Plot Explained Spoilers guaranteed!
Plot Explained

Browse by genre

Slumber (2017) movie poster

Timeline

Slumber (2017) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
2017 · 84 min · English
Echo score 29
JustWatch #13,253 9
Directed by
Jonathan Hopkins
Starring
Honor Kneafsey, Sylvester McCoy, Will Kemp, William Hope, Sam Troughton, Maggie Q

As night falls, a rationalist named Alice finds herself facing inexplicable supernatural events when a family’s terrifying nightmares worsen. Investigating the escalating disturbances, she uncovers a sinister entity known as the Night Hag, which appears connected to her brother's death and her own troubled history. Alice must confront the malevolent force and unravel the mystery behind the family's shared terrors.

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 Slumber
  6. 6 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch Slumber (2017)

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

Streaming availability powered by JustWatch

15 events in order · contains spoilers

Slumber Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of Slumber (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. Daniel's overnight sleep study begins at Whittingham

    Daniel Morgan is admitted for an overnight sleep study at the Whittingham Sleep Clinic to monitor parasomnias. He wakes screaming, thrashes, and describes a black shadowy figure with glowing eyes tormenting his room. Dr. Alice Arnolds watches his vitals and EEG, noting the severity of his disturbances as the night unfolds.

    When
    Overnight study
    Where
    Whittingham Sleep Clinic
  2. Charlie's violent episode during monitoring

    During the same night, Charlie enters a deep sleep, convulses, and suddenly attacks Alice with his eyes still shut as if possessed. Staff struggle to subdue him and sedate him, while his EEG flatlines, indicating a severed sense of presence in his body. The moment deepens the clinic's sense of menace.

    When
    Late night
    Where
    Whittingham Sleep Clinic
  3. Initial medical explanations challenged

    Alice initially categorizes the events as night terrors or sleepwalking, but the bizarre sequence challenges standard explanations. She notes inconsistencies in Charlie's behavior and the surrounding circumstances, sensing a darker force at work beyond medical science. The night leaves her unsettled about what she can explain with science alone.

    When
    Late night
    Where
    Whittingham Sleep Clinic
  4. Daniel's condition deteriorates over 24 hours

    Over the next 24 hours, Daniel grows paler and develops deep purple bruises around his chest and neck despite no physical injury. He begins describing the 'dark thing' that now appears in daylight, and Emily reports seeing a tall, skeletal figure in the corners of rooms. The family life is increasingly overshadowed by fear.

    When
    Next 24 hours
    Where
    Morgan Family Home
  5. Emily perceives the daylight apparition

    Emily begins to perceive the same presence, a hollow-eyed figure that appears in the edges of rooms and vanishes when approached. The phenomenon shifts from Daniel's nights to daytime, intensifying the sense that something malevolent is seeping into the home. The house feels watched and claustrophobic.

    When
    Daytime
    Where
    Morgan Family Home
  6. Sarah's confession of Charlie's erratic nights

    Sarah confesses Charlie has become withdrawn and erratic at night, mumbling in his sleep and waking in different parts of the house with bloody fingernails. The home atmosphere darkens as fear tightens its grip on the family. Alice senses the danger may be shared by all in the household.

    When
    Daytime
    Where
    Morgan Family Home
  7. Alice experiences waking paralysis and a nightmare visitor

    Alice herself begins to experience waking dreams and paralysis, lying immobile as a monstrous figure climbs onto her chest and hisses in an unknown language. Scratch marks mar her body when she recovers, proving the encounter was real in some sense. The line between dream and reality blurs for her.

    When
    Nighttime
    Where
    Whittingham Sleep Clinic
  8. Cam directs Alice to Amado for folklore-based guidance

    Desperate for answers, Alice speaks with Cam, the clinic's janitor, who points her toward Amado, a former sleep expert living off the grid after a mental breakdown. Amado explains the legend of the Nocnitsa, a Night Hag that feeds on fear and invades the subconscious during REM sleep. The folklore provides a possible explanation for the inexplicable events.

    When
    Following Cam's introduction
    Where
    Amado's off-grid residence
  9. The Nocnitsa explained by Amado

    Amado expands on the Nocnitsa: an ancient parasitic demon that drains life essence, possesses victims, and spreads trauma through shared dreaming. It targets vulnerable children and those with emotional trauma, feeding on fear. The demon's reach could explain both Daniel's and the family's experiences.

    When
    Explanation session
    Where
    Amado's off-grid residence
  10. Plan to confront the demon inside a shared dream

    Motivated to stop the demon, Alice decides to induce deep REM sleep and join Daniel in his dream through an experimental technique. She hopes to confront the entity directly and save Daniel from possession. The plan marks a turning point from observation to direct confrontation.

    When
    During dream experiment
    Where
    Whittingham Sleep Clinic
  11. Entering the dream world together

    In the shared dream, Daniel's room becomes a nightmarish version of the Morgan house: decaying walls, mangled toys, and rot-soaked corridors. The Nocnitsa appears as a towering eyeless shadow with extendable limbs, looming over Daniel. Alice bravely follows him into the perilous landscape.

    When
    Within the dream sequence
    Where
    Daniel's dream (shared dream)
  12. Confrontation with the Night Hag inside the dream

    The Nocnitsa attacks, twisting Daniel's reality and forcing Alice to relive her brother's death. The creature speaks of blame and attempts to consume her, pressing in with leering hunger. She fights through the horrors, holding onto Daniel's life and her own resolve.

    When
    During the confrontation
    Where
    Daniel's dream
  13. Emotional breakthrough: the truth about the brother

    Alice experiences an emotional breakthrough: she accepts that her brother's death was caused by the Nocnitsa, not by her actions. This realization weakens the demon's grip on both her and Daniel and liberates part of his fear. The truth strengthens her resolve to resist.

    When
    Pivotal moment
    Where
    Daniel's dream
  14. Rescue and awakening: the dream breaks

    With the breakthrough, Alice injects Daniel with a stimulant at the exact moment, and the dream shatters—windows explode and monitors blow. She is hurled across the room as alarms scream and reality reasserts itself. Daniel wakes gasping for air, the immediate danger passing.

    When
    Climax of dream confrontation
    Where
    Whittingham Clinic
  15. Final scene: the threat lingers for Alice

    Daniel's bruises fade and the family breathes a cautious sigh of relief, yet the closing moment shifts to Alice alone in her apartment. The Night Hag's growl echoes, and a freezing sensation seizes her as her eyes open—suggesting the danger has not ended. The film leaves a chilling hint that the Nocnitsa may still pursue her.

    When
    Final scene
    Where
    Alice's apartment

Last updated: October 09, 2025 at 16:20

Was this helpful?

Timeline questions answered

Slumber Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

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

Q1

Why does Charlie attack Alice during the sleep study?

Charlie is possessed by the Nocnitsa while in deep sleep. The demon takes control of his body, causing him to attack Alice with unnatural strength while his eyes remain shut. His EEG flatlines during the episode, indicating he isn't consciously present in his own body, the demon is using him as a vessel.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Daniel describes a dark figure with glowing eyes tormenting him at night, establishing that something supernatural is invading the sleep clinic.

  • charlie morgan
  • alice
  • attack
  • possession
  • nocnitsa
  • sleep study
Q2

What is the Nocnitsa?

The Nocnitsa is an ancient parasitic demon, also called the Night Hag. It feeds on human fear and invades the subconscious during REM sleep, causing nightmares, sleep paralysis, and even death. It targets vulnerable individuals, particularly children and those with emotional trauma, and can possess victims, turning them into carriers who spread the darkness through shared trauma.

  • nocnitsa
  • night hag
  • demon
  • folklore
  • sleep demon
  • parasite
Q3

How does Alice enter Daniel's dream?

Alice uses an experimental technique to induce deep REM sleep in both herself and Daniel. With Sarah's help monitoring the procedure, she deliberately enters a shared dream state to confront the Nocnitsa directly inside Daniel's nightmare. This allows her to fight the demon from within rather than treating the symptoms externally.

  • alice
  • daniel
  • dream
  • shared dream
  • lucid dream
  • confrontation
Q4

Why does Daniel develop bruises on his chest and neck?

The bruises appear because the Nocnitsa is literally draining Daniel's life force while tormenting him in his dreams. The physical marks manifest on his body as the demon feeds on his fear and vitality. No external injury causes them, they're a physical manifestation of the supernatural attack.

Foreshadowing: The demon's description as a parasite that drains life essence explains why Daniel visibly deteriorates.

  • daniel
  • bruises
  • life force
  • drain
  • demon
Q5

Why can Emily see the demon during the day?

Emily can see the Nocnitsa in daylight because the demon has grown powerful enough to manifest beyond sleep. Initially it only torments Daniel at night, but as it feeds on his fear, it becomes strong enough to appear during waking hours. Emily's ability to perceive it indicates the entity is spreading its influence across the entire household.

Foreshadowing: Daniel mentions the dark thing now appears in daylight, foreshadowing Emily's later perception.

  • emily
  • demon
  • daylight
  • visible
  • manifestation
Q6

What happened to Alice's brother?

Alice's younger brother died while sleepwalking when they were children. He was found at the base of the stairs with his eyes wide open in terror. While ruled an accident, Alice always suspected something more. The Nocnitsa reveals it was responsible for her brother's death all along, having latched onto her family since childhood.

Foreshadowing: Alice's opening monologue about her brother's mysterious death establishes this unresolved trauma that connects her to the demon.

  • alice brother
  • death
  • sleepwalking
  • childhood trauma
  • nocnitsa
Q7

How does Alice defeat the demon?

Alice defeats the Nocnitsa temporarily through two key actions: first, she accepts the painful truth that her brother's death wasn't her fault, it was caused by the Nocnitsa, not her perceived failure to save him. This emotional breakthrough weakens the demon's power over her. Second, she times a stimulant injection into Daniel at the precise moment, which shatters the shared dream, forcing the demon to release its hold.

Foreshadowing: The demon's taunts about Alice letting her brother die establish the psychological hold it has over her, which she must overcome.

  • alice
  • defeat
  • demon
  • stimulant
  • emotional breakthrough
  • dream
Q8

Does the demon survive after the ending?

Yes, the Nocnitsa survives and remains a threat to Alice. The final scene shows her alone in her apartment, beginning to drift toward sleep, when she hears the demon's growl and experiences the same freezing paralysis she fought in Daniel's dream. Her eyes snap open, suggesting the demon has marked her and will return when she sleeps again. The family is safe, but Alice's battle is far from over.

Foreshadowing: Amado warns that the Nocnitsa can return and continue feeding on fear, establishing this isn't a permanent victory.

  • ending
  • alice
  • demon
  • return
  • survive
  • final scene
Q9

Why does the Nocnitsa target Alice?

The Nocnitsa targets Alice because she carries deep emotional trauma from her brother's death, a vulnerability the demon exploits. The demon has apparently latched onto her since childhood, using her suppressed guilt as a gateway. Its continued pursuit of Alice in the ending suggests she was its original target all along, with Daniel's family simply being a means to draw her in.

Foreshadowing: The demon speaks in Daniel's dream using the voice of Alice's dead brother, indicating a personal connection.

  • alice
  • target
  • victim
  • trauma
  • guilt
  • demon
Q10

How does the Nocnitsa spread to other family members?

The Nocnitsa spreads through shared trauma and the dream realm. Once it possesses Daniel and feeds on his fear, it gains enough power to reach other family members through their connected dreams and emotional bonds. Charlie becomes possessed, Emily begins seeing the entity, and the entire household falls under its influence, all because they're connected through fear and family ties.

Foreshadowing: Amado explains the demon can turn victims into carriers who spread darkness through shared trauma.

  • family
  • spread
  • possession
  • trauma
  • connected
  • carriers

Movie threads

More Movies Like Slumber, by Mood & Story

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

Traumatic Horror Investigations like Slumber

Characters confront supernatural threats that force them to face their own buried grief. Movies like Slumber where a supernatural investigation forces characters to grapple with personal trauma. If you liked how Slumber connects the Night Hag to Alice's past, you'll find similar stories here where horror is deeply intertwined with grief, guilt, and psychological healing.

  • psychological
  • unsettling
  • grief-stricken
  • investigative
  • haunting
  • traumatic
  • Tone: dark, psychological, heavy
  • Pacing: steady, investigative
Why these movies?

The story pattern: Stories follow a protagonist, often a skeptic or expert, who investigates a haunting or entity. As they gather evidence and seek a logical explanation, the mystery unravels to reveal a direct connection to their own traumatic history, forcing a climactic confrontation that is as much about emotional resolution as it is about surviving the supernatural threat.

Why they belong together: These films are grouped by their dual-layered conflict: a tangible supernatural menace and an intangible psychological one. They share a dark, heavy tone where the horror is amplified by the emotional weight of the characters' pasts, creating a deeply personal and unsettling experience.

Sleep Paralysis Horror Movies like Slumber

Stories where the terror of being trapped between sleep and wakefulness becomes real. If you were terrified by the Night Hag in Slumber, explore similar movies about sleep paralysis and dream demons. These films capture the unique horror of being attacked in your sleep, where the bedroom is no longer a safe haven but a cage for your worst nightmares.

  • claustrophobic
  • anxious
  • paranoid
  • disturbing
  • dreamlike
  • ominous
  • Tone: anxious, dark, ominous
  • Pacing: steady, escalating
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative revolves around a character or family plagued by terrifying occurrences during sleep. The horror escalates as these dream-world intrusions begin to have real-world consequences, forcing the characters to find a way to fight back against an enemy that operates in a realm where normal rules don't apply.

Why they belong together: These movies are united by their core concept: horror that originates from the vulnerable state of sleep. They share a specific, unsettling vibe built on anxiety, claustrophobia, and the violation of the one place you should feel safe, leading to a steady build of pervasive dread.

If you liked this

Movies Like Slumber

Similar movies to Slumber: 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

Slumber (2017) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Slumber 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.

Coming soon on iOS and Android

The Plot Explained Movie Summary App

Plot summaries, endings explained and timelines on your phone. Catch up on any movie in minutes, save your favorites and never miss a twist again.

Be the first to know when we launch. Your email stays private, always.

Learn more about the app