Plot Explained Spoilers guaranteed!
Plot Explained

Browse by genre

Anna to the Infinite Power (1983) movie poster

Timeline

Anna to the Infinite Power (1983) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
1983 · 101 mins · English
Directed by
Robert Wiemer
Starring
Jack Gilford, Loretta Devine, Donna Mitchell, Mark Patton, Dina Merrill, Martha Byrne

Anna Hart is a brilliant but odd teenager who steals, fears flickering lights, and experiences prophetic dreams. When enigmatic neighbor MacKayla moves in, Anna sees a woman identical to her on television. Her investigation of the other Anna, Anna Smithson, uncovers the story of Anna Zimmerman, who died twenty years earlier, ultimately revealing hidden truths about Anna herself.

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 Anna to the Infinite Power
  6. 6 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch Anna to the Infinite Power (1983)

Where can you watch Anna to the Infinite Power? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on Amazon Prime Video, Tubi TV and YouTube Free: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

Streaming availability powered by JustWatch

15 events in order · contains spoilers

Anna to the Infinite Power Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of Anna to the Infinite Power (1983) 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. Anna Hart's Gifted, Troubled Life

    Twelve-year-old Anna Hart lives in Flemington, New Jersey, where she is a genius but a kleptomaniac who insults teachers. She experiences headaches when she stares at fires or flickering lights and is haunted by prophetic dreams that hint at a larger destiny.

    When
    present day
    Where
    Flemington, New Jersey
  2. Michaela Dupont Moves In Next Door

    Piano teacher Michaela Dupont has been watching Anna and then moves in next door, bringing unsettling clues about a similar-looking girl photographed in 1970. She has kept photos of Anna and the other girl, suggesting a link that stretches across decades. Michaela's arrival signals that Anna's past may be closer than she thought.

    When
    present day
    Where
    Neighborhood
  3. Anna Spots Her Double on Local News

    Anna sees her exact double on local TV after a commuter plane makes a forced landing nearby. She learns that this double, Anna Smithson, has the same family background—a scientist father and musician mother—that Anna herself shares. The sight raises questions about a hidden connection between the two lives.

    When
    present day
    Where
    Local TV news
  4. Discovery of Zimmerman's Clone

    Anna uncovers that Anna Zimmerman, thought dead for 20 years, was part of a cloning project run by Zimmerman and that Anna herself could grow into a duplicate of Zimmerman. The revelation deepens the mystery of her origin and the people pursuing it.

    When
    present
  5. Parents' Involvement in the Past

    Anna learns that her mother volunteered for the cloning project while her father wanted nothing to do with it, hinting at a family history tangled with the experiments. The parents’ choices set the stage for Anna's uncertain future. The knowledge shifts Anna's search from self-discovery to uncovering motives behind the project.

    When
    present
    Where
    Home
  6. Dreams of Zimmerman's WWII Past

    Anna dreams of Zimmerman's life during World War II in Nazi-controlled Germany, where she was a Jew, a pianist, and a child prodigy who would be drawn into the Nazis' genetic plans. The dreams connect Anna's present to a dangerous historical lineage and reveal how talent and fate intersect in her story.

    When
    World War II era
    Where
    Germany, WWII era
  7. Anna's Normalizing Turn

    As the past unfolds, Anna begins behaving more like a normal child, even as she continues to investigate her background with secret help from her brother Rowan and Michaela. The shift contrasts with the weight of the discoveries surrounding her origins.

    When
    present
    Where
    Home
  8. Trip to Albacore Island for Evaluation

    Anna's parents take her to a facility on Albacore Island for a few days of evaluation by the project organizers. The trip marks a formal step in judging her progression and the ongoing cloning work surrounding her existence.

    When
    present
    Where
    Albacore Island
  9. Lockdown and Hidden Annas

    While at the island, Anna finds the phone in her room blocked and is locked in; she eventually blocks the door and discovers other rooms housing multiple Annas. The confinement reveals the scale of the experiments and the danger to the girls involved.

    When
    present
    Where
    Albacore Island facility
  10. Rowan’s Impromptu Rescue

    Rowan calls Anna by pretending to be Dr. Jelliff, and when the line is cut, he sneaks into the facility to see his sister and warn her. His covert intervention exposes cracks in the operation and underscores their family bond.

    When
    present
    Where
    Albacore Island facility
  11. Confrontation with Dr. Jelliff

    Anna and Rowan confront Dr. Jelliff, who tells Anna that she is now a 'normal' person and suggests she should change her name to start a new life. The encounter reveals Jelliff’s diminishing regard for Anna as a unique individual and his desire to control the next phase of the project.

    When
    present
    Where
    Albacore Island facility
  12. Jelliff Targets a New Anna

    Jelliff reveals to Michaela that he is secretly grooming another Anna to grow into the future Zimmerman and that he plans to kill the remaining five Annas, including Hart and her family. The murderous scheme escalates the danger facing everyone involved.

    When
    present
    Where
    Albacore Island facility
  13. Michaela Is Anna Parkhurst, the Original

    Michaela reveals herself as Anna Parkhurst, the original product of Zimmerman's cloning, and explains how to create the replicator. Enraged by the experiments, she offers Jelliff the replicator plans in exchange for the safety of all Annas and a hidden location to continue her work.

    When
    present
    Where
    Albacore Island facility
  14. Jelliff Weighs the Offer

    With Michaela's counter-offer on the table, Jelliff weighs the possibility of sparing the Annas against continuing his execution plans, leaving the outcome in suspense. The negotiation shifts the balance of power and raises the question of who will control the future of the clones.

    When
    present
    Where
    Albacore Island facility
  15. Seal and Secrecy

    The story closes with the promise of a sealed report at an undisclosed location and a safe harbor for Parkhurst to continue her work, leaving the fate of the remaining Annas unresolved. The offer hints at a fragile, hidden peace behind the science-driven nightmare.

    When
    unknown
    Where
    Undisclosed location

Last updated: October 09, 2025 at 14:29

Was this helpful?

Timeline questions answered

Anna to the Infinite Power Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of Anna to the Infinite Power (1983): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why does Anna see her double on the news?

Anna spots Anna Smithson on local news after a commuter plane makes a forced landing nearby. The appearance of her exact double triggers her investigation into the cloning project, revealing that Smithson shares the same family background, a scientist father and musician mother, connecting both girls to the same experimental origins.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Michaela had been watching Anna and keeping photos of a lookalike from 1970, hinting at the double's existence before Anna discovers it herself.

  • anna smithson
  • double
  • lookalike
  • commuter plane
  • cloning
Q2

What is the Anna Zimmerman cloning project?

Anna Zimmerman was a scientist who ran a cloning program that created replicas of herself. Twenty years after her death, Anna Hart discovers she was born from this same project and is fated to grow into a duplicate of Zimmerman. The project involves multiple clones called 'Annas' who are raised to potentially replace the original.

  • cloning project
  • anna zimmerman
  • replicas
  • dr jelliff
  • experiments
Q3

Why did Anna's mother volunteer for the cloning project?

Anna learns that her mother voluntarily participated in Zimmerman's cloning experiment, while her father refused to have anything to do with it. This revelation exposes the complex family history behind Anna's existence and explains why Anna was specifically targeted by the program.

Foreshadowing: Anna's prophetic dreams and Michaela's interest in her from the beginning hint that Anna's origins are tied to something her parents knew about.

  • mother
  • father
  • volunteers
  • cloning
  • family history
Q4

Why does Anna dream about Anna Zimmerman in Nazi Germany?

Anna begins experiencing prophetic dreams of Zimmerman's past during World War II in Nazi-occupied Germany. In these visions, Zimmerman is revealed to be a Jewish girl and piano prodigy who was drawn into the Nazis' genetic engineering plans. These dreams connect Anna's present to the historical origins of the cloning project and show how Zimmerman's talent made her a target for Nazi experimentation.

  • nazi germany
  • world war ii
  • pianist
  • prodigy
  • dreams
  • flashbacks
Q5

What happens when Anna is taken to Albacore Island?

Anna's parents take her to a facility on Albacore Island for evaluation by the project organizers. While there, Anna discovers her phone is blocked and she is locked in her room. She manages to bolt the door from the inside and sneaks around the facility, discovering other rooms where multiple Annas are housed. She overhears staff discussing failed experiments and plans to dispose of the girls, realizing her life is in grave danger.

Foreshadowing: The trip was presented as a routine evaluation, but Michaela's secret support and the ominous mention of 'other Annas' foreshadow the true purpose of the facility.

  • albacore island
  • facility
  • locked room
  • other annas
  • evaluation
Q6

Why does Dr. Jelliff want to kill the remaining Annas?

Dr. Jelliff reveals to Michaela that he is secretly grooming a new Anna to become the future Zimmerman and plans to eliminate the remaining five clones, including Anna Hart and her family, to ensure control over the project's direction. He views the Annas as disposable experiments rather than people, viewing their elimination as necessary for his continued work.

  • dr jelliff
  • kill
  • dispose
  • experiments
  • remaining annas
Q7

Who is Michaela Dupont really?

Michaela reveals herself as Anna Parkhurst, the original product of Zimmerman's cloning project and the girl who resembled Anna in the 1970 photograph. As the first successful clone, Parkhurst has intimate knowledge of how to create a replicator. Her anger at the decades of experimentation drives her to offer Jelliff a deal: the replicator plans in exchange for the safety of all the Annas.

  • michaela dupont
  • anna parkhurst
  • original clone
  • replicator
  • 1970 photo
Q8

What is the replicator in the cloning project?

The replicator is a device or method that Anna Parkhurst knows how to create, stemming from her position as the original Zimmerman clone. This knowledge gives her leverage in her negotiation with Jelliff, as the replicator plans are valuable enough to potentially save all the remaining Annas from being eliminated.

  • replicator
  • cloning technology
  • plans
  • parkhurst
Q9

Why does the movie end with Jelliff's decision unresolved?

The film ends with Jelliff weighing Michaela's offer, the replicator plans in exchange for the Annas' safety and a hidden location for Parkhurst to continue her work, leaving his choice ambiguous. This unresolved ending reflects the film's dark, complex tone and emphasizes the ongoing uncertainty about whether the clones will truly be safe or if Jelliff will choose to continue his deadly control over the project.

  • ambiguous ending
  • jelliff decision
  • unresolved
  • clones safety
Q10

Why does Anna start behaving like a normal child?

After learning about her dark origins and the weight of Zimmerman's legacy, Anna begins behaving more like a typical child. This shift represents her psychological response to the overwhelming truth of being a clone, perhaps attempting to claim a normal identity separate from the experimental program that created her.

  • normal behavior
  • identity
  • psychological
  • childlike
Q11

How many clones named Anna exist in the program?

The film mentions there are multiple Annas, Anna Hart, Anna Smithson (the double seen on TV), and others housed at the Albacore Island facility. Jelliff references 'remaining five Annas' that he plans to eliminate, indicating there are at least six clones total, with some having already failed or been disposed of.

  • multiple annas
  • clones
  • five remaining
  • facility
Q12

Why does Rowan help Anna escape the facility?

Anna's brother Rowan helps her by calling the facility while pretending to be Dr. Jelliff, then sneaks into the facility to warn her and reunite with his sister. His intervention exposes cracks in the operation and demonstrates the family's determination to protect each other despite the dangerous circumstances.

  • rowan
  • brother
  • escape
  • facility
  • rescue
  • sneak in

Movie threads

More Movies Like Anna to the Infinite Power, by Mood & Story

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

Identity Crisis Sci-Fi Thrillers like Anna to the Infinite Power

Characters unravel horrifying truths about their own nature and origin. If you liked Anna to the Infinite Power, you'll find more movies like it here. This thread gathers similar sci-fi thrillers and dramas where characters discover terrifying secrets about their own identity, often involving cloning, genetic engineering, or secret pasts, creating a mood of paranoid self-discovery.

  • paranoid
  • unsettling
  • claustrophobic
  • mysterious
  • anxious
  • melancholic
  • Tone: dark, paranoid, unsettling
  • Pacing: steady, investigative
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative typically begins with a protagonist experiencing strange anomalies or a sense of being different. Through investigation, they uncover a hidden truth—such as being a clone, an experiment, or having a fabricated past—that shatters their sense of self. The story is driven by the psychological tension of assimilation this new, often horrifying, reality.

Why they belong together: Movies in this thread are grouped by their shared focus on the terrifying journey of self-discovery turned nightmare. They blend sci-fi concepts with psychological thriller elements, maintaining a dark, heavy tone and a steady, investigative pacing that builds dread as the protagonist's world unravels.

Dark Sci-Fi with Slow Burn Dread like Anna to the Infinite Power

A steady, mounting tension where scientific horrors are revealed piece by piece. Find more movies like Anna to the Infinite Power in this collection of dark science fiction. These films share a similar vibe of steady, building tension and unsettling revelations, often exploring heavy themes like moral ambiguity in science and the psychological weight of discovery.

  • unsettling
  • tense
  • melancholic
  • dreamlike
  • anxious
  • mysterious
  • Tone: dark, tense, melancholic
  • Pacing: steady, slow burn
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative unfolds methodically, often beginning with small, strange occurrences that escalate into a full-blown existential crisis. The plot avoids frantic action in favor of a creeping progression of clues, leading the protagonist—and the viewer—deeper into a morally complex and horrifying scenario. The ending is often ambiguous or bittersweet, leaving a lasting emotional impact.

Why they belong together: These films are united by their specific mood and pacing: a dark, heavy tone combined with a steady, non-frantic build-up of psychological tension. They prioritize atmosphere and thematic depth over spectacle, creating a deeply unsettling and thought-provoking experience centered on the horrors of science and lost humanity.

If you liked this

Movies Like Anna to the Infinite Power

Similar movies to Anna to the Infinite Power: the same genre, themes or kind of story. Each one comes with its own plot summary, timeline and ending explained.

Browse all movie summaries

Every angle

Anna to the Infinite Power (1983) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Anna to the Infinite Power 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