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Timeline

Security (2017) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
2017 · 87 mins · English
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Directed by
Alain Desrochers
Starring
Antonio Banderas, Ben Kingsley, Cung Le, Atanas Srebrev, Bashar Rahal, Mark Rhino Smith

A struggling ex-special services veteran takes a security job at a dilapidated mall, hoping for a fresh start. His first night takes a dangerous turn when a young woman, desperate and fleeing a hijacked police motorcade, seeks refuge. She's a witness scheduled to testify in a trial, and a ruthless hijacker and his team are determined to silence her by any means necessary. The veteran must protect her from the relentless pursuit and escalating violence.

On this page (5)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Events in order (12)
  3. 3 Timeline questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Every angle
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12 events in order · contains spoilers

Security Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of Security (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. Eddie joins mall security and teams up with the guards

    Eddie Deacon, a former Marine Corps Security Captain, begins a job as mall security guard. He meets the other guards—Vance, Ruby, Mason, and Johnny—and forms a makeshift security team to protect the mall.

    Where
    Mall
  2. Mercenaries ambush the US Marshal convoy; Jamie escapes to the mall

    A US Marshal convoy transporting Jamie is ambushed by mercenaries. The marshals are killed; Jamie escapes and seeks refuge inside the mall.

    Where
    Highway
  3. Jamie takes refuge in the mall; Charlie bribes the guards

    Jamie finds shelter inside the mall. Charlie attempts to bribe the guards to hand Jamie over, but Eddie refuses, standing firm against the mercenaries.

    Where
    Mall
  4. Mercenaries threaten guards and families if they fail to retrieve Jamie

    Charlie informs his team that they and their families will be executed if they fail to recover Jamie, raising the stakes. The guards realize the mercenaries will resort to violence to complete their mission.

    Where
    Mall
  5. Guards prepare defenses and set traps

    Eddie and the team begin fortifying the mall, crafting homemade bombs and traps to slow the mercenaries and protect Jamie.

    Where
    Mall
  6. Johnny killed by sniper during standoff

    During the chaos, Johnny is killed by a sniper while attempting to signal the police. The team loses an ally as the defense tightens.

    Where
    Mall
  7. Ruby mortally wounded; Mason killed; Vance wounded and presumed dead

    Ruby is mortally wounded while aiding Vance's escape, and Mason is killed in the fighting. Vance is badly wounded and presumed dead, complicating the defense.

    Where
    Mall
  8. Jamie is sent to radio for help

    Eddie sends Jamie to reach out for help over the mall radio, hoping to bring in outside assistance as the siege continues.

    Where
    Mall
  9. Eddie disables jammer; Dead Eyes and sniper killed

    Eddie disables the mercenaries' radio jammer using a trike stored in the mall, then kills Dead Eyes and the sniper with a gun hidden by Vance in his car.

    Where
    Mall
  10. Charlie finds Jamie; Jamie tasers him; Eddie kills Charlie

    Charlie locates Jamie in the mall and threatens her; Jamie delivers a taser surprise, and Eddie shoots Charlie in the head with Vance's pistol, ending the threat.

    Where
    Mall
  11. Police arrive; Jamie is escorted to safety

    Police respond to the siege and take Jamie to safety outside the mall, ending the immediate danger. They escort Jamie to safety outside the mall as the danger subsides.

    Where
    Mall exterior
  12. Vance survives; Eddie reunites with family

    Vance is revealed to be alive after the assault, adding a glimmer of relief to the survivors. Eddie finally reunites with his wife and daughter, closing the ordeal.

    Where
    Mall

Last updated: February 17, 2026 at 19:55

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Timeline questions answered

Security Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

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

Q1

Why do the mercenaries want Jamie so badly?

The mercenaries need Jamie because she is a witness scheduled to testify in an upcoming trial. Her testimony could implicate powerful people, so her employers sent the mercenary team led by Charlie to eliminate her before she can testify. This is why they ambushed the US Marshal convoy transporting her and then relentlessly pursued her into the mall.

Foreshadowing: The opening convoy ambush establishes immediately that Jamie is a high-value target worth killing multiple law enforcement officers.

  • jamie witness
  • mercenaries
  • murder plot
  • testimony
  • trial
Q2

Why does Charlie threaten the guards' families?

Charlie threatens the guards' families to pressure them into handing over Jamie. He makes it clear that if the guards fail to deliver Jamie, both the guards and their families will be executed. This threat raises the stakes significantly and shows the guards that the mercenaries will use any means necessary to complete their mission.

Foreshadowing: This threat motivates the guards to take extreme defensive measures, including rigging the mall with homemade bombs.

  • charlie
  • threats
  • families
  • mercenary team
  • pressure
Q3

How does Eddie disable the mercenaries' radio jammer?

Eddie uses a trike (a three-wheeled motorcycle) that was stored inside the mall to reach the mercenaries' jammer equipment. He rides the trike through the mall, disrupts the jamming signal, and restores the guards' ability to communicate with the outside world. This crucial action allows Jamie to radio for help.

Foreshadowing: The trike is visible in early scenes, establishing it as a potential escape or communication tool.

  • radio jammer
  • trike
  • communication
  • eddie
  • mall defense
Q4

Why does Eddie realize the arriving US Marshals are actually enemies?

Eddie notices mercenary tattoos on the necks of the supposed US Marshals who arrive during the siege. This reveals that they are actually mercenaries posing as law enforcement, sent to finish the job of capturing or killing Jamie. Eddie takes them down before they can reach Jamie.

Foreshadowing: The earlier ambush already showed that the mercenaries were well-equipped and organized enough to kill real marshals.

  • us marshals
  • tattoo
  • ambush
  • corrupt
  • mercenaries
Q5

Why is Vance presumed dead after the first assault?

Vance is badly wounded during the brutal fight against the mercenaries and is left apparently lifeless on the mall floor. The team believes he has died along with Johnny and Mason. However, he actually survives and is revealed to be alive at the end when Jamie is safely escorted out.

Foreshadowing: The film never shows Vance's body being removed or confirmed dead, leaving room for his survival.

  • vance
  • death
  • survival
  • wound
  • mall fight
Q6

How does Jamie manage to taser Charlie?

When Charlie finally locates Jamie in the mall, she surprises him by using a taser she has hidden. This quick thinking gives her the split-second advantage she needs before Eddie arrives and kills Charlie with a headshot from Vance's hidden pistol.

Foreshadowing: Jamie's desperation to survive as a witness in hiding suggests she would be prepared to defend herself.

  • jamie
  • taser
  • charlie
  • self defense
  • ambush
Q7

Why do the guards rig the mall with bombs and traps?

After Charlie threatens their families and refuses to back down, Eddie and the guards realize they must defend the mall by any means necessary. They craft homemade bombs and various traps throughout the mall to slow down the mercenaries, create obstacles, and give themselves a fighting chance against the heavily armed team.

Foreshadowing: The threat of execution against their families forces the guards from a defensive posture to an aggressive one.

  • bombs
  • traps
  • defense
  • mall preparation
  • fighting chance
Q8

Why is Johnny killed while signaling for police?

Johnny attempts to signal the police for help during the siege by going to a visible position. A mercenary sniper spots him and shoots him dead. His sacrifice highlights the dangerous odds the guards face and motivates the remaining team to continue fighting.

Foreshadowing: Johnny's willingness to help the group was established early, making his heroic but fatal attempt consistent with his character.

  • johnny
  • sniper
  • death
  • police
  • signal
Q9

Why does Eddie take a mall security job after leaving the Marines?

Eddie is a former Marine Corps Security Captain who is struggling and looking for a fresh start. He takes the mall security job hoping it will provide stability and a chance to rebuild his life. This job becomes crucial when Jamie seeks refuge there, and his military training proves essential for defending her.

Foreshadowing: The film establishes Eddie as a skilled professional seeking normalcy, which makes his sudden return to combat logical.

  • eddie
  • marine
  • job
  • security
  • new start
Q10

What happens to Ruby and Mason during the siege?

Ruby is mortally wounded while trying to help Vance escape during the fighting, and she dies from her injuries. Mason is also killed during the mercenaries' assault on the mall. Their deaths, along with Johnny's, represent the high cost the guards pay for protecting Jamie.

Foreshadowing: The escalating violence and the mercenaries' ruthless tactics make multiple casualties inevitable.

  • ruby
  • mason
  • death
  • mercenaries
  • casualties
Q11

How does Eddie ultimately save Jamie from Charlie?

Eddie saves Jamie through a combination of teamwork and quick thinking. After disabling the radio jammer and fighting off Dead Eyes and the sniper, Eddie locates Charlie just as Jamie tasers him. Eddie then takes the shot and kills Charlie with the pistol Vance had hidden in his car. This final act ends the mercenary threat and allows Jamie to be taken to safety.

Foreshadowing: Vance's hidden pistol, established earlier, becomes the decisive weapon in the final confrontation.

  • eddie
  • charlie
  • pistol
  • final fight
  • resolution

Movie threads

More Movies Like Security, by Mood & Story

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

Improvised Siege Movies like Security

Ordinary locations become high-stakes battlegrounds where heroes use their wits to hold the line. Discover movies like Security where an ordinary location becomes a fortress under attack. These films feature tense survival scenarios, tactical ingenuity, and heroes forced to defend a confined space against overwhelming odds.

  • tense
  • claustrophobic
  • desperate
  • tactical
  • heroic
  • survival
  • Tone: tense, desperate, heroic
  • Pacing: fast, relentless
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern involves an initial inciting incident that traps protagonists in a location, forcing them into a defensive posture. The story unfolds through escalating waves of attacks, requiring creative problem-solving and resourcefulness to survive until rescue or escape.

Why they belong together: These movies are grouped by their shared high-tension, claustrophobic setting, and the core theme of 'hold the line' survival against a determined foe, creating a consistently intense and suspenseful experience.

Relentless Pursuit Thrillers Similar to Security

A constant chase where there's nowhere to hide and every decision is a matter of life or death. If you liked the non-stop chase and high-stakes survival in Security, explore these relentless pursuit thrillers. These films maintain a breakneck pace with characters constantly on the run from an unstoppable threat.

  • suspenseful
  • urgent
  • thrilling
  • desperate
  • non-stop
  • high-stakes
  • Tone: tense, urgent, suspenseful
  • Pacing: fast, relentless
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The story follows a linear, high-velocity structure where the protagonist is targeted from the outset. The narrative is driven by a series of close calls, narrow escapes, and escalating confrontations, with minimal downtime, building to a final, decisive confrontation.

Why they belong together: This thread unites films by their breakneck pacing and the core emotional experience of being hunted. The shared feeling of constant peril and the 'race against time' creates a cohesive, adrenaline-fueled viewing experience.

Every angle

Security (2017) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Security 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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