Intermedio (2005) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

The old man is the mastermind behind the ghost attacks. He uses a mystical necklace to summon and control the spectral creatures roaming the tunnels. His control over the spirits allows him to orchestrate the deaths, and he has been doing this for years, as evidenced by the room filled with dozens of corpses from previous victims.

Foreshadowing: The old man is first seen tugging on his necklace and pouring blood on the ground before the group even enters the tunnels, indicating his role in summoning the creatures.

• old man
• necklace
• ghosts
• control
• mastermind
• supernatural

The necklace is the source of the old man's supernatural power. When he strokes or tugs on it, he can summon the ghostly creatures that inhabit the tunnels. The necklace appears to be the only thing allowing him to control these spirits. When Gen finally destroys it by smashing it against a rock, the creatures turn on the old man and kill him.

Foreshadowing: The old man's first appearance shows him manipulating the necklace while pouring blood, establishing his control over the supernatural forces.

• necklace
• control spirits
• destroy
• supernatural power

Zee is a teenager who was murdered years earlier, with the old man named as a suspect in his death. Despite being a victim, Zee appears to help the survivors escape. He leads Malik and Gen to hidden passages multiple times. This suggests either a conflicted spirit trying to make amends, or perhaps he is helping them as part of the old man's twisted game. The newspaper clippings in the old man's bedroom confirm Zee's murder and the old man's suspected involvement.

Foreshadowing: The old man's bedroom contains newspaper clippings about Zee's murder, with the old man listed as a suspect, revealing their dark connection.

• Zee
• murder victim
• ghost
• helper
• old man suspect

While the exact motivation isn't fully explained, the old man appears to be using the tunnels as a personal hunting ground where he controls deadly spirits to kill people. The room filled with dozens of corpses shows this has been happening for years. His control over the ghosts seems to be tied to some kind of dark ritual or supernatural bargain, possibly connected to his own death or a past tragedy.

• old man
• motivation
• murders
• tunnels
• corpses

Barbie is killed when she tries to climb onto Jorge's shoulders to reach a higher hatch. A ghost creature tears her apart in the attempt. Wes is later attacked inside a boarded-up shack where the survivors regroup; a creature pierces through his neck, killing him. Both deaths occur during the group's desperate attempts to escape the tunnel system.

Foreshadowing: The ghostly attacks escalate quickly once inside the tunnels, with the creatures targeting anyone attempting to escape.

• Barbie death
• Wes death
• impaled
• torn apart
• tunnels

The old man spikes the beer with a sedative, likely chloroform or something similar. When Gen drinks it, she immediately loses consciousness. This allows the old man to capture both her and Malik, stab Malik in the legs, and bind them before taking them back down into the tunnels to the corpse-filled room.

Foreshadowing: The old man's offer of beer appears welcoming but is actually a trap, exploiting the teenagers' trust.

• Gen passes out
• beer
• chloroform
• spiked
• abduction

Malik and Gen discover a chamber containing dozens of corpses that have accumulated over the years from the old man's killing spree. This serves as the grim evidence of his long-running operation in the tunnels. The old man keeps his victims in this room after the ghosts kill them, using the space as a macabre storage area for his ongoing reign of terror.

• corpse room
• victims
• old man's lair
• tunnels

At the epilogue, Malik and Gen are staying at a motel. The final image shows Wes and Barbie's lifeless bodies staring in through the motel window, watching them silently. This reveals that despite escaping, Malik and Gen are still being haunted by their dead friends, or perhaps the old man's influence remains even after death.

Foreshadowing: The ghostly creatures consistently target anyone who enters the tunnels, suggesting the dead may not find peace.

• motel ending
• Wes body
• Barbie body
• haunting
• window

The movie doesn't explicitly explain how the old man obtained his supernatural abilities. The necklace appears to be the key to his power, but its origin remains mysterious. The setting near the Mexican border and the caves suggests some kind of dark ritual or supernatural bargain took place in this location, giving him control over the spirits that haunt the tunnels.

• old man powers
• origin
• supernatural
• necklace
• spirits

Before the group even enters the tunnels, the old man is seen pouring what appears to be blood onto the ground while tugging on his necklace. This is part of his ritual to summon and activate the ghostly creatures. The blood offering seems to strengthen his control over the spirits or perhaps serves as a lure to keep them active and dangerous within the tunnel system.

Foreshadowing: This opening scene establishes the old man as the controller of the supernatural forces before viewers understand his role.

• blood ritual
• summoning
• ghosts
• necklace
• old man