Past Tense

Past Tense

Year: 1994

Runtime: 91 mins

Language: English

Director: Graeme Clifford

MysteryCrimeDramaTV Movie

A former police officer turned novelist becomes intrigued by a beautiful young woman who moves in next door. After a night together, she asks him to return, but he finds her murdered. The police claim no such resident ever existed, and when he goes back, a different woman—who says she’s lived there for years—occupies the apartment.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline – Past Tense (1994)

Trace every key event in Past Tense (1994) 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

Gene's nightmare of the sand quarry

Gene Ralston wakes from a nightmare in which he fights a man in a sand quarry, falls, and suffocates as sand piles over him. The image unsettles him and lingers into the morning as he begins his day. The dream foreshadows danger and a mind struggling to separate memory from fiction.

Night Sand quarry (dream)
2

New neighbor moves in across the street

A new neighbor named Tory Bass moves into the house across the street. She introduces herself with a skittish manner and expresses a chilling sense that someone may have been murdered. Gene becomes curious about the newcomer and what she knows.

Morning Across the street, Gene's neighborhood
3

Tory admits involvement with a cop

In their first talk, Tory admits she was involved with a man who is a police officer. She also remains wary, convinced that danger surrounds her. The confession deepens the sense that a case may be closer than Gene realizes.

Morning Across the street, Gene's house
4

Dinner with Larry and Emily; Gene's writer dreams

Gene hosts dinner for his partner Larry Talbert and his wife Emily. They discuss his growing ambitions as a writer, while Gene's thoughts keep drifting toward Tory. The social setting masks a growing tension between reality and desire.

Evening Gene's home, dining room
5

Gene visits Tory; a connection grows

The next day Gene goes to Tory's house and they share an immediate attraction. They make love on her living room floor, and the boundary between real life and fantasy begins to blur. Gene feels a pull toward Tory that unsettles his sense of normalcy.

Day Tory's living room
6

Roses and a late invitation

A delivery man brings roses from Tory with a note inviting Gene to come over after dark. He goes to Tory's house expecting a romantic encounter, but the evening instead hints at danger and secrecy. The invitation marks a turning point in their fragile connection.

Evening Tory's house
7

Tory is murdered; Gene pulled off the case

Gene arrives at the scene to find Tory murdered. Larry leads the murder investigation and orders Gene off the case because of his involvement with the victim. The case becomes personal for Gene and raises questions about motive and memory.

Evening Tory's house / crime scene
8

Gene defies orders and investigates

Ignoring the orders, Gene begins his own inquiry into Tory's death. He notices inconsistencies, including the absence of a distinctive cut on her hand, which was expected from what he remembers. His digging pulls him deeper into a web of misremembered facts and hidden pasts.

Following day Crime scene and police precinct
9

Emily's seduction and Tory seems to vanish

Emily attempts to seduce Gene, adding pressure and confusion as he pursues the truth. When he returns to the house where he met Tory, he finds a different woman living there, as if Tory never existed. The reality around Gene continues to shift in unsettling ways.

Same day Gene's home; Tory's house
10

Dr. Bert James discusses Gene's confusion

Gene consults Dr. Bert James, the department psychiatrist, who admits he does not fully understand what Gene is experiencing. He warns that memory distortions can blur the line between fact and fiction. The doctor provides a clinical perspective on Gene's ordeal.

Day Police Department / Psychiatrist's office
11

Revelation of Tory's past homicide connection

As Gene continues the novel, he uncovers that the Tory he knows is connected to a previous homicide under a different name, a fact Larry already knew. The boundaries between memory, fiction, and evidence start to crumble. The investigation takes a sharper turn toward a hidden truth.

Days later HQ / Investigation scenes
12

Coma awakening; thirteen months pass

Larry escorts Gene to a hospital and he realizes he has been dreaming while in a coma. He awakens after thirteen months, discovering his oxygen had been cut off while he lay buried in a sand pit. The narrative reveals that much of what he experienced was a reconstruction of memory.

Thirteen months later Hospital
13

Tory reappears after awakening

Tory surfaces again, waiting for Gene to emerge from the coma. She hints that there is more to the murder case than what Gene and Larry had revealed before the accident. She remains a living clue guiding him toward the truth.

Immediately after awakening Hospital
14

Reconstructing the case through subconscious clues

Gene begins to rearrange clues that his subconscious produced while he was unconscious. He uses the mix of memory, dream, and reality to inch toward a coherent solution. The process brings him closer to a final understanding of the case.

Post-awakening Hospital / writer's room

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 09:19

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Characters, Settings & Themes in Past Tense

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