Dead Again (2020) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Frankie, the housekeeper Inga's son, killed Margaret. He blamed Margaret for his mother's unhappiness after Roman rejected Inga's love. Frankie stabbed Margaret with scissors and stole her anklet to make it look like a robbery, then planted the murder weapon in Roman's hands. Roman was wrongfully convicted and executed for a crime he didn't commit.

Foreshadowing: Earlier in the film, Grace's regression shows her catching Frankie rifling through Margaret's jewelry box, hinting at his involvement.

• margaret strauss murder
• frankie killer
• 1948 murder
• who killed margaret

Roman whispered that he did not kill his wife. The film never reveals exactly what he said, but Baker later tells Mike that Roman kissed him instead of confessing to the murder. Baker kept this secret for decades, allowing an innocent man to be executed.

• roman strauss confession
• baker reporter
• execution secret
• last words

Frankie is Inga's son, who as a teenager killed Margaret Strauss in 1948 after his mother Inga confessed her love to Roman but was rejected. Frankie blamed Margaret for his mother's pain. After the murder, Inga took Frankie to London where he changed his name to Franklyn Madson and learned hypnotherapy. He returned to Los Angeles believing Margaret's spirit would seek revenge through reincarnation.

Foreshadowing: The film hints early on that Madson knows more about the case than he lets on, and Baker mentions that Inga and Frankie started an antiques shop together.

• franklyn madson
• frankie identity
• inga son
• killer revealed

Grace is actually Amanda Sharp, an artist who was mugged and lost her memory. The film reveals through past-life regression that Mike and Amanda are the reincarnations of Roman and Margaret. This explains their striking resemblance to the 1948 couple and the intense connection they feel toward each other.

Foreshadowing: During regression, Grace describes Margaret and Roman's lives in the third person, and Mike notices the uncanny physical resemblance between Grace and the old photographs.

• grace amanda sharp
• reincarnation
• margaret roman
• amnesiac identity

The anklet was stolen by Frankie during the murder to make it look like a robbery. It serves as the crucial piece of evidence that ultimately helps solve the case. Inga gives the anklet to Mike near the film's climax, confirming Frankie's guilt and providing closure to the mystery.

• missing anklet
• stolen anklet
• evidence
• margaret strauss jewelry

Yes. Through past-life regression, it becomes clear that Mike Church is the reincarnation of Roman Strauss, while Grace/Amanda is the reincarnation of Margaret. This explains why Mike is drawn to help Grace despite knowing nothing about her, and why their relationship mirrors the tragic romance of the original couple.

Foreshadowing: Grace's regression shows Mike standing over Margaret with scissors, suggesting their past-life connection.

• mike church reincarnation
• roman strauss
• mike past life
• regression hypnosis

Inga loved Roman romantically and was devastated when he rejected her. However, she couldn't expose her own son as a murderer. She lived with the guilt of Roman's wrongful execution for 43 years. When Mike finally confronts her, she confesses everything and gives him the anklet as atonement before Frankie suffocates her to keep her silent.

• inga confession
• housekeeper secret
• frankie mother
• guilt decades

After learning hypnotherapy in London, Frankie became convinced that Margaret's spirit would return for revenge through reincarnation. He orchestrated the entire scheme with Doug to keep Mike and Amanda apart, believing Amanda (as Margaret's reincarnation) would try to kill him. His paranoia and belief in supernatural revenge drove him to attempt killing Amanda first.

• madson motive
• revenge plot
• amanda target
• frankie plan

During the final confrontation, Amanda stabs Madson in the back with the same scissors used in the original murder. Madson then charges at Mike, but Amanda cleverly positions a sculpture, causing Madson to impale himself on it. He dies from his injuries while Mike and Amanda embrace, finally free from the past.

• madson death
• final confrontation
• amanda kills
• sculpture impaled

Hypnotist Franklyn Madson uses past-life regression on Amanda (Grace) to tap into her supposed memories of being Margaret. However, Madson manipulates the sessions to serve his own agenda. The regression does reveal key details about the 1948 marriage tensions and the night of the murder, but the true breakthrough comes from Mike's investigation and Inga's confession rather than the regression itself.

• hypnosis regression
• memory recovery
• madson therapy
• truth discovery

When Mike rushes to warn Amanda that Madson is coming to kill her, Amanda is still afraid of him due to the regression sessions where she saw Mike as Roman threatening Margaret with scissors. Startled and traumatized, she shoots Mike in self-defense before learning the truth about Madson's identity and intentions.

• amanda shoots mike
• misunderstanding
• shoots warning
• self defense