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Planet of the Tapes (2019) movie poster

Timeline

Planet of the Tapes (2019) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
2019 · 70 mins · German
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Directed by
Laurent Ohmansiek
Starring
Fred Williamson, Timo Rose, Jörg Buttgereit, Oliver Kalkofe, Rainer Brandt, Thilo Gosejohann

Documentary about the rise of the Video Home System in Germany.

Documentary Cast, crew & box office
On this page (5)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Events in order (14)
  3. 3 Timeline questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Every angle
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14 events in order · contains spoilers

Planet of the Tapes Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of Planet of the Tapes (2019) 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. Distress beacon draws two ships to Aura

    Two interplanetary vessels, the Galliott and the Argos, pick up a distress signal from Aura and set a course to investigate. They approach Aura in deep space and attempt a landing on the fog-enshrouded surface. The mission is driven by curiosity and a hope for rescue or findings, not yet by danger.

    When
    Approach to Aura before landing
    Where
    Space approaching Aura

  2. Argos enters Aura's atmosphere and is possessed

    As the Argos breaches Aura's atmosphere, the crew is seized by an unknown force and turns violently on one another. Captain Markary resists the possession, managing to hold the others back from attacking. The crew's state hints at a malevolent influence at work on Aura.

    When
    During atmospheric entry
    Where
    Aura atmosphere / surface

  3. Landing on Aura and surface exploration

    The Argos lands on the fog-enshrouded world and the crew disembarks to explore the eerie landscape. Thick pulsating mists and shifting colors saturate the terrain as they search for the Galliott. The ascent into the unknown sets the stage for the planet's dangers.

    When
    Immediately after landing
    Where
    Aura surface

  4. Discovery of Galliott's fate and Toby's death

    The crew reaches the Galliott to find its crew slain, including Markary's younger brother Toby. They bury as many corpses as possible, but several remain sealed in the ship's bridge. Markary leaves to fetch tools to open the sealed room, but returns to find the corpses missing.

    When
    After arriving at Galliott
    Where
    Galliott (Aura surface)

  5. Tiona's fear and ongoing killings

    Some Argos crew are found dead, and Tiona witnesses their corpses walking within the ship, freezing her with fear. Markary warns the survivors that they must escape Aura, but the Argos' repairs are slow and progress is hampered by the planet's dangers. The threat of attack lingers as days pass.

    When
    During the repair delay
    Where
    Argos interior

  6. Markary records doubt about survival

    In a private tape recording, Markary admits he suspects none of them will survive. The confession underscores the mounting desperation as more killings occur during the waiting period. The crew grows increasingly paranoid and on edge.

    When
    During downtime before repairs
    Where
    Argos (private cabin)

  7. Wes finds ancient ship ruins on Aura

    Wes discovers ruins of a spaceship a few miles from the Argos and, along with Markary, Sanya, and Carter, investigates. Inside the ruins they find skeletal remains indicating another crew died here long ago. They realize they are not the first to be drawn to Aura by the distress beacon.

    When
    During exploration phase
    Where
    Aura outskirts

  8. Kier and Sallis from Galliott steal the Meteor Rejector

    Two crew members from the Galliott, Kier and Sallis, arrive at the Argos to steal the Meteor Rejector device. Kier escapes with the machine while Markary confronts Sallis and tears open his uniform, exposing a putrescent body controlled by an Auran. The alien reveals that the two ships were lured to Aura to allow the Aurans to escape their dying world.

    When
    During the confrontation for the Meteor Rejector
    Where
    Galliott/Argos vicinity

  9. Markary vows to stop the Aurans

    Armed with the truth about the Aurans' plan, Markary vows to stop their attempt to escape with a stolen ship. He resolves to prevent the two ships from becoming escape vessels for the Aurans and ensures his crew remains united against the threat.

    When
    After learning the plan
    Where
    Argos

  10. Retrieving the Meteor Rejector and planting explosives

    Markary and his team rush to the Galliott to retrieve the stolen Meteor Rejector and plant explosives to destroy it and thwart the Aurans' escape. The plan hinges on a rapid, decisive strike before the Aurans can act.

    When
    Shortly after theft
    Where
    Galliott

  11. Battle on Galliott; casualties

    During the confrontation, Dr. Karan and Tiona are killed in the fighting. Markary and Sanya manage to destroy the Galliott, but the threat of Auran possession persists. The destroyed ship serves as a temporary setback for the Aurans' plan.

    When
    During the battle
    Where
    Galliott interior

  12. Escape to the Argos; possession revealed

    Markary and Sanya escape back to the Argos as the Galliott is destroyed, only to reveal themselves to be possessed by Aurans. They try to recruit Wes to join them in escaping Earth.

    When
    During takeoff after Galliott destruction
    Where
    Argos

  13. Wes sabotages the Meteor Rejector

    Wes refuses to join the Aurans and sabotages the Meteor Rejector, fatally electrocuting himself in the process. With the device broken beyond repair, the human ship cannot reach home.

    When
    During takeoff
    Where
    Argos

  14. Earth revealed as the destination

    With the mission doomed to fail, Markary and Sanya decide to alter course toward a nearby planet. As they come within visual contact, the planet is revealed to be Earth, hinting at the Aurans' continued reach into the home world.

    When
    After sabotage
    Where
    Space heading to Earth

Last updated: October 01, 2025 at 13:04

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Timeline questions answered

Planet of the Tapes Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of Planet of the Tapes (2019): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why did the Argos crew turn on each other?

The Argos crew was possessed by an unseen force from Aura during atmospheric entry. This entity drove them into a violent frenzy, causing them to attack and kill one another. Captain Markary was the only one who managed to resist the influence long enough to force his fellow sailors off the ship, saving some of the crew.

  • possession
  • arggos crew
  • mass hysteria
  • alien influence
  • aura
Q2

How did the Aurans lure both ships to Aura?

The Aurans sent a distress beacon that drew both the Galliott and the Argos to investigate. This was a deliberate trap to bring spaceships to their dying world so they could escape by hijacking one of the vessels.

  • distress beacon
  • aurans
  • trap
  • spaceships
  • galliott
  • argos
Q3

What is the Meteor Rejector and why is it important?

The Meteor Rejector is a device aboard the Argos that can destroy incoming meteors. Kier and Sallis from the Galliott attempted to steal it because the Aurans needed a functioning ship with this defensive technology to successfully reach and invade Earth.

  • meteor rejector
  • device
  • steal
  • kier
  • sallis
  • earth
Q4

Why was Toby's death significant to Markary?

Toby was Markary's younger brother, and his death during the Galliott massacre was a devastating personal loss. Markary was forced to bury his brother alongside the other dead crew members, and this loss weighed heavily on him throughout the survival attempt.

  • toby
  • markary
  • brother
  • death
  • galliott
Q5

How do the Aurans possess human bodies?

The Aurans can take control of human bodies, as revealed when Markary tore open Sallis's uniform and found a putrescent body underneath being controlled by an Auran presence. The fog and atmosphere of Aura appear to facilitate this possession, with crew members gradually becoming influenced or fully overtaken.

  • possession
  • aurans
  • bodies
  • sallis
  • control
Q6

Why do the Aurans need to leave Aura?

The Aurans' own planet is dying, making it uninhabitable. This is why they lured the human ships to Aura, to escape their dying world by hijacking one of the vessels to reach a new planet.

  • aurans
  • dying world
  • escape
  • planet
Q7

What happened to Carter after investigating the ancient ship?

Carter mysteriously vanished after the group investigated the ancient spaceship ruins on Aura. He disappeared without explanation, leaving the remaining crew on edge.

  • carter
  • disappearance
  • ancient ship
  • ruins
Q8

Are Markary and Sanya possessed by the end of the movie?

Yes. After escaping the destroyed Galliott, it is revealed that both Markary and Sanya have been possessed by Aurans. They try to recruit Wes to join them in escaping to Earth, confirming the aliens have infiltrated the remaining survivors.

  • markary
  • sanya
  • possession
  • ending
  • aurans
  • wes
Q9

Why did Wes sacrifice himself to sabotage the Meteor Rejector?

Wes was the last unpossessed survivor, and he refused to join the Aurans. Rather than let them use the Meteor Rejector to reach and invade Earth, he sabotaged the device, electrocuting himself in the process. His sacrifice prevented the aliens from completing their journey home.

  • wes
  • sabotage
  • sacrifice
  • meteor rejector
  • death
Q10

Why do the surviving crew set course for Earth at the end?

With the Meteor Rejector destroyed and no way to return home through normal means, Markary and Sanya desperately correct course toward a nearby planet, which is revealed to be Earth. This creates a haunting ending where the Auran threat may be heading to humanity's homeworld.

  • earth
  • destination
  • ending
  • course
  • course correction
Q11

What happened to the bodies that vanished from the sealed bridge?

The bodies of the Galliott crew that were sealed in the ship's bridge mysteriously disappeared. This added to the growing horror and creepiness of Aura, suggesting the dead were being reanimated or taken by the alien presence.

  • bodies
  • bridge
  • disappear
  • galliott
  • reanimation
Q12

What did the ancient spaceship ruins prove about Aura?

The ancient spaceship ruins showed that other crews had been drawn to Aura by the distress beacon long before the Galliott and Argos arrived. The skeletal remains inside proved the Aurans have used this trap repeatedly to lure ships to their planet.

  • ancient ship
  • ruins
  • skeletons
  • previous crews
  • beacon

Movie threads

More Movies Like Planet of the Tapes, by Mood & Story

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

Paranoid Space Horror Like Planet of the Tapes

Stories where confined crews unravel under a shared, unseen threat. Explore a collection of movies like Planet of the Tapes where small crews in space face psychological terror and paranoia. If you enjoyed the intense, claustrophobic atmosphere and the fear of alien influence turning allies into enemies, these films deliver a similar experience of oppressive suspense and survival horror.

  • claustrophobic
  • paranoid
  • oppressive
  • anxious
  • suspenseful
  • bleak
  • Tone: tense, paranoid, bleak
  • Pacing: steady, relentless
Why these movies?

The story pattern: These narratives typically begin with a cohesive team facing an external anomaly or discovery, which quickly infiltrates their safe haven. The plot revolves around the breakdown of trust, as characters become unable to distinguish reality from influence, leading to betrayals and violence within the confined group.

Why they belong together: These movies are grouped together because they share a specific setting and a core theme of psychological paranoia. They consistently generate a tense, claustrophobic mood through a steady pace of reveals and a high-stakes intensity, making the viewer feel the characters' oppressive anxiety and fear.

The Astronaut movie poster

The Astronaut

2025
Pandorum movie poster

Pandorum

2009
Planet of the Tapes movie poster

Planet of the Tapes

2019
Alien movie poster

Alien

1979
I.S.S. movie poster

I.S.S.

2024
Alien Cargo movie poster

Alien Cargo

1999
Apollo 18 movie poster

Apollo 18

2011
Terminal Voyage movie poster

Terminal Voyage

1994

Cosmic Dread Films with Endings Like Planet of the Tapes

Stories where the horror lies in the vast, unknowable nature of the universe. Discover movies like Planet of the Tapes that explore themes of cosmic horror and feature ambiguous, unsettling endings. If you were captivated by the film's sense of a vast, malevolent universe and its conclusion that offers no easy answers, these recommendations capture that same feeling of hopelessness and existential fear.

  • bleak
  • cosmic dread
  • existential
  • ominous
  • unsettling
  • psychological
  • Tone: bleak, tense, ominous
  • Pacing: steady, deliberate
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The journey in these films is often one of discovery that leads to despair. Characters slowly uncover truths about ancient, powerful forces or entities that operate on an incomprehensible scale, rendering human efforts futile. The climax typically avoids a clean victory, instead leaving the audience with a lingering sense of doom and unanswered questions.

Why they belong together: These films are united by their shared thematic focus on existential horror and their narrative structure that prioritizes mood and implication over clear resolution. They deliver a heavy emotional weight through a tone of bleak tension and often use a steady pacing to build a profound sense of cosmic dread.

A Visitor to a Museum movie poster

A Visitor to a Museum

1989
Die Alone movie poster

Die Alone

2024
Last Sentinel movie poster

Last Sentinel

2023
Time of the Wolf movie poster

Time of the Wolf

2004
The Night Eats the World movie poster

The Night Eats the World

2018
Dragon Head movie poster

Dragon Head

2003
Shatter Dead movie poster

Shatter Dead

1994
The War of the Worlds: Next Century movie poster

The War of the Worlds: Next Century

1981

Every angle

Planet of the Tapes (2019) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Planet of the Tapes in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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