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Cry of the Banshee (1970) movie poster

Timeline

Cry of the Banshee (1970) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
1970 · 91 mins · English
Directed by
Gordon Hessler
Starring
Stephen Rea, Vincent Price, Hugh Griffith, Michael Elphick, Godfrey James, Louis Selwyn

In seventeenth‑century England, Lord Whitman obsessively hunts witchcraft, exacting brutal punishment on villagers he deems witches. When a wronged sorceress survives his purge, she curses his family, manipulating one of his household servants to unwittingly aid her vengeance.

On this page (5)
  1. 1 Events in order (12)
  2. 2 Timeline questions answered
  3. 3 Movie threads
  4. 4 Movies like Cry of the Banshee
  5. 5 Every angle

12 events in order · contains spoilers

Cry of the Banshee Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of Cry of the Banshee (1970) 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. Trial and punishment of the accused witch

    In Elizabethan England, Lord Edward Whitman presides over a village trial and declares the young woman a witch. He orders her branded, whipped through the streets, and placed in the stocks as the crowd watches. The brutal display signals Whitman’s ruthless approach to enforcing superstition and order.

    When
    Daytime
    Where
    Village square
  2. Feast at Whitman Hall and the hunt begins

    That night Whitman hosts a feast at his home while his henchmen search the countryside for the killers of a sheep. Two poor teenagers are dragged into the hall and killed during a struggle after a wolf-like howl outside. The violent event marks the start of a village-wide hunt and foreshadows the brutality to come.

    When
    Night
    Where
    Whitman Hall
  3. Lady Patricia confronts Whitman

    Whitman's wife, Lady Patricia, accuses her husband of murder, calling him a monster and insisting his methods are corrupt. The exchange reveals the moral decay within the Whitman household. The accusation raises the stakes of the hunt and the looming violence.

    When
    Night
    Where
    Whitman Hall
  4. Whitman contemplates a witch-hunt expansion

    After his oldest son Sean rapes Lady Patricia, Whitman resolves to expand his 'clean up' of witches across the area. He embraces fear of sorcery as a weapon to consolidate power. The decision transforms personal grievance into a wider, sanctioned terror.

    When
    Following the incident
    Where
    Whitman residence / surrounding hills
  5. The hunting party storms the hills

    Whitman, aided by Sean, leads an armed posse into the hills to flush out supposed witches. They disrupt a gathering, kill several witches, and order the rest to scatter and never return. The raid intensifies the coven’s fury and sets the stage for retaliation.

    When
    Night
    Where
    Hills
  6. Oona's curse takes hold

    Oona, leader of the coven, vows revenge for the massacre and summons a demonic spirit. The spirit possesses Roderick, a loyal servant, turning him into a deadly instrument against the Whitman family. The supernatural threat shifts the danger from mobs to a personal, living nightmare.

    When
    Shortly after the raid
    Where
    Countryside / Whitman estate
  7. Roderick's killing spree begins

    Under demonic possession, Roderick begins a systematic murder of Whitman family members, striking at Sean and Lady Patricia among others. Maureen Whitman grows increasingly anxious as the body count climbs. The possession converts trusted staff into agents of murder.

    When
    Over days/weeks
    Where
    Whitman residence
  8. Harry and Father Tom confront the coven

    Harry, Whitman’s son from Cambridge, and a priest named Father Tom locate Oona and her coven as they conjure death over Maureen. They kill Oona and the coven, breaking a portion of the curse. Yet the fight exposes the demon’s lingering hold on the Whitmans.

    When
    During the confrontation
    Where
    Coven location / countryside
  9. Maureen's stand against the demon

    As Roderick attacks, Maureen shoots the demon in the head, seemingly ending the immediate threat. The moment offers a fragile spark of hope that the curse has been lifted. However, the supernatural danger remains and the path ahead is uncertain.

    When
    Climax / after confrontation
    Where
    Whitman estate
  10. The plan to leave and the cemetery check

    Whitman plans to depart by coach with his remaining children to escape the curse. He stops at the cemetery to confirm that Roderick is dead, only to find the coffin empty. The discovery shatters his confidence and deepens the looming dread.

    When
    Late at night / dusk
    Where
    Cemetery
  11. Roderick drives the coach

    Beneath the coach, Whitman discovers that his driver Bully Boy was killed by Roderick and the spirit now drives the carriage. The possessed servant seizes control and accelerates the deadly pursuit. Whitman realises the danger as the driver’s voice betrays the truth.

    When
    On the road, departure night
    Where
    Road / carriage
  12. Final scream: terror on the road

    Whitman screams the driver’s name in terror as the coach heads toward an unknown fate. The screen fades on an unresolved note, with the curse and danger hanging over the family. The ominous coach fades into the night, leaving the audience in suspense.

    When
    Ending
    Where
    Road / unknown destination

Last updated: October 09, 2025 at 14:13

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Timeline questions answered

Cry of the Banshee Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of Cry of the Banshee (1970): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why does Oona curse the Whitman family?

Oona curses the Whitman family after Lord Whitman leads an armed posse into the hills, kills several members of her coven during a Black Sabbath gathering, and orders the rest to scatter and never return. This mass slaughter of innocent witches is the direct provocation that motivates her supernatural revenge.

Foreshadowing: Earlier scenes of Whitman's brutal witch trials and his violent raid establish his pattern of indiscriminate violence against suspected witches.

  • oona
  • curse
  • witches
  • coven
  • massacre
  • revenge
Q2

Why does the demon possess Roderick?

Oona specifically chooses Roderick for possession because he is a loyal servant in the Whitman household whom Maureen Whitman has loved for years. By using someone close to the family, Oona ensures the curse strikes at the heart of the Whitman household, making the betrayal personal and devastating.

Foreshadowing: Roderick's presence as a devoted servant and Maureen's feelings for him are established early, making his transformation into a killer particularly tragic.

  • roderick
  • possession
  • demon
  • maureen
  • servant
  • cursed
Q3

Why does Sean rape Lady Patricia?

Sean rapes Lady Patricia after witnessing her accuse Lord Whitman of murder and call him a monster. This act of sexual violence is presented as a manifestation of the corruption spreading through the Whitman family, Sean's role in helping his father expand the witch hunt has already twisted his moral character, and he acts with impunity against his own stepmother.

Foreshadowing: Lady Patricia's confrontation earlier establishes the growing moral decay, while Sean's eager participation in the witch hunt shows his descent into brutality.

  • sean
  • lady patricia
  • rape
  • corruption
  • brutality
Q4

Why does the curse continue after Oona and the coven are killed?

The curse continues even after Harry and Father Tom kill Oona because the demonic spirit they summoned remains active and bound to Roderick. Killing the coven leader breaks the connection to the source of the curse but does not automatically undo the possession, the demon can still act through Roderick independently.

Foreshadowing: The timeline shows Roderick continuing his attacks even after Oona's death, demonstrating the curse has taken on its own momentum.

  • oona
  • coven
  • curse
  • demon
  • killed
  • possession continues
Q5

Why is Roderick's coffin empty when they check the cemetery?

The coffin is empty because Roderick was never truly dead, he was possessed by a demonic spirit that animated his body. When the demon temporarily withdraws after being shot by Maureen, Roderick appears lifeless, but the supernatural entity later reanimates him, allowing him to leave the coffin and continue his attack.

Foreshadowing: Maureen's shot only seems to end the immediate threat; the brief moment of safety foreshadows the curse's resilience.

  • cemetery
  • coffin
  • empty
  • demon
  • roderick
  • undead
Q6

Why does Roderick kill the coach driver Bully Boy?

Roderick kills Bully Boy to take control of the coach and ensure the Whitmans cannot escape the curse. By murdering the driver and taking the reins himself, Roderick traps Lord Whitman and his remaining children in the carriage, removing any possibility of flight and guaranteeing the curse reaches its final conclusion.

Foreshadowing: The earlier scene where they plan to escape by coach establishes their attempt to outrun the curse, which the demon clearly will not allow.

  • bully boy
  • coach driver
  • killed
  • roderick
  • escape
  • curse
Q7

What happens at the end of the movie?

At the end, Lord Whitman discovers that Roderick has killed the coach driver and is now driving the carriage himself. As the coach accelerates into the darkness toward an unknown destination, Whitman screams the driver's name in terror. The film ends unresolved, with the curse appearing to claim Whitman and his remaining children as the coach disappears into a void.

Foreshadowing: The earlier cemetery scene with the empty coffin establishes that Roderick cannot be killed by conventional means, making this final confrontation inescapable.

  • ending
  • coach
  • roderick
  • whitman
  • escape
  • unresolved fate
Q8

Why does Roderick turn against the family he served?

Roderick does not choose to attack his family, he is involuntarily possessed by a demonic spirit summoned by Oona. The demon uses Roderick's body as its instrument, forcing him to murder the very people he once served. His actions are not those of a willing traitor but of a puppet controlled by supernatural forces beyond his control.

Foreshadowing: The possession occurs immediately after Oona summons the demonic spirit, linking the supernatural event directly to Roderick's transformation.

  • roderick
  • servant
  • possessed
  • demon
  • unwilling
  • murder family
Q9

How does Maureen manage to shoot the demon?

Maureen shoots the demon in the head while it possesses Roderick during an attack on her. The shot appears to kill the demon temporarily, causing Roderick to collapse and giving the family a moment of hope. However, this only temporarily defeats the curse, the demon later reanimates Roderick and continues its vengeance.

Foreshadowing: The attack scene builds tension as Maureen faces the possessed Roderick, and her desperate act provides a brief respite before the curse resumes.

  • maureen
  • shoot
  • demon
  • roderick
  • head
  • curse broken
Q10

Why is the curse on the Whitmans inescapable?

The curse is inescapable because it operates through supernatural means that normal defenses cannot counter. Even after killing Oona and her coven, shooting the demon, and attempting to flee by coach, the Whitmans cannot escape, the demonic spirit simply reanimates,杀死s their driver, and pursues them. The film's theme emphasizes that crimes against the innocent invite divine or supernatural punishment that follows its victims relentlessly.

Foreshadowing: The escalating nature of the curse, from the initial killings to Roderick's possession to the final coach ride, demonstrates its relentless progression.

  • curse
  • inescapable
  • supernatural
  • revenge
  • whitman family
  • fate
Q11

Why does Whitman expand his witch hunt after Sean rapes Lady Patricia?

Whitman expands his witch hunt not out of justice but as a political power grab. After Sean rapes Lady Patricia and the household is scandalized, Whitman uses the witch hunts as a distraction and a tool to consolidate power. He weaponizes fear of sorcery to redirect attention from his family's corruption and strengthen his authority over the region.

Foreshadowing: Lady Patricia's accusation that Whitman is a murderer already hints at his use of witch hunting for personal gain, not moral righteousness.

  • whitman
  • witch hunt
  • expand
  • power
  • sean
  • abuse authority

Movie threads

More Movies Like Cry of the Banshee, by Mood & Story

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

Grim folk horror and supernatural vengeance like Cry of the Banshee

Stories of ancient curses and brutal violence exacting a relentless price. If you liked the relentless dread and supernatural retribution in Cry of the Banshee, this thread collects similar movies. These folk horror stories often feature witch hunts, ancient curses, and brutal consequences for human hubris, creating a terrifying and bleak viewing experience.

  • oppressive
  • brutal
  • revenge-driven
  • sinister
  • fatalistic
  • terrifying
  • Tone: dark, bleak
  • Pacing: steady, methodical
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative follows a simple but powerful cause-and-effect structure: a character or group commits a grave injustice, awakening a dormant supernatural force or drawing the ire of a coven. The story then methodically unfolds as a curse or vengeful entity systematically dismantles the transgressor's life, leading to a final, hopeless confrontation.

Why they belong together: Movies in this thread share a commitment to creating a terrifying, fatalistic mood through folklore-inspired horror. They are united by high-intensity violence, a dark and unrelenting tone, and a focus on the terrifying consequences of meddling with forces beyond human understanding.

Movies with a bleak sense of doom like Cry of the Banshee

Character-driven tragedies where fate is sealed from the very beginning. For viewers who appreciated the fatalistic terror and hopeless finale of Cry of the Banshee, this thread finds similar films. These stories feature characters trapped by curses, oppressive systems, or their own destinies, leading to a devastating and emotionally heavy conclusion.

  • fatalistic
  • oppressive
  • dread
  • psychological torment
  • hopeless
  • terrifying
  • Tone: dark, fatalistic
  • Pacing: steady, deliberate
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative is a straightforward descent, often beginning with a mistake or a curse that sets an unstoppable chain of events in motion. The protagonist's journey is not one of overcoming obstacles but of gradually realizing the futility of their struggle against an overwhelming force, culminating in a bleak and definitive ending.

Why they belong together: These films are grouped by their shared emotional trajectory: a heavy, oppressive mood that builds towards an inevitable and hopeless conclusion. They prioritize a steady pacing that allows dread to fester and a high emotional weight derived from the characters' powerless struggle.

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Every angle

Cry of the Banshee (1970) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Cry of the Banshee 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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