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Reborn (2019) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
2019 · 108 mins · Hebrew
Echo score 56
JustWatch #12,650 7
Directed by
Yaron Shani
Starring
Stav Almagor, Leah Tonic, Ori Shani

Avigail strives to be the ideal mother, wife, and nurse, but feels increasingly alienated and harbors resentment. Yael, a daughter abandoned by her parents, dedicates herself to caring for others, overlooking the needs of her sister, Naama. Naama, a victim of abuse, finds herself caring for her abuser while also struggling with difficult circumstances. Connections emerge, offering hope for change and the possibility of a fresh start for these interconnected women seeking to overcome their self-destructive patterns.

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

Where to watch

Where to Watch Reborn (2019)

Where can you watch Reborn? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on Amazon Prime Video, Hoopla and Amazon MX Player: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

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14 events in order · contains spoilers

Reborn Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of Reborn (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. Electrical surge revives a stillborn baby in the morgue

    A hospital morgue experiences an electrical surge that shocks a stillborn baby, bringing her back to life. The event marks the birth of Tess and hints at something unnatural about the hospital's power. Tess's rebirth stays hidden, setting the stage for a mysterious identity later.

    Where
    Hospital morgue
  2. Ken adopts the resurrected girl and becomes her caregiver

    Ken, a disturbed morgue attendant who secretly photographs corpses, takes Tess into his care after her revival. He treats her as a sister and provides a home, while hiding the truth of her birth. Tess grows up unaware of the real circumstances of her life.

    Where
    Ken's residence
  3. Tess discovers her power to manipulate electricity

    As she grows, Tess learns she can control electricity, a power that will shape her future. She keeps this ability to herself as she navigates adolescence and life with Ken. The power becomes a central part of her identity and danger.

    Where
    Ken's residence
  4. On her 16th birthday, Ken's photos are discovered and Tess kills him

    Tess confronts Ken after discovering his illicit photos on her sixteenth birthday. Ken attacks her, but her powers awaken in time, and she kills him in self-defense. The murder shatters her sense of safety and marks the first lethal display of her abilities.

    When
    On her 16th birthday
    Where
    Ken's residence
  5. Tess begins searching for her biological mother Lena O'Neill

    With Ken gone, Tess begins searching for Lena O'Neill, her biological mother. To get close without revealing her identity, she infiltrates Lena's drama group. The search blends a dangerous pursuit with a growing longing for a real family.

    Where
    Lena O'Neill's drama group
  6. Tess eliminates Dr. Ince, the physician who delivered her

    As Tess gains mastery over her power, she confronts Dr. Ince, the physician who delivered her, and kills him. The act exposes the reach of Tess's wrath and connects her past to ongoing danger. Lena remains unaware of the killer in her circle.

    Where
    Delivery clinic
  7. Tess kills Lena's agent Dory

    Tess continues her assault on Lena's world by killing Dory, Lena's agent, removing a gatekeeper who could expose her. The murder escalates the threat around Lena and increases the urgency of Tess's mission. Lena remains in the dark about who is targeting her.

    Where
    Dory's agency office
  8. Tess kills Lena's student Gia

    Probing deeper into Lena's life, Tess also kills Gia, one of Lena's drama students. Each killing demonstrates Tess's growing control and the danger of crossing her. Lena's foundation as an actress remains oblivious to the true source of the violence.

    Where
    Lena's drama studio
  9. Detective Fox links Tess to the murders

    The police, led by Detective Fox, begin to connect Tess to the string of killings. The investigation tightens around Tess and compels her to maneuver to avoid capture. The trail pushes Tess toward a final confrontation with Lena.

    Where
    Police HQ
  10. Tess admits her identity to Lena

    Tess finally reveals to Lena that she is her daughter, shocking the actress and straining their bond. Lena must process the truth while the detective closes in on Tess. The revelation reframes Tess's motivations and the stakes of their relationship.

    Where
    Lena's home
  11. Fox warns Lena and Tess seizes the moment to keep her mother

    Fox warns Lena about Tess's true nature, but Tess refuses to let go of the mother she has found. The warning raises the tension as Lena grapples with a killer in her circle. The stage is set for a dramatic, irreversible clash.

    Where
    Lena's home
  12. Fox fatally shoots Tess during the confrontation

    In the climactic moment, Fox arrives and fatally shoots Tess to protect Lena. Tess clings to Lena and resists separation before dying. The rescue costs Tess her life and leaves Lena in a state of shock.

    Where
    Lena's home
  13. Final scene at Tess's grave ends in a nightmare twist

    Lena and Fox lay flowers at Tess's grave, and a decomposing arm bursts from the soil to grab Lena. The scene cuts to Lena waking up in bed, suggesting it was a nightmare. The moment is revealed to be a scene from Lena's film Darklands.

    Where
    Graveyard
  14. Lena's film within the film frames the nightmare twist

    The ending reveals that the graveyard sequence and the nightmare were part of Lena's film, Darklands, blurring fiction and reality. Lena wakes in the real world, left to grapple with what she just acted out. The meta-ending frames Tess's tragedy as art rather than a straightforward fate.

    Where
    Lena's film set

Last updated: February 25, 2026 at 08:18

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Timeline questions answered

Reborn Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

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

Q1

Why was Tess in the morgue?

Tess was in the hospital morgue because she was stillborn. An electrical surge passed through her body in the morgue, reviving her from death. This supernatural event gave her the ability to manipulate electricity, and Ken, a morgue attendant, took her home and raised her as his sister without telling her the truth about her birth.

Foreshadowing: The opening electrical surge foreshadows Tess's later abilities and the unnatural nature of her existence.

  • stillborn baby
  • morgue revival
  • electrical surge
  • Tess birth
Q2

How did Tess get her electricity powers?

Tess gained her electricity manipulation abilities from the same electrical surge that revived her in the morgue. When the power surge shocked her stillborn body, it brought her back to life and simultaneously gave her the supernatural ability to control electrical devices and generate electrical force.

Foreshadowing: The strange power events at the hospital hint at something unnatural happening with the electrical systems.

  • electric powers
  • supernatural ability
  • electricity manipulation
  • Tess abilities-did-tess
Q3

Why did Tess kill Ken on her 16th birthday?

Tess killed Ken in self-defense after discovering his hidden photographs of dead bodies on her sixteenth birthday. When Ken realized Tess had found his illicit photos, he attacked her in a violent rage. Tess's powers flared uncontrollably during the confrontation, killing him before he could harm her further.

Foreshadowing: Ken kept secrets about Tess's true origin throughout her childhood, building tension for the eventual revelation.

  • Ken murder
  • self-defense
  • Tess kills Ken
  • 16th birthday confrontation
Q4

Why did Tess kill Dr. Ince, Dory, and Gia?

Tess killed these people to clear obstacles between herself and her mother Lena. Dr. Ince delivered Tess and knew the truth about her birth. Dory was Lena's agent who could potentially expose information. Gia was a student who may have interfered with Tess's infiltration of Lena's drama group. Each killing was part of Tess's escalating campaign to get close to her biological mother without anyone stopping her.

Foreshadowing: Tess's growing desperation to belong to Lena's world manifests in increasingly violent actions.

  • Dr Ince murder
  • Dory murder
  • Gia murder
  • killing spree
  • Tess victims
Q5

Why did Tess search for her biological mother?

Tess searched for Lena O'Neill because she believed she was abandoned by mistake, not understanding she was actually stillborn. Driven by a deep need for family and belonging after growing up with Ken, Tess wanted to find her biological mother and experience a real family connection.

Foreshadowing: Tess's isolation and lack of true family history drives her throughout the film.

  • biological mother
  • Lena O'Neill
  • Tess parent search
  • abandonment
Q6

Why did Detective Fox shoot Tess?

Detective Fox shot Tess to protect Lena O'Neill after learning Tess was responsible for the string of murders and posed a deadly threat. Despite Tess's desperate plea to stay with her newly found mother, Fox viewed her as an uncontrollable killer and killed her to prevent further violence.

Foreshadowing: Fox's investigation throughout the film builds toward this final confrontation.

  • Detective Fox
  • Tess death
  • police confrontation
  • Lena protection
Q7

What was the film within the film at the end?

The final graveyard scene where a decomposing arm grabs Lena was revealed to be a scene from Darklands, a movie Lena was acting in. The entire nightmare sequence was actually footage from Lena's film, creating a meta-twist that blurs reality and fiction. The ending implies the events may have been fictionalized within the story itself.

Foreshadowing: The ambiguous ending challenges everything the viewer has witnessed.

  • Darklands film
  • meta ending
  • film within film
  • reality twist
  • Lena movie
Q8

What did Ken hide from Tess about her origins?

Ken hid the fact that Tess was stillborn and revived by an electrical surge in the morgue. He raised her as his sister without ever revealing she had actually died and been brought back to life. Ken also concealed his own disturbing hobby of photographing dead bodies, which he kept hidden from Tess.

Foreshadowing: Ken lies about Tess's origin from the very beginning of the film.

  • Ken secrets
  • Tess origin truth
  • stillborn truth
  • hidden past
Q9

Why did Lena not reject Tess after learning the truth?

Despite learning Tess was a killer responsible for multiple murders, Lena did not immediately reject her daughter because Tess was the biological child she never knew she had. Lena struggled with the shock of discovering her daughter was alive but dangerous, creating a complex emotional conflict between maternal instinct and moral horror.

Foreshadowing: Lena's protective instincts clash with the reality of Tess's violence.

  • Lena mother
  • Tess daughter relationship
  • maternal bond
  • killer daughter
Q10

How did Detective Fox connect Tess to the murders?

Detective Fox conducted an investigation that linked Tess to the string of killings, likely through evidence at each crime scene and witness statements about Tess's infiltration into Lena's life. The police investigation tightened around Tess, forcing her toward the final confrontation with Lena and Fox.

Foreshadowing: Fox's investigation provides background tension throughout the second half of the film.

  • police investigation
  • Tess murder connection
  • Detective Fox clues

Movie threads

More Movies Like Reborn, by Mood & Story

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

Movies about trauma and the supernatural like Reborn

Characters haunted by supernatural manifestations of their past pain and grief. If you liked the dark blend of psychological pain and supernatural horror in Reborn, this thread features movies where characters' deepest traumas manifest in eerie and terrifying ways, creating intense, gothic-tinged narratives.

  • gothic
  • tragic
  • supernatural
  • chilling
  • mournful
  • unsettling
  • Tone: dark, tragic, unsettling
  • Pacing: fast, relentless
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative follows characters defined by severe psychological trauma—such as abandonment, abuse, or loss—whose inner turmoil spills into the real world through supernatural means. Their journey is often a desperate and escalating attempt to confront or resolve this externalized pain, which frequently leads to cycles of violence and further tragedy.

Why they belong together: These films are grouped together because they share a core focus on using supernatural horror as a metaphor for unprocessed trauma. They create a unique, unsettling atmosphere by intertwining heavy emotional themes with dark fantasy elements, resulting in stories that are both psychologically complex and intensely gripping.

Movies with ambiguous endings like Reborn

Stories that conclude with morally complex and unresolved conclusions. Fans of the chilling and unresolved finale of Reborn will find more movies in this thread that embrace morally complex, tragic, or open-ended conclusions, leaving a lasting, thought-provoking impact.

  • unsettling
  • tragic
  • bleak
  • thought-provoking
  • morally ambiguous
  • heavy
  • Tone: dark, ambiguous, tragic
  • Pacing: fast, steady
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The plot builds with escalating tension and high emotional stakes, often centered on characters making difficult or destructive choices. Instead of providing clear resolution, the story concludes at a moment of peak uncertainty, tragedy, or moral ambiguity, challenging the viewer's expectations and leaving a lingering sense of unease.

Why they belong together: These movies share a commitment to an emotionally challenging viewing experience that doesn't offer easy answers. They prioritize thematic depth and lasting impact over narrative closure, creating a specific, thought-provoking vibe for viewers who appreciate complex storytelling.

Every angle

Reborn (2019) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Reborn 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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