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Cold Moon (2017) movie poster

Timeline

Cold Moon (2017) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
2017 · 92 min · English
Echo score 53
JustWatch #2,961 15
Starring
Josh Stewart, Candy Clark, Joe Chrest, Frank Whaley, Chester Rushing, Madison Wolfe
Budget
$3.2M

In the quiet Southern town of Raven's Peak, the Larkin family faces a new wave of unsettling events. Strange occurrences plague the community, including traffic lights behaving erratically, spectral figures appearing, and graves inexplicably opening in the town cemetery. As these eerie omens escalate, the family must confront a growing sense of dread and uncover the source of the disturbances before they are consumed by the darkness.

Drama Mystery Thriller Horror Crime Cast, crew & box office
On this page (6)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Events in order (13)
  3. 3 Timeline questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Movies like Cold Moon
  6. 6 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch Cold Moon (2017)

Where can you watch Cold Moon? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on Amazon Prime Video, Bloodstream and Fawesome: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

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13 events in order · contains spoilers

Cold Moon Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of Cold Moon (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. Margaret Larkin Goes Missing

    In the small town of Babylon, Florida, sixteen-year-old Margaret Larkin mysteriously disappears, sending shockwaves through the close-knit community. As friends and family search for her, the town is filled with growing anxiety and concern over her whereabouts.

    Where
    Babylon, Florida

  2. Discovery of Margaret's Body

    The town's worst fears are confirmed when Margaret's body is discovered in the river, horrifyingly tied to her own bicycle. The shocking nature of her murder leaves the community in mourning and fear, as whispers of a killer lurk in the air.

    Where
    River in Babylon

  3. Investigation Begins

    As the investigation into Margaret's death begins, the local authorities and townsfolk rally together, searching for clues and leads. The atmosphere in Babylon grows tense, with the sense that a predator is on the loose among them.

    Where
    Babylon, Florida

  4. Nathan Redfield Becomes a Suspect

    Attention turns to Nathan Redfield, the sociopathic son of the town's banker, who exhibits increasingly suspicious behavior. His cold demeanor and ulterior motives raise alarm bells among investigators, who delve deeper into his background.

    Where
    Babylon, Florida

  5. Nathan's Malevolent Plan

    It becomes clear that Nathan has devised a sinister plan to murder the entire Larkin family to acquire their petroleum-rich property. His ruthless ambition drives him to coldly calculate each step needed to eliminate the family standing in his way.

    Where
    Babylon, Florida

  6. Framing Principal Harris

    Nathan crafts a scheme to frame Principal Harris for the murders, manipulating evidence to divert attention away from himself. His confidence in his ability to orchestrate this scheme reveals a dangerous level of hubris that puts everyone at risk.

    Where
    Babylon High School

  7. Larkin Family Returns as Spirits

    In a shocking turn, the Larkin family returns as vengeful spirits, visible only to Nathan. This ghostly presence begins to haunt him, serving as a constant reminder of his heinous actions and fueling his descent into madness.

    Where
    Babylon, Florida

  8. Nathan's Descent into Madness

    As Nathan grapples with the hallucinations of the Larkin family, his mental state deteriorates rapidly. He turns to alcohol in a desperate attempt to escape the torment, but this only worsens his condition and paranoia.

    Where
    Babylon, Florida

  9. Erratic Behavior Escalates

    Driven by fear and guilt, Nathan's behavior becomes increasingly violent and erratic. His reckless actions alienate those around him, drawing more suspicion and heightening the tension within the community.

    Where
    Babylon, Florida

  10. Climactic Confrontation

    The story reaches its gripping climax as the spirits of the Larkin family exact their final revenge on Nathan. Faced with his guilt and the weight of his own violent actions, Nathan's carefully constructed life unravels dramatically.

    Where
    Abandoned Site in Babylon

  11. Nathan's Grim End

    In a final act of desperation, Nathan meets a fittingly grim end, consumed by the horrors he sought to inflict. His demise serves as a harrowing conclusion to a tale of ambition, murder, and revenge.

    Where
    Abandoned Site in Babylon

  12. Aftermath of the Murders

    In the wake of the events, the town of Babylon is left to pick up the pieces and grapple with the reality of the murders. The haunting specter of corruption within the Redfield family is exposed, leaving the community forever changed.

    Where
    Babylon, Florida

  13. A Chilling Reminder

    As Babylon returns to a semblance of normalcy, the eerie, supernatural justice that unfolded serves as a chilling reminder of the darkness that exists within even the most peaceful towns. The legacy of the Larkins and their tragic fate will linger on.

    Where
    Babylon, Florida

Last updated: May 12, 2025 at 07:04

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Timeline questions answered

Cold Moon Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

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

Q1

Why does Nathan Redfield want to kill the Larkin family?

Nathan wants to murder the entire Larkin family to seize their valuable property, which is rich in petroleum. His father's bank is eager to acquire this property, so Nathan coldly calculates each step needed to eliminate the family and take ownership of their land.

  • nathan redfield
  • larkin family
  • property
  • murder
  • petroleum
Q2

How does Nathan plan to frame Principal Harris for the murders?

Nathan crafts a scheme to manipulate evidence and leverage his societal influence in the town. By planting false clues and redirecting suspicion onto Principal Harris, he aims to transfer attention away from himself while simultaneously eliminating the Larkin family, allowing the bank to acquire the property without opposition.

  • nathan redfield
  • principal harris
  • frame
  • evidence
  • manipulation
Q3

Why are only Nathan and not other characters haunted by the Larkin ghosts?

The vengeful spirits of the murdered Larkin family appear only to Nathan, making his guilt manifest as terrifying visual hallucinations. This supernatural element targets him specifically as the architect of their deaths, ensuring he cannot escape the psychological torment of what he's done.

  • larkin ghosts
  • haunting
  • nathan redfield
  • hallucinations
  • guilt
Q4

What triggers Nathan's increasingly violent and erratic behavior?

Nathan's violent behavior escalates as the guilt-ridden hallucinations of the Larkin family spirits become overwhelming. Unable to cope with the relentless haunting, he turns to alcohol in a desperate attempt to quiet the visions, but this only deepens his paranoia and leads him to act impulsively and recklessly.

Foreshadowing: The eerie omens at the beginning, traffic lights behaving erratically and graves opening, hint at the supernatural justice to come.

  • nathan redfield
  • violence
  • alcohol
  • paranoia
  • mental breakdown
Q5

How do the Larkin family spirits exact their revenge on Nathan?

The spirits manifest as vivid, terrifying visions that only Nathan can see, inducing madness and psychological torment. Their relentless haunting drives him to the edge of sanity, ultimately confronting him at an abandoned site where they claim their final revenge for the brutal murders he committed.

Foreshadowing: The strange occurrences in Raven's Peak, spectral figures and opening graves, foreshadow the dead returning to seek justice.

  • larkin spirits
  • revenge
  • supernatural
  • nathan death
  • justice
Q6

Why does Nathan start drinking heavily during the story?

Nathan turns to alcohol as a desperate attempt to drown out the ghostly apparitions of the Larkin family that torment him. The drinking represents his failing attempt to cope with the guilt and fear overwhelming his mind, but it ultimately accelerates his descent into insanity rather than providing relief.

  • nathan redfield
  • alcohol
  • haunting
  • insanity
  • escape
Q7

What happens to Principal Harris after Nathan frames him?

Nathan's scheme involves manipulating evidence to make Principal Harris appear guilty of the murders. However, as Nathan's mental state deteriorates and his own actions become increasingly suspicious, the townsfolk begin to question Nathan instead, ultimately exposing the frame and revealing Nathan as the true perpetrator.

  • principal harris
  • frame
  • murder accusation
  • nathan redfield
Q8

How does Nathan meet his end in Cold Moon?

At the story's climax, Nathan faces the Larkin family's spirits at an abandoned site. Consum by guilt and relentless supernatural torment, his carefully maintained façade shatters completely. He meets a fittingly grim end, engulfed by the very horrors he inflicted on the Larkin family.

  • nathan redfield
  • death
  • climax
  • spirits
  • justice
Q9

What role does the petroleum-rich property play in the murders?

The Larkin family's land contains valuable petroleum reserves, making it a highly desirable acquisition for the Redfield bank. This financial incentive is Nathan's primary motivation for orchestrating the murders, eliminating the family removes all obstacles to seizing the property and satisfying his father's bank's interests.

  • petroleum
  • property
  • larkin land
  • redfield bank
  • greed
Q10

Which Larkin family members does Nathan kill?

While Margaret Larkin's murder (the initial disappearance and drowning) is shown in detail, Nathan's overall plan involves killing the entire Larkin family to take their property. The exact sequence and identities of the other victims aren't fully detailed in the summary, but the pattern suggests all family members remaining at the property were targeted.

  • larkin family
  • margaret
  • victims
  • murder plot

Movie threads

More Movies Like Cold Moon, by Mood & Story

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

Supernatural Revenge Thrillers like Cold Moon

A community's dark secrets are unearthed by vengeful, otherworldly forces. If you liked the ghostly retribution and small-town secrets in Cold Moon, you'll find more movies like it here. These supernatural thrillers and horror dramas feature vengeful spirits exposing crimes and creating an atmosphere of unrelenting dread and moral reckoning in isolated communities.

  • vengeful
  • unsettling
  • suspenseful
  • oppressive
  • gloomy
  • paranoid
  • Tone: dark, vengeful, unsettling
  • Pacing: variable, building to a climax
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative typically begins with a hidden crime, often a murder, that disrupts the peace of a contained community. The victim returns as a supernatural force, not for simple scares, but to psychologically torment the perpetrator and expose the truth. The story unfolds as a tense investigation into both the crime and the eerie phenomena, leading to a climactic confrontation where supernatural justice is served.

Why they belong together: Movies in this thread share a core premise of supernatural entities acting as agents of karma. They blend mystery and horror with a strong thematic focus on guilt, secrets, and the inescapability of the past. The tone is consistently dark and suspenseful, prioritizing psychological torment over sheer horror.

Cold Moon movie poster

Cold Moon

2017
Supernatural movie poster

Supernatural

1933
Ghost movie poster

Ghost

2012
Dark Signals movie poster

Dark Signals

2024
303 Fear Faith Revenge movie poster

303 Fear Faith Revenge

1998
Revenge! movie poster

Revenge!

1971
Ghosthunters movie poster

Ghosthunters

2016
Sometimes They Come Back movie poster

Sometimes They Come Back

1991

Southern Gothic Mood Pieces like Cold Moon

Atmospheric tales of dread, madness, and decay in the American South. For viewers who appreciated the oppressive atmosphere and Southern setting of Cold Moon, this section features similar movies. Discover more Southern Gothic stories with a dark tone, psychological themes, and a moody, suspenseful vibe centered on family trauma, small-town secrets, and a descent into madness.

  • gloomy
  • melancholic
  • oppressive
  • atmospheric
  • unsettling
  • suspenseful
  • Tone: dark, melancholic, oppressive
  • Pacing: slow burn, deliberate
Why these movies?

The story pattern: Stories in this thread are less about plot-driven action and more about a gradual psychological erosion. A protagonist, often an outsider or a returning native, is drawn into a web of family history, local superstition, and long-buried secrets. The oppressive environment acts as a character itself, fueling paranoia and a descent into a state where the supernatural feels tangibly possible, leading to a climax that is often bittersweet or tragic.

Why they belong together: These films are united by their quintessential Southern Gothic atmosphere. They prioritize mood over pace, using a rich, often decaying, setting to explore deep-seated trauma and psychological collapse. The experience is defined by a heavy, melancholic, and suspenseful tone that gets under your skin.

Terribly Happy movie poster

Terribly Happy

2008
The Little Stranger movie poster

The Little Stranger

2018
Lovely, Dark, and Deep movie poster

Lovely, Dark, and Deep

2024
House of Good and Evil movie poster

House of Good and Evil

2013
A Dark Song movie poster

A Dark Song

2017
The Thirteenth Tale movie poster

The Thirteenth Tale

2013
The Dark movie poster

The Dark

2018
A Tale of Two Sisters movie poster

A Tale of Two Sisters

2004

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In the Shadow of the Moon movie poster

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Moon of the Wolf movie poster

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Every angle

Cold Moon (2017) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Cold Moon 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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