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Timeline

Here Before (2022) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
2022 · 83 min · English
Echo score 65
JustWatch #8,194 9
Directed by
Stacey Gregg
Starring
Andrea Riseborough, Martin McCann, Chrissy Hindley, Eileen O'Higgins, Gina Moxley, Grace O'Dwyer

In a peaceful suburban setting, Laura is profoundly affected by the sudden appearance of Megan, a strange young girl who stirs up painful memories of her daughter's death. As Megan's unusual actions trigger an investigation into possible supernatural events, Laura becomes increasingly obsessed with uncovering the truth. This pursuit threatens to fracture her family and blurs the distinction between what is real and what is not, leading her on a frantic search for answers about Megan’s identity and the unsettling connection she seems to have to Laura’s past.

On this page (6)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Events in order (14)
  3. 3 Timeline questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Movies like Here Before
  6. 6 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch Here Before (2022)

Where can you watch Here Before? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on Amazon Prime Video, Fawesome and Hoopla: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

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14 events in order · contains spoilers

Here Before Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of Here Before (2022) 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. Laura and Brendan's Life Before Tragedy

    Laura and her husband Brendan live in Northern Ireland with their son Tadhg. Their family seems complete and happy until tragedy strikes, forever changing their lives.

    Where
    Northern Ireland
  2. The Loss of Josie

    Laura and Brendan's daughter Josie loses her life in a tragic car accident, with Brendan behind the wheel. The devastating event leaves the family shattered and engulfed in grief.

  3. The New Neighbors

    A new family, consisting of parents Marie and Chris and their daughter Megan, moves in next door. Laura befriends Megan, intrigued by her but unaware of the dark connection they share.

    Where
    Northern Ireland
  4. Megan’s Claims

    Megan makes claims about visiting the local school and the graveyard, which captivate Laura. However, Marie insists that Megan has never been to either place, raising Laura's suspicions.

  5. Playground Incident

    Laura takes Megan to a local playground at Megan's request. When Megan claims familiarity with the place, Laura loses her patience and angrily takes her home, causing tension between them.

    Where
    Local playground
  6. Family Getaway

    Brendan suggests a family getaway to help Laura cope with the rising stress. However, while browsing Brendan's phone, Laura discovers numerous photos of Megan, deepening her unease.

  7. Drive Along Ballyfield Road

    Laura takes Megan for a drive along Ballyfield Road, the site of Josie's tragic accident. During the drive, Megan reveals a chilling detail: Brendan was singing while driving, heightening Laura's belief that Megan is Josie's reincarnation.

    Where
    Ballyfield Road
  8. Confrontation with Tadhg

    Tensions reach a boiling point as Tadhg lashes out at Megan, prompting police involvement. Feeling overwhelmed, Laura asks Brendan to stay elsewhere for a few days to create space.

  9. Discovering Brendan's Secret

    Laura unveils a photograph of Brendan with Marie at a party, contradicting his claims of not knowing her. This revelation deepens Laura's suspicions about the family's connection.

  10. Megan’s Realization

    Brendan encounters Megan, who begins to understand that he is her biological father. This discovery adds emotional complexity to their already fraught relationships.

  11. Laura's Break-In

    In a desperate quest for truth, Laura breaks into Megan's home and finds photographs of Josie and a CD from 2007 with recordings of her children. This discovery marks a turning point in her understanding.

    Where
    Megan's home
  12. Escalation of Violence

    A confrontation between Laura and Marie escalates quickly, culminating in Marie stabbing Laura with glass. This shocking act of violence portrays the depths of their anguish and desperation.

    Where
    Megan's home
  13. Megan's Emotional Farewell

    In a poignant moment, Megan arrives just in time to express her sorrow to Laura. During a delirious episode, Laura briefly sees Megan as Josie and utters, 'I love you,' revealing her longing and grief.

  14. Healing at Josie's Grave

    After all the chaos and turmoil, Laura finds solace by placing flowers at Josie's grave. This act symbolizes her journey through grief and her steps toward healing and resolution.

    Where
    Josie's grave

Last updated: November 04, 2024 at 00:46

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Timeline questions answered

Here Before Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of Here Before (2022): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why does Laura believe Megan might be her dead daughter?

When Laura takes Megan for a drive along Ballyfield Road, the exact road where Josie died, Megan reveals a chilling detail: she claims Brendan was singing while driving during the accident. This specific, impossible-to-know detail convinces Laura that Megan is Josie's reincarnation, triggering her increasingly obsessive behavior.

  • reincarnation
  • ballyfield road
  • accident
  • josie
  • megan
Q2

What does Laura discover on Brendan's phone?

While browsing Brendan's phone during the family getaway, Laura finds multiple photos of Megan. This discovery deepens her suspicions and paranoia, as Brendan had claimed to not know the neighbor family, making the photos appear secretive and suspicious.

  • brendan
  • phone
  • photos
  • megan
  • suspicion
Q3

Who is Megan's real father?

Brendan is Megan's biological father. He had a prior relationship with Marie before marrying Laura. This explains both the mysterious photos on his phone and why he was reluctant to disclose his connection to the neighbor family.

  • brendan
  • marie
  • megan
  • father
  • biological
Q4

What does Laura find when she breaks into Megan's home?

Laura discovers photographs of Josie on Megan's walls and a CD from 2007 containing audio recordings of both Josie and Tadhg. These items suggest someone in Megan's family has been closely observing or connected to Laura's family, though the truth is more complicated than Laura realizes.

  • break-in
  • photos
  • josie
  • cd
  • recordings
Q5

Why does Marie stab Laura with glass?

Marie stabs Laura during a violent confrontation when Laura breaks into their home demanding answers. Marie acts out of desperation to protect her family and home from Laura's increasingly unstable and intrusive behavior, which has been escalating throughout the film.

  • marie
  • stab
  • glass
  • violence
  • confrontation
Q6

What is the significance of the drive to Ballyfield Road?

Ballyfield Road is the exact location where Laura's daughter Josie died in the car accident years earlier. Laura takes Megan there deliberately to test her claims and gather evidence for her reincarnation theory. The visit is a pivotal moment that deepens Laura's conviction that Megan is connected to Josie.

  • ballyfield road
  • accident
  • josie
  • death
Q7

What happens in the final scene between Laura and Megan?

In the emotional climax, Megan arrives to express her sorrow to Laura after the violent confrontation. During Laura's delirious state from her injuries, she briefly sees Megan as Josie and tells her "I love you." This moment represents Laura finally confronting her unresolved grief and projecting her lost daughter's presence onto Megan.

  • megan
  • josie
  • final scene
  • delirium
  • i love you
Q8

How does Laura find closure at the end of the film?

After all the turmoil, Laura places flowers at Josie's grave, symbolizing her journey toward healing. While she has discovered the truth about Megan and Brendan, she ultimately accepts her daughter's death and finds peace, allowing her to move forward without the obsession that previously consumed her.

  • grave
  • flowers
  • closure
  • healing
  • josie
Q9

What does the photograph of Brendan and Marie reveal?

Laura discovers a photograph of Brendan with Marie at a party, which directly contradicts his claim of not knowing the neighbor family. This revelation confirms Laura's suspicions that Brendan has been hiding something, adding to the family's fracture and her psychological unraveling.

  • photo
  • brendan
  • marie
  • party
  • secret
Q10

Why does Laura get angry at the playground?

At Megan's request, Laura takes her to a local playground. When Megan claims she has been there before, Laura's patience snaps because this echoes Megan's earlier claims about visiting the school and graveyard, places Marie insists Megan has never been. Laura angrily returns Megan home, marking the first major eruption in their relationship.

  • playground
  • megan
  • laura
  • anger
  • claim

Movie threads

More Movies Like Here Before, by Mood & Story

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

Movies with a slow burn psychological unraveling like Here Before

Stories where quiet tension methodically dismantles a character's grip on reality. Find more movies like Here Before that feature a methodical build of tension and a protagonist's psychological breakdown. If you enjoyed the obsessive grief and blurred reality in this film, you'll appreciate these similar tense and character-driven thrillers.

  • obsessive
  • unsettling
  • paranoid
  • psychological
  • grieving
  • slow burn
  • Tone: tense, unsettling, paranoid
  • Pacing: steady, methodical, slow burn
Why these movies?

The story pattern: These narratives typically follow a single protagonist, often grappling with grief or trauma, who becomes fixated on a mystery or person. As they dig deeper, small, unsettling events accumulate, leading them—and the audience—to question what is real. The conflict is primarily internal, with the external world serving as a catalyst for a gradual mental collapse.

Why they belong together: Movies in this thread share a specific emotional and structural DNA: a steady pacing that allows dread to build, a high-intensity focus on a character's internal state, and a tone of pervasive unease that makes the viewer complicit in the protagonist's paranoia.

Grief-stricken supernatural mystery movies similar to Here Before

Emotional journeys where profound loss invites unexplained and unsettling phenomena. Discover films like Here Before that blend heavy emotional drama with supernatural mystery. If you were captivated by the story of a grieving mother confronting an unexplained connection to her past, these movies offer a similar mix of melancholy and suspense.

  • grieving
  • melancholic
  • unsettling
  • mysterious
  • bittersweet
  • emotional
  • Tone: melancholic, tense, bittersweet
  • Pacing: steady, contemplative
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern centers on a character shattered by loss—often the death of a child or partner—who encounters something inexplicable that seems connected to their loved one. This forces them on a quest for answers, challenging their sanity and straining their remaining relationships, ultimately leading to a bittersweet resolution that offers closure but cannot erase the pain.

Why they belong together: They are grouped by their unique blend of a heavy emotional core centered on grief, a central mystery with supernatural undertones, and a tense, often melancholic atmosphere. The supernatural element serves as a metaphor for the character's unresolved pain.

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Every angle

Here Before (2022) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Here Before 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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