Gone in the Night

Gone in the Night

Year: 1996

Runtime: 190 mins

Language: English

Director: Bill L. Norton

Drama

A couple is unjustly accused of the murder of their daughter. Based on a true story and book of the same title.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline – Gone in the Night (1996)

Trace every key event in Gone in the Night (1996) with our detailed, chronological timeline. Perfect for unpacking nonlinear stories, spotting hidden connections, and understanding how each scene builds toward the film’s climax. Whether you're revisiting or decoding for the first time, this timeline gives you the full picture.

1

Arrival at the cabin

Kath and Max drive to a remote cabin in the woods at night, intending to spend time there together. They arrive to find the cabin double-booked by Al and Greta, who are surprised but allow them to stay overnight. The group introduces themselves and notices matching green coats, which becomes an important detail later.

Night Remote cabin in the woods
2

Playing Pillow Talk

Inside the cabin, Max discovers a game called Pillow Talk, which aims to reconnect lovers. The group plays the game, and key moments include Kath recounting how she and Max met, and Greta licking Max’s elbow, which makes Kath uncomfortable. The game deepens their interactions and reveals personal details.

Night Cabin interior
3

Morning aftermath

Kath wakes up to find the cabin empty. She encounters Al, who is distraught and explains that Max and Greta have hooked up and run off together, leaving her alone. This causes Kath to start questioning what happened during the night.

Morning Cabin and woods
4

Research and discovery

Back in the city, Kath attempts to find Greta online but fails. She discovers the ownership deed of the cabin and contacts the owner, Nicholas Barlow. He refuses to give Greta’s contact details but offers to meet her at her store, leading to a deeper connection.

Day Kath’s nursery store
5

At the store

Kath and Nicholas meet at her store, where she reveals her attempts to find Greta. A passerby recognizes Nicholas, revealing his background as a retired biotech scientist involved in a startup. The conversation shifts to Nicholas’s personal reasons for leaving biotech and his work on a treatment cure for genetic diseases.

Day Kath’s nursery store
6

Flashback: Dinner party and encounter

A week earlier, Kath hosts a dinner for her friends, during which Max is bored and sarcastic about her circle. Later, Max encounters Al and Greta arguing in a liquor store. This flashback shows earlier tensions and connections among the characters.

One week earlier Kath’s house and liquor store
7

Confronting Greta

Kath follows Greta to a house party, where she discovers Greta’s secret photo licking Max’s face while he sleeps. Disgusted, Kath leaves, suspecting Greta’s intentions and her involvement in dubious activities with Max.

Night House party
8

Max meets Greta and Al

Max encounters Greta flirting with him at a liquor store and is invited to a house party. Later, they argue about their relationship, and Greta and Al plan to bring Max to the cabin for their ulterior motives, which involve harvesting or experimenting with him.

Same day Liquor store and cabin
9

Driving to the cabin again

Max and Kath head to the cabin, with Al and Greta secretly expecting him to be alone. Al becomes alarmed when he finds out Max is with Kath. The following morning, Al discovers Max drugged and sleeping in a plastic barrel, with Greta preparing to harvest or experiment on him.

Day and night On the road and cabin
10

Uncovering the truth

Kath and Nicholas work together, with Nicholas revealing he is working on a youth-preserving transfusion treatment. Kath finds a photo of Nicholas with Al, revealing they are father and son. She then explores the cabin and discovers a shipping container with Max in a hospital bed hooked to a transfusion machine, exposing the sinister plans.

Later that day Cabin and woods
11

Confrontation and revelation

In the woods, Nicholas, Al, and Greta confront Kath. Greta intends to harvest Max, but it's revealed Nicholas is not degenerately ill but seeks to stay young through transfusions. Nicholas admits his motives, and they work to subdue Greta. Max, disoriented, rips out a tube and bleeds out, precipitating chaos.

Afternoon Woods and shipping container
12

Escape and aftermath

Kath locks Al, Greta, and Nicholas inside the shipping container. She then escapes in her car, reflecting on the chaos. She later enters the cabin, staring out the window contemplatively, processing the revelation of the disturbing experiments and her narrow escape.

Dusk Cabin and woods

Last Updated: August 19, 2025 at 05:13

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Movies with unyielding grief and a quest for truth like Gone in the Night

Heartbroken protagonists uncover dark secrets while grappling with devastating loss.If you were captivated by the heavy emotional weight and investigative drive in Gone in the Night, explore these movies. This list features similar stories where characters, shattered by a tragic event, must piece together a dark mystery, often uncovering conspiracies or unsettling truths that compound their sorrow.

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Narrative Summary

These narratives typically begin with a catalyzing tragedy that shatters the protagonist's world. The story structure follows their investigation, which reveals a larger, often sinister, conspiracy or system of deception. The emotional arc is one of deepening despair and psychological strain, as the pursuit of truth becomes inseparable from the process of mourning.

Why These Movies?

Movies are grouped here for their shared focus on grief as a primary motivator, a steady investigative pacing that builds tension, and a consistently dark, melancholic tone. They resonate with viewers seeking emotionally heavy dramas about the high-stakes search for answers in the face of overwhelming loss.

Paranoid science thrillers with dark secrets like Gone in the Night

Ordinary people uncover terrifying experiments hidden beneath a facade of normalcy.For viewers who enjoyed the unsettling revelation of sinister experiments in Gone in the Night, this collection highlights similar movies. Discover other tense stories where ordinary individuals find themselves confronting hidden, unethical scientific pursuits, leading to a tense and often tragic confrontation.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern involves an initial, seemingly normal situation that gradually reveals cracks, leading to the discovery of a horrifying truth related to science or technology. The protagonist's journey is one of escalating paranoia and danger, transforming them from an curious outsider into a target fighting for their life or sanity against a hidden, powerful entity.

Why These Movies?

These films are united by their core theme of unethical science, a paranoid and tense atmosphere, and a steady pacing that meticulously unveils a horrifying conspiracy. They appeal to audiences who enjoy the specific dread of discovering that progress has a dark, hidden, and human cost.

Unlock the Full Story of Gone in the Night

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Gone in the Night Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Gone in the Night, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

Gone in the Night Summary

Characters, Settings & Themes in Gone in the Night

Discover the characters, locations, and core themes that shape Gone in the Night. Get insights into symbolic elements, setting significance, and deeper narrative meaning — ideal for thematic analysis and movie breakdowns.

Characters, Settings & Themes in Gone in the Night

Gone in the Night Spoiler-Free Summary

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Gone in the Night Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Gone in the Night

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Gone in the Night: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

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