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Idlewild (2006) movie poster

Timeline

Idlewild (2006) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
2006 · 121 min · English
JustWatch #33,664 2
Directed by
Bryan Barber
Starring
Terrence Howard, Big Boi

During the Prohibition era in the American South, the popular duo of piano player Percival and charismatic singer Rooster run a thriving speakeasy. However, their success attracts the attention of dangerous gangsters who want to take over their business. Percival and Rooster must find a way to protect their establishment and survive the perilous world of organized crime and underground politics.

Drama Romance Crime Musical Cast, crew & box office
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 Idlewild
  6. 6 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch Idlewild (2006)

Where can you watch Idlewild? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on Philo, Starz and Amazon Video: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

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14 events in order · contains spoilers

Idlewild Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of Idlewild (2006) 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. Percival and Rooster's dual lives begin (1935)

    In 1935, Percival works at his father’s morgue by day while playing piano at the Church club by night. Rooster becomes a singer at the same club and also dabbles in bootlegging; he eventually marries Zora and they have five children.

    When
    1935
    Where
    Morgue, Church club

  2. Night of the deal and the backstage arrival of Angel Davenport

    During a night performance at the Church club, gangsters Spats, Trumpy, Ace, and Rose attend to discuss a deal. Angel Davenport arrives backstage, but she is actually Sally B. Shelley, the imposter who stole the contract. The encounter foreshadows danger and deception.

    When
    Night of the deal
    Where
    Church club backstage

  3. Rooster and Rose's secret moment and the murder

    Rooster and Rose have sex in a warehouse-turned-car scene, and when the visitors arrive, Rose confronts Spats, Trumpy, and Ace. Trumpy shoots and kills Spats and Ace to seize control of the club's business. This marks a violent power shift.

    When
    Same night
    Where
    Warehouse

  4. Debt revealed: Rooster's obligation

    Rooster runs into Trumpy while shopping with his family; Trumpy explains that Ace's debt now falls to Rooster and he must raise the money by selling liquor through Trump's suppliers. The pressure piles on as he contemplates illegal options.

    When
    Shortly after the warehouse incident
    Where
    Shopping with family

  5. Rose prepares to leave; Rooster warns her

    Rooster tries to warn Rose about the looming trouble, but she is already packing and preparing to flee. She drives off in a taxi while a Trumpy henchman watches, signaling that their grip tightens.

    When
    Evening
    Where
    Rose's home and streets

  6. Angel's big break and Percival's song

    With Rooster pressed by debt, he forces Angel to sing at the club. After a stage fright episode, Percival calms her and shares a song he wrote. The performance becomes a sensation, making Angel an overnight star and drawing the two closer.

    When
    Following debt
    Where
    Church club stage

  7. Zora leaves Rooster

    Zora grows tired of Rooster's infidelity and moves with their children to her mother's house. The family fractures as Rooster's life becomes entwined with Angel's rising fame.

    When
    After Angel's breakthrough
    Where
    Rooster's home

  8. Angel seeks Chicago, Percival stays

    Angel lands a record deal in Chicago and asks Percival to join her, but he declines, choosing duty to his father over love. She reveals her true identity, professes her love, and persuades him to come to Chicago anyway.

    When
    Post-deal
    Where
    Chicago and Percival's home

  9. Mother Hopkins and the angelic blessing

    Rooster plans to buy liquor from bootleggers GW and partner; during a run, he meets Mother Hopkins and her grandchildren and gives them money. She calls him an angel and gives him a Bible that later serves as a talisman.

    When
    Mid-1930s
    Where
    Old road near bootleggers' house

  10. Raid, capture, and the Bible's shield

    Rooster discovers GW beaten and his partner dead; in a confrontation, Trumpy's henchmen capture GW's killed partner, and Rooster is captured. During a fight at the club, a bullet is blocked by the Bible in his jacket, allowing his escape.

    When
    Evening
    Where
    Bootleggers' house and Church club

  11. Climax: Trumpy vs Rooster

    Trump y trails Rooster to the club where Angel and Percival prepare for a move to Chicago. Rooster and Trumpy fight; as Trumpy is about to shoot, Percival intervenes and shoots Trumpy dead.

    When
    Climax
    Where
    Church club

  12. Angel's death and Percival's grief

    Angel is shot and dies after the confrontation. Percival assists with her burial, dresses her in a wedding gown, and places a ring on her finger. He contemplates suicide but is interrupted when Rooster appears at the door.

    When
    Immediately after showdown
    Where
    Angel's burial scene and Percival's room

  13. A new start: Rooster's reunion and Percival's career

    Percival consoles Rooster and gives Angel's Chicago-bound ticket to him. Rooster reunites with Zora and their children, while Percival begins recording and touring across America, achieving great success.

    When
    After burial
    Where
    Rooster's home and recording studios

  14. Final image: memory and legacy

    The film ends with pictures of Percival and Angel hung beside his mother's coffin, a testament to memory and the complex legacies of love and loss.

    When
    Epilogue
    Where
    Family memorial display

Last updated: October 09, 2025 at 15:45

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Timeline questions answered

Idlewild Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of Idlewild (2006): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why does Trumpy kill Spats and Ace in Idlewild?

Trumpy kills Spats and Ace to seize control of the Church club's operation. During the meeting in the warehouse, he takes advantage of the chaos when Rose confronts the gangsters, using the distraction to eliminate his rivals and take over the business.

  • trumpy
  • spats
  • ace
  • murder
  • church club
  • power grab
Q2

Why does Angel pretend to be Davenport in Idlewild?

Angel Davenport is actually Sally B. Shelley, an aspiring singer who stole the performance contract from the real Davenport. She adopts the false identity to secure gigs at the Church club and launch her music career.

  • angel davenport
  • sally b shelley
  • identity
  • contract
  • imposter
Q3

Why doesn't Percival go to Chicago with Angel in Idlewild?

Percival declines Angel's invitation to join her in Chicago because he feels bound by duty to his father and family legacy. He works at his father's morgue and believes he cannot abandon his responsibilities to pursue his own dreams.

  • percival
  • chicago
  • angel
  • duty
  • father
  • family
Q4

How does the Bible save Rooster in Idlewild?

When Rooster is beaten by Trumpy's men at the club, Trumpy attempts to shoot him point-blank. However, the Bible that Mother Hopkins gave Rooster earlier is tucked in his jacket and deflects the bullet, allowing him to escape.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Rooster encounters Mother Hopkins who calls him an angel and gives him the Bible as a blessed talisman.

  • rooster
  • bible
  • trumpy
  • bullet
  • mother hopkins
  • escape
Q5

Why does Angel die in Idlewild?

Angel is shot and killed during the climactic confrontation between Rooster and Trumpy at the Church club. When Percival shoots Trumpy to save Rooster, a stray bullet strikes Angel, and she dies in the aftermath.

  • angel
  • death
  • trumpy
  • shooting
  • church club
Q6

Why does Percival give Rooster the Chicago ticket in Idlewild?

After Angel's death, Percival gives her unused Chicago-bound ticket to Rooster as a symbolic gesture, allowing his friend to pursue a new life. This act marks a turning point where Percival releases his attachment to both Angel and his past, choosing to find his own way forward.

  • percival
  • rooster
  • ticket
  • chicago
  • new start
Q7

Why does Zora leave Rooster in Idlewild?

Zora leaves Rooster because she can no longer tolerate his infidelity and the dangerous criminal lifestyle that puts their family at risk. She takes their five children and moves to her mother's house.

  • zora
  • rooster
  • leaves
  • infidelity
  • children
  • family
Q8

Why does Percival dress Angel in a wedding gown in Idlewild?

Percival dresses Angel in a wedding gown for her burial as a final act of love and commitment. He places a ring on her finger, treating the funeral like a wedding, honoring the future they never got to share together.

  • angel
  • wedding gown
  • burial
  • percival
  • ring
  • funeral
Q9

Why does Trumpy want control of the Church club in Idlewild?

Trumpy wants to take over the Church club because it's a profitable speakeasy operation during Prohibition. By killing Spats and Ace and forcing Rooster into debt, he positions himself to control the liquor distribution and the club's lucrative illegal business.

  • trumpy
  • church club
  • speakeasy
  • control
  • prohibition
  • liquor
Q10

Does Percival contemplate suicide in Idlewild?

Yes, after Angel's death and her burial, Percival contemplates suicide in his room. However, he's interrupted when Rooster arrives at his door, which pulls him back from the brink and anchors him to the living.

  • percival
  • suicide
  • angel death
  • grief
  • rooster
Q11

What happens between Rooster and Rose in Idlewild?

Rooster and Rose have a secret romantic affair, meeting in a warehouse. During one of their encounters, Rose confronts the gangsters and Trumpy kills Spats and Ace, leading to the power shift that threatens everyone's safety.

  • rooster
  • rose
  • affair
  • warehouse
  • trumpy
Q12

How do Angel and Percival meet in Idlewild?

Angel and Percival meet when she's forced to sing at the club during Rooster's debt crisis. After she experiences stage fright, Percival calms her and plays a song he wrote. Their collaboration becomes a hit and they grow close.

  • angel
  • percival
  • piano
  • song
  • stage fright
  • romance

Movie threads

More Movies Like Idlewild, by Mood & Story

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

Jazz-Age Gangster Dramas like Idlewild

Stylish crime tales set against a backdrop of speakeasies and tragic romance. If you liked the blend of crime and musical performance in Idlewild, explore more movies like it. These films capture the romantic yet gritty tension of the prohibition era, offering similar stories of underworld ambition set to a jazz and blues soundtrack.

  • gritty
  • atmospheric
  • tense
  • melancholic
  • romantic
  • tragic
  • Tone: dark, melancholic, tense
  • Pacing: variable, alternating between musical highs and violent action
Why these movies?

The story pattern: Stories in this thread often follow artists or entrepreneurs thriving in a decadent underworld, only to have their success threatened by violent criminal forces. The narrative arcs intertwine romantic entanglements with survival, often leading to tragic sacrifices and bittersweet resolutions where art provides a fragile form of redemption.

Why they belong together: Movies are grouped here for their shared setting of 1920s-30s criminal underworlds, their use of jazz and blues as a core atmospheric element, and their balance of romantic, tragic character drama with high-stakes gangster conflict. They create a uniquely melancholic and tense vibe.

The Cotton Club movie poster

The Cotton Club

1984
A Jazzman's Blues movie poster

A Jazzman's Blues

2022
Idlewild movie poster

Idlewild

2006
Dark Streets movie poster

Dark Streets

2008
Gentleman’s Fate movie poster

Gentleman’s Fate

1931
The Public Enemy movie poster

The Public Enemy

1931
Johnny Eager movie poster

Johnny Eager

1941
711 Ocean Drive movie poster

711 Ocean Drive

1950

Dark Musicals with Tragic Themes like Idlewild

Musicals where the songs underscore profound loss, betrayal, and survival. For viewers who enjoyed the heavy emotional weight of Idlewild, this section finds similar dark musical movies. Discover films where the music underscores themes of grief, violent crime, and tragic romance, offering a bittersweet or bleak cinematic experience.

  • tragic
  • melancholic
  • atmospheric
  • gritty
  • romantic
  • oppressive
  • Tone: dark, bittersweet, tragic
  • Pacing: variable, driven by emotional beats
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern involves characters using artistic expression as a coping mechanism for extreme trauma, loss, or danger. The storylines are often linear but weave musical sequences intimately into the plot, leading to conclusions that are poignant and emotionally resonant rather than happily-ever-after, emphasizing the cost of survival and the solace of art.

Why they belong together: These films are united by their use of the musical format to convey serious, often tragic drama. They share a high emotional weight, a dark or bittersweet tone, and a central theme where performance is inextricably linked to the characters' pain, struggles, and difficult choices.

Broadway Musketeers movie poster

Broadway Musketeers

1938
The Phantom of the Opera movie poster

The Phantom of the Opera

2004
Idlewild movie poster

Idlewild

2006
The Phantom of the Opera movie poster

The Phantom of the Opera

1000
Dance Dance movie poster

Dance Dance

1987
With Beauty and Sorrow movie poster

With Beauty and Sorrow

1965
Where Love Has Gone movie poster

Where Love Has Gone

1964
Mildred Pierce movie poster

Mildred Pierce

1000

If you liked this

Movies Like Idlewild

Similar movies to Idlewild: the same genre, themes or kind of story. Each one comes with its own plot summary, timeline and ending explained.

Browse all movie summaries
Thieves Like Us movie poster

Thieves Like Us

1974
They Live by Night movie poster

They Live by Night

1949
The Lady in Red movie poster

The Lady in Red

1979
Wild at Heart movie poster

Wild at Heart

1990
The Cotton Club movie poster

The Cotton Club

1984
Sweet and Lowdown movie poster

Sweet and Lowdown

1999
Dixieland movie poster

Dixieland

2015
Under the Cherry Moon movie poster

Under the Cherry Moon

1986
Dreamland movie poster

Dreamland

2016
Crossroads movie poster

Crossroads

1986
All the Fine Young Cannibals movie poster

All the Fine Young Cannibals

1960
Playing Around movie poster

Playing Around

1930

Every angle

Idlewild (2006) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

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