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Something in the Dirt (2022) movie poster

Timeline

Something in the Dirt (2022) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
2022 · 116 min · English
Echo score 64
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Starring
Aaron Moorhead, C. Robert Cargill, Gille Klabin, Jeremy Harlin, Justin Benson, Sarah Adina Smith

When strange occurrences begin to plague their Los Angeles apartment complex, neighbors John and Levi decide to film the unsettling events, hoping to gain notoriety and financial rewards. Their investigation into the paranormal quickly escalates, revealing a complex and dangerous situation that strains their friendship and challenges their understanding of what is real. As they pursue answers, they find themselves entangled in a web of deceit and peril.

On this page (7)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Events in order (13)
  3. 3 Timeline questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Movies like Something in the Dirt
  6. 6 Categories
  7. 7 Every angle
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13 events in order · contains spoilers

Something in the Dirt Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of Something in the Dirt (2022) 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. Levi's Awakening

    Levi wakes up in a cramped and disorganized apartment, disoriented and confused about his situation. As he evaluates his surroundings, he realizes he is alone and must figure out how he got there.

    Where
    Levi's Apartment
  2. Introduction of John

    Levi has a conversation with his neighbor John, which leads to them establishing their names and some basic background information. John is depicted as a part-time math teacher with interests in the unusual, particularly related to apocalyptic themes.

    Where
    Levi's Apartment
  3. Discovery of the Quartz Objects

    Together, Levi and John notice strange occurrences concerning certain quartz objects in the apartment. These objects begin exhibiting floating and glowing properties, sparking their curiosity and leading them to investigate further.

    Where
    Levi's Apartment
  4. Documenting the Mystery

    Intrigued by the supernatural phenomenon, Levi and John decide to document their experiences. They begin to capture their findings through recordings and notes, eager to uncover the mystery behind the strange occurrences.

    Where
    Various Locations
  5. Journey Through Los Angeles

    Levi and John embark on a journey across Los Angeles to gather more clues related to the supernatural events. Their quest leads them to bizarre locations, with each stop unveiling new mysteries and coincidences.

    Where
    Los Angeles
  6. Increasing Danger

    As they delve deeper into their investigation, unexpected dangers begin to emerge. Levi grows increasingly worried for their safety, prompting him to urge John to reconsider their pursuit of the truth.

    Where
    N/A
  7. John's Obsession

    Despite Levi’s concerns, John becomes more consumed by the investigation. His focus shifts dangerously towards theories he believes in, even as he begins to dismiss Levi's apprehensions and insights.

    Where
    N/A
  8. John's Dark Transformation

    John's relentless drive to uncover the truth starts to reveal darker aspects of his personality. He showcases increasingly troubling behaviors, including signs of sociopathy and fast-paced shifting of his theories.

    Where
    N/A
  9. Heated Arguments

    Tensions rise between Levi and John, culminating in a heated argument where their differing views on the investigation clash dramatically. Their relationship strains as both struggle to maintain their perspectives amidst the chaos.

    Where
    Levi's Apartment
  10. John's Surreal Experience

    That night, John finds himself in a surreal predicament, waking up to float above his bed. In this strange encounter, he notices Levi suspended high in the sky, igniting further questions about their experiences.

    Where
    N/A
  11. Tragic Revelation

    In a series of documentary-style interviews, John reveals the tragic news about Levi’s fate. Levi’s body is discovered near a house they had investigated, grotesquely malformed and surrounded by eerie totems.

    Where
    House of Investigation
  12. The Unreadable Manuscript

    Alongside Levi's body, a mysterious manuscript is found, but it remains unreadable due to its bizarre condition. This discovery only adds to the eerie atmosphere of the events surrounding their investigation.

    Where
    House of Investigation
  13. John's Flawed Calculations

    During the interviews, John cryptically reveals that his calculations regarding the supernatural occurrences were flawed. Choosing to withhold further details, he remains fixated on completing their documentary despite the turmoil.

    Where
    N/A

Last updated: November 09, 2024 at 11:35

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Timeline questions answered

Something in the Dirt Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of Something in the Dirt (2022): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why did John become so obsessed with the investigation?

John became consumed by the investigation as he sought to prove his theories about the supernatural phenomena. His obsession revealed darker aspects of his personality, including behaviors reminiscent of sociopathy and pathological lying. He dismissed Levi's safety concerns and disregarded mounting dangers, choosing to pursue notoriety and financial reward above all else. The investigation became his singular focus, ultimately leading to his willingness to withhold crucial information about Levi's death.

Foreshadowing: John's pull toward apocalyptic themes through the evangelical church early in the film hints at his susceptibility to obsessive ideology.

  • john
  • obsession
  • investigation
  • levi
  • documentary
  • paranormal
Q2

What happened to Levi at the end of the movie?

Levi was found dead near a house that he and John had previously investigated. His body was grotesquely mangled and surrounded by eerie totems, with a mysterious manuscript found nearby that was rendered unreadable. John revealed this news during documentary-style interviews, choosing to withhold further details about the circumstances of Levi's death.

Foreshadowing: Levi's growing concern for their safety and his warnings to John about the dangers of their pursuit were ignored, building toward his tragic fate.

  • levi
  • death
  • body
  • manuscript
  • house
  • investigation
Q3

What caused the quartz objects to float and glow?

The supernatural phenomenon centered around quartz objects in the apartment that exhibited unusual floating and glowing properties. This was accompanied by strange lights, sounds, tremors, and curious radio signals. As they investigated, the phenomena seemed to escalate, suggesting some kind of paranormal activity connected to the apartment complex and the locations they visited throughout Los Angeles.

Foreshadowing: The first sign of the paranormal appeared when Levi and John first noticed the quartz objects behaving strangely.

  • quartz
  • floating
  • glowing
  • supernatural
  • paranormal
  • apartment
Q4

Why did John withhold information about Levi's death?

During interviews, John cryptically stated that his calculations regarding the supernatural occurrences were flawed, but chose not to elaborate further. This suggests John may have known more about what actually happened to Levi, or at least suspected the truth. His continued obsession with completing the documentary despite Levi's death indicates he prioritized the project and his own legacy over transparency or properly addressing what happened to his friend.

Foreshadowing: John's pattern of shifting theories and dismissing concerns foreshadowed his willingness to prioritize his narrative over honesty.

  • john
  • calculations
  • withhold
  • interview
  • documentary
  • truth
Q5

Was the supernatural phenomenon real or imagined?

The film deliberately maintains ambiguity about whether the supernatural events were real or a product of delusion. The strange lights, floating objects, and other phenomena could be interpreted as genuinely paranormal, or as psychological manifestations exacerbated by their obsession. The presence of actual physical evidence, radiation burns, bizarre plant growth, suggests something tangible was occurring, though its true nature remains unresolved.

Foreshadowing: The documentary-style framing and John's psychological deterioration plant seeds of doubt about the nature of what they're experiencing.

  • supernatural
  • real
  • delusion
  • paranormal
  • ambiguous
  • psychological
Q6

What was the manuscript found near Levi's body?

A mysterious manuscript was discovered alongside Levi's grotesquely mangled body near the house they had investigated. However, the manuscript was rendered unreadable due to its bizarre condition. This discovery adds to the mystery surrounding Levi's death and the supernatural events, leaving significant questions unanswered about what knowledge or secrets the manuscript might have contained.

Foreshadowing: Their earlier investigations across Los Angeles had uncovered clues and coincidences tying back to the supernatural events.

  • manuscript
  • levi
  • body
  • unreadable
  • house
  • mystery
Q7

Why did John and Levi have a heated argument?

Tensions escalated between John and Levi due to their fundamentally different approaches to the investigation. Levi grew increasingly worried about their safety and urged John to reconsider their relentless pursuit. However, John dismissed Levi's concerns and became consumed by his own theories, displaying increasingly troubling behavior. Their argument represented the breaking point in their partnership, with John prioritizing his obsession over their friendship and Levi's well-being.

Foreshadowing: Their contrasting personalities from the start, John drawn to apocalyptic themes, Levi more cautious, foreshadowed their eventual conflict.

  • john
  • levi
  • argument
  • conflict
  • friendship
  • investigation
Q8

What caused the strange occurrences throughout Los Angeles?

The apartment complex served as the initial site of paranormal disturbances, but the strange phenomena extended beyond their building. As Levi and John embarked on their journey across Los Angeles to investigate, they encountered bizarre locations where new mysteries and coincidences unfolded. The supernatural events seemed to follow them or intensify as they dug deeper into the mystery.

Foreshadowing: The decision to document and investigate beyond their apartment marked the point where the phenomena began spreading.

  • los angeles
  • strange
  • occurrences
  • apartment
  • investigation
  • paranormal
Q9

What did John mean by his calculations being flawed?

When John stated his calculations were flawed, he suggested he understood more about the supernatural events than he revealed. This cryptic admission implies he either knew the true nature of what was happening, including potentially what caused Levi's death, or recognized his own errors in interpreting the phenomena. His choice to withhold further details adds another layer of mystery and hints at either guilt, fear, or a desire to maintain control over the narrative.

Foreshadowing: John's rapid shifting of theories throughout the investigation foreshadowed his unreliable perspective.

  • john
  • calculations
  • flawed
  • interview
  • supernatural
  • truth
Q10

Why was Levi's body found with eerie totems?

Levi's body was discovered near a house they had investigated, grotesquely malformed and surrounded by eerie totems. The specific details of what happened remain vague, but the totems suggest some kind of ritualistic or supernatural element involved in his death. The condition of the body and the presence of these objects indicate whatever claimed Levi's life was violent and connected to the larger mystery they had been pursuing.

Foreshadowing: Their investigation had led them to uncover clues and coincidences tied back to supernatural events, suggesting dark forces at work.

  • levi
  • body
  • totems
  • deformed
  • death
  • supernatural

Movie threads

More Movies Like Something in the Dirt, by Mood & Story

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

Movies with obsessive documentarians like Something in the Dirt

Characters who become dangerously obsessed with documenting a mystery. If you liked the unsettling documentary-style investigation in Something in the Dirt, explore more movies where characters' obsessions with filming reality lead them into danger. These films share a tense, meta-narrative feel, blurring the lines between truth and delusion in a similar way.

  • paranoid
  • meta
  • unraveling
  • investigative
  • unreliable narrator
  • claustrophobic
  • Tone: tense, uneasy, paranoid
  • Pacing: steady, investigative
Why these movies?

The story pattern: These narratives typically follow amateur investigators or filmmakers who start with a simple goal—to prove or document something strange. As they dig deeper, their project takes over their lives, straining relationships and causing them to question their own sanity. The story is often framed by the footage they capture, creating a sense of immediate, unstable reality.

Why they belong together: Movies in this thread are united by the central theme of dangerous obsession, a documentary or 'found footage' aesthetic, and a psychological unraveling driven by the protagonists' own actions. They create a specific, meta-textual tension where the act of filming becomes part of the horror or drama.

Movies about urban paranoia and unraveling like Something in the Dirt

Claustrophobic stories where the city itself breeds madness. Fans of Something in the Dirt's claustrophobic LA setting and descent into urban mystery will find similar vibes here. These movies explore psychological distress fueled by city life, featuring bleak endings, surreal occurrences, and characters trapped in a web of their own making.

  • claustrophobic
  • surreal
  • uneasy
  • anxious
  • mysterious
  • paranoid
  • Tone: tense, bleak, surreal
  • Pacing: steady, slow burn
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern involves characters, often isolated or in strained partnerships, discovering strange phenomena within their mundane urban surroundings. Their investigation leads them through a city that feels increasingly hostile and unknowable, blurring the line between supernatural threat and internal psychological collapse. The journey typically ends in tragedy or bleak ambiguity.

Why they belong together: This thread groups films based on their shared mood of urban claustrophobia and psychological unease. They feature a tense, steady pace, a complex and ambiguous reality, and a focus on how modern city life can catalyze a descent into paranoia and obsession.

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Movies Like Something in the Dirt

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Categories

Movie Lists Featuring Something in the Dirt

Something in the Dirt 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.

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Every angle

Something in the Dirt (2022) Explained: Plot, Ending, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Something in the Dirt in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning, the ending explained and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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