Out of the Darkness (2022) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

After Adem was injured while tracking the creature that kidnapped his son Heron, he sustained mortal wounds. With no food, freezing temperatures, and a pregnant partner (Ave) needing sustenance, the group faced starvation. Beyah suggested the brutal measure of consuming Adem's body to keep the surviving members alive. This act represents the extreme desperation of prehistoric survival where moral boundaries were tested by pure necessity.

• adem death
• cannibalism
• survival
• desperation

Odal became paranoid after Heron's abduction, convinced that a demon was pursuing them. During the group's disoriented march through the forest, Odal believed sacrificing Beyah would restore balance and appease whatever evil he thought haunted them. He conspired with Ave to kill Beyah in a ritualistic manner, reflecting how fear and superstition can drive people to violence against their own companions when facing the unknown.

• odal
• sacrifice
• superstition
• fear

The mysterious creature that raided the camp and abducted Heron was not a demon or monster as the group believed. It was a female Neanderthal wearing a crude mask made of bone and fur, which created her frightening appearance. She lived in a mountain cave with other Neanderthals, and her true identity was only revealed when Beyah and Geirr discovered her tracks and realized she was human-like.

Foreshadowing: The creature's masked appearance and humanoid movements hint at human intelligence rather than animalistic behavior.

• neanderthal
• creature
• kidnapping
• mask

When Beyah found Heron in the cave, he was alive and unharmed. The female Neanderthal had taken him not as prey but seemingly to care for him. This becomes clearer when the survivors discover Ave's body being prepared for a proper Neanderthal funeral, showing these beings had compassion, ritual, and care for their dead. The Neanderthals saw the group as threats, but Heron was likely taken to be protected or even raised as one of their own.

• heron
• neanderthal
• capture
• protection

Ave died when the female Neanderthal attacked the group in the forest during the pre-dawn hours. In the chaos of Odal's attempted sacrifice and the ensuing struggle, Odal had already stabbed Ave. She retaliated by breaking his ankle, but the Neanderthal then appeared and carried Ave's body away into the darkness. Her death came from the Neanderthal attack, though it occurred while Ave was already wounded from Odal's betrayal.

• ave death
• neanderthal attack
• killed

After escaping through the narrow cave opening, the female Neanderthal became trapped at the top. Despite Heron's suggestion to help her and despite Beyah having just realized the Neanderthals were not monsters but people, Beyah struck her with a rock and killed her. This was a pragmatic survival decision, the Neanderthal was a threat and could have continued hunting them. Beyah later reflected on this with regret, acknowledging the tragedy of killing beings who were essentially like them.

• beyah
• female neanderthal
• killing
• cave

After being held in the Neanderthal cave, Heron witnessed that these beings were not demons but intelligent humans who cared for their dead, protected their territory, and likely intended to care for him rather than harm him. His statement 'They are like us' recognizes the shared humanity between their group and the Neanderthals, both feared the unknown, both fought to survive, and both possessed capacity for compassion despite their violent encounter.

Foreshadowing: The Neanderthals' funeral preparations for Ave foreshadow this theme of shared humanity.

• heron
• humanity
• understanding
• neanderthals

When Beyah and Heron returned to the cave after escaping, they found Ave's body laid out with care, surrounded by items that appeared to be part of a Neanderthal funeral ritual. This discovery was pivotal, it revealed that the Neanderthals possessed genuine human emotions, rituals, and respect for their dead. They were not mindless monsters but a people with culture and compassion, making the violence between the two groups a tragic misunderstanding of mutual fear.

• ave
• burial
• neanderthal
• funeral

Geirr was killed by the female Neanderthal when he followed Beyah deeper into the cave. After Beyah discovered Heron alive and screamed, Geirr rushed toward the sound and encountered the female Neanderthal. She attacked him with a stone ax, killing him before he could assist Beyah. His death added to the group's tragic losses during the cave confrontation.

• geirr death
• cave
• neanderthal attack

The ending represents a hopeful new beginning despite tremendous loss. After burying their dead, including Ave and Geirr, and acknowledging the Neanderthals' shared humanity, Beyah and Heron decide to stay in the cave as their new home. 'We try again' signifies their commitment to survival and to building a future, carrying the lessons learned from both the tragedy of losing their people and the revelation that the 'monsters' they feared were simply another group of humans facing the same harsh world.

• ending
• survival
• hope
• new beginning