Plot Explained Spoilers guaranteed!
Plot Explained

Browse by genre

Action Comedy Drama Horror Thriller Sci-Fi Romance Mystery Animation Crime
And Now the Screaming Starts! (1973) movie poster

Timeline

And Now the Screaming Starts! (1973) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
1973 · 91 mins · English
JustWatch #22,723 2
Directed by
Roy Ward Baker
Starring
Herbert Lom, Peter Cushing, Patrick Magee, Ian Ogilvy, Rosalie Crutchley, Guy Rolfe

The cursed hand that crawls, kills, and lives. In the late 18th century, newlyweds Charles and Catherine Fengriffen move into the stately family mansion. Catherine soon falls victim to a vengeance‑driven curse placed by a wronged servant on the Fengriffen line, sealing a doom that haunts each descendant.

Horror Cast, crew & box office
On this page (6)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Events in order (15)
  3. 3 Timeline questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Movies like And Now the Screaming Starts!
  6. 6 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch And Now the Screaming Starts! (1973)

Where can you watch And Now the Screaming Starts!? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on Fawesome, Hoopla and Amazon Prime Video Free: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

Streaming availability powered by JustWatch

15 events in order · contains spoilers

And Now the Screaming Starts! Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of And Now the Screaming Starts! (1973) 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. Move to Fengriffen House

    During 1795, Catherine moves to Fengriffen House with her fiancé Charles. She begins to experience visions of an undead corpse with a birthmarked face, empty eye sockets, and a severed right hand. The dark history of the estate seems to press in on her from the moment she arrives.

    When
    1795
    Where
    Fengriffen House

  2. Wedding night assault

    On their wedding night, Catherine is attacked and raped by an evil spirit in her bedroom at Fengriffen House. The assault scars her and deepens her visions of the corpse. The house's haunting presence feels more personal than before.

    When
    1795 (wedding night)
    Where
    Fengriffen House

  3. Meeting Silas the woodsman

    Shortly after arriving, Catherine encounters Silas, a woodsman who lives in a nearby lodge and bears a birthmark identical to the corpse. The coincidence links Silas to the estate's curse and the visions. She wonders what he knows about the estate's dark history.

    When
    1795
    Where
    Silas' lodge

  4. Mysterious killings deter truth-tellers

    Those who attempt to explain Silas's presence fall under the curse's reach. Maitland is hacked to death with an axe; Mrs Luke is thrown down the stairs; Aunt Edith is strangled by the severed hand, which then vanishes. The killings sow fear and silence within Fengriffen House.

    When
    1795
    Where
    Fengriffen House

  5. Pregnancy announced; silence about the past

    With Catherine's pregnancy announced, Dr Whittle urges Charles to reveal the estate's past. Charles refuses, treating the tale as superstition rather than fact. Tension between science and superstition grows as Catherine seeks answers.

    When
    1795
    Where
    Fengriffen House

  6. Dr Pope invited to investigate

    Charles instead calls in psychiatrist Dr Pope, who approaches the mystery with an open mind. He nearly draws out the truth from Whittle, but before Whittle can speak, the severed hand re-materialises and strangulates him before vanishing again. The supernatural threat becomes undeniable.

    When
    1795
    Where
    Fengriffen House

  7. Pope confronts the family history

    Pope confronts Charles, who recounts the Fengriffen family’s crimes and old grievances surrounding Sir Henry Fengriffen. The story traces a pattern of violence and a curse tied to Silas and his son. The revelation sets the stage for a confrontation with the estate's legacy.

    When
    1795
    Where
    Fengriffen House

  8. The backstory of Sir Henry Fengriffen

    Fifty years earlier, Sir Henry Fengriffen rapes the bride of his servant Silas. In revenge, Silas's son, the woodsman, bears a matching birthmark. Henry cuts off Silas's right hand, catalyzing a curse that targets the next virgin bride to enter Fengriffen House.

    When
    circa 1745
    Where
    Fengriffen estate

  9. The curse revealed

    Silas's curse declares that the next virgin bride will be raped and her child tainted, and that anyone warning her will die. Henry later expresses remorse and bequeaths Silas land, but the prophecy remains active, awaiting its target. Catherine, as the first eligible bride in decades, now seems bound to become the cursed instrument.

    When
    present (late 18th century)
    Where
    Fengriffen House / estate

  10. Pope stays through Catherine's birth

    Pope agrees to stay with the Fengriffens until Catherine gives birth, providing a rational counterpoint to the estate's curse. The doctors and priests balance belief and evidence as they wait for the child. The mood remains tense, with danger lurking at every corner.

    When
    1795
    Where
    Fengriffen House

  11. Labor and delivery

    Catherine goes into labor, and Pope sedates her to facilitate delivery. He assists in delivering the baby, whose unsettling appearance shocks Charles. The birth makes the estate's dark legacy feel all too real.

    When
    1795 (labour)
    Where
    Fengriffen House

  12. Charles confronts Silas' lodge

    Charles travels to Silas' lodge and shoots the woodsman in the face, attempting to end the threat himself. The violence marks a direct confrontation with the curse's origin. Silas dies with the same mutilation seen in Catherine's visions.

    When
    1795 (during labour)
    Where
    Silas' lodge

  13. Pope and the revelation at the lodge

    Pope follows and discovers Silas dead on the floor, shot through both eyes—matching Catherine's vision of the corpse. The parallel between dream and reality strengthens the case for the supernatural. The living and the dead seem to collide on the estate.

    When
    1795
    Where
    Silas' lodge

  14. Henry's grave is opened

    Charles smashes open Henry's grave and destroys his remains, a desperate attempt to eradicate the source of the curse. He shoves Pope away when the doctor tries to intervene. The act shows how far the family will go to end the haunting.

    When
    1795
    Where
    Fengriffen graveyard

  15. The newborn and the final revelation

    Pope returns to Catherine and presents the baby, who bears the birthmark and has no right hand. The child embodies the culmination of the curse and its perpetual cycle. Catherine's union with Charles has produced a tainted heir that seals Fengriffen's dark legacy.

    When
    1795
    Where
    Fengriffen House

Last updated: October 09, 2025 at 11:11

Was this helpful?

Timeline questions answered

And Now the Screaming Starts! Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of And Now the Screaming Starts! (1973): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why was Catherine targeted by the Fengriffen curse?

Catherine became the curse's target because she was the first virgin bride to enter Fengriffen House in generations. The curse specifically marked any virgin bride who crossed the threshold, and since no eligible bride had lived at the estate for decades, Catherine fulfilled the prophecy the moment she arrived as Charles's fiancé.

Foreshadowing: The estate's dark history presses in on Catherine from the moment she arrives at Fengriffen House.

  • catherine fengriffen
  • curse target
  • virgin bride
  • fengriffen house
Q2

What is the curse that haunts the Fengriffen family?

Silas cursed the Fengriffen family after Sir Henry brutalized him. The curse ensures that any virgin bride who enters Fengriffen House will be raped and her child will be tainted. Additionally, anyone who attempts to warn the bride will die. The curse passes through generations, waiting for the right victim to activate.

Foreshadowing: The mysterious killings of those who try to explain Silas's presence demonstrate the curse's deadly enforcement.

  • fengriffen curse
  • silas
  • curse rules
  • warning death
  • tainted child
Q3

What crime did Sir Henry Fengriffen commit against Silas?

Fifty years before the story, Sir Henry Fengriffen raped the bride of his servant Silas. This violent act directly triggered Silas's vengeance. The assault produced a child, and Silas's son would later become the woodsman Catherine sees bearing the same birthmark.

Foreshadowing: Silas bears a birthmarked face identical to the corpse Catherine visions, linking the servant's family line to the estate's doom.

  • sir henry fengriffen
  • silas
  • servant bride
  • rape
  • revenge
Q4

How did Silas lose his right hand?

After Silas tried to strike back at Sir Henry for the assault, Henry cut off Silas's right hand as punishment. This mutilation became a defining特征 of both the living Silas and the undead corpse Catherine visions, with the severed hand later becoming the weapon that kills those who get close to the truth.

Foreshadowing: The severed hand that strangles Aunt Edith and Dr Whittle is the same hand Henry removed from Silas.

  • silas
  • severed hand
  • mutilation
  • hand cutoff
  • fengriffen violence
Q5

Why did everyone who tried to help Catherine end up dead?

The curse explicitly states that anyone who attempts to warn the virgin bride will die. This claim manifests literally: Maitland is hacked with an axe, Mrs Luke is thrown down stairs, Aunt Edith is strangled by the severed hand, and Dr Whittle is strangled before he can reveal the truth. The curse maintains silence by eliminating those who seek answers.

Foreshadowing: Each death occurs precisely when the character is about to explain Silas or the curse to Catherine.

  • maitland
  • aunt edith
  • dr whittle
  • curse victims
  • warning death
Q6

What happened to Catherine on her wedding night?

On Catherine and Charles's wedding night, an evil spirit invaded their chamber and raped Catherine. This assault parallels the original crime committed by Sir Henry and directly fulfills part of the curse's prophecy. The traumatic event intensifies Catherine's visions of the undead corpse.

Foreshadowing: The assault mirrors Sir Henry's crime against Silas's bride fifty years earlier, completing the curse's cyclical nature.

  • catherine
  • wedding night
  • assault
  • rape
  • spirit attack
  • fengriffen house
Q7

Why did Charles kill Silas?

When Catherine goes into labor, Charles travels to Silas's lodge and shoots the woodsman twice in the face with pistols. Driven by fear and rage at the curse manifest in his newborn child's appearance, Charles attempts to destroy the source of the threat. However, the curse had already been fulfilled through the birth.

Foreshadowing: Silas dies with shots through both eyes, exactly matching the eye sockets Catherine saw on the undead corpse in her visions.

  • charles fengriffen
  • silas
  • woodsman killed
  • shooting
  • murder
Q8

What was wrong with Catherine's newborn baby?

Catherine's baby was born with a birthmarked face identical to Silas's and was missing its right hand, matching the curse's physical manifestation exactly. The child embodies the fulfillment of Silas's vengeance: a tainted heir born to a virgin bride at Fengriffen House, carrying the mark of the original crime.

Foreshadowing: The baby's appearance confirms what Catherine's visions predicted, her child would bear the same curse marks as the woodsman.

  • cursed baby
  • birthmark
  • missing hand
  • tainted child
  • fengriffen heir
Q9

Did opening Sir Henry's grave end the curse?

No. While Charles smashes open Henry's grave in an attempt to destroy the family legacy, the curse proves unbreakable. Pope returns to find the baby already born with the birthmark and missing hand, confirming the curse's fulfillment. The cycle continues through the new generation rather than being negated by Henry's destruction.

Foreshadowing: The curse was already activated the moment Catherine became pregnant, the baby's birthmarks appeared regardless of Henry's fate.

  • sir henry grave
  • curse broken
  • ending
  • fengriffen legacy
  • cycle continues
Q10

What was the significance of the corpse Catherine kept seeing in her visions?

Catherine's visions depicted Silas's own corpse, an undead figure with a birthmarked face, empty eye sockets, and a severed right hand. This vision was both forewarning and prophecy: when Charles kills Silas, the woodsman dies with shots through each eye, creating the exact appearance Catherine witnessed before.

Foreshadowing: The corpse's eye sockets are empty, foreshadowing how Silas will ultimately die, shot through both eyes.

  • catherine visions
  • undead corpse
  • death prophecy
  • eye sockets
  • foreshadowing

Movie threads

More Movies Like And Now the Screaming Starts!, by Mood & Story

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

Gothic horror movies with family curses like And Now the Screaming Starts!

Movies about ancient family curses that bring inevitable doom and supernatural dread. If you enjoyed the grim, hereditary doom in And Now the Screaming Starts!, you'll find similar chills in these movies. This collection features stories where a family is tormented by a supernatural curse rooted in past sins, leading to a bleak and inevitable conclusion. Discover other haunting tales of generational sin and relentless supernatural vengeance.

  • gothic
  • dreadful
  • ominous
  • unsettling
  • melancholic
  • claustrophobic
  • Tone: dark, dreadful, bleak
  • Pacing: steady, methodical
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative typically involves the uncovering of a dark family secret, often through flashbacks, which explains the origin of a supernatural curse. The present-day characters, usually innocent of the original sin, are powerless to stop the curse's horrifying fulfillment. The story structure is a linear or revelatory descent into doom.

Why they belong together: These movies are grouped together for their shared focus on the 'sins of the father' trope, a dark gothic atmosphere, and a plotting that methodically builds towards an inevitable, bleak ending. They share a high intensity and heavy emotional weight driven by themes of fate and supernatural punishment.

American Gothic movie poster

American Gothic

1987
Superstition movie poster

Superstition

1982
Satan’s Slaves movie poster

Satan’s Slaves

2017
And Now the Screaming Starts! movie poster

And Now the Screaming Starts!

1973
Ghosthouse movie poster

Ghosthouse

1988
Demonia movie poster

Demonia

1990
Night of Dark Shadows movie poster

Night of Dark Shadows

1971
Ghostkeeper movie poster

Ghostkeeper

1981

Movies with a slow build of dread like And Now the Screaming Starts!

Stories where a steady, mounting sense of dread leads to psychological unraveling. Fans of the methodical, creeping horror in And Now the Screaming Starts! will appreciate these selections. These films master a steady pacing that builds unbearable tension and psychological unease. If you like stories where dread accumulates slowly towards a terrifying climax, explore these similar haunting and unsettling experiences.

  • dread
  • anxious
  • claustrophobic
  • unsettling
  • psychological
  • terrifying
  • Tone: dark, tense, anxious
  • Pacing: steady, slow burn
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative avoids swift jumpscares in favor of a linear, escalating progression of unsettling events. The horror comes from the characters' growing realization of their helplessness against a pervasive threat. The journey is one of psychological erosion, where the mind is the primary battleground.

Why they belong together: This grouping is defined by a specific pacing and mood combination: a steady, deliberate build of tension rather than fast-paced action. The shared experience is one of sustained anxiety and a focus on the psychological degradation of the protagonist under relentless pressure.

The Creeping Flesh movie poster

The Creeping Flesh

1973
The Terror movie poster

The Terror

1963
Fear in the Night movie poster

Fear in the Night

1972
Terror movie poster

Terror

1978
The Creeping movie poster

The Creeping

2023
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark movie poster

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark

1973
Haunts movie poster

Haunts

1976
Tormented movie poster

Tormented

1960

If you liked this

Movies Like And Now the Screaming Starts!

Similar movies to And Now the Screaming Starts!: the same genre, themes or kind of story. Each one comes with its own plot summary, timeline and ending explained.

Browse all movie summaries
Cries in the Night movie poster

Cries in the Night

1980
From a Whisper to a Scream movie poster

From a Whisper to a Scream

1987
Cry of the Banshee movie poster

Cry of the Banshee

1970
The Slaughter of the Vampires movie poster

The Slaughter of the Vampires

1962
Curse of the Crimson Altar movie poster

Curse of the Crimson Altar

1968
Haunts movie poster

Haunts

1976
Hands of the Ripper movie poster

Hands of the Ripper

1971
The Blood on Satan’s Claw movie poster

The Blood on Satan’s Claw

1971
Fright movie poster

Fright

1971
Horror Rises from the Tomb movie poster

Horror Rises from the Tomb

1973
Fangs of the Living Dead movie poster

Fangs of the Living Dead

1969
The Screaming Skull movie poster

The Screaming Skull

1958

Every angle

And Now the Screaming Starts! (1973) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about And Now the Screaming Starts! 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.

Coming soon on iOS and Android

The Plot Explained Movie Summary App

Plot summaries, endings explained and timelines on your phone. Catch up on any movie in minutes, save your favorites and never miss a twist again.

Be the first to know when we launch. Your email stays private, always.

Learn more about the app