Quatermass 2

Quatermass 2

Year: 1957

Runtime: 85 mins

Language: English

Director: Val Guest

HorrorScience FictionMonsters aliens sci-fi and the apocalypseHorror the undead and monster classicsSci-fi horror creatures and aliens

A terrifying extraterrestrial threat spreads across Earth. In rural England, space scientist Bernard Quatermass, planning the first Moon colony, discovers a secret government‑run facility of identical design that is being bombarded by small, hollow meteorites from space. Quatermass investigates, uncovering an alien life form already beginning to dominate humanity.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline – Quatermass 2 (1957)

Trace every key event in Quatermass 2 (1957) 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

Meteorite reports spark investigation at Winnerden Flats

Hundreds of meteorites land in the area, drawing Professor Bernard Quatermass into a quest for government support for a lunar colony. He sends Marsh to assess the site and gauge potential threats to his project. The meteorites hint at something larger than a natural phenomenon.

Winnerden Flats
2

Quatermass and Marsh arrive to inspect the site

They discover a huge domed complex under construction, clearly tied to the meteorite activity. The layout mirrors plans for a lunar colony, suggesting a hidden purpose behind the project. The discovery confirms Quatermass’s suspicion that something secret and ambitious is taking shape.

Winnerden Flats complex
3

Marsh uncovers a meteorite that releases gas; V-mark appears

Marsh finds an undamaged meteorite shaped like a small rocket. When it cracks open, it releases a gas that leaves him with a strange V-shaped mark on his face. The mark signals a deeper connection between the meteorites and the facility's true function.

Inside the Winnerden Flats complex
4

Uniform guards seize Marsh

Uniform-clad guards arrive at the site, armed and bearing similar V-shaped marks. They arrest Marsh, knock Quatermass aside, and force the professor to retreat from the area. The encounter reveals a tightly controlled operation with a mysterious, possibly hostile agenda.

Winnerden Flats complex
5

Quatermass seeks help from Inspector Lomax; Broadhead is introduced

Quatermass contacts Inspector Lomax, who aided him in a prior case, to uncover the truth behind Winnerden Flats. Lomax connects him with Vincent Broadhead, a member of Parliament pressing to expose the veil of secrecy. Together they begin piecing together why the facility operates with such secrecy.

Lomax's office / Parliament
6

Broadhead tours the complex and sees the scope

Broadhead accompanies Quatermass on an official tour of the domed facility, which is described as a plant for synthetic food. The scale and secrecy of the operation hint at a much more disturbing purpose. The atmosphere suggests a deliberate ambivalence between public explanation and private reality.

Winnerden Flats complex
7

Broadhead enters a dome and dies; warning

Broadhead slips away from the party and secretly enters one of the domes. He is later found dying, covered in a corrosive slime, warning that something inside the dome must be discovered. His death deepens the sense that aliens have infiltrated the human system.

Inside a dome, Winnerden Flats
8

Quatermass and Lomax suspect alien control over humans

Quatermass and Lomax realize the complex is breeding and housing alien life. They notice guards and even the police commissioner show the same V-shaped marks, revealing the aliens' manipulation of key figures. The investigators resolve to expose the truth despite official resistance.

Winnerden Flats / city government buildings
9

Journalist Hall joins the investigation

Quatermass and Lomax recruit journalist Jimmy Hall, who is initially skeptical but agrees to witness Winnerden Flats. They face hostility at the local community centre where locals are kept uninformed. A meteorite crashes through the roof, injuring barmaid Sheila, and armed guards shoot Hall, sparking a melee and a growing mob.

Local community centre, Winnerden Flats
10

The siege at the pressure control room

The villagers and the investigators barricade themselves inside the pressure control room within the complex. A chaotic melee ensues as guards attempt to reclaim control and suppress the uprising. This siege marks the turning point where the human resistance confronts the alien-driven operation.

Pressure control room, Winnerden Flats complex
11

Quatermass sabotages life-support; oxygen to domes

Quatermass sabotages the plant's life-support system, enabling only pure oxygen to flow into the domes. The alien creatures inside are unable to survive Earth’s atmosphere and begin to die. The act is a decisive step toward ending the invaders' control.

Domes at Winnerden Flats
12

Brand launches an atomic rocket against the asteroid

Brand, Quatermass's assistant at the rocket complex, is killed by invading guards, but before dying, he launches an atomic rocket toward the near-Earth asteroid believed to be the alien staging point. The plan aims to destroy the extraterrestrial base from space.

Rocket complex; near-Earth asteroid
13

Masses merge and the asteroid is destroyed

The individual aliens combine into a 150-foot-tall mass that bursts from the domes, threatening to overwhelm the village. The rocket detonates, destroying the asteroid and the alien base. With the base exposed to Earth's atmosphere, the giant masses collapse and die, and the humans regain their memories.

Near Winnerden Flats / asteroid staging point
14

V-shaped marks vanish; memory of alien control fades

As the alien threat ends, the V-shaped marks disappear from the affected humans and their memories of being controlled by aliens fade. The town returns to normal, though the experience leaves a lingering doubt about what happened.

Winnerden Flats
15

Final reflections on truth and consequences

With the immediate danger gone, Lomax contemplates how to present a believable final report. Quatermass questions how final that report can be, hinting at the ongoing mystery and the cost of uncovering alien manipulation within society.

Village and authorities

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 09:21

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