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Range 15 (2016) movie poster

Timeline

Range 15 (2016) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
2016 · 89 mins · English
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Starring
Bryan Callen, Keith David, Lindsay Lamb, Jim O'Heir, Danny Trejo, Sean Astin

A group of military veterans awakens to discover the United States is overrun by a zombie outbreak. Determined to fight back and restore freedom, they embark on a perilous journey across the country. Their mission involves confronting hordes of the undead and searching for a potential cure before it’s too late, facing a deadly price for every step they take.

Horror Comedy Cast, crew & box office
On this page (5)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Events in order (15)
  3. 3 Timeline questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Every angle
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15 events in order · contains spoilers

Range 15 Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of Range 15 (2016) 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. Awakening in the drunk tank

    After a night of debauchery, five military comrades wake up in a drunk tank to a city that has fallen into chaos. They quickly realize the world outside is overrun by the undead. A zombified Richard Chindler lunges at Rocco, and Rocco kills him with a decisive head strike. Despite the danger, the men feel a strange thrill at the chaos surrounding them.

    When
    Morning after a night of debauchery
    Where
    drunk tank

  2. First signs of danger and weapons

    As they move through the city, they encounter the first wave of the undead and hastily kill a zombified transgender woman. They also witness Marcus Luttrell in danger as zombies close in. They seize batons from a nearby police station, arming themselves for the fight ahead. The sense of urgency turns into resolve as they push forward.

    When
    Morning
    Where
    city streets

  3. The warning and intervention

    A mortally wounded soldier urges them to reach Range 15, but he begins transforming before they can help. Mat intervenes and ends the transformation with a baton strike. The warning lingers as the group presses on through the city toward their distant safe point. The scale of the threat becomes personal with each step.

    When
    Morning
    Where
    city streets

  4. Police armory and map

    They reach a police armory where Heather and Eliza shelter inside while Evan Hafer is cuffed to a chair for not sharing weapons. The group studies a map and learns that Range 15 is an ELE fallback point. They stock up on rifles and sidearms and prepare for the journey. The armory becomes the turning point that sets their path in motion.

    When
    Morning
    Where
    police armory

  5. Preparing to leave the armory

    With their new weapons, the team commits to heading toward Range 15. They decide to use Jarred’s seized whiskey truck to move supplies and sustain the journey. The bond among the survivors grows as they push toward the ultimate destination. The road ahead is dangerous, but they are ready.

    When
    Day
    Where
    armory to impound lot

  6. Evan's zombie attack and rescue

    On the road leaving the impound lot, Evan is attacked by a zombie and nearly loses his life. Mat intervenes just in time, delivering a baton strike that ends the threat. The team regroups quickly and continues toward Range 15 with renewed focus. The close call underlines how fragile their situation remains.

    When
    Day
    Where
    road by impound lot

  7. The cure from bad whiskey

    They confront another flood of zombies and discover that a bad batch of distilled whiskey, mixed with an unknown component, can act as a cure. When Rocco tries to use a bottle as a Molotov, the plan backfires and reverts the infected to normal. Nick and the others realize the potential to use the cure to help their mission. The discovery changes the stakes for everyone.

    When
    Day
    Where
    road

  8. The plan reaches Holloway

    Realizing the cure potential, Nick suggests delivering the whiskey directly into the bloodstream for faster absorption and taking the plan to Colonel Holloway. Holloway dispatches his top man to Range 15 to oversee testing. They also meet Sergeant Major Gene Vandenham, whose ego clashes with Mat and who warns that zombies are getting faster and stronger. The tension between authority and survival deepens the mission's stakes.

    When
    Day
    Where
    Holloway's command center

  9. Helicopter transport and sacrifice

    Holloway arranges helicopter transport to Range 15 to avoid the roads, but Pilot Grigsby reveals he is infected and chooses to jump from the helicopter, sacrificing himself. The team presses on on foot toward Range 15 despite the loss. The sacrifice underscores the cost of the mission.

    When
    Day
    Where
    air/sky

  10. Mat bitten and a direct route

    Mat is bitten in the leg during a later zombie attack, forcing the team to adapt their plan. To accelerate the cure’s absorption, Nick and Rocco propose delivering the whiskey directly into the bloodstream, powering a more direct route to Range 15. The survivors endure a race against time as they head toward Range 15.

    When
    Day
    Where
    road toward Range 15

  11. Mat returns at Range 15

    Mat is presumed dead but reappears at Range 15, claiming he was saved by the legendary Zombie Slaying Dream Team. The revelation lifts the team's mood as they brace for the defenses to hold. The truth of the rescue remains a mystery, fueling resolve.

    When
    After arrival
    Where
    Range 15

  12. The final stand begins

    At Range 15, 2LT Chandler radios that zombies are breaching the defenses, forcing a final stand. The survivors brace for impact as the siege tightens and the odds look grim. They prepare to defend the last line against the relentless assault.

    When
    Final act
    Where
    Range 15 defenses

  13. The duel and the threat from Trejo

    Tim Kennedy faces off against Zombie Couture and emerges victorious in a brutal showdown. The team fights on through the chaos, holding their ground against the encroaching horde. Nearby, Mat confronts a zombified Danny Trejo in a brutal melee and ends that threat.

    When
    Final
    Where
    Range 15 defenses

  14. The ceremony twist

    Back at Holloway, the president prepares to honor the saviors, but the praise goes to Sergeant Major Gene Vandenham instead. The moment leaves Mat frustrated and adds irony to the victory. The political twist casts a shadow over the celebration.

    When
    Ceremony
    Where
    Holloway's base

  15. A bittersweet ending

    In the final moment, Rocco returns to a gas station they had stopped at earlier and shares a kiss with the zombie he once loved. He carries her into the fading sunset, and the scene closes on a strangely hopeful note. The ending lingers with a mix of tenderness and unease.

    When
    Sunset
    Where
    gas station

Last updated: October 03, 2025 at 06:47

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Timeline questions answered

Range 15 Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of Range 15 (2016): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why does the whiskey cure the zombies?

The team discovers that a bad batch of distilled whiskey, when mixed with an unknown component, acts as a cure for the zombie infection. When Rocco attempts to use a bottle as a Molotov cocktail, it backfires and instead reverts infected people back to normal. Realizing its potential, they decide to deliver it directly into the bloodstream for faster absorption.

  • whiskey cure
  • zombie cure
  • bad whiskey
  • infected cure
Q2

Why doesn't Mat get credit at the ceremony?

After the final stand at Range 15, the president prepares to honor the saviors, but the praise goes to Sergeant Major Gene Vandenham instead. Despite Mat leading the mission and doing most of the fighting, Vandenham takes the spotlight, leaving Mat frustrated and momentarily overshadowed by the swaggering officer.

Foreshadowing: Earlier tension between Mat and Vandenham foreshadows this moment, as Vandenham's ego and self-promotion contrast with Mat's actual leadership.

  • Mat Best
  • Vandenham
  • ceremony
  • president honor
  • credit
Q3

Who rescues Mat after he gets bitten?

After being bitten during a zombie attack and presumed dead, Mat reappears at Range 15, claiming he was saved by a legendary group called the Zombie Slaying Dream Team, which includes Leroy Petry, Clint Romesha, Tim Kennedy, and Tom Amenta.

  • Mat bitten
  • Zombie Slaying Dream Team
  • Leroy Petry
  • Clint Romesha
  • Tim Kennedy rescue
Q4

Why does Rocco kiss the zombie at the end?

In the final scene, Rocco returns to a gas station they had stopped at earlier and is reunited with a zombie woman he apparently fell in love with during their earlier encounter. The two share a kiss before he carries her into the sunset, creating a bittersweet and oddly hopeful ending.

  • Rocco
  • zombie love
  • gas station ending
  • kiss zombie
Q5

What is Range 15 and why does it matter?

Range 15 is revealed to be an ELE (Extinction-Level Event) fallback point, a designated safe location meant to preserve humanity in the event of a catastrophic outbreak. The group must reach it to find safety and ultimately to test the cure.

  • Range 15
  • ELE fallback
  • extinction level event
  • safe point
Q6

Why does Pilot Grigsby jump from the helicopter?

Colonel Holloway arranges helicopter transport to Range 15, but Pilot Grigsby reveals he is already infected with the zombie virus. Rather than risk turning and endangering the passengers, he chooses to jump from the helicopter and sacrifice himself.

  • Pilot Grigsby
  • Sean Astin
  • helicopter sacrifice
  • infected pilot
Q7

Why are the soldiers excited rather than scared at the start?

After waking up in the drunk tank, the five military comrades discover the world has fallen into a zombie apocalypse. Rather than panicking, they feel oddly thrilled by the chaos, a reaction that sets the film's tone as a horror comedy where the characters embrace the action rather than fear it.

  • soldiers excited
  • thrill
  • zombie outbreak
  • drunk tank
Q8

Why do they decide to inject the whiskey into the bloodstream?

After Mat gets bitten and the team realizes the cure works, Nick and Rocco propose delivering the whiskey directly into the bloodstream to accelerate the cure's absorption. This leads them to pursue a more direct and dangerous route to Range 15.

  • whiskey injection
  • bloodstream cure
  • faster absorption
Q9

Why does Vandenham warn that zombies are getting stronger?

Sergeant Major Gene Vandenham, a cocky Army Special Forces officer, warns the team that the zombies are becoming faster and stronger. This warning adds tension to the mission and sets up the increasingly dangerous encounters they face on the way to Range 15.

  • Vandenham
  • zombies stronger
  • faster zombies
  • warning
Q10

How does Tim Kennedy defeat Zombie Couture?

During the final stand at Range 15, Tim Kennedy faces off against "Zombie Couture" (the zombified Randy Couture) in a dramatic confrontation and emerges victorious, contributing to the team's defense against the breaching horde.

  • Tim Kennedy
  • Zombie Couture
  • Randy Couture
  • final battle

Movie threads

More Movies Like Range 15, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes Range 15 tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Military mashup movies like Range 15

Highly trained professionals use unique skills to fight supernatural or apocalyptic threats. If you liked Range 15, you'll enjoy these movies where military or tactical teams face off against fantastical threats. These films blend hard-hitting action sequences with irreverent humor and a satirical look at military life, creating a unique subgenre of action-comedy.

  • action-packed
  • irreverent
  • campy
  • thrilling
  • violent
  • crude
  • Tone: light, irreverent
  • Pacing: fast, action-driven
Why these movies?

The story pattern: These stories typically follow a squad or unit with a clear mission objective: survive and eliminate an unconventional enemy. The narrative is propelled by set-piece action sequences that showcase the team's skills, while character dynamics and dark humor provide the connective tissue between the fights.

Why they belong together: This thread groups films that share a specific blend of high-intensity action, professional teamwork, and a satirical or humorous take on the military-vs-monster premise. They prioritize thrilling combat and witty banter over deep horror or serious drama.

Range 15 movie poster

Range 15

2016
Army of Darkness movie poster

Army of Darkness

1993
Wasting Away movie poster

Wasting Away

2007
Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse movie poster

Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse

2015
Cockneys vs Zombies movie poster

Cockneys vs Zombies

2013
Tropic Thunder movie poster

Tropic Thunder

2008
Juan of the Dead movie poster

Juan of the Dead

2011
Zombieland: Double Tap movie poster

Zombieland: Double Tap

2019

Funny apocalypse movies similar to Range 15

Characters treat the collapse of society as an excuse for crude jokes and chaotic fun. Explore more comedies like Range 15 that find humor in the zombie apocalypse or other world-ending events. These movies feature unlikely heroes who use wit, improvisation, and a healthy dose of crude jokes to survive, offering a lighthearted take on a dark premise.

  • absurd
  • crude
  • hopeful
  • campy
  • thrilling
  • irreverent
  • Tone: light, absurd
  • Pacing: fast, chaotic
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The plot usually involves a straightforward journey or quest through a dangerous, broken world. The primary conflict comes from external threats, but the emotional core is the characters' humorous and often inappropriate reactions to their dire circumstances, turning tragedy into farce.

Why they belong together: These films are united by their LIGHT tone and emotional weight despite a HIGH-intensity setting. They share a core premise: the apocalypse is not a tragedy to be mourned, but a chaotic playground for adventure and comedy.

Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse movie poster

Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse

2015
Apocalypse Clown movie poster

Apocalypse Clown

2024
Range 15 movie poster

Range 15

2016
Wasting Away movie poster

Wasting Away

2007
Cockneys vs Zombies movie poster

Cockneys vs Zombies

2013
Zombies on Broadway movie poster

Zombies on Broadway

1945
Zombieland movie poster

Zombieland

2009
Zombieland: Double Tap movie poster

Zombieland: Double Tap

2019

Every angle

Range 15 (2016) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Range 15 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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