And Soon the Darkness (2010) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Cathy decided to sunbathe because she was tired from the cycling trip and wanted to rest in a wooded spot by the road. Jane initially agreed to join her, but after a disagreement about their travel plans, Jane chose to continue alone. This decision separated the two friends and left Cathy vulnerable to attack.

• cathy
• sunbathe
• disagreement
• separation

Paul is a mysterious man the women first encounter at a restaurant in town. He follows them on his Lambretta scooter throughout their journey. While he initially appears suspicious, he takes the film from Cathy's camera and disappears into the woods, he ultimately saves Jane from the Gendarme's assault. Paul reveals he worked with the Surete and was investigating the unsolved murder from three years prior, making him an ally rather than a villain.

Foreshadowing: Paul is first seen resting by a cemetery, an ominous location that hints at his connection to the unsolved crime.

• paul
• intentions
• suspicious
• investigation
• surete

While sunbathing alone, Cathy became agitated sensing a presence. When she tried to leave, she discovered her bicycle wheel had been vandalized. She was then attacked by an unknown assailant. Later, Jane discovers Cathy's lifeless body in an abandoned trailer park in the woods, revealing she was murdered.

Foreshadowing: Madame Lassal warns Jane about dangers in the area, foreshadowing the threat Cathy would face.

• cathy
• attack
• woods
• murder
• body

After Jane finally finds the Gendarme and reports Cathy's disappearance, she is left alone in his house while he steps out to investigate. When Paul arrives, Jane refuses to let him in and runs into the woods. She stumbles into the Gendarme, believing she has found rescue, but he reveals his true intentions and assaults her. The film suggests the Gendarme may be connected to the unsolved crime from three years ago, explaining his reluctance to help and his predatory behavior.

• gendarme
• attack
• assault
• villain
• rescue

Three years prior to the women's visit, a young woman was raped and murdered in the woods near the village. The crime remained unsolved and was described by an English schoolmistress as "quite a scandal." This past tragedy explains the ominous atmosphere, Madame Lassal's warnings about danger, and Paul's personal investigation into the case.

• unsolved crime
• murder
• woods
• three years ago

Jane was desperate to find her missing friend and had no other options. When Paul appeared at the scene where Cathy's camera was found, he offered to help search the woods. Despite knowing nothing about him, Jane accepted his offer because she was panicked and needed assistance. Her trust was misplaced initially, she suspected him of harming Cathy after discovering he took the film from her camera, but Paul proved to be a protective ally.

• jane
• trust
• paul
• desperate
• help

Paul took the film from Cathy's camera because he was conducting his own investigation into the unsolved murder from three years earlier. He wanted to examine the photographs for any evidence related to the case. Jane misinterpreted this as suspicious behavior, assuming he had harmed Cathy to obtain the film.

• paul
• film
• camera
• investigation
• evidence

Paul is first seen resting beside a cemetery when Jane and Cathy cycle past him. This eerie, foreshadowing moment establishes the film's ominous tone and hints at Paul's deeper connection to the dark events in the village. The cemetery symbolizes death and the unresolved murder that occurred nearby.

• paul
• cemetery
• foreshadowing
• death

Madame Lassal, who runs the roadside cafe, warned Jane about the dangers in the area because she knew about the unsolved rape and murder of a young woman three years prior. Her warning to Jane not to wander alone was a genuine attempt to protect her, though Jane did not fully heed this advice.

• madame lassal
• warning
• danger
• unsolved crime

Paul had been searching the woods for Cathy as part of his own investigation. After Jane fled from the Gendarme's house into the woods, Paul followed her there. Though injured from an earlier encounter, he arrived just in time to save Jane from the Gendarme's assault by striking the Gendarme with a branch.

• paul
• woods
• find
• rescue
• injured