Only the Animals (2021) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Michel disappears after being confronted by Alice about his bloodied condition. He leaves his vehicle behind, which is later discovered by both Cédric and Alice. The film reveals he became entangled in an online scam run by Armand (posing as Amandine), and his disappearance is linked to the escalating pressure from this criminal operation.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Michel is shown returning home bloodied after an undisclosed altercation, hinting at trouble brewing.

• michel disappearance
• missing character
• alice husband
• michel farange

Evelyne is killed by Michel in a tragic misunderstanding. Michel, believing Evelyne is the woman behind the online scam that has been manipulating him (through messages about a young woman resembling Marion), confronts her and inadvertently causes her death while motivated by jealousy and confusion.

Foreshadowing: The online scam creates tension throughout the film, with Michel receiving messages that manipulate his emotions.

• evelyne death
• murder
• michel kills evelyne
• tragic death

After discovering Evelyne's body behind his farmhouse, Joseph initially tries to conceal it rather than report the death. His motivation stems from overwhelming guilt, he is already burdened by having allowed his own mother to decompose without reporting her death. Hiding Evelyne becomes his attempt to avoid confronting another death he feels responsible for.

Foreshadowing: The film hints at Joseph's troubled past with his mother's death, which later manifests as hallucinations.

• joseph hides body
• evelyne corpse
• barn hiding
• guilt

Joseph shoots his dog because the animal begins dragging Evelyne's hidden body out of the barn, threatening to expose his crime. In a desperate attempt to prevent discovery, he kills the dog that had been faithful to him.

Foreshadowing: Earlier scenes show the dog's frantic barking raising Cédric's suspicion during a visit.

• joseph shoots dog
• barn
• desperate act
• hidden body

Michel becomes a target of an online romance scam run by Armand in Abidjan. Posing as a young woman named Amandine, Armand sends Michel images of a woman resembling Marion, building an emotional connection. This deception ultimately leads to Michel's involvement and the tragic misunderstanding that results in Evelyne's death.

Foreshadowing: The film opens with Rolex visiting Papa Sanou in Abidjan, establishing the scam operation before connecting it to Michel.

• michel scam
• amandine
• online romance scam
• armand con

Evelyne ends her affair with Marion after the younger woman travels to the mountains to find her. A misunderstanding leads to a violent confrontation between them, with Evelyne harshly rejecting Marion despite their previous passion. Evelyne's husband Guillaume is largely indifferent to her activities, yet she chooses to end things with Marion.

Foreshadowing: Evelyne cryptically mentions her husband during their early encounters, suggesting she was never fully committed to leaving her old life.

• evelyne marion
• lesbian relationship
• affair ended
• confrontation

Joseph begins hallucinating Evelyne as his guilt over hiding her body consumes him. These hallucinations manifest as a living Evelyne who forgives him, particularly for failing to report his own mother's death earlier. His psychological state deteriorates as he lives with the hidden corpse, leading to these visions.

Foreshadowing: The film establishes Joseph's unresolved guilt about his mother's death before the hallucinations begin.

• joseph hallucinations
• guilt
• evelyne ghost
• psychological breakdown

The characters are connected through Evelyne Ducat, whose disappearance triggers the entire investigation. Alice saw Evelyne's abandoned car; Joseph discovered her body; Marion had a romantic relationship with her; Michel became entangled in a scam related to someone who resembles Marion; and Cédric investigates the disappearance. These seemingly unconnected individuals all share ties to Evelyne.

Foreshadowing: The film's structure deliberately reveals connections gradually, with each chapter (Alice, Joseph, Marion, Amandine) adding pieces to the puzzle.

• character connections
• evelyne central
• interconnected stories
• web of secrets

Joseph dies after attempting to dispose of Evelyne's body by pushing it into a remote sinkhole. Overwhelmed by the guilt and danger of keeping her corpse hidden, he resolves to get rid of it. During this process, he falls into the sinkhole himself, meeting a tragic end.

Foreshadowing: The sinkhole is introduced as a remote, dangerous location in the snowy countryside.

• joseph death
• sinkhole
• tragic end
• disposal attempt

Alice sees Evelyne's abandoned car on her way back from visiting Joseph's farm. This sighting haunts her during Cédric's investigation, as she chooses not to report it. The abandoned vehicle is a key clue indicating Evelyne met her fate near Joseph's property.

Foreshadowing: This moment occurs during Alice's return journey, establishing the proximity of Evelyne's death to Joseph's farm.

• evelyne car
• abandoned vehicle
• alice sighting
• clue