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Retake (2017) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
2017 · 98 min · English
Directed by
Nick Corporon

An ambitious entrepreneur and a resourceful hustler travel from San Francisco to the Grand Canyon, attempting to reconstruct a man’s difficult history. During their journey, the boundaries of truth and illusion become increasingly unclear. They confront themes of deception, personal growth, and manipulation, ultimately seeking a path toward understanding and redemption.

On this page (6)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Events in order (15)
  3. 3 Timeline questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Movies like Retake
  6. 6 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch Retake (2017)

Where can you watch Retake? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on Fawesome, Fandango at Home Free and Plex: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

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15 events in order · contains spoilers

Retake Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of Retake (2017) 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. Jonathan travels to San Francisco to hire a male escort

    Jonathan travels to San Francisco with the aim of hiring a male escort. He first hires Scotty, but the encounter goes poorly and leaves him unsettled. The disappointing experience pushes him to search further for connection on the streets.

    When
    early in the story
    Where
    San Francisco
  2. Jonathan meets a hustler on the streets and proposes a road trip

    After the failed date, Jonathan returns to the streets and encounters an unnamed hustler. He offers to pay the escort to accompany him on a road trip to the Grand Canyon, with no questions asked. The hustler agrees and they set off on the long journey.

    When
    night
    Where
    San Francisco streets
  3. The escort adopts the name Brandon and joins the road trip

    The hustler agrees to join the road trip and adopts the name Brandon for the trip. They begin their journey through the American Southwest, leaving behind their old lives and expectations. A new, tentative chemistry forms as they travel.

    When
    start of road trip
    Where
    On the road toward the Grand Canyon
  4. Brandon uncovers a photo and changes his look

    During the road trip, Jonathan asks Brandon to embody a specific persona. He discovers a photo of someone named Brandon in Jonathan's shaving kit and cuts his hair to match. This physical transformation deepens their odd, intense bond.

    When
    first motel night
    Where
    Roadside motel bathroom
  5. The bond deepens and Jonathan opens up

    As the journey continues, their connection grows stronger. Brandon encourages Jonathan to live in the moment while Jonathan pushes him to stay in character. They swap stories and reveal portions of their pasts, creating a fragile trust.

    When
    early leg of trip
    Where
    Across the road trip
  6. Skinny-dipping leads to a public moment

    One night, Brandon nudges Jonathan to skinny-dip in a hotel pool, a bold break from their former selves. They are spotted by a curious straight couple, James and Iris, which complicates their secrecy. The incident marks a turning point in how openly they express their feelings.

    When
    one night during trip
    Where
    Hotel pool
  7. A mysterious tape and Jon's secrecy

    After the pool incident, Jonathan sneaks out and listens to a mysterious tape of someone singing to him. The eerie audio intensifies the sense that there is something unresolved in his past. He becomes more introspective about his need for connection.

    When
    following night
    Where
    Hotel room
  8. Reappearance of Iris and James; bar encounter

    They run into Iris and James again at a local bar, and Brandon brings them into the evening. Jonathan loosens up further and even dances with Iris, enjoying a moment of carefree connection. The group dynamic broadens the trip's emotional scope.

    When
    next evening
    Where
    Local bar
  9. Drunken ride home and a quiet revelation

    On a drunken ride back to their motel, Brandon nudges Jonathan to relax further, and they share a late-night dance in headlights. Jonathan opens up about his tendency to plan for the future rather than living in the present. Brandon's warmth encourages him to stay in the moment longer.

    When
    late night
    Where
    Road near motel
  10. Morning mugging and discovery of the fake trip

    The next morning, Jonathan is mugged outside the hotel, and Brandon calms him after the shock. He then finds a cache of old polaroids revealing that much of the trip — including the mugging — was a constructed memory. The revelation unsettles both of them and sours their bond.

    When
    morning
    Where
    Hotel
  11. The truth about Brandon and the past road trip

    Brandon confronts Jonathan about the artificial nature of the trip and their chemistry. Jonathan reveals that Brandon died of an overdose during their road trip years earlier, and that he's been reliving it through this encounter. The truth dissolves the illusion and leaves Jonathan alone with his memories.

    When
    morning after confrontation
    Where
    Motel
  12. A memory and the real identity of the hustler

    In a bar, the hustler tells his backstory, admitting he was kicked out as a teen and started hustling. He reflects on not knowing who he is or what he wants, while Jonathan seems to understand. The reveal that he now goes by Adam from Dayton, Ohio brings a new sense of possibility as they reconnect at the motel.

    When
    night
    Where
    Bar
  13. Starting over together

    They decide to start over, with the revelation of his name as Adam from Dayton, Ohio strengthening their bond. They reconnect emotionally at the motel, staying up all night talking about futures that might exist beyond the road. The mood shifts from escape to potential new beginnings.

    When
    late night
    Where
    Motel
  14. Adam heads toward Dayton while Jonathan moves toward his future

    In the morning, Adam finds Jonathan gone, leaving an envelope for a bus ride home. He heads to the bus station to head back to Dayton, while Jonathan continues toward the Grand Canyon with a strengthened resolve. The split underscores a choice between memory and move-forward life.

    When
    morning
    Where
    Bus station
  15. Jonathan reaches the Grand Canyon alone

    Jonathan drives to the Grand Canyon, arriving alone but tempered by the emotional journey he shared. He stares out at the vast emptiness, contemplating an uncertain future that now feels possible. The road trip ends with a sense of quiet resilience rather than closure.

    When
    final
    Where
    Grand Canyon

Last updated: October 09, 2025 at 16:14

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Timeline questions answered

Retake Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of Retake (2017): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why does Jonathan hire an escort and ask him to go to the Grand Canyon?

Jonathan is trying to recreate a past road trip with someone named Brandon who died of an overdose. The entire trip is an elaborate attempt to relive and process his grief over losing this person. The escort becomes a proxy for the real Brandon.

Foreshadowing: Early in the film, Jonathan asks the escort to adopt the name Brandon, signaling his intent to recreate a past relationship.

  • jonathan
  • brandon
  • grand canyon
  • road trip
  • grief
  • escort
Q2

Who is the real Brandon in the movie?

The real Brandon was Jonathan's former lover who died of an overdose during a road trip to the Grand Canyon years before the film takes place. Jonathan kept this secret throughout the journey, using the hustler as a living reminder of his lost love.

Foreshadowing: Jonathan's shaving kit contains a photo of someone named Brandon, which the hustler discovers early in the trip.

  • brandon
  • death
  • overdose
  • jonathan past lover
Q3

Why was the mugging part of the fake trip?

The mugging was part of the constructed memory that Jonathan was trying to recreate. After the hustler discovers old polaroids in Jonathan's bag, he realizes that most of the trip, including the mugging, had been orchestrated to relive the original journey with the real Brandon.

Foreshadowing: The polaroids reveal that Jonathan has been carefully staging events to match his memories.

  • mugging
  • polaroids
  • fake trip
  • recreation
Q4

Why does the hustler cut his hair to match the photo?

When the hustler finds a photo of the real Brandon in Jonathan's shaving kit, he decides to cut his hair to physically resemble him. This act represents his deeper immersion into the role, choosing to become the fantasy rather than walk away from the confusing situation.

Foreshadowing: The discovery of the photo happens during an early motel stop, prompting the transformation.

  • haircut
  • transformation
  • brandon photo
  • impersonation
Q5

What is the mysterious tape Jonathan listens to?

The tape contains someone singing to Jonathan, which represents his unresolved emotional connection to the real Brandon. This moment occurs after the skinny-dipping incident with James and Iris, deepening the sense that Brandon's presence is more than just physical, it's tied to lingering memories and grief.

Foreshadowing: The tape foreshadows that Jonathan's attachment goes beyond the present moment with the hustler.

  • tape
  • singing
  • memory
  • brandon ghost
Q6

Why does Adam leave at the end of the movie?

Adam leaves for the bus station to return to Dayton, Ohio, choosing to move forward with his life rather than continue living in Jonathan's constructed fantasy. He leaves money for the bus ride, indicating he's ready to reclaim his own identity beyond the Brandon persona.

Foreshadowing: The previous night they share genuine conversation about their pasts, setting the stage for this mutual parting.

  • adam
  • dayton
  • bus
  • parting
  • ending
Q7

What does Jonathan mean when he says he looks toward the future instead of the present?

During the drunken drive home, Jonathan admits he's spent his life planning for the future rather than living in the moment. This vulnerability marks a turning point where he allows himself to be present with the hustler, shedding some of his emotional defenses.

Foreshadowing: The moment occurs after Jonathan has been loosening up throughout the trip, encouraged by Brandon's influence.

  • present
  • future
  • jonathan vulnerability
  • moment
Q8

What does Jonathan's arrival at the Grand Canyon represent?

Jonathan reaches the Grand Canyon alone, facing the vast emptiness as a metaphor for his uncertain but open future. The ending suggests he has been changed by the experience, gaining emotional strength and openness, though the bittersweet tone remains as he processes both his grief and the new connection he made.

Foreshadowing: The journey has been about Jonathan learning to live in the present rather than clinging to the past.

  • grand canyon ending
  • new beginning
  • resolution
  • jonathan future
Q9

Why does Jonathan's first attempt with Scotty fail?

Jonathan's first encounter with Scotty goes poorly and leaves him unsettled, prompting him to return to the streets to find another escort. This failed start establishes his desperation for genuine connection and sets up his meeting with the hustler who would become his gateway to the Grand Canyon.

Foreshadowing: The failed date establishes Jonathan's emotional state before he meets his eventual companion.

  • scotty
  • failed date
  • jonathan escorts
Q10

What happens to Jonathan the morning after the bar encounter?

Jonathan is mugged outside the hotel the next morning, leaving him physically bruised and emotionally shaken. This violent interruption breaks the fragile bubble of their journey and directly leads to the discovery of the polaroids that expose the truth about the trip's fabricated nature.

Foreshadowing: The mugging appears random but is later revealed as part of Jonathan's staged recreation.

  • mugging
  • hotel
  • jonathan injury
  • polaroid discovery
Q11

Did Jonathan and Adam develop real feelings for each other?

Despite the relationship starting as a transaction built on deception, their connection becomes genuine over the course of the trip. By sharing vulnerable moments and personal stories, both men form an authentic emotional bond, even though it was founded on Jonathan's attempt to recreate a lost love.

Foreshadowing: The bar scene where Adam shares his backstory marks a shift from performance to genuine connection.

  • real feelings
  • adam
  • jonathan connection
  • emotional bond

Movie threads

More Movies Like Retake, by Mood & Story

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

Movies about manufactured intimacy like Retake

Stories where relationships built on deception blur into genuine, transformative bonds. If you liked the complex dynamic in Retake, you'll appreciate these movies about relationships that start with a lie. Discover similar romance and drama stories where fabricated connections, often involving hired companions or role-playing, lead to genuine emotional transformation and bittersweet endings.

  • intimate
  • melancholic
  • yearning
  • vulnerable
  • reflective
  • complicated
  • Tone: bittersweet, intimate
  • Pacing: steady, deliberate
Why these movies?

The story pattern: Narratives in this thread typically begin with a clear transaction or deception that forms the basis of a relationship. As characters spend time together, often in isolated or intense situations, the boundaries between performance and reality dissolve. The central conflict arises from the revelation of the truth and the characters' struggle to reconcile their genuine feelings with the fabricated premise of their connection.

Why they belong together: These films are grouped together because they share a core fascination with the authenticity that can be found within inauthenticity. They balance a bittersweet tone with a steady, character-driven pace, focusing on the emotional complexity of relationships that defy simple labels and often conclude with a mix of loss and hopeful change.

Melancholic road trip movies like Retake

Quiet journeys through vast landscapes that mirror a search for inner peace. Looking for more movies like Retake? Explore this collection of melancholic road trip dramas. These films feature lonely characters on journeys of self-discovery, using the open road as a setting for intimate conversations, unresolved grief, and bittersweet emotional connections.

  • melancholic
  • lonely
  • reflective
  • yearning
  • dreamlike
  • introspective
  • Tone: melancholic, reflective
  • Pacing: steady, contemplative
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern follows one or more characters who embark on a road trip not for pleasure, but as an escape or a deliberate attempt to confront a painful past. The confined space of the vehicle and the changing landscapes create a crucible for conversation and reflection. The journey's destination is often secondary to the emotional milestones reached along the way, culminating in an ending that is more about acceptance than a tidy resolution.

Why they belong together: These movies share a specific mood: a blend of melancholy and intimacy against a backdrop of travel. They prioritize character development over plot, using a steady pace to explore themes of loneliness and connection. The experience is defined by a reflective, sometimes dreamlike atmosphere and an emotionally resonant, if not entirely happy, conclusion.

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Movies Like Retake

Similar movies to Retake: the same genre, themes or kind of story. Each one comes with its own plot summary, timeline and ending explained.

Browse all movie summaries

Every angle

Retake (2017) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Retake 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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