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Schneider vs. Bax (2015) movie poster

Timeline

Schneider vs. Bax (2015) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
2015 · 94 mins · Dutch
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Starring
Ali Zijlstra, Alex van Warmerdam, Tom Dewispelaere, Gene Bervoets, Mike Reus, Pierre Bokma

On his birthday, a hitman reluctantly takes on the easy task of killing a writer, only to find the job a lot more difficult than expected.

Mystery Thriller Comedy Cast, crew & box office
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 Categories
  6. 6 Every angle
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15 events in order · contains spoilers

Schneider vs. Bax Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of Schneider vs. Bax (2015) 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. Birthday morning at home

    Schneider is awakened by his wife and two daughters who bring presents and plan a birthday dinner. The domestic glow masks his true life as a contract killer, and the day feels like any ordinary celebration. Beneath the warmth, a dangerous assignment lurks just over the horizon.

    When
    Morning
    Where
    Schneider's home

  2. Contract to kill Ramon Bax

    Mertens phones in with a kill that cannot be postponed. He assigns Schneider to murder Ramon Bax at a remote lakeside cabin, insisting the job be done today. The urgency injects the birthday day with a deadly deadline.

    When
    Morning
    Where
    Mertens' office

  3. Acceptance of the assignment

    Schneider wrestles with the deception of taking a routine job that could be fatal. He decides to accept the assignment, cognizant that the target lies far from his safe domestic life. The decision tightens the noose of risk around him.

    When
    Afternoon
    Where
    Mertens' office

  4. Bax at the lakeside cabin

    Bax, who also works for Mertens, is revealed as a hitman with his own demons and memory gaps. He contends with the looming possibility of Schneider as a rival and a dangerous memory of a missed contract. The remote cabin becomes a crucible for competing loyalties.

    When
    Afternoon
    Where
    Remote lakeside cabin

  5. Nadine arrives

    Bax's younger lover Nadine enters the scene, heightening emotional stakes and risk. Her presence thickens the web of alliances and threatens to derail anyone's careful plans. The cabin atmosphere grows tenser as the day unfolds.

    When
    Evening
    Where
    Lakeside cabin

  6. Francisca arrives

    Francisca, Bax's depressed adult daughter, arrives to complicate the situation further. Her visit brings personal unhappiness into the deadly scheme and foreshadows shifting loyalties. She becomes entangled in the men’s dangerous game.

    When
    Evening
    Where
    Lakeside cabin

  7. Gerard arrives with a young girlfriend

    Bax’s father Gerard appears, adding a volatile layer as he brings a new girlfriend into the already tense mix. The family drama collides with the hitman plot, escalating risk for everyone involved. The night intensifies around the remote cabin.

    When
    Evening
    Where
    Lakeside cabin

  8. Schneider secures an escort for cover

    Seeking protection and plausible cover, Schneider arranges an escort he saved from a pimp to blend into the scene. The arrangement widens the circle of vulnerability and betrayal around the cabin. The plan grows more convoluted as loyalties shift.

    When
    Evening
    Where
    Near the cabin

  9. Francisca learns her father is a killer

    Francisca uncovers that her father is a professional killer, not just a novelist. This revelation shifts the balance of power and convinces her to aid Schneider. The reevaluation pushes her toward decisive actions.

    When
    Night
    Where
    Near the cabin

  10. Schneider abducts Mertens as a surrogate target

    Schneider seizes Mertens to use him as a stand-in target for Bax. The plan spirals as both men maneuver and misinterpret loyalties while a hostage situation tightens the noose around everyone. The cabin becomes a theatre for escalating deceit.

    When
    Night
    Where
    Cabin interior

  11. Bax shoots Mertens, thinking the job is done

    Believing the contract fulfilled, Bax shoots Mertens and contemplates leaving the scene. The moment reveals how miscalculations and hidden loyalties can explode in a single act. The night grows darker as violence closes in.

    When
    Night
    Where
    Cabin interior

  12. Schneider kills Bax

    Sensing Bax's threat and audacity, Schneider shoots to end the rival's hold over the situation. Bax's death removes a major obstacle but does not resolve the night's violence. The balance of power remains precarious.

    When
    Night
    Where
    Cabin interior

  13. Francisca aims at Schneider with her grandfather's rifle

    Francisca retrieves her late grandfather's sniper rifle and trains it on Schneider, determined to erase the last witness to the killings. The final standoff reaches a fever pitch as she freezes the moment with cold precision. The cabin becomes a battlefield of wills.

    When
    Night
    Where
    Outside the shack

  14. Final standoff ends with Schneider withdrawing

    Schneider disarms Francisca from outside, then enters the shack for a final move but chooses not to finish her. He steps back, abandoning the confrontation for the moment and returning to his family. The stand-off ends with a tense stalemate rather than a clear victory.

    When
    Night
    Where
    Outside the shack

  15. Return to the birthday dinner

    Schneider leaves the deadly game behind and returns to the family to join the birthday celebration he had anticipated all day. The film closes with a fragile sense of relief, tempered by the knowledge that violence and deception still shadow his life. The birthday dinner becomes a rare island of calm in a day defined by betrayal.

    When
    Night
    Where
    Schneider's home

Last updated: October 03, 2025 at 06:45

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Timeline questions answered

Schneider vs. Bax Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of Schneider vs. Bax (2015): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why does Mertens tell Schneider that Bax is a child killer?

Mertens manipulates both hitmen by feeding them false information to ensure neither would hesitate. By telling Schneider that Bax is a child killer and telling Bax that Schneider is one, Mertens creates mutual motivation to eliminate each other without revealing his own orchestration of the situation.

Foreshadowing: Mertens' initial phone call sets the deadly tone by framing the contract as urgent and morally justified.

  • mertens
  • manipulation
  • child killer lie
  • contract
Q2

Why does Schneider take the job on his birthday?

Schneider accepts because Mertens emphasizes the job cannot be postponed, and as a professional, he cannot refuse a contract. Despite the conflict with his family celebration, Schneider's identity as a hitman compels him to fulfill the assignment, though he clearly resents the timing.

Foreshadowing: The morning scene shows his daughters planning dinner, highlighting the contrast between his domestic life and professional obligations.

  • schneider
  • birthday
  • contract
  • mertens
Q3

Why does Francisca help Schneider after discovering her father is a hitman?

Francisca's perspective shifts dramatically when she learns Bax is not merely a writer but a professional killer. This revelation, combined with her own traumatic history including her mother's suicide linked to Bax's violence, transforms her from a victim into an ally seeking revenge against the man who ruined her family.

Foreshadowing: Francisca arrives as a depressed, unhappy woman already burdened by family trauma.

  • francisca
  • bax
  • revenge
  • daughter
  • hitman
Q4

Why does Francisca kill her grandfather Gerard?

Francisca kills Gerard when he attempts to coerce her back and demonstrates predatory behavior toward her. This brutal act shows Francisca is not merely a passive victim in the deadly game, she is capable of decisive violence when threatened, and it marks her transformation into an active participant.

Foreshadowing: Gerard's lecherous character arrives with a young girlfriend, establishing his inappropriate behavior.

  • francisca
  • gerard
  • murder
  • grandfather
Q5

Why does Schneider kidnap Mertens during the job?

Schneider abducts Mertens to use him as a surrogate target for Bax. By presenting Mertens as the supposed target Bax was contracted to kill, Schneider creates a scenario where Bax would eliminate Mertens, effectively turning the two hitmen against each other while Schneider remains in control.

Foreshadowing: Schneider's professional experience allows him to manipulate the situation to his advantage.

  • schneider
  • mertens
  • abduction
  • trap
  • bax
Q6

Why does Schneider kill Bax at the cabin?

Schneider kills Bax after realizing Bax has just murdered Mertens and is now a loose end who witnessed too much. With Mertens dead, Schneider sees Bax as both a rival and a potential threat who could implicate him or come for him next, so he eliminates the problem decisively.

Foreshadowing: Bax's willingness to shoot Mertens demonstrates his dangerous unpredictability.

  • schneider
  • bax
  • murder
  • mertens death
Q7

Why does Schneider spare Francisca at the end?

When Schneider enters the shack and finds Francisca sitting naked and calm, he hesitates. Rather than completing his mission, he chooses to withdraw and leave the confrontation unresolved. This choice reflects his desire to step away from violence and return to his family, choosing his domestic identity over his professional one.

Foreshadowing: The birthday dinner earlier symbolized what matters most to Schneider, his family.

  • schneider
  • francisca
  • ending
  • mercy
  • family
Q8

Why does Francisca aim at Schneider after she helped him?

Francisca turns her sniper rifle on Schneider after he kills her father Bax. Despite their temporary alliance against Bax, Francisca's primary goal is eliminating everyone who participated in the day's violence. She wants to be the final witness to erase anyone who could reveal the truth or come after her.

Foreshadowing: Francisca's cold determination was established when she killed her grandfather Gerard.

  • francisca
  • schneider
  • betrayal
  • sniper rifle
Q9

What is the purpose of the escort Schneider brings to the cabin?

Schneider arranges an escort he previously saved from a pimp to provide cover and plausible explanation for his presence at the remote cabin. She serves as his alibi and adds a layer of normalcy to his infiltration, though her actual role becomes minimal as events spiral out of control.

Foreshadowing: Schneider's habit of helping people in distress is established through his relationship with his family.

  • escort
  • schneider
  • cover
  • plan
Q10

Why does Bax forget that he was supposed to kill Schneider?

Bax suffers from serious substance abuse problems that impair his memory and judgment. His addiction causes him to forget the contract entirely, making him vulnerable when Schneider arrives at his cabin. Mertens exploits this by reminding Bax of the forgotten contract at a strategic moment.

Foreshadowing: The summary describes Bax as dealing with substance abuse problems and memory gaps.

  • bax
  • memory
  • addiction
  • contract
  • substance abuse
Q11

How do Schneider and Bax realize they are being played against each other?

Both men gradually piece together the truth through the contradictions in Mertens' instructions and their own observations at the cabin. When they directly encounter each other and compare notes, they understand Mertens deliberately set them against one another using the false "child killer" claims.

Foreshadowing: Each receives separate warnings from Mertens about the other being dangerous.

  • bax
  • schneider
  • manipulation
  • mertens
  • double-cross

Movie threads

More Movies Like Schneider vs. Bax, by Mood & Story

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

Darkly Comic Crime Thrillers like Schneider vs. Bax

Stories where violent professions collide with absurd everyday life. If you enjoyed the blend of hitman tension and dysfunctional family absurdity in Schneider vs. Bax, you'll like these movies. This thread features similar thrillers and crime dramas where high-stakes violence is punctuated by darkly comic moments, creating a uniquely unsettling yet entertaining vibe.

  • darkly comic
  • tense
  • absurd
  • unsettling
  • deadly serious
  • ironic
  • Tone: dark, tense, absurdly comic
  • Pacing: steady, methodical
Why these movies?

The story pattern: These narratives often follow a professional in a violent trade—like a hitman or a criminal—whose meticulously planned job is upended by chaotic, absurd, or mundanely human complications. The plot unfolds as they navigate both the deadly stakes of their work and the ridiculous situations that arise, leading to a confrontation that questions the logic of their entire profession.

Why they belong together: Movies are grouped here for their specific tonal balance: they maintain high intensity and genuine threat while consistently finding humor in irony, character flaws, and the collision of brutal professionalism with banal reality. The pacing is often steady, building towards a climax that blends action with thematic resolution.

The Killer's Game movie poster

The Killer's Game

2024
Crimewave movie poster

Crimewave

1986
Dead Man’s Bluff movie poster

Dead Man’s Bluff

2005
The Hitman movie poster

The Hitman

1991
Under Suspicion movie poster

Under Suspicion

1991
So Dark the Night movie poster

So Dark the Night

1946
Interview with a Hitman movie poster

Interview with a Hitman

2012
Deathtrap movie poster

Deathtrap

1982

Claustrophobic Single-Location Thrillers like Schneider vs. Bax

Psychological tension that builds within a limited, pressurized setting. Fans of the anxious, confined tension in Schneider vs. Bax will appreciate these movies. This collection features stories where the plot is largely contained to one setting, steadily building dread and forcing characters into a deadly game with no easy escape, similar to the isolated lake house confrontation.

  • claustrophobic
  • anxious
  • unsettling
  • tense
  • confined
  • psychological
  • Tone: anxious, tense, unsettling
  • Pacing: steady, building dread
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern involves characters becoming trapped, either physically or by circumstance, in a specific location with a rising threat. The story focuses on the psychological toll of confinement, the strategic maneuvering within limited space, and the inevitable, intimate confrontation that the setting demands. The plot is often linear and driven by escalating tension rather than complex geographic jumping.

Why they belong together: These films are united by their use of setting as a primary source of tension. They share a steady, anxious pacing that amplifies the feeling of being trapped. The experience is defined by a high-intensity, psychologically unsettling vibe where the walls feel like they are closing in on the characters.

Cellar Door movie poster

Cellar Door

2024
Interior movie poster

Interior

2014
Hider in the House movie poster

Hider in the House

1989
Mystery House movie poster

Mystery House

1938
The Immaculate Room movie poster

The Immaculate Room

2022
Safe Inside movie poster

Safe Inside

2019
Closed Circuit movie poster

Closed Circuit

1978
House Hunting movie poster

House Hunting

2003

Categories

Movie Lists Featuring Schneider vs. Bax

Schneider vs. Bax appears in these hand-built movie categories. Each one groups movies by a specific mood, theme or story type, with their plot summaries and endings explained.

View all movie categories
Intellectual Rivalry Dramas movies

Intellectual Rivalry Dramas

Intellectual rivalry movies non violent

Every angle

Schneider vs. Bax (2015) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

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