Howling V: The Rebirth (1989) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Marylou Summers is the werewolf throughout the film. Despite the Count manipulating the group and seeming like the villain, it is Marylou who transforms into the werewolf during the full moon at the end. Her enigmatic smile at the final confrontation reveals the truth, she has been the predator all along, hunting the other descendants of the original castle family.

Foreshadowing: Earlier scenes show Marylou and Anna witnessing a werewolf attack, though Marylou's calm demeanor during the violence hints at her true nature.

• marylou werewolf
• werewolf twist
• final reveal
• howling 5 werewolf

The Count reveals that all the guests are descendants of the castle's original family who were slaughtered in 1489. He explains that werewolves can only be killed by a relative, so he used the guests as bait to lure out the supernatural threat. His plan was to draw out the werewolf so a descendant could kill it.

Foreshadowing: The Count's discomfort when the Professor mentions his disappearance and his knowledge of the castle's dark history suggest he knows more than he initially reveals.

• count motive
• castle invitation
• werewolf bait
• descendants

The 1489 massacre shows a couple slaughtering a family in the castle, then committing suicide. As the man dies, he discovers a baby survived the attack. This baby represents the bloodline that continues to the present day, the guests invited to the castle in 1989 are all descendants of this survivor.

Foreshadowing: The opening scene establishes the generational curse that threads through the centuries, connecting past violence to present-day events.

• 1489 massacre
• baby survivor
• family bloodline
• castle curse

The Count explains that the guests are all werewolves descended from the original family, and werewolves can only be killed by a fellow relative. This rule is central to the Count's plan, he needs a descendant to eliminate the werewolf threat. However, the film subverts this when Marylou, the actual werewolf, is the one who survives and kills the Count.

Foreshadowing: The legend recounted during lunch mentions wolves commanded by Satan who can only be killed through specific means, hinting at the vulnerability rule.

• werewolf weakness
• kill werewolf
• relative killer
• curse rule

Peter sabotages David's camera during the night, preventing documentation and communication. This act reflects the growing paranoia among the group and suggests Peter may be working with or protecting the werewolf. His sabotage hinders the group's ability to capture evidence of the supernatural threat or call for help.

Foreshadowing: This small act of sabotage foreshadows Peter's allegiance and the internal manipulation happening within the group.

• peter sabotage
• camera
• paranoia
• betrayal

The Professor follows strange noises and discovers a dungeon beneath the castle. He becomes trapped inside and is killed there. His disappearance prompts the Count to express discomfort, and his body is later found by Ray during a retreat through the secret passages.

Foreshadowing: The Professor's interest in the castle's origins and his discovery of the dungeon connect the historical legend to the present danger.

• professor death
• dungeon
• secret passage
• discovered body

After revealing the werewolf curse, the Count locks himself in the dungeon with Peter and Susan. He believes isolating himself will protect him from the werewolf and potentially force the creature to attack the others. However, this also puts the captives at risk and creates a tense standoff about who will survive.

Foreshadowing: The Count's earlier Uneasiness about the Professor's disappearance and his knowledge of the secret passages foreshadow his desperate attempt to contain the threat.

• count dungeon
• self isolation
• captives
• werewolf trap

Peter attempts to kill David in the chaos of the final night, but in a fateful misstep he kills Susan instead. This accidental murder happens during the confusion of the werewolf attack and the group's fracturing loyalties. Marylou then kills Peter, eliminating another descendant and reducing the group further.

Foreshadowing: Peter's earlier sabotage and suspicious behavior foreshadow his violent breakdown under pressure.

• peter kills susan
• accidental death
• betrayal
• final night

Richard and Anna realize that none of the guests have living family to claim them, this is no coincidence. The Count deliberately selected descendants of the original 1489 family, people with no remaining relatives. This makes them both the werewolf's potential victims and the only ones capable of killing the supernatural creature.

Foreshadowing: The realization comes too late as the body count rises, highlighting the Count's manipulation in choosing vulnerable targets.

• no family
• descendants chosen
• lure
• selection criteria

The Count warns Marylou that David is possessed and will transform when the moon rises. However, David insists there is no werewolf and survives until the end. It remains ambiguous whether the Count's warning was true, a manipulation tactic, or whether David somehow resisted the transformation. The final reveal focuses on Marylou, leaving David's status uncertain.

Foreshadowing: The Count's warning about David adds to the paranoia and uncertainty about who among the survivors is truly human.

• david werewolf
• transformation
• possessed
• moon rising

David and Catherine plan to kill the Count and Susan against Anna's wishes. Anna releases the captives to prevent the murder, but this act leaves her vulnerable. She is later found dead, one of the victims claimed by the werewolf during the escalating terror.

Foreshadowing: Anna's compassion in releasing the captives leads to her isolation and death, demonstrating the film's fatalistic approach to survival.

• anna death
• releases captives
• sacrifice
• victim

Yes, Marylou kills the Count during the final confrontation. After David and the Count struggle over a gun, Marylou retrieves the weapon and shoots the Count. However, his death reveals nothing about stopping the werewolf curse, Marylou, the actual werewolf, survives and the threat remains alive with the full moon rising.

Foreshadowing: The Count's manipulation throughout the film leads to his demise, but his plan to eliminate the werewolf fails completely.

• count death
• killed
• final confrontation
• manipulation ends