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Brimstone (2017) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
2017 · 148 min · English
JustWatch #3,881 22
Directed by
Martin Koolhoven

In the rugged American West, a woman finds her life shattered when falsely accused of a terrible crime. Hunted by a relentless and zealous preacher who believes in delivering his own brand of justice, she fights to prove her innocence. She must rely on her intelligence and resourcefulness to evade capture and uncover the truth behind the accusations, embarking on a perilous journey for survival and redemption.

On this page (6)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Events in order (14)
  3. 3 Timeline questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Movies like Brimstone
  6. 6 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch Brimstone (2017)

Where can you watch Brimstone? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on Amazon Prime Video, Starz and Amazon MX Player: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

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14 events in order · contains spoilers

Brimstone Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of Brimstone (2017) 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. Samuel and Wolf survive the gold feud

    Two wounded men, Samuel and Wolf, are the last survivors after a deadly dispute over gold. They hitch a rough journey across the desert on a single horse, surviving against the odds. Their survival marks the earliest thread that ties later cycles of violence together.

    When
    After gold feud
    Where
    Desert
  2. Anna's suicide and the Reverend's lust revealed

    Anna confronts the Reverend about his lust for Joanna, and in a brutal act of desperation she takes her own life in front of the church congregation. Her death exposes the perverse power at the center of the family. The community is shaken by the revelation of the Reverend's depravity.

    When
    Before Joanna's escape
    Where
    Church
  3. Reverend's attempted marriage and murder of Samuel

    The Reverend takes Joanna to church and begins a wedding ceremony between himself and her. Samuel tries to intervene and rescue Joanna, but the Reverend murders Samuel, cementing his control over Joanna. The act reveals the Reverend's total domination over the family.

    When
    Day of attempted wedding
    Where
    Church
  4. Joanna escapes after brutal rape

    The Reverend beats and rapes Joanna, continuing his abuse. The next morning, Joanna runs away, seeking to escape his clutches and the abusive system that governs her life. Her flight marks a turning point for her personal survival.

    When
    Morning after assault
    Where
    Reverend's farm
  5. Joanna sold to a brothel in Bismuth

    Joanna is bought by a brothel owner in the mining town of Bismuth and enters a life she did not choose. She is sheltered briefly by Sally, a fellow prostitute, before trouble returns. The town becomes the new theater for her suffering and resilience.

    When
    Exodus
    Where
    Bismuth
  6. Sally hanged; Elizabeth protects Joanna; Elizabeth's tongue cut

    Sally is hanged for shooting a violent client, and Elizabeth then takes Joanna under her wing. In punishment, Elizabeth's tongue is cut off after she bites the tongue of an abusive customer. Joanna and Elizabeth forge a fragile bond in a brutal environment.

    When
    Exodus
    Where
    Bismuth
  7. Joanna teaches Elizabeth sign language

    Joanna teaches Elizabeth sign language from a book the doctor provided, helping Elizabeth communicate despite losing her tongue. This bond becomes crucial as they navigate life in Bismuth. Their alliance grows in the shadows of exploitation.

    When
    Exodus
    Where
    Bismuth
  8. The Reverend's brutal abuse at the brothel; Elizabeth dies; Joanna escapes

    The Reverend returns to the brothel, recognizes Joanna, and violently abuses her once more. Elizabeth saves Joanna from immediate danger but is murdered by the Reverend, and Joanna slashes the Reverend's throat in retaliation. She escapes, cuts off her own tongue, and takes Elizabeth's place with Eli.

    When
    Exodus
    Where
    Bismuth
  9. Liz, a mute midwife, hears the Reverend

    Elizabeth 'Liz' Brundy, mute and a midwife in the Old West, attends a church session where she somehow recognises the Reverend. The encounter unsettles her, setting the stage for the supernatural elements that follow. Her silence becomes a tool and a symbol in the unfolding tale.

    When
    Revelation
    Where
    Old West town
  10. Liz euthanises a baby to save a mother

    During a difficult birth, Liz must choose between delivering the baby safely or saving the mother. She chooses to euthanise the baby to save the mother, a decision that haunts her and stirs Nathan's anger toward her. The act cements her status as a figure of mystery and mercy.

    When
    Revelation
    Where
    Old West church
  11. The Reverend disembowels Eli; Matthew urged to flee

    The Reverend confronts Liz's family at home, disemboweling Eli and ensuring the father dies. As the family escapes toward the mountains, Matthew is told to lead Liz and her children to safety. The violence pushes the family into a perilous new chapter.

    When
    Revelation
    Where
    Eli's farm
  12. Liz's nighttime attempt to murder the Reverend

    Liz sneaks out at night to murder the Reverend, but finds her daughter's doll in his bed instead, a chilling sign of how far their world has fallen. The family ultimately flees toward the mountains, seeking shelter from the Reverend's reach. The moment underscores Liz's relentless struggle for control over her fate.

    When
    Revelation
    Where
    Reverend's home
  13. Reverend punishes and is opposed in the mountains

    In the mountains, the Reverend shoots Matthew and kills Liz's father-in-law, declaring that he will beat and rape her daughter. Liz, pushed past the breaking point, kills the Reverend to protect her daughter. The cycle of violence threatens to swallow them all.

    When
    Retribution
    Where
    Mountain homestead
  14. Nathan arrests Liz; Liz drowns; Sam remembers

    Nathan, now a deputy, tracks Liz to the ferry and arrests her with a poster of Elizabeth Brundy in hand. As Liz is escorted onto the lake, she throws herself into the water and drowns, leaving a grown Sam to remember her mother. The memory preserves the tragedy across generations.

    When
    Retribution
    Where
    Ferry/lake

Last updated: October 09, 2025 at 16:20

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Timeline questions answered

Brimstone Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of Brimstone (2017): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why does Joanna cut out her own tongue?

Joanna cuts out her own tongue to assume Elizabeth's identity after the Reverend murders Elizabeth at the brothel. By removing her tongue and taking Elizabeth's place, Joanna can escape her past and disappear into a new life with Eli, leaving behind the traumatic history with her father.

  • joanna
  • tongue
  • identity
  • escape
  • elizabeth
Q2

Who is the Reverend to Joanna?

The Reverend is Joanna's own father. He sexually abuses his daughter throughout her childhood, eventually attempting to force her into a marriage at the church. His obsessive pursuit of Joanna across the years stems from his Incestuous desire, making his hunt both a religious crusade and a twisted family vendetta.

Foreshadowing: Anna confronts the Reverend about his lust for Joanna before her suicide, revealing the depravity lurking beneath his pious exterior.

  • reverend
  • joanna
  • father
  • incest
  • family
Q3

How is Liz the same person as Joanna?

Joanna becomes Liz after escaping the Reverend. When Elizabeth (the prostitute) is murdered at the brothel, Joanna escapes, cuts off her own tongue, and takes Elizabeth's name. She then marries a man named Eli, who calls her Liz. The film's non-linear structure reveals this identity connection across the four acts.

Foreshadowing: The Reverend recognizes Joanna at the brothel, confirming her identity carries through to the later timeline.

  • liz
  • joanna
  • identity
  • elizabeth
  • switch
Q4

Why does the Reverend hunt Liz across the entire story?

The Reverend hunts Liz because she is actually his daughter Joanna, whom he has obsessed over for years. After she escapes his farm and eventually kills him at the brothel, his pursuit transforms into a vengeful crusade to find and punish her for defying him and slashing his throat.

Foreshadowing: The Reverend arrives at the brothel specifically to find Joanna, demonstrating his relentless tracking of his daughter.

  • reverend
  • hunt
  • joanna
  • vengeance
  • pursuit
Q5

Why does Liz kill the Reverend in the mountains?

Liz kills the Reverend after he shoots Matthew, murders her father-in-law, and declares his intention to beat and rape her daughter. Driven past her breaking point, Liz murders him in cold blood to protect her child, fulfilling the cycle of violence that has defined their encounters.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Liz attempts to murder the Reverend at his home but finds only her daughter's doll, foreshadowing her ultimate confrontation to protect her family.

  • liz
  • reverend
  • murder
  • self-defense
  • mountains
Q6

Why does Liz drown herself at the end?

Liz drowns herself to avoid being captured and taken away by Nathan, the deputy sheriff. Rather than be imprisoned or face further persecution, she chooses death by jumping into the lake during the ferry crossing. Her suicide represents her final act of control over her own fate in a life defined by persecution.

Foreshadowing: Nathan arrives with a wanted poster for Elizabeth Brundy, confirming Liz will face justice for her past actions.

  • liz
  • suicide
  • drowning
  • capture
  • nathan
Q7

Why does Nathan arrest Liz?

Nathan arrests Liz because the Reverend had sent him to find her. After being sent to Bismuth, Nathan rose from deputy to sheriff. He carries a wanted poster of Elizabeth Brundy, the woman without a tongue who killed Frank. Though Liz is not Elizabeth, Nathan believes she is the one being sought, and he pursues her capture.

Foreshadowing: Nathan originally accused Liz of murder after she euthanized his son, establishing his long-standing grudge against her.

  • nathan
  • arrest
  • deputy
  • wanted
  • reverend
Q8

What happens to Matthew in the story?

Matthew is shot by the Reverend during the mountain pursuit while trying to lead his family to safety. He is shot while fleeing with Liz and her children toward her father-in-law's mountain refuge, adding another death to the Reverend's growing list of victims.

Foreshadowing: Eli urges Matthew to lead the family to the mountains before dying, placing the boy's life in danger.

  • matthew
  • shot
  • reverend
  • mountains
  • death
Q9

Why does Anna commit suicide in church?

Anna commits suicide after confronting the Reverend about his lust for her daughter Joanna. When the Reverend brutally punishes Anna by forcing her to wear a scold's bridle in front of the congregation, she chooses to hang herself in the church, unable to endure the shame and abuse any longer.

  • anna
  • suicide
  • church
  • reverend
  • shame
Q10

Why is Elizabeth's tongue cut off in the brothel?

Elizabeth's tongue is cut off as punishment for biting the tongue of a violent customer who attacked her. In the brutal world of the Bismuth brothel, her act of defiance results in the cruel retaliation of having her own tongue severed.

  • elizabeth
  • tongue
  • brothel
  • punishment
  • bismuth
Q11

Why does Joanna teach Elizabeth sign language?

Joanna teaches Elizabeth sign language using a book provided by the local doctor, allowing Elizabeth to communicate after losing her tongue. This act creates a meaningful bond between them and enables Elizabeth to become Joanna's protector in the dangerous brothel environment.

  • sign language
  • joanna
  • elizabeth
  • communication
  • bond
Q12

What happens to Eli in the story?

Eli is disemboweled by the Reverend at his farm during the confrontation with Liz. The Reverend kills Eli in a brutal act of violence, forcing Liz and her children to flee into the night. Before dying, Eli tells Matthew to lead the family to the mountains.

  • eli
  • reverend
  • disemboweled
  • death
  • farm

Movie threads

More Movies Like Brimstone, by Mood & Story

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

Bleak revenge narratives like Brimstone

Stories where the pursuit of justice leads to tragic and soul-crushing conclusions. For viewers seeking films with the oppressive, tragic feel of Brimstone. These movies feature protagonists pushed to the brink, driven by vengeance or survival in a brutal world, often culminating in a somber or devastating conclusion. If you liked the heavy emotional weight and relentless tone of Brimstone, explore these similar stories.

  • brutal
  • relentless
  • tragic
  • vengeful
  • oppressive
  • grim
  • Tone: dark, bleak, tragic
  • Pacing: steady, methodical
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern follows a wronged individual on a perilous path against overwhelming and sadistic opposition. The story structure often involves uncovering past traumas and builds towards a final confrontation that offers little catharsis, emphasizing the destructive nature of the quest itself.

Why they belong together: Movies are grouped here for their shared commitment to a dark, unforgiving tone, their focus on the psychological and physical toll of revenge, and their conclusions that prioritize tragic resonance over conventional resolution. The experience is defined by emotional heaviness and moral bleakness.

Psychological Westerns and frontier horror like Brimstone

Westerns that use the frontier not for adventure, but for existential dread and terror. Discover movies that share Brimstone's fusion of Western setting with intense psychological horror and thriller elements. These films are characterized by an oppressive atmosphere, complex narratives, and themes of persecution and survival against fanatical evil. If you liked the haunting, gritty feel of Brimstone, you'll find similar vibes here.

  • gritty
  • oppressive
  • haunting
  • suspenseful
  • atmospheric
  • brutal
  • Tone: dark, haunting, suspenseful
  • Pacing: steady, atmospheric build
Why these movies?

The story pattern: Stories often feature a lone, traumatized individual grappling with a monstrous antagonist whose evil is tied to the era's rigid social or religious structures. The narrative is less about external action and more about a slow, methodical unraveling of trauma and survival in a lawless, morally bankrupt environment.

Why they belong together: These films are united by their unique genre blend, using the Western genre's conventions to explore dark psychological and horrific themes. They share a specific, gritty visual style, a steady, dread-filled pacing, and a focus on the brutality lurking beneath the surface of frontier life.

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Movies Like Brimstone

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Every angle

Brimstone (2017) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Brimstone 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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