May the Devil Take You (2018) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Lesmana made a demonic pact to attain riches and achieve fame. The newspaper clippings chronicling his rise to prominence were directly tied to this dark deal. This decision set off the chain of events that ultimately destroyed his family, as the wealth he gained came at the terrible cost of innocent souls.

Foreshadowing: Early newspaper clippings hint at his ominous ascent before the full truth is revealed.

• lesmana
• pact
• devil
• riches
• demonic bargain
• sacrifice

Lesmana's wealth came from the sacrifices of innocent souls through his demonic bargain. He traded human lives for fortune and fame, a fact that remains hidden until Alfie and Ruben uncover the horrifying truth during their investigation of the villa.

Foreshadowing: The mysterious wealth is established early, but its true source is only revealed later.

• lesmana
• wealth
• sacrifices
• innocent souls
• demonic bargain

Intan's death was not a suicide but a consequence of Lesmana's demonic bargain. The dark forces connected to his pact ultimately claimed her life, revealing that Lesmana's quest for wealth directly caused his first wife's death.

Foreshadowing: Intan's tragic suicide is mentioned early, but its connection to the pact is revealed much later.

• intan
• suicide
• lesmana
• demonic bargain
• death cause

When Ruben opened the sealed basement door at Laksmi's urging, he unleashed a malevolent supernatural force. This entity simultaneously afflicted Lesmana (who was in a coma at the hospital) and possessed Laksmi, turning her violently against her own daughter Maya.

Foreshadowing: The sealed basement is presented as a mysterious element of the villa from the start.

• ruben
• basement
• door
• supernatural force
• unleash evil

Laksmi became possessed by the malevolent force when Ruben opened the basement door. This possession turned her violently against her daughter Maya, forcing Maya to flee into the woods in a desperate attempt to escape her mother's murderous intent.

Foreshadowing: The basement door opening triggers simultaneous harm to Lesmana and Laksmi's possession.

• laksmi
• possession
• attack maya
• violence
• supernatural influence

Maya discovered a collection of ghastly dolls crafted from the hair of each family member. This grotesque find represented the dark magic controlling her family and was the moment the malevolent being offered her the chance to become a satanic priestess.

Foreshadowing: Hair dolls appear as a recurring supernatural element throughout the story.

• maya
• dolls
• hair
• villa
• satanic priestess
• possession

Maya became a vessel for evil and served as the satanic priestess under the demon's control. She brutally murdered Ruben's girlfriend Lily and turned against her siblings. When Alfie destroyed Maya's doll in flames, it led to Maya's tragic death, ending her possession but at a tremendous cost.

Foreshadowing: Maya's possession was foreshadowed by her earlier encounter with the dark force in the woods.

• maya
• death
• vessel
• priestess
• doll
• alfie

The hair dolls were magical objects created by the priestess to control each family member. Made from the hair of Lesmana, his children, and Laksmi, they served as a spiritual link, harming the doll caused harm to the person. Maya dismembering Ruben's doll symbolized her complete betrayal of her family.

Foreshadowing: The connection between the dolls and family control was established when Laksmi first sent Ruben to the basement.

• hair dolls
• magic
• control
• symbolism
• ruben
• maya
• betrayal

Alfie fought back by destroying Maya's doll in fire, which freed Maya from possession but caused her death. Then, to break Lesmana's connection to the demon, Alfie dug up the priestess's corpse and incinerated the portion of Lesmana's hair the priestess had consumed, confronting the dark spirit directly.

Foreshadowing: The hair connection was established through the doll ritual earlier in the story.

• alfie
• priestess
• doll
• fire
• defeat
• confrontation

Nara sacrificed herself to help Alfie escape the mud-filled pit where the priestess had dragged her. In her darkest moment, Alfie saw the apparition of her mother's hand (Intan) reaching out to her, and with Nara's help, they both managed to escape the villa's clutches.

Foreshadowing: The appearance of Intan's hand suggests her spirit was always watching over Alfie.

• nara
• sacrifice
• escape
• pit
• intan
• mother

The demonic entity specifically selected Maya as its vessel because she was vulnerable after witnessing her mother's violent transformation and fleeing into the woods. The demon offered her power in exchange for submission, and she ultimately succumbed to become the satanic priestess.

Foreshadowing: Maya's traumatic escape into the woods left her emotionally weakened and susceptible to possession.

• maya
• chosen
• priestess
• vessel
• possession
• demon

The ending suggests the evil remains unvanquished. While Alfie and Nara escape, the camera lingers on the haunted interior of the villa, particularly the dark basement doorway. This ominous final shot implies the malevolent force still lurks within, and the horrors may not be over.

Foreshadowing: The basement door was never properly sealed after being opened, leaving the evil contained but not destroyed.

• ending
• villa
• haunted
• evil
• basement
• unresolved