Born for Hell

Born for Hell

Year: 1976

Runtime: 92 mins

Language: English

Director: Denis Héroux

ThrillerHorrorDrama

Nine young women spend a night in a shared house when a disturbed Vietnam veteran, returning via Belfast, breaks in. Loosely inspired by the Richard Speck murders, he terrorizes and brutally murders the eight nurses residing there, turning the night into a gruesome tale of defilement and torture.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline – Born for Hell (1976)

Trace every key event in Born for Hell (1976) with our detailed, chronological timeline. Perfect for unpacking nonlinear stories, spotting hidden connections, and understanding how each scene builds toward the film’s climax. Whether you're revisiting or decoding for the first time, this timeline gives you the full picture.

1

Cain arrives in Belfast and cannot leave

A disturbed American soldier named Cain Adams arrives in Belfast amid the Troubles after deserting in Vietnam. He is eager to return to the United States but discovers he cannot board a ship for about a week. The city becomes the backdrop for the violent arc that follows.

late 1972 Belfast
2

Cain encounters a middle-aged prostitute

While wandering the city, Cain is propositioned by a middle-aged prostitute. In her apartment, he humiliates her and threatens her with a knife, then leaves. The encounter signals his volatile temper and predatory impulses.

early period Belfast (street/apartment)
3

Nursing students prepare and celebrate Eileen's birthday

Eight international nursing students—Bridget, Christine, Leila, Jenny, Pam, Amy, Catherine, and Eileen—live together and prepare for exams. They gather in their house to celebrate Eileen's birthday, offering a sense of normalcy before danger intrudes. The scene establishes their close yet precarious daily life.

afternoon nurses' shared house
4

Bridget witnesses a street shooting

Bridget witnesses a shooting in the streets after finishing a hospital shift, an alarming moment that foreshadows the violence surrounding the house. The event outside amplifies the tension the women will soon face inside. It etches a mood of fear into the day.

afternoon Belfast streets
5

Cain enters the nurses' house and is welcomed

Cain stumbles upon the women's residence and enters through a kitchen door, where Amy and Leila greet him with food and wine. They treat him as a guest, unaware of the danger he carries. He remains outwardly calm as his threat looms in the background.

evening nurses' house
6

Pam heads out to her night shift

Pam leaves the house for her night shift at the hospital, briefly leaving the others unattended. Her departure creates a window of vulnerability inside the home. The routine of their schedule contrasts with the looming threat.

evening nurses' house
7

Cain binds the women and reveals his intent

Cain returns and breaks in through a downstairs window, confronting Jenny and Christine in the living room. He binds the women and warns that they will be released when Pam returns, all while recounting childhood anecdotes and showing off a tattoo that reads born for hell. The intimate cruelty of the moment marks the shift from intrusion to captivity.

evening nurses' house
8

Amy is murdered during the assault

Cain takes Amy downstairs and attempts to rape her; she resists and fights back. He ends up strangling her to death with a belt, the violence inside the house escalating rapidly. The brutality underscores the slippage from control to murder.

evening living room / downstairs
9

Jenny and Christine are attacked; Christine is killed

Cain moves Jenny and Christine downstairs, strips them, and attempts to coerce Jenny into performing oral sex on Christine. When Jenny refuses, he beats her; he then forces Jenny to stab Christine to death and finally strangles Jenny. The two women become the next victims in a sequence of horrific acts.

night downstairs
10

Jill and Pam are killed; lights go out

Pam returns with her coworker Jill, only to find the lights disabled. In darkness, Cain ambushes them, stabbing Jill to death before killing Pam. The house slips further into chaos as the survivors confront the new reality of their massacre.

night nurses' house
11

Eileen dies; Leila hides; Bridget is murdered; Catherine's suicide

Cain finds Eileen hiding in a closet and stabs her to death. Leila, hidden under a bed, watches Bridget be murdered. Catherine, in a dissociated state, laughs as the carnage unfolds, then takes Cain's knife and kills herself, unable to cope with the horror.

late night nurses' house
12

Cain sleeps after the carnage

Cain returns upstairs, collapses on the bed under which Leila is hiding, and falls asleep. The lull in violence is brief, as dawn soon approaches and the aftermath begins to unfold.

pre-dawn nurses' house, upstairs
13

Dawn arrives; public aftermath begins

At dawn, Cain awakens and leaves the house. Paramedics and locals begin to remove the bodies, and news broadcasts highlight the killer's distinctive tattoo as the city begins to process what happened. The community reacts to the enormity of the tragedy.

dawn outside the house; nearby
14

Cain's failed suicide attempt and hospital treatment

In a public bathroom, Cain attempts to take his own life by slashing his wrist. A civilian stops him and takes him to a hospital where a surgeon treats the wound. The surgeon recognizes him as the killer and comments on the identity, while Cain mutters about money as a motive for his actions.

morning public bathroom; hospital
15

Ending with photos of the nurses

The film ends with black-and-white photos memorializing the nine nurses, providing a visual coda to the harrowing events. The final images linger on the victims and the lives cut short by the violence.

aftermath closing sequence

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 11:27

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Born for Hell Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Born for Hell, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

Born for Hell Summary

Characters, Settings & Themes in Born for Hell

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Characters, Settings & Themes in Born for Hell

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