Paranoid

Paranoid

Year: 2000

Runtime: 93 mins

Language: English

Director: John Duigan

CrimeHorrorThriller

Chloe Keane, a stressed American fashion model living in London, heads to a countryside weekend at former rock‑star Stan’s house after she and her boyfriend are invited to his family’s party. The next morning she awakens alone, drugged and handcuffed to the bed, while her boyfriend has vanished, leaving her trapped in the bizarre household.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline – Paranoid (2000)

Trace every key event in Paranoid (2000) with our detailed, chronological timeline. Perfect for unpacking nonlinear stories, spotting hidden connections, and understanding how each scene builds toward the film’s climax. Whether you're revisiting or decoding for the first time, this timeline gives you the full picture.

1

Fashion show opener and home return

The film opens with Chloe Keene strutting the catwalk at a high-profile fashion show, establishing her as a rising star. She returns home and tells Toby about her time in New York, then mentions a mysterious unanswered phone call and vows to change her number.

Fashion show; Chloe's home
2

Ned proposes a reunion trip

During a shoot, Chloe meets Ned, who is revealed to be another boyfriend. He offers to take her to a reunion of his former band, creating a new, complicated liaison. She also lies to Toby about visiting someone in Brighton.

Photoshoot
3

Drive to the reunion and a drug-induced sleep

Chloe travels to the reunion but falls asleep in the car due to pills she has taken. She wakes upon arrival, realizing she has reached the party she was lured toward, setting the stage for a night of danger.

Car; Reunion location
4

Reunion party reveals a tangled web

At the reunion, Chloe meets Stan, his wife Rachel, their deaf daughter Theresa, and Gordon who films the party. Ned's wife Eve arrives and is hostile, culminating in Eve cutting Chloe's hand and declaring she wants her to bleed to death.

During lunch Stan's house
5

Stan offers shelter for the night

Stan tells Chloe that everyone else has gone and offers her the chance to stay the night. The offer deepens the sense that she is trapped in a house full of controlling figures.

Night Stan's house
6

Bath talk about shoots

While she stays the night, Chloe is in the bath when Rachel asks what she thinks during photoshoots. Chloe says she just pretends, exposing the performative nature of her work. The moment hints at the pressure behind the glamour.

Night Bathroom
7

Discovery of handcuffs and ambush

Chloe discovers Ned's handcuffs on the bed, a chilling reminder of control. Stan drugs her, and she drifts off to sleep, signaling the night will escalate into danger and captivity.

Night Bedroom
8

An illicit tape and a disturbing revelation

Chloe awakens and, after a failed phone call with a friend, goes downstairs to find Gordon watching tapes of earlier events. She grabs one and watches herself being sexually assaulted, realizing how deeply she has been manipulated.

Night House
9

Escape attempt gone awry

Someone attempts to open the door, so Chloe escapes through a window and ends up outside. She faints after seeing Stan in a car, highlighting the immediate danger and her fragile hope for escape.

Night Outside the house
10

Basement captivity and a taunting call

Chloe wakes in the basement and is handcuffed to the bed by Stan. Clive, the silent stalker who has been phoning her, calls the house, and Chloe uses her bare feet to answer, telling him that she is trapped in the hotel-like residence.

Night Basement; hotel-turned-house
11

Tapes, posters, and police skepticism

Theresa finds the tapes and makes a poster to report Chloe to the police, but they laugh it off. Meanwhile, Rachel discovers the phone and the group decides to hide it in the shed, further obscuring Chloe's plight.

Night House
12

Clive closes in and the tape plan forms

Clive makes a move toward the house while Ned and Rachel discuss a plan to create a fake tape of Chloe 'enjoying herself' to justify their actions if authorities intervene. The night grows more dangerous as deception deepens.

Night House
13

Murder is on the table

Stan tells Gordon they must kill Chloe and bundles her into a car, with Clive following. Ned warns that they could become accessories to murder if they go through with it, raising the stakes dramatically.

Night Road/Car
14

Theresa's escape and police arrival

Theresa breaks a window with a chair to escape just as the police arrive. Ned manages to herd Chloe into a police car, but the intervention comes just as the situation reaches a breaking point.

Night House; street
15

The twist: Toby unveiled as the other stalker

Stan is arrested as the police close in, but the ending reveals a chilling twist: Chloe returns home and, after calling Toby, discovers that he, who has been playing the saxophone, is actually her other stalker. The obsession surrounding Chloe is finally exposed in full.

Ending Chloe's home

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 15:31

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Paranoid Summary

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Characters, Settings & Themes in Paranoid

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