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Lift (2023) movie poster

Timeline

Lift (2023) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
2023 · 1 h 27 m · English
Echo score 53
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Directed by
David Petersen
Starring
Victor Abreu, Sharia Blockwood, Diana Byer, Yolanssie Cardona, Steven Melendez

A group of children experiencing homelessness discover strength and self-expression through dance. Guided by Steven, a mentor with lived experience, they find solace and build confidence as artists. The film highlights their journey of resilience and celebrates their triumph over adversity, showcasing the transformative power of hope and community.

Documentary Cast, crew & box office
On this page (5)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Events in order (13)
  3. 3 Timeline questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Every angle
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13 events in order · contains spoilers

Lift Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of Lift (2023) 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. Twin heists planned in London and Venice

    With Cyrus at the helm, the crew plans two high-stakes heists that will unfold simultaneously in London and Venice. The aim is to maximize profit by exploiting different markets: a priceless Van Gogh in London and a staged kidnapping in Venice to control access to N8's NFT. The plan requires flawless coordination and timing to keep authorities off balance.

    When
    Pre-heist
    Where
    London and Venice

  2. Van Gogh painting stolen in London

    During the London operation, the team executes the Van Gogh theft with precision, slipping past security and avoiding alarms. The heist sets the tone for their audacious double-cross and signals a large-scale value play beyond conventional crime.

    When
    During the heist
    Where
    London

  3. N8 kidnapped in Venice

    In Venice, the crew stages the kidnapping of N8, presenting it as a dramatic abduction to leverage the NFT market. The caper is designed to funnel funds into N8's artwork, with Cyrus calculating the post‑kidnapping windfall.

    When
    During the heist
    Where
    Venice

  4. NFT investment and value surge

    After the thefts, Cyrus explains the strategic exchange: the Van Gogh sale nets about $20 million, which is funneled into acquiring N8's NFT. Once N8 is kidnapped, his NFT soars to around $89 million, prompting celebration and a promised cut for the crew.

    When
    Post-heist
    Where
    Global NFT market

  5. Denton arrested by Abby

    Abby Gladwell uncovers evidence tying Denton to the thefts and arrests him, disrupting the crew's momentum. Instead of pressing charges, Commander Huxley leverages the case to coerce the team into helping catch billionaire Lars Jorgensen.

    When
    Shortly after the thefts
    Where
    Interpol HQ (London)

  6. Huxley forces crew to help capture Jorgensen

    To avert Leviathan's scheme, Huxley forces Cyrus and the crew to work with Interpol on capturing Jorgensen, shifting their focus from personal profit to a high-stake international operation. Abby joins the mission to provide cover and maintain a legal shield for Interpol.

    When
    Following Denton's arrest
    Where
    Interpol HQ, London

  7. Mission to steal gold mid-flight

    Leviathan demands payment in untraceable gold, prompting Jorgensen to arrange a shipment from London to Leviathan's Zürich bank. The crew must intercept the gold while the airliner is mid-air, exploiting the transport window for a clean theft.

    When
    Mid-mission
    Where
    London to Zürich flight path

  8. Jet loan and Molsen

    They borrow a private jet from wealth collector Molsen, with Camila flying a calculated path beneath the airliner to spoof radar while Mi-Sun manipulates signals. In exchange, Cyrus promises Molsen a special NFT to secure the loan.

    When
    Preparation phase
    Where
    Molsen's collection / skies over Europe

  9. Gold extraction plan underway

    Magnus cracks the safe and incapacities Jorgensen's henchmen; the team is poised to extract the gold via the jet mid-flight. The crew prepares the operation, aligning timing and decoys to ensure a clean handover to their getaway plan.

    When
    During mid-flight
    Where
    In-flight, en route to Zürich

  10. Mid-flight hijack and hostages

    A mole accelerates Jorgensen's timetable and a hijack attempt ensues. Magnus, Abby, Cyrus, and Camila are captured aboard the plane, while Magnus escapes on the ground and the others remain aboard with the gold.

    When
    Mid-air
    Where
    On the airliner

  11. Crash and capture at Jorgensen's villa

    The plane is shot down, crash-landing on the grounds of Jorgensen's Tuscan villa. Abby, Cyrus, and Camila are taken at gunpoint by Jorgensen, who also executes Leviathan's representative when the deal collapses.

    When
    Immediate aftermath of the crash
    Where
    Jorgensen's villa, Tuscany

  12. Interrogation and arrest; Abby resigns

    Carabinieri and Huxley arrive as Cyrus reveals a mounted camera recording proving Jorgensen murdered the Leviathan representative. Jorgensen is arrested, and Abby resigns from Interpol to join Cyrus.

    When
    Aftermath
    Where
    Jorgensen's estate, Tuscany

  13. The gold swap and reunion

    Weeks later, Cyrus reveals that the crew swapped the gold with iron bars painted to look like gold. They recover their actual gold haul and celebrate their victory, with Cyrus and Abby rekindling their relationship.

    When
    Weeks later
    Where
    Crew base / unknown location

Last updated: October 09, 2025 at 16:13

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Timeline questions answered

Lift Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of Lift (2023): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why does Abby join Cyrus's crew if she's an Interpol agent?

Abby joins the crew to provide cover for Interpol while working inside the operation. Commander Huxley forces her to embed with Cyrus's team after using Denton's arrest as leverage. Her official role is to maintain a legal shield for Interpol, but her personal connection to Cyrus complicates her loyalties throughout the mission.

  • abby gladwell
  • interpol
  • cyrus whitaker
  • undercover
  • mission
Q2

How did the crew actually steal the gold?

The crew pulled off a double theft. While everyone focused on the mid-air heist, they had already swapped the gold shipment aboard the original airliner with iron bars painted to look like gold. The gold was never on the diverted jet - it was recovered separately, making the entire operation a secret double-cross that even the audience didn't see coming.

  • gold heist
  • iron bars
  • twist
  • theft
  • cargo swap
Q3

Why does Jorgensen kill Leviathan's representative?

Jorgensen executes Leviathan's representative after deciding to scrap the deal entirely. With the gold now in the crew's hands and the plan unraveling, Jorgensen sees no further need for Leviathan's involvement. The murder also eliminates a witness who could testify against him.

  • lars jorgensen
  • leviathan
  • murder
  • betrayal
  • representative
Q4

Why does Huxley order NATO to shoot down the aircraft?

Huxley orders NATO to shoot down the aircraft to prevent the gold from reaching Jorgensen's destination. He believes the gold falling into Jorgensen's hands would enable the catastrophic market manipulation scheme. The order is only stood down when Harry and Camila alert the pilots that hostages are aboard.

  • huxley
  • nato
  • shoot down
  • hostages
  • gold
Q5

What was Leviathan's role in Jorgensen's scheme?

Leviathan is a cyber-hacking group collaborating with Jorgensen to trigger a massive flood in Europe. Their goal is to manipulate markets and profit billions. They demanded payment in untraceable gold bullion, which is why Jorgensen arranged the gold shipment from London to their bank in Zürich.

  • leviathan
  • cyber hackers
  • flood
  • market manipulation
  • gold payment
Q6

How does the crew spoof the plane's radar during the heist?

Camila flies the private jet beneath the airliner while Mi-Sun spoofs radar readings to keep the commercial plane on course. This allows the crew to divert the airliner to a private airfield without triggering alerts. The timing requires precise coordination between the pilot and hacker.

  • camila
  • mi-sun
  • radar spoofing
  • pilot
  • hacker
  • jet maneuver
Q7

Why does Abby resign from Interpol at the end?

Abby resigns from Interpol after confronting Huxley with a punch she's been wanting to deliver. Her resignation represents her final break from an organization she feels compromised her integrity. She chooses to ally with Cyrus, rekindling their relationship and embracing a life outside law enforcement.

  • abby gladwell
  • interpol resignation
  • huxley
  • cyrus whitaker
  • relationship
Q8

Why does N8's NFT spike to $89 million after the kidnapping?

Cyrus orchestrates the kidnapping as a calculated market play. By staging N8's abduction, they create artificial scarcity and urgency around the NFT artist's work. This scarcity drives up demand, causing the NFT's value to surge from its original price to approximately $89 million, which the crew then profits from.

  • n8
  • nft
  • kidnapping
  • art market
  • value surge
  • venice
Q9

What happens to Denton after Abby arrests him?

After Abby arrests Denton for linking him to the London Van Gogh theft, Commander Huxley uses his arrest as leverage to force the entire crew into working for Interpol. Denton isn't formally charged - his detention is a bargaining chip to ensure the crew's cooperation in capturing Jorgensen.

  • denton
  • arrested
  • interpol
  • leverage
  • huxley
Q10

Why does the crew need Molsen's private jet?

The crew borrows Molsen's private jet to execute the mid-air gold theft. The jet allows them to fly beneath the commercial airliner, dock with it, and extract the gold while spoofing radar. In exchange for the jet, Cyrus promises Molsen a custom NFT from N8.

  • molsen
  • private jet
  • airliner
  • gold heist
  • nft promise
Q11

Why does Cyrus kidnap NFT artist N8 in Venice?

Cyrus stages N8's kidnapping to manipulate the NFT market. The crew already owns N8's NFT, so the dramatic abduction creates publicity and scarcity that artificially inflates its value. This scheme is separate from but runs simultaneously with the Van Gogh heist in London.

  • n8
  • nft artist
  • venice
  • kidnapping
  • art heist
  • market manipulation

Movie threads

More Movies Like Lift, by Mood & Story

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

High-Stakes Heist Thrillers like Lift

Clever crews execute daring, high-risk plans against impossible odds. If you liked the clever planning and airborne tension of Lift, explore more movies about elaborate heists. This section features films with daring crews, intricate plots, and the thrilling cat-and-mouse games of high-stakes international crime.

  • tense
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  • action-packed
  • clever
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  • Pacing: fast, suspenseful
Why these movies?

The story pattern: These narratives typically follow a 'plan-prep-execute' structure, where a complex scheme is devised, a team is assembled, and the plan is put into action amidst unforeseen complications and rising stakes, often culminating in a final twist.

Why they belong together: They are grouped by their shared focus on procedural cleverness, the thrill of a well-orchestrated plan, and the tense, fast-paced energy of a mission unfolding in real time, often with a charismatic crew at the center.

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Movies about Found Family like in Lift

Professionals under pressure form unbreakable bonds of trust and loyalty. Lift showcases a crew that operates like a family. Discover similar movies where teams in intense professions—like spies, thieves, or soldiers—develop deep bonds of loyalty and trust, becoming a found family under pressure.

  • loyalty
  • teamwork
  • tense
  • calculating
  • thrilling
  • trust
  • Tone: tense, loyal
  • Pacing: fast, character-driven
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative follows a group of distinct personalities learning to rely on one another. Conflict arises from both external threats and internal friction, but the core journey is about building unwavering trust and solidarity, where the group's success depends on their unity.

Why they belong together: These films are united by the central theme of building family-like connections in unconventional, high-stress environments. The emotional core isn't just the mission's success, but the strengthening of the bonds between the characters.

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Every angle

Lift (2023) Explained: Plot, Ending, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Lift in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning, the ending explained and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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