Sadako DX

Sadako DX

Year: 2022

Runtime: 100 mins

Language: Japanese

Director: Hisashi Kimura

HorrorMysteryComedy

A graduate student with an exceptionally high IQ, Ayaka Ichijo, investigates a series of mysterious deaths linked to a cursed video. People across the country are dying after watching the tape, and her younger sister's own curiosity has put her at risk. Ayaka must uncover the truth behind the curse and find a way to stop its spread.

Warning: spoilers below!

Haven’t seen Sadako DX yet? This summary contains major spoilers. Bookmark the page, watch the movie, and come back for the full breakdown. If you're ready, scroll on and relive the story!

Timeline – Sadako DX (2022)

Trace every key event in Sadako DX (2022) 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

Ayaka meets the cursed tape on television

Ayaka Ichijo is introduced to the cursed videotape by Master Kenshin on a televised variety show. Kenshin warns that the tape has killed victims in seven days, but a new variant can kill in 24 hours. Ayaka remains skeptical but agrees to take the tape home to investigate at Kenshin's request.

During broadcast Television studio
2

Futaba watches the tape at home

That same night, Ayaka's sister Futaba watches the tape out of curiosity. The footage shows Sadako climbing from the well and appears to reveal Futaba's location in the house. After viewing, Futaba begins seeing Sadako following her at school.

That night Ayaka's home
3

Oji confronts despair; exorcism attempt

Ayaka travels to Kenshin's office where she encounters Oji Maeda, a frightened man threatening to throw himself off a building. She talks him away from the edge, explaining that the curse will be painful and not necessarily fatal. This encounter sets up the return to Kenshin as they seek an exorcism.

Soon after the initial viewing Kenshin's office
4

Kenshin's exorcism and doubt

At Kenshin's exorcism, Ayaka watches the tape with Kenshin and Oji. Kenshin claims the curse has been exorcised, but Ayaka remains doubtful and continues her own research.

During exorcism Kenshin's office
5

Kanden joins the theory debate online

Ayaka contacts the online mystic 'Kanden' who has been researching the curse. They theorize about its mechanism, linking it to smallpox and suggesting that the digital age spreads it faster and with a smaller incubation period.

Soon after exorcism Online
6

Oji reaches the 24-hour mark

Oji reaches the 24-hour countdown after watching the tape and seemingly survives, causing some to believe the exorcism worked. This fuels a debate about how the curse spreads and subsides.

Approximately 24 hours after watching Oji's location
7

Immunization by mass viewing

Ayaka and Kanden propose that having more people watch could immunize viewers by distributing doses across a larger audience, calming the curse's spread. They frame it as a protective measure rather than a cure.

Following Oji's survival Online discussions
8

Mother's intervention with Futaba

With minutes to spare, Ayaka calls her mother and asks her to watch the tape with Futaba. The plan seems to work as Futaba survives past the 24-hour deadline, reinforcing the idea of communal watching as protection.

Minutes before deadline Family home
9

Ayaka posts the video to immunize the public

Believing the method is sound, Ayaka uploads the tape online and urges others to watch, hoping to immunize the public against the curse. The move sparks a flurry of reactions and further debate about the tape's spread.

Immediately after Futaba's survival Online
10

Kenshin's reveal of the curse's origin

Ayaka discovers that Master Kenshin intentionally spread the curse to boost ratings for his show. He explains his motive in a blunt confrontation, showing a willingness to weaponize fear for entertainment.

Shortly after Ayaka uploads Kenshin's office
11

Kenshin dies from the curse

Immediately after the confrontation, Kenshin collapses and dies from the curse, undermining the immunity theory based on mass viewing and leaving the true mechanism unresolved.

Immediately after confrontation Kenshin's office
12

Ayaka and Kanden seek answers at the shrine

Ayaka goes to Kenshin's father's shrine with her mother and sister, joined by Kanden, hoping to piece together the curse's origin. They search for clues that might explain why the tape keeps resurfacing and how to stop it.

Soon after Kenshin's death Kenshin's father's shrine
13

Repeat viewership becomes the plan

Ayaka recalls a pattern: the solution lies not in mass viewing but in repeat exposure, having each person rewatch the tape every 24 hours. The group agrees to test this by continuing to rewatch and track the countdown.

During the investigation Shrine and participants' locations
14

Final rewatch to survive

With only minutes before deadlines, the group—Ayaka, Oji, Kanden, Futaba, and their mother—rethink the plan and rewatch the tape in shifts via video calls and in person. They synchronize the watches to ensure ongoing exposure and a fighting chance against the curse.

In the final countdown Multiple locations; video chat
15

Post-credits: Sadako in the cinema

A post-credits sequence shows a gigantic Sadako emerging from the well into a movie theater, terrifying the audience. The screen then reads END, implying the cycle could begin anew for another audience in the future.

Post-credits Movie theater

Last Updated: October 01, 2025 at 10:22

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Sadako DX Summary

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Sadako DX Summary

Characters, Settings & Themes in Sadako DX

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Characters, Settings & Themes in Sadako DX

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Sadako DX Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Sadako DX

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