault transforms the hospital into a battleground and sets up the climactic escape with Al Tayeb's daughter.

  • hospital
  • commandos
  • kruger
  • final confrontation

Movie threads

More Movies Like AKA, by Mood & Story

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

Movies with Undercover Loyalty Crises like AKA

Deep cover operatives forced to blur the lines between duty and connection. For viewers seeking movies like AKA that explore the intense moral dilemmas of deep cover operations. These films feature skilled operatives whose assignments are complicated by personal connections, leading to high-stakes tension and questions about true allegiance in a world of deception.

  • tense
  • paranoid
  • morally-ambiguous
  • gritty
  • suspenseful
  • high-stakes
  • Tone: tense, morally conflicted, paranoid
  • Pacing: fast, driven by suspense
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative typically centers on an operative assigned to infiltrate a criminal or enemy organization. Their mission is complicated when they form a genuine, often protective, bond with a target who is more vulnerable or human than expected. This creates a central conflict between completing the mission and following their conscience, usually culminating in a climactic choice that defines their true loyalties.

Why they belong together: Movies are grouped here for their shared focus on the psychological strain of undercover work, the theme of moral ambiguity, and the high-tension dynamic of an agent caught between two worlds. They deliver a potent mix of action, suspense, and heavy emotional drama.

Gritty Action Movies with Bittersweet Endings like AKA

Violent victories that leave behind emotional scars and hollow justice. If you liked the relentless action and emotionally heavy, bittersweet conclusion of AKA, this list is for you. Discover similar gritty thrillers where hard-won victories come with a significant moral and personal cost, leaving a lasting emotional impact.

  • gritty
  • action-packed
  • pessimistic
  • melancholic
  • suspenseful
  • bleak
  • Tone: gritty, tense, bittersweet
  • Pacing: fast, relentless
Why these movies?

The story pattern: These stories often follow a linear path of escalating violence and pursuit towards a central objective. However, the narrative subverts typical action tropes by ensuring the climax is pyrrhic. Key allies may be lost, the protagonist is emotionally scarred, or the victory reveals a deeper, unresolved systemic corruption, resulting in an ending that is satisfying yet somber.

Why they belong together: These films are connected by their coherent blend of a fast pace and high-intensity action with a consistently tense and gritty tone. They are united by a narrative structure that prioritizes heavy emotional consequences, leading to a finale that feels more bittersweet than triumphant.

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Movies Like AKA

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Every angle

AKA (2023) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about AKA 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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