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Timeline

Domino (2019) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
2019 · 89 min · English
Echo score 40
JustWatch #11,010 9
Directed by
Brian De Palma
Starring
Guy Pearce, Carice van Houten, Nikolaj Coster Waldau, Ardalan Esmaili, Younes Bachir, Jakob Ulrik Lohmann
Budget
$7.8M

In Copenhagen, Detective Christian seeks retribution for the murder of his partner, a victim of an ISIS operative. His quest for justice is complicated when a CIA agent manipulates the situation, using the suspect to lure out other terrorists. Christian becomes embroiled in a dangerous game, desperately trying to avenge his partner’s death and survive the escalating conflict.

On this page (6)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Events in order (12)
  3. 3 Timeline questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Movies like Domino
  6. 6 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch Domino (2019)

Where can you watch Domino? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on Fawesome, Fandango at Home Free and Plex: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

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12 events in order · contains spoilers

Domino Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of Domino (2019) 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. Domestic disturbance ends in deadly discovery

    Two Copenhagen police officers respond to a reported domestic disturbance. Toft cuffs a man with blood on his shoes and, realizing his service weapon is missing, heads upstairs with Hansen nearby. Inside the apartment they find a room filled with firearms and a dead man with his throat slit; the assailant breaks free with a hidden knife and attacks Hansen, mortally wounding him. On the rooftop, Toft is knocked unconscious as three men arrive to subdue the attacker and carry him away.

    Where
    Copenhagen, Denmark – apartment and rooftop
  2. Assailant identified: Ezra Tarzi

    From fingerprints, the assailant is identified as Ezra Tarzi, a Libyan emigrant and former Special Forces operative. Tarzi's motive is tied to Salah Al-Din, an ISIS commander who killed Tarzi's parents. Al-Din runs weapons and explosives through a Brussels-based tomato importer and has Farooq Hares as one of his lieutenants.

    Where
    Copenhagen, Denmark
  3. Tarzi abducted by CIA, coerced into collaboration

    Joe Martin, a CIA agent, abducts Tarzi and uses coercion to recruit him by threatening to reveal his crimes to Tarzi's children. Martin pushes Tarzi to work against Al-Din, sending him to Copenhagen to target Al-Din's enemies. Tarzi's mission is derailed when the younger Hares dies during the struggle.

  4. Toft suspended for weapon mishap

    Toft is suspended after discovering he misplaced his service weapon. Internal Affairs inspector Boe interrogates him about the mishap. Despite the suspension, Toft remains determined to pursue Tarzi and seek justice.

    Where
    Copenhagen, Denmark
  5. Tarzi heads to Almería to locate Al-Din

    Tarzi travels to Almería, Spain, continuing his hunt for Al-Din. In Almería he tortures one of Al-Din's underlings to extract information but gains nothing. With no new leads, Tarzi remains focused on finding Al-Din.

    Where
    Almería, Spain
  6. Toft and Boe chase leads to Brussels; personal revelations

    Toft, still under suspension, travels with Boe to Brussels to follow leads. On the road, Hansen's wife Hanne calls to report that Hansen has died in hospice. Heartbroken, Boe reveals to Toft that she and Lars Hansen had been having an affair, deepening his personal turmoil.

    Where
    Brussels, Belgium
  7. Brussels leads dry; Tarzi spotted in Almería

    Brussels yields no useful information, but they learn Tarzi has been spotted in Almería. The duo changes course for southern Spain to continue the pursuit. The road journey underscores the increasing personal stakes for Toft and Boe.

    Where
    Brussels, Belgium and Almería, Spain
  8. Tomato truck clue ties Al-Din to the plot

    En route from the airport, Toft and Boe spot one of Al-Din's tomato delivery trucks, confirming a link to his smuggling network. They infer that Al-Din plans to escape via a route that will make him harder to trace. They press on toward Almería to intercept him.

    Where
    Almería, Spain
  9. Bullfighting arena confrontation and interception

    They track Al-Din to a bullfighting arena where his men scatter. Toft chases Al-Din to the roof while Boe pursues the others into the arena, preparing a counter-strike. A drone is used to film a comrade's suicide bombing, but Toft and Boe intervene and shoot Al-Din just in time.

    Where
    Almería, Spain – bullfighting arena
  10. Rooftop trade and Al-Din's death

    Martin calls and proposes a trade: Tarzi for Al-Din. The exchange takes place on a rooftop, and Al-Din dies from his wounds. Tarzi, distraught, asks Toft to kill him, but Martin intends to keep Tarzi as his asset.

    Where
    Rooftop, Almería, Spain
  11. Boe ends Tarzi's threat

    Boe arrives and shoots Tarzi, avenging Lars. Martin walks away, leaving an emotionally drained Toft and Boe to process the aftermath.

    Where
    Rooftop, Almería, Spain
  12. Aftermath and reckoning

    With Tarzi dead and the immediate threat resolved, Toft and Boe confront the costs of their pursuit and the losses they've endured. Hansen's death and the toll of revenge linger as they stand together amid the consequences of their actions.

    Where
    Almería, Spain

Last updated: January 28, 2026 at 12:45

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Timeline questions answered

Domino Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of Domino (2019): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why was Ezra Tarzi targeting Al-Din's lieutenants?

Ezra Tarzi was a former Libyan Special Forces operative whose parents were killed by ISIS commander Salah Al-Din. After discovering that Farooq Hares was one of Al-Din's lieutenants, Tarzi systematically eliminated him as part of his personal revenge campaign against Al-Din's inner circle.

  • ezra tarzi
  • salah al-din
  • revenge
  • farooq harees
  • isis commander
Q2

How did CIA agent Joe Martin become involved in the case?

After Tarzi was arrested in Copenhagen, CIA agent Joe Martin abducted him from police custody and coerced him into working as an asset. Martin threatened to reveal Tarzi's criminal past to his children unless he cooperated in tracking down Al-Din for American intelligence purposes.

  • joe martin
  • cia
  • coercion
  • ezra tarzi
  • interrogation
Q3

Why was Christian Toft suspended from the police force?

Toft was suspended after he realized he had left his service weapon at home during the apartment raid. He borrowed Hansen’s gun to pursue the assailant upstairs, violating protocol. Internal Affairs launched an investigation into the weapon mishap.

  • christian toft
  • suspension
  • service weapon
  • protocol
  • internal affairs
Q4

What was the relationship between Alex Boe and Lars Hansen?

Alex Boe and Lars Hansen were having an affair. Boe revealed this to Toft during their drive to Brussels, shortly after receiving word that Hansen had died in hospice from his wounds. This personal connection intensified Boe's determination to bring Al-Din to justice.

  • alex boe
  • lars hansen
  • affair
  • relationship
  • grief
Q5

How did Toft and Boe stop the bullfighting arena attack?

Toft and Boe tracked Al-Din to a bullfighting arena in Almería where his men were preparing a suicide bombing intended to cause mass casualties. They intervened just in time, shooting Al-Din and disrupting the attack before the drone could film the suicide bomber's detonation.

  • bullfighting arena
  • almería
  • suicide bombing
  • drone
  • salah al-din
Q6

What was the significance of the tomato truck?

The tomato truck belonged to Al-Din's smuggling network, a Brussels-based tomato importer he used to move weapons and explosives across Europe. When Toft and Boe spotted the truck at the Almería airport, it confirmed Al-Din's presence in the area and led them directly to the bullfighting arena.

  • tomato truck
  • brussels
  • smuggling
  • al-din network
  • weapons
Q7

Why did Alex Boe shoot Ezra Tarzi at the end?

Boe shot and killed Tarzi to avenge Lars Hansen's death. Though Tarzi had been instrumental in stopping Al-Din, Boe made the personal decision to execute him on the rooftop, viewing it as justice for her lover's murder. This act left Toft emotionally devastated by the consequences of their pursuit.

  • alex boe
  • ezra tarzi
  • avenge
  • lars hansen
  • execution
Q8

What was Joe Martin's plan for Ezra Tarzi after Al-Din's death?

Martin intended to keep Tarzi alive as a permanent CIA asset, weaponizing his skills and personal vendetta against terrorism. When Tarzi asked Toft to kill him, Martin revealed he would never allow such a valuable asset to be eliminated, planning to use Tarzi's intensity for future operations.

  • joe martin
  • cia asset
  • ezra tarzi
  • weaponize
  • exploitation
Q9

Who were the three men who took Ezra Tarzi after the rooftop chase?

The three men who subdued Tarzi on the rooftop and carried him away were CIA operatives working for Joe Martin. They had been tracking Tarzi and the ISIS network, eventually leading to Martin's direct abduction of Tarzi from police custody.

  • three men
  • cia
  • rooftop
  • ezra tarzi
  • abduction
Q10

Why did Al-Din die before the prisoner exchange could happen?

Al-Din died from his wounds sustained during the bullfighting arena confrontation before the rooftop exchange could take place. He was shot by Toft and Boe during their intervention, and by the time Martin arranged the Tarzi-for-Al-Din swap, Al-Din had already succumbed to his injuries.

  • salah al-din
  • death
  • exchange
  • rooftop
  • wounds

Movie threads

More Movies Like Domino, by Mood & Story

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

Gritty revenge thrillers like Domino

Personal vendettas spiral into morally complex conflicts within dark, high-stakes worlds. If you enjoyed the themes of vengeance and moral compromise in Domino, explore other movies like this. These films feature high-stakes police investigations, CIA manipulations, and protagonists pushed to their limits in a bleak, tense atmosphere.

  • vengeful
  • gritty
  • tense
  • morally ambiguous
  • bleak
  • urgent
  • Tone: dark, vengeful, bleak
  • Pacing: fast, urgent
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative typically follows a protagonist consumed by a need for retribution after a profound personal tragedy—often the death of a partner or loved one. Their quest is complicated by external forces, like manipulative intelligence agencies or shifting loyalties, forcing them into ethically grey areas where the original goal of justice becomes dangerously entangled with personal revenge.

Why they belong together: These movies are grouped by their shared focus on the corrosive nature of revenge, set against a backdrop of gritty realism and institutional corruption. They deliver a heavy emotional weight through intense action and a pervasive sense of moral ambiguity, leaving characters and audiences questioning the cost of vengeance.

Fast-paced European thrillers like Domino

Fast-paced cat-and-mouse chases across Europe, blurring the lines between cop and vigilante. Looking for more movies like Domino with a fast pace and international terrorism plots? This collection features tense manhunts, high-stakes action across European cities, and stories where police investigations collide with global conspiracies.

  • tense
  • urgent
  • suspenseful
  • gritty
  • international
  • manhunt
  • Tone: tense, urgent, bleak
  • Pacing: fast, relentless
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The plot revolves around a pressing, large-scale threat—typically terrorism—that requires an immediate, high-intensity response. The protagonist, often a detective or agent, operates with a heightened sense of urgency, leading to frantic chases and confrontations. The narrative structure is linear but propulsive, focusing on the escalating race to prevent catastrophe, often complicated by bureaucratic interference or hidden agendas.

Why they belong together: These films are united by their fast pacing, high tension, and international scope. They create a cohesive experience through a constant state of emergency, gritty action sequences, and a focus on the physical and emotional exhaustion of pursuing a shadowy enemy across borders.

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Movies Like Domino

Similar movies to Domino: 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

Domino (2019) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Domino 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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