Contracted (2013) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Samantha became sick because she was sexually assaulted by BJ while intoxicated. BJ had previously had a disturbing encounter with an infected corpse in the morgue, which appears to have transmitted a mysterious and highly contagious affliction to Samantha. This disease caused her rapid physical deterioration, including the rash, heavy bleeding, hair loss, and eventual zombie-like transformation.

Foreshadowing: The film opens with BJ's encounter with the bio-hazard tagged corpse, establishing the source of the infection.

• samantha illness
• party assault
• infection
• disease transmission
• bio-hazard

At the party, Samantha was sexually assaulted by BJ after becoming heavily intoxicated. Despite her stating she is a lesbian, BJ gave her drinks until she was vulnerable and took advantage of her. She initially thought it was just a bad hangover, but the assault triggered the chain of events that followed.

Foreshadowing: Alice and Zain's substance use at the party sets up Samantha's vulnerability.

• samantha assault
• party
• bj
• sexual assault
• intoxication

Samantha killed Nikki in a fit of rage after being rejected and accused of being confused about her sexuality. When Nikki told her she never mentioned a scholarship offer and accused her of being confused about her identity, Samantha's emotional breakdown culminated in her choking Nikki to death. This violent outburst marked her complete descent into madness.

Foreshadowing: Nikki's earlier dismissiveness and revelation about not telling Samantha about the scholarship plant the seeds for the confrontation.

• nikki death
• samantha kill
• violence
• rejection
• murder

Samantha murdered Alice after feeling betrayed. Alice had urged Samantha to report her assault to the police, but Samantha perceived this as betrayal, especially since she was already dealing with the fallout from her deteriorating condition. Consumed by madness from her affliction, she went to Alice's house and brutally killed her, ripping out her throat.

Foreshadowing: Alice's advice to report the assault creates tension with Samantha, who already feels isolated.

• alice murder
• samantha violence
• throat ripping
• betrayal

BJ works at or visits a morgue, where he had a disturbing sexual encounter with a corpse marked with a bio-hazard symbol on its toe tag. This encounter is the original source of the contagious affliction that later spreads to Samantha. The film implies the disease originated from this infected body.

Foreshadowing: The opening scene establishes BJ as the carrier of the infection before he encounters Samantha.

• bj
• morgue
• corpse
• bio-hazard
• infection source

Samantha turned to heroin because her doctor instructed her to isolate herself until tests could determine her condition. Feeling increasingly desperate, isolated, and in physical agony, she rejected conventional medical help and instead sought relief from Zain, who introduced her to heroin. This decision accelerated her mental and physical deterioration.

Foreshadowing: Zain's earlier offer of substances at the party establishes his role in providing drugs.

• heroin
• samantha addiction
• zain
• doctor advice
• deterioration

The film never explicitly names the disease, but it presents as a highly contagious, STD-like affliction with severe physical symptoms including rashes, heavy bleeding, hair loss, nail detachment, and eventual zombie-like transformation. It originates from the infected corpse BJ encountered and is transmitted through sexual contact. The disease appears to be a fictional horror premise representing a contagious, body-horror infection.

Foreshadowing: The bio-hazard symbol on the corpse's toe tag signals the dangerous nature of the infection.

• disease
• infection
• std
• contagion
• symptoms

By the end of the film, Samantha has completely transformed into a zombie-like creature due to the affliction. She no longer possesses her former identity or humanity. When her mother arrives at the crash scene pleading with police to spare her, Samantha attacks her in a primal, undead manner, symbolizing the complete loss of her former self and the tragic destruction of their relationship.

Foreshadowing: Samantha's earlier violent outbursts and complete mental breakdown foreshadow her loss of humanity.

• mother attack
• final scene
• zombie transformation
• samantha mother

Nikki rejected Samantha because she was still hurt from their breakup and felt Samantha was unstable. When Samantha reached out, Nikki was dismissive and hurtful, revealing she had never told Samantha about a scholarship offer. She accused Samantha of being confused about her sexuality, which enraged Samantha and contributed to the violent confrontation that followed.

Foreshadowing: The breakup and Nikki's cold demeanor are established early in the film.

• nikki
• samantha relationship
• rejection
• scholarship
• breakup

Samantha was rejected from the flower show because of her disheveled appearance and the unhealthy state of her plants. By this point, her physical deterioration had progressed significantly, she was losing hair, her eyes were bloodshot, and she had been neglecting everything due to her declining health and mental state. The rejection symbolizes her complete loss of normalcy and hope.

Foreshadowing: The flower show represents Samantha's attempt to hold onto her previous life, which is crumbling.

• flower show
• rejection
• plants
• samantha appearance
• normalcy loss