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Nightbeast (1982) movie poster

Timeline

Nightbeast (1982) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
1982 · 81 mins · English
JustWatch #15,233 8
Starring
George Stover, Richard Dyszel, Kim Pfeiffer, Don Leifert, Tom Griffith, Glenn Barnes

If you have the guts…IT WANTS THEM! A creature from outer space, nightbeast, crash lands in Baltimore and starts a killing spree that quickly escelates.

Horror 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 Nightbeast
  6. 6 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch Nightbeast (1982)

Where can you watch Nightbeast? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on AMC+, Philo and Shudder: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

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14 events in order · contains spoilers

Nightbeast Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of Nightbeast (1982) 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. Crash-landing of the alien ship

    A small alien spaceship cruising the Solar System is knocked off course and struck by an asteroid as it nears Earth. The craft crashes at night in the quiet town of Perry Hall, triggering shock and confusion. Nearby hunters hear the impact and alert Sheriff Cinder, who begins to organize a response.

    When
    night
    Where
    Perry Hall

  2. The first deadly attack

    The pilot emerges from the wreck and uses a disintegrator ray to kill the hunters investigating the crash site. The beast proves instantly deadly and seemingly invulnerable to conventional weapons. This first attack solidifies the threat facing the town.

    When
    night
    Where
    Perry Hall

  3. Attacks on civilians begin

    The creature stalks Perry Hall, attacking a couple in their home and a family out for a drive. Chaos spreads as the monster demonstrates speed and ferocity. Residents realize that the threat is not a one-off and that the town is in danger.

    When
    night
    Where
    Perry Hall

  4. Cinder and allies confront the monster

    Cinder and his team, joined by armed townspeople including Jamie, confront the beast. Bullets have no effect, and the disintegrator keeps slicing through their ranks. The sheriff recognizes that stopping the creature will require a new approach.

    When
    night
    Where
    Perry Hall

  5. A marksman enters the fray

    The next morning a skilled marksman joins the effort and shoots the disintegrator off the beast, temporarily disarming it. The creature is forced into retreat, but the victory is costly as the marksman’s son and another officer die during the ensuing shootout. The town mourns the loss as the threat lingers.

    When
    morning
    Where
    Perry Hall

  6. Evacuation attempts and mayor's party defiance

    Authorities begin evacuating Perry Hall, but Mayor Bert Wicker refuses to cancel his party for governor Embry. The party continues despite the danger, complicating the evacuation. The situation grows more tense as supplies and time run short.

    When
    morning
    Where
    Wicker's party venue, Perry Hall

  7. Drago's crime adds a human threat

    Drago, a delinquent, abuses his girlfriend who has been involved with Jamie. Police prepare to evacuate, but the deeper threats in town reveal themselves as violence brews. The community tightens around its own amid the mounting peril.

    When
    day

  8. Poison gas bluff and mass panic

    At the party, Jamie uses a bluff about poison gas escaping from a nearby mine to spark a panic, causing partygoers to flee. Wicker and his secretary Mary Jane stay behind, drinking and trying to keep calm. The plan to evacuate slows as the crowd disperses, leaving some at risk inside the home.

    When
    day
    Where
    Wicker's party venue

  9. Price clinic trap attempt

    Inside Dr Price's office the beast arrives and kills several men. Price and nurse Ruth retreat to the basement and devise an electrocution trap using a frayed electrical cord. The trap briefly immobilizes the creature before it flees the building.

    When
    night
    Where
    Dr Price's office (basement)

  10. Jamie's pursuit and Drago's exposure

    Drago's girlfriend is found dead, prompting Jamie to suspect him. Jamie pursues Drago on his dirt bike and beats him, seeking personal vengeance. The town grows tense as the criminal element takes center stage in the escalating crisis.

    When
    night
    Where
    Perry Hall

  11. Mutilated bodies and fleeing the beast

    Cinder and deputy Lisa discover a mutilated corpse and are forced to flee when the beast appears. Cinder injures his leg in the escape, and Lisa helps him to her house where they share a moment of intimacy. The hunt for the creature continues as darkness settles over Perry Hall.

    When
    night
    Where
    Streets of Perry Hall; Lisa's house

  12. Mary Jane's death and Wicker's fall

    Wicker's party grows chaotic as Mary Jane is dragged into the basement by the beast and killed. The screams wake Wicker, who is then killed when he investigates. Price remains on duty, coordinating evacuation as the town reels from the losses.

    When
    night
    Where
    Wicker's house

  13. The power plant plan takes shape

    Price advocates using a high voltage coil to electrocute the beast, and Cinder drives with his men to the local power plant. Drago attacks Lisa and Cinder at the plant, but Jamie shoots Drago to end his threat. The plan shifts toward using the power infrastructure to trap the monster.

    When
    night
    Where
    Power plant

  14. The final trap and sacrifice

    Cinder and the crew lay out metal wire between trees and connect it to the coil, creating a deadly trap. The beast charges the setup, forcing Jamie to hold the wire in place as the breakers are thrown. A massive surge explodes the creature and takes Jamie with it, and the camera pans up to the stars to close the film.

    When
    night
    Where
    Near Wicker's house / forest edge

Last updated: November 22, 2025 at 16:00

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Timeline questions answered

Nightbeast Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of Nightbeast (1982): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why don't bullets hurt the alien creature?

The Nightbeast possesses supernatural resilience that makes it invulnerable to conventional weapons. Throughout the film, bullets simply bounce off or have no effect on the creature. This forces the townspeople to abandon traditional firearms and develop alternative methods to stop the monster, eventually discovering that high-voltage electricity is the only thing that can harm it.

  • bullets
  • invulnerable
  • creature weakness
  • conventional weapons
Q2

What is the creature's weakness?

The Nightbeast is vulnerable to high-voltage electricity, the only thing that can actually harm it. While bullets and other weapons fail, a massive electrical surge from the town's power plant destroys the creature completely. This weakness is discovered through trial and error as the townspeople desperately search for any way to stop the killing spree.

  • electricity
  • creature weakness
  • power plant
  • volts
Q3

Why does Mayor Wicker refuse to cancel his party?

Mayor Bert Wicker refuses to cancel his governor's party because he prioritizes his political ambitions over public safety. Despite the alien creature killing residents and creating extreme danger, Wicker clings to his plans for the evening, displaying selfish leadership that ultimately contributes to more deaths in town.

  • mayor wicker
  • party
  • governor embry
  • political ambition
Q4

How does Jamie die in the final battle?

Jamie dies by holding the electrified wire in place while the power plant throws the breakers. As the creature charges through the metal wire setup between trees, Jamie physically clings to the wire to complete the circuit. The massive electrical surge explodes the creature but also pulls Jamie into the blast, killing him in the process.

  • jamie
  • sacrifice
  • death
  • electrocution
  • wire
Q5

Why does Drago kill his girlfriend?

Drago is established as a delinquent who abuses his girlfriend. When police arrive to order the evacuation and depart, Drago's control over his girlfriend ends, leading him to brutally strangle her to death. This adds a human element of violence to the escalating crisis and motivates Jamie's subsequent confrontation with Drago.

  • drago
  • girlfriend
  • murder
  • domestic violence
Q6

Why does Jamie lie about poison gas at the party?

Jamie uses a bluff about poison gas escaping from a nearby mine to cause a panic at Mayor Wicker's party. His goal is to force an evacuation and get people to flee the dangerous area. The plan works somewhat, causing partygoers to scatter, though Wicker and Mary Jane stay behind, continuing to drink rather than escape.

  • poison gas
  • bluff
  • evacuation
  • party
Q7

What happens to the marksman's son?

The marksman manages to shoot off the creature's disintegrator weapon, temporarily disarming it. However, the victory comes at a terrible cost, the marksman's son is killed during the ensuing battle along with another officer. This损失 demonstrates the high human price the town pays in their fight against the Nightbeast.

  • marksman
  • son
  • death
  • shootout
Q8

What weapon does the alien use?

The Nightbeast carries a disintegrator ray, a powerful energy weapon that instantly kills anything it hits. The creature uses this weapon to wipe out the hunters at the crash site and slice through police officers throughout the film. The marksman eventually shoots it off the creature's body, temporarily disarming the beast.

  • disintegrator
  • ray gun
  • alien weapon
Q9

How does Sheriff Cinder get injured?

Sheriff Cinder injures his leg while fleeing from the creature with Deputy Lisa. After discovering a mutilated corpse, they are ambushed by the Nightbeast and forced to run. Cinder sustains the leg injury during the escape, which leads Lisa to help him to her house where they share a brief moment of intimacy before continuing the hunt.

  • cinder
  • leg injury
  • escape
  • lisa
Q10

How does Dr. Price's basement trap work?

Dr. Price and nurse Ruth improvise an electrocution trap in the basement using a frayed electrical cord. When the creature enters the basement, they activate the trap, delivering a high-voltage jolt that briefly immobilizes the creature. The beast flees after this, but the trap demonstrates that electricity can harm it, leading to the larger power plant plan.

  • price
  • basement
  • trap
  • electricity
  • cord
Q11

Why does the alien spacecraft crash on Earth?

The alien spaceship is cruising through the Solar System when it is knocked off course and struck by an asteroid. This collision damages the craft, causing it to crash land in the small town of Perry Hall under the night sky. The impact is heard by nearby hunters who investigate and alert Sheriff Cinder.

  • spaceship
  • crash
  • asteroid
  • earth arrival

Movie threads

More Movies Like Nightbeast, by Mood & Story

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

Movies like Nightbeast: Small-Town Monster Sieges

Isolated communities pushed to the brink by a relentless, unstoppable creature. If you enjoyed the relentless creature feature action in Nightbeast, you'll find similar thrills in these movies about small towns under siege. Discover other films where isolated communities face overwhelming monsters and must fight back with grit and desperation.

  • chaotic
  • brutal
  • suspenseful
  • desperate
  • gritty
  • pessimistic
  • Tone: tense, chaotic, brutal
  • Pacing: fast, relentless
Why these movies?

The story pattern: A linear, survival-focused plot where a monster arrives and immediately begins a rampage. The story follows the escalating crisis as local authorities and residents scramble to contain the threat, leading to a final, destructive confrontation that leaves the community scarred.

Why they belong together: They share a core premise of an isolated setting under attack, a fast-paced sequence of attacks and responses, and a focus on the visceral thrill of the monster hunt rather than complex character drama.

Nightbeast movie poster

Nightbeast

1982
Nightbeasts movie poster

Nightbeasts

2010
The Beast movie poster

The Beast

1000
Tremors movie poster

Tremors

1990
Eye of the Beast movie poster

Eye of the Beast

2007
Monsters in the Closet movie poster

Monsters in the Closet

2022
Bigfoot movie poster

Bigfoot

2012
Rock Monster movie poster

Rock Monster

2008

Grim Creature Features with Bittersweet Endings like Nightbeast

Bleak horror stories where defeating the monster comes at a devastating cost. Fans of Nightbeast's gritty tone and costly victory will appreciate these similarly bleak horror movies. Explore other stories where monsters wreak havoc and the emotional toll of survival leaves a lasting shadow, just like in Nightbeast.

  • pessimistic
  • brutal
  • anxious
  • gritty
  • bleak
  • suspenseful
  • Tone: pessimistic, brutal, tense
  • Pacing: fast-paced, escalating
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative builds relentless tension through a series of brutal encounters, leading to a climax where the monster is defeated but key characters are lost and the community is left traumatized. The ending feels more like relief than triumph.

Why they belong together: They are united by a high-intensity, pessimistic mood, a straightforward monster-hunt plot, and a key narrative beat: the victory is achieved, but the cost is so high that the ending feels more bitter than sweet.

Nightbeast movie poster

Nightbeast

1982
Creature movie poster

Creature

2000
Creature from the Black Lagoon movie poster

Creature from the Black Lagoon

1954
Fiend Without a Face movie poster

Fiend Without a Face

1958
Tremors: Shrieker Island movie poster

Tremors: Shrieker Island

2020
Sound of Horror movie poster

Sound of Horror

1966
Sabretooth movie poster

Sabretooth

2002
Food of the Gods II movie poster

Food of the Gods II

1989

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Every angle

Nightbeast (1982) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

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