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Collide (2017) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
2017 · 99 min · English
JustWatch #8,107 27
Directed by
Eran Creevy
Starring
Anthony Hopkins, Felicity Jones, Ben Kingsley, Nicholas Hoult

Casey Stein finds himself embroiled in a dangerous situation after a heist gone wrong leaves him with a valuable package and the attention of a ruthless criminal, Hagen. To protect his girlfriend, Juliette, who is now in peril, Casey seeks help from a former associate, Geran. This sets off a thrilling, high-stakes car chase across Germany's highways as he attempts to evade Hagen’s relentless pursuit and save Juliette before it’s too late.

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 Collide
  6. 6 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch Collide (2017)

Where can you watch Collide? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on Philo, Starz and Xumo Play: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

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15 events in order · contains spoilers

Collide Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of Collide (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. The Crash

    In the opening scene, Casey is being chased down a freeway, leading to a dramatic crash. As his wrecked car comes to a halt, Casey's voiceover begins, suggesting that crazy actions might be justified if they're done for love.

    When
    Opening Scene
    Where
    Freeway
  2. Meeting Juliette

    A few days prior to the crash, Casey meets Juliette, and they quickly fall in love. They share a playful moment challenging each other to lie in the snow in their undergarments, deepening their bond.

    When
    A Few Days Earlier
  3. Juliette's Illness

    During their snowy escapade, Casey learns that Juliette is critically ill and requires emergency surgery. This news drives him to take drastic actions to ensure she receives the help she needs.

  4. The Heist Plan

    In an effort to afford Juliette's surgery, Casey teams up with Geran to rob an 18-wheeler owned by Hagen Kahl, a drug lord disguised as a businessman. The plan stems from Geran's resentment toward Kahl after being denied partnership.

  5. The Car Accident Setup

    Casey and his friend Matthias orchestrate a simulated car accident to lure the driver of the 18-wheeler. Their strategy involves a staged injury where Matthias pretends to be unconscious, prompting the driver to stop.

    Where
    Freeway
  6. The Hijacking

    As the driver of the 18-wheeler approaches, he becomes suspicious, leading to an intense confrontation. Casey takes advantage of the moment and knocks out the driver, successfully hijacking the truck.

    Where
    Freeway
  7. The Capture

    After the hijacking, Casey is quickly discovered by Kahl's men. Captured and interrogated in a warehouse, Kahl threatens Casey with harm toward Juliette to extract information about his accomplices.

    Where
    Warehouse
  8. The Escape

    Just as Kahl prepares to torture him, Casey manages to break free and hops into a car, escaping from the warehouse. His luck runs thin as he finds himself in a chaotic car chase with Kahl's henchman.

    Where
    City Streets
  9. The Chase Continuation

    After a series of crashes and close calls in the ongoing chase, Casey discovers hidden money in the car he's driving. Realizing the stakes are even higher, he grabs the cash as he continues to evade Kahl's men.

    Where
    City
  10. A Plan for Juliette

    Desperate to protect Juliette, Casey calls Matthias, instructing him to get Juliette out of the hospital for safety. He knows Kahl's men are closing in on her and time is of the essence.

    Where
    Hospital
  11. The Deceit

    Geran, pretending to help, lies to Casey that Juliette is dead to provoke him. This betrayal drives Casey further into a corner, escalating tensions as he fights to save her.

  12. The Final Confrontation

    Casey arranges a trade-off with Kahl, hoping to exchange money for Juliette's freedom. As tensions peak at the bar, a standoff ensues when Geran reveals his true intentions.

    Where
    Local Bar
  13. The Police Arrival

    As gunfire erupts between Geran and Kahl, Casey manages to escape with Juliette through the back. They narrowly avoid capture as police arrive, intensifying the chaos.

    Where
    Local Bar
  14. The Train Station

    At the train station, Casey asks Juliette to leave on a train with the money while he surrenders to the police to provide them with evidence against Kahl. This sacrifice hopes to secure her safety.

    Where
    Train Station
  15. The Resolution

    In the end, Casey helps the police arrest Kahl by revealing his truck's location, exposing him as a drug lord. Later, he watches as Juliette undergoes surgery, hopeful for their future.

    When
    After the events
    Where
    Hospital

Last updated: May 12, 2025 at 07:04

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Timeline questions answered

Collide Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

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

Q1

Why does Casey decide to rob Hagen Kahl's truck?

Casey decides to rob the truck because Juliette is critically ill and needs emergency surgery that he cannot afford. After falling in love with her, learning about her condition becomes the catalyst for his desperate decision to commit the heist.

Foreshadowing: The opening scene's crash and Casey's voiceover about crazy things done for love foreshadow the extreme measures he will take.

  • casey
  • juliette
  • surgery
  • money
  • heist
  • hagen kahl
Q2

Why does Geran agree to help Casey with the robbery?

Geran agrees to help because he harbors his own grudge against Hagen Kahl. Kahl previously denied Geran a partnership, so Geran sees Casey's heist as an opportunity to get revenge on Kahl while helping Casey achieve his goal.

  • geran
  • hagen kahl
  • revenge
  • partnership
  • grudge
Q3

How does Casey escape from the warehouse?

When Kahl prepares to torture Casey to extract information about his accomplices, Casey manages to break free from his restraints. He then hops into a car parked in the warehouse and escapes through the city streets, beginning a high-speed chase.

  • escape
  • warehouse
  • torture
  • kahl
  • cars
  • chase
Q4

Why does Geran tell Casey that Juliette is dead?

Geran lies to Casey about Juliette being dead to manipulate and further provoke him. This cruel deception is part of Geran's true intention to turn the situation to his own advantage, revealing his betrayal as he conspires with Kahl.

Foreshadowing: Geran's earlier willingness to help with the heist masks his true intentions, which become clear through this betrayal.

  • geran
  • juliette
  • lie
  • death
  • manipulation
  • betrayal
Q5

What causes the final confrontation at the bar?

The final confrontation occurs when Casey arranges a trade-off with Kahl, offering the stolen money in exchange for Juliette's freedom. However, when Geran reveals his true intentions during the meetup, tensions escalate into a standoff between all parties, leading to gunfire.

  • bar
  • confrontation
  • money
  • juliette
  • trade
  • geran
  • kahl
Q6

How does Casey manage to save Juliette in the end?

During the chaos at the bar when Geran and Kahl's men begin fighting each other, Casey escapes with Juliette through the back. He then takes her to the train station, giving her the money and convincing her to leave while he surrenders to the police to provide evidence against Kahl.

  • juliette
  • save
  • escape
  • police
  • surrender
  • train station
Q7

What happens to Hagen Kahl after the police arrive?

After the chaos at the bar, Casey helps the police arrest Kahl by revealing the location of his truck, which contains evidence exposing him as a drug lord. This leads to Kahl's downfall and arrest.

  • hagen kahl
  • police
  • arrest
  • drug lord
  • truck
  • exposed
Q8

Why does Casey choose to surrender to the police?

Casey surrenders to the police as a strategic sacrifice to ensure Juliette's safety and to secure evidence against Kahl. By turning himself in, he can provide the police with information about Kahl's criminal operations while giving Juliette time to escape with the money for her surgery.

Foreshadowing: This sacrifice aligns with the movie's theme that crazy actions for love may not be so crazy after all.

  • casey
  • surrender
  • police
  • sacrifice
  • juliette
  • safety
  • evidence
Q9

Why is there hidden money in the car Casey steals during the chase?

During the ongoing car chase after escaping the warehouse, Casey discovers hidden money in the car he's driving. This reveals that Kahl uses his trucks to transport illicit funds, not just drugs, raising the stakes of the heist and giving Casey leverage for the exchange.

  • money
  • hidden
  • car
  • chase
  • kahl
  • drugs
  • illicit
Q10

What role does Matthias play in the heist plan?

Matthias assists Casey by helping orchestrate the fake car accident. He pretends to be unconscious on the roadway to lure the truck driver away from the vehicle, creating the opportunity for Casey to hijack the 18-wheeler.

  • matthias
  • heist
  • fake accident
  • truck driver

Movie threads

More Movies Like Collide, by Mood & Story

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

Thrillers with relentless car chases like Collide

Movies where a frantic race against time fuels non-stop action and escape. If you liked the fast-paced, desperate car chases in Collide, you'll find more movies like it here. This collection features high-stakes action thrillers where the chase is central to the plot, creating a tense and adrenalized viewing experience. These stories are about survival against overwhelming odds on the open road.

  • adrenalized
  • relentless
  • desperate
  • fast-paced
  • high-stakes
  • ruthless
  • Tone: tense, desperate
  • Pacing: fast, relentless
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative is typically a straightforward race against time, often triggered by a single disastrous event like a heist gone wrong. The protagonist is pushed to their physical and mental limits, using their wits and skills to stay one step ahead of a relentless pursuer. The story unfolds linearly, with obstacles and escalating confrontations marking the journey.

Why they belong together: Movies are grouped here based on their shared emphasis on high-speed pursuit, relentless pacing, and the constant threat of capture or death. They deliver a specific, action-driven viewing experience focused on physical survival and immediate danger.

Movies where crime is driven by love like Collide

Stories where a criminal act is justified by the desperate need to save a loved one. If you liked the premise of Collide, where a man enters a criminal world to save his girlfriend, explore more movies with similar themes. This collection features stories of sacrifice and desperate measures motivated by love, blending thrilling action with a strong emotional drive. These films explore how far someone will go for the people they care about.

  • desperate
  • romantic
  • sacrificial
  • tense
  • high-stakes
  • emotional
  • Tone: tense, bittersweet
  • Pacing: fast, driven
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative follows a character who commits a crime or embarks on a dangerous path for altruistic reasons, typically to pay for medical treatment, secure someone's freedom, or protect them from harm. This creates an internal conflict between their actions and their intentions, culminating in a sacrifice that underscores the cost of their love, often leading to a bittersweet resolution.

Why they belong together: These films are connected by their central thematic premise: love as the primary motivation for crime and danger. They share a specific emotional mix, combining the tension of a thriller with the heartfelt stakes of a romance, resulting in stories where action sequences are grounded in deep personal motivation.

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Movies Like Collide

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

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Every angle

Collide (2017) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Collide 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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