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Attraction (2018) movie poster

Timeline

Attraction (2018) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
2018 · 122 mins · Bulgarian
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Directed by
Martin Makariev
Starring
Bashar Rahal, Koyna Ruseva, Yana Marinova, Carla Rahal, Alexander Sano, Radina Borshosh

Lora Angelova, a young and captivating history teacher, grapples with conflicting passions: her deep connection to the school established by her father and her past as a competitive dancer. When the principal's position opens up, she faces a challenging choice – fight for the role despite the intimidation she encounters, or leave it all behind. Supported by her devoted students, Lora ultimately discovers her true self and makes a decisive choice about her future.

Romance Comedy Cast, crew & box office
On this page (5)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Events in order (14)
  3. 3 Timeline questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Every angle
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14 events in order · contains spoilers

Attraction Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of Attraction (2018) 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. Meteor shower damages Hekon's ship and causes a Moscow crash

    Hekon's ship Sol is damaged by a meteor shower and is shot down by the Russian Air Force, crashing into several Moscow buildings. The disaster kills hundreds and coincides with a meteor-watching event attended by Yulia and Artyom. Yulia's friend Svetlana is killed while watching meteors.

    Where
    Moscow

  2. Government decides not to contact the alien occupants; curfew is imposed

    To avoid panic, the government decides not to contact the ship's occupants and lets the craft attempt self-repair. The landing area is evacuated, fenced off, and Moscow is placed under a curfew. These measures set the stage for later tension and secrecy.

    Where
    Moscow

  3. Yulia, Artyom and friends infiltrate the crash site to investigate

    Yulia, Artyom, and his friends sneak into the crash site to investigate the alien. They beat him up, causing him to crash into a building, and secretly retrieve his armor before army patrols can reach them. The act reveals their reckless curiosity and stakes in the alien's fate.

    Where
    Crash site, Moscow

  4. Yulia hides the alien with a classmate to aid his recovery

    On another day, Yulia sneaks back to retrieve the alien and places him with a nerdy classmate nicknamed Google to help his recovery. This arrangement keeps him hidden from authorities while he regains his strength. The plan shows Yulia's growing involvement with the alien.

    Where
    Classmate's place

  5. A wristband forms on Yulia's wrist and hints at water manipulation

    While examining the alien, Yulia notices a wristband forming on her right wrist that can manipulate water. The discovery hints at a link between her and the alien and foreshadows future power. This new ability becomes crucial for later events.

    Where
    Yulia's home

  6. Hekon explains his search for Shilk and the water-based repairs

    The alien introduces himself as Hekon and explains that he needs a device called Shilk to travel through space without harming his body. Shilk, like the ship, is drawn to water for repairs, and he begins searching for it among Earth. He is initially uncertain about Earth and its people, which colors his mission.

    Where
    City streets

  7. Hekon is mistaken for a drug addict and detained by police

    The police mistake Hekon for a drug addict and detain him for interrogation. He faces questioning while trying to keep his mission under wraps. The encounter heightens tension with the authorities and delays his quest.

    Where
    Police station

  8. Artyom informs Colonel Lebedev of armor amid a water riot

    Artyom and his friends rush to tell Colonel Lebedev about the alien's armor but stumble upon a crowd angry over rationed water. The riot escalates and Ruslan is accidentally shot during the chaos. Artyom also forgets to relay the armor discovery to Lebedev.

    Where
    Moscow streets

  9. Pregnancy revelation leads to Shilk theft attempt

    Yulia goes to her father during a meeting and reveals she is pregnant with Hekon's child to distract him. Hekon then disguises himself as a scientist to take Shilk from its container. She is upset that her father did not spend time with her after her mother's death, fueling her resolve.

    Where
    Lebedev's office

  10. Love confession triggers an assault on the alien

    Yulia confesses her true feelings for Hekon in a phone call to Artyom, provoking a violent response. Artyom and his friends rush to attack the alien, and Ruslan is shot during the clash. The conflict deepens the divide between allies and the alien.

    Where
    Moscow streets

  11. Final battle and the attempt to return Shilk to the ship

    Artyom's group breaches the police barricade, unleashing robotic suits to fight back. Yulia and Hekon drive through the barricade in a military car, returning Shilk to the ship while fending off Artyom's assault. Hekon defeats Artyom, but Artyom shoots both Hekon and Yulia, leaving them gravely injured.

    Where
    Moscow streets and vicinity of the spaceship

  12. Lebedev escorts the couple to the spaceship and truth is rewritten

    Colonel Lebedev follows the walking suits to the spaceship, where its systems use water to nurse Yulia's injuries. The spaceship's computer answers questions about Hekon's mission, and influenced by Yulia's love, rewrites the Earth’s history within its report. The revelation alters humanity's understanding of the encounter.

    Where
    Spaceship

  13. Resolution and departure

    Yulia, Lebedev, and others return to daily life as the ship departs, releasing excess water. Artyom is arrested and presumably sent to a prison camp. The city resumes normalcy while the alien presence fades from immediate sight.

    Where
    Moscow

  14. Closing message about trust

    The film ends with a vocalized statement that a single alien trusted humanity more than humanity trusted itself. It emphasizes the film’s core theme of trust, empathy, and the impact of personal relationships on interstellar understanding.

    Where
    Ending

Last updated: October 09, 2025 at 15:48

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Timeline questions answered

Attraction Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of Attraction (2018): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why did the Russian Air Force shoot down Hekon's ship?

The Russian Air Force misidentified Hekon's spacecraft, named Sol, as a NATO spy satellite. They launched missiles that struck the ship, causing it to lose control and crash into several Moscow city blocks, killing hundreds of people.

  • Russian Air Force
  • Sol
  • NATO satellite
  • missile attack
  • crash
Q2

How did Yulia get the water-manipulating wristband?

While examining Hekon at her classmate's place, Yulia noticed a wristband forming on her right arm. The wristband appears to be connected to Hekon's technology and grants her the ability to manipulate water, which becomes crucial in later events.

Foreshadowing: Earlier scenes show Hekon's ship and armor containing advanced technology that responds to human contact.

  • wristband
  • water manipulation
  • Yulia
  • Hekon technology
Q3

Why did the government decide not to contact the alien?

To avoid public panic, the government ordered that contact with the alien remain strictly off the record. They evacuated and fenced off the landing zone, imposed a city-wide curfew, and allowed the craft to attempt self-repair rather than initiating official contact.

  • government cover-up
  • curfew
  • public panic
  • Moscow
Q4

Why did Artyom attack Hekon?

Artyom attacked Hekon after Yulia confessed her true feelings for the alien during a phone call. Overcome with jealousy and rage, Artyom led his friends in an assault on Hekon, resulting in a violent confrontation where Ruslan was accidentally shot.

Foreshadowing: Earlier tension between Artyom and Yulia builds as she grows closer to Hekon.

  • Artyom
  • Hekon
  • jealousy
  • attack
  • love triangle
Q5

What is Shilk and why does Hekon need it?

Shilk is a crucial device that would allow Hekon to traverse space without harming his body. His ship, like Shilk itself, is drawn to water for repairs, which is why he searches for it throughout Moscow.

  • Shilk
  • device
  • space travel
  • Hekon
  • water
Q6

How did Ruslan get shot?

Ruslan was accidentally shot during the chaos of Artyom's assault on Hekon. When Artyom and his friends attacked the alien, a shot rang out during the confrontation, striking Ruslan.

Foreshadowing: The earlier water riot shows escalating violence in the city.

  • Ruslan
  • shot
  • death
  • Artyom
  • chaos
Q7

Why did Colonel Lebedev help Yulia and Hekon escape?

Despite the military's operation against the alien, Lebedev chose to escort Yulia and Hekon to the spaceship. His decision was influenced by his daughter's love for Hekon and his own ability to see beyond fear and xenophobia.

Foreshadowing: Lebedev's tension with Yulia stems from her resentment that he didn't spend time with her after her mother's death.

  • Colonel Lebedev
  • Yulia
  • father
  • escape
  • spaceship
Q8

What changed the spaceship computer's interpretation of Earth?

Inside the ship, the computer questioned Hekon's mission and warned about aggressive civilizations. However, Yulia's love and willingness to protect Hekon influenced the computer to reconsider its interpretation, ultimately rewriting Earth's history within its report to a more positive perspective.

Foreshadowing: Yulia's protective actions throughout the film demonstrate her commitment to Hekon.

  • spaceship computer
  • Yulia
  • love
  • history rewrite
  • Earth
Q9

Why did Yulia tell her father she was pregnant?

Yulia revealed her pregnancy to distract Colonel Lebedev during a meeting. While her father was focused on this revelation, Hekon disguised himself as a scientist and stole Shilk from its container.

  • pregnancy
  • Lebedev
  • distraction
  • Shilk
  • theft
Q10

What happened after Artyom shot Yulia and Hekon?

Both Yulia and Hekon were gravely injured by Artyom's gunshots. However, when Lebedev brought them inside the spaceship, the ship's technology used water to nurse Yulia's injuries and heal her.

Foreshadowing: The ship's ability to use water for repairs was established earlier when explaining Shilk.

  • Yulia
  • Hekon
  • shot
  • healed
  • spaceship water
Q11

Why did the alien ship release excess water before leaving?

The ship released excess water as it prepared to depart. This was part of its water-absorbing function that it had been collecting throughout its time in Moscow, which also caused the water shortage riots earlier.

Foreshadowing: The water shortage riots began after the ship started absorbing water from the city.

  • spaceship
  • water
  • departure
  • Moscow
  • release
Q12

What happened to Artyom at the end of the movie?

Artyom was arrested following the final confrontation. He was presumably sent to a prison camp, as suggested by the closing references to his uncertain future.

  • Artyom
  • arrested
  • prison
  • consequences
Q13

What caused the water shortage in Moscow?

The water shortage was caused by Hekon's ship, which has water-absorbing abilities. As the damaged ship attempted repairs, it drew water from the surrounding area, leading to rationed water supplies and public unrest.

Foreshadowing: Hekon explains that his ship, like Shilk, is drawn to water for repairs.

  • water shortage
  • Moscow
  • ship
  • riots
  • rationing

Movie threads

More Movies Like Attraction, by Mood & Story

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

Sci-Fi Romance Under Military Pressure like in Attraction

Personal relationships tested by global panic and military conflict during first contact. If you enjoyed the blend of alien contact and a tense romance in Attraction, this thread features movies with similar high-stakes stories. Discover other films where personal loyalties clash with global fears during perilous interstellar encounters.

  • suspenseful
  • romantic
  • dramatic
  • anxious
  • hopeful
  • tense
  • Tone: tense, anxious, hopeful
  • Pacing: fast, action-driven
Why these movies?

The story pattern: These narratives typically feature a pivotal first contact event that triggers a global crisis. Against this backdrop of chaos and potential war, a core romantic relationship forms, often between a human and an alien or between individuals on opposing sides of the conflict. The story intertwines the survival thriller with the emotional journey of the couple as they defy authority and societal prejudice.

Why they belong together: Movies are grouped here for their shared atmosphere of high tension, created by the collision of intimate romance with large-scale military and political conflict. They share a fast pace, high emotional weight, and a focus on themes like trust, xenophobia, and self-discovery under extreme duress.

Attraction movie poster

Attraction

2018
Alien Outpost movie poster

Alien Outpost

2015
Attraction movie poster

Attraction

2017
Starship Troopers: Invasion movie poster

Starship Troopers: Invasion

2012
Starship Invasions movie poster

Starship Invasions

1977
The War of the Worlds movie poster

The War of the Worlds

1953
Revolt movie poster

Revolt

2017
The Lost Missile movie poster

The Lost Missile

1958

Bittersweet Alien Encounters like in Attraction

Stories where peaceful alien contact comes at a great personal and societal cost. For viewers who appreciated the complex, bittersweet ending of Attraction, this thread gathers movies with similar impactful alien contact stories. These films deliver hopeful messages about trust and connection, but temper them with realistic consequences and emotional scars.

  • bittersweet
  • dramatic
  • hopeful
  • sad
  • tense
  • thought-provoking
  • Tone: bittersweet, dramatic, hopeful
  • Pacing: fast, escalating
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The journey in these films involves a catastrophic or deeply unsettling alien arrival that sparks fear and violence. The protagonists work towards a peaceful resolution, often against overwhelming opposition. While they may succeed in preventing total war or achieving communication, the ending is marked by personal sacrifices, the deaths of allies, and a sobering recognition of humanity's flaws, leaving a lasting emotional impact.

Why they belong together: These films are united by their specific emotional arc: they build towards a hopeful resolution in an interstellar crisis but deliver it with a bittersweet tone. They share a heavy emotional weight, high intensity, and explore the sobering reality that progress and understanding often have a steep price.

Alien Outpost movie poster

Alien Outpost

2015
Project Gemini movie poster

Project Gemini

2022
Starship Invasions movie poster

Starship Invasions

1977
Alien Siege movie poster

Alien Siege

2005
Alien Siege movie poster

Alien Siege

2018
Impact movie poster

Impact

1000
Mission to Mars movie poster

Mission to Mars

2022
2010 movie poster

2010

1984

Every angle

Attraction (2018) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Attraction 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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