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Timeline

Spiders (2013) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
2013 · 89 min · English
JustWatch #8,601 11
Directed by
Tibor Tak
Starring
William Hope, Brian Hankey, Jesse Steele, Shelly Varod

A catastrophic collision between an ancient Soviet spacecraft and a New York City subway tunnel triggers a terrifying event. Spiders begin to mutate rapidly, growing into massive, deadly creatures. These gargantuan spiders threaten to overwhelm the city and consume everything in their path amidst the chaos of Manhattan.

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 Spiders
  6. 6 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch Spiders (2013)

Where can you watch Spiders? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV and Night Flight Plus: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

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15 events in order · contains spoilers

Spiders Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of Spiders (2013) 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. Crash of the Space Station

    A disastrous Soviet space station crash-lands into New York City's subway tunnels, unleashing chaos. This event sets off a chain reaction of events that reveals the hidden dangers below the city.

    Where
    New York City Subway
  2. Jason's Coworker Investigates

    As warning sirens blare, Jason Cole watches his coworker Jimmy intrepidly descend into the tunnels to investigate the source of the commotion. Tragically, Jimmy falls victim to a hidden threat, resulting in his electrocution on the third rail.

    Where
    New York City Subway
  3. Hazmat Response

    Hazmat teams arrive at the crash site to test for radioactive contamination. While they recover debris, a Russian doctor dismisses any concerns, telling authorities there's nothing to fear as they prepare the subway for rush hour.

    Where
    Subway Crash Site
  4. Discovery of Insect Eggs

    A hospital pathologist finds strange insect eggs within Jimmy’s body. He hands Jason a canister containing these unusual samples, urging him to get them analyzed at the health department.

    Where
    Hospital
  5. Uncovering the Horrors in the Subway

    Officials are forced to halt subway operations when pest control discovers multiple deceased homeless individuals wrapped in spider webs. This shocking sight signals the looming threat in the tunnels.

    Where
    New York City Subway
  6. Quarantine and Misinformation

    As the spider crisis escalates, authorities quarantine the area and fire misinformation about a virus outbreak to appease panic. Meanwhile, a specialized team manages to capture some of the spiders.

    Where
    New York City
  7. Dr. Darnoff's Investigation

    In the morgue, Dr. Darnoff examines Jimmy's body alongside Russian investigators. They discover a queen spider egg implanted inside him, linking the deadly arachnids to a larger scheme.

    Where
    Morgue
  8. Colonel Jenkins Orders Eradication

    Colonel Jenkins brushes off Dr. Darnoff's warnings about the queen spider and orders the extermination of anyone who encountered the spiders. This reckless decision accelerates the unfolding disaster.

    Where
    Military Command Center
  9. Rachel's Revelations

    Rachel's report uncovers significant details concerning the spider eggs, resulting in her apartment being quarantined. During the chaos, her sister Emily is inadvertently trapped inside.

    Where
    Rachel's Apartment
  10. Spiders Grow in Size

    The spiders lurking beneath the city undergo a grotesque transformation, growing to terrifying sizes. As Jason and Rachel rush home, they realize they must save Emily from the emerging threat.

    Where
    New York City Subway
  11. Fleeing to Find Emily

    In a race against time, Jason and Rachel navigate the labyrinth of the subway to rescue Emily. Their determination is tested as they confront giant spiders lurking in the shadows.

    Where
    New York City Subway
  12. The Queen Spider's Wrath

    As Jason intensifies his hunt for the queen spider, Dr. Darnoff warns him of the repercussions of capturing her. Just as Jenkins tries to seize the queen, she erupts from the ground, devouring Darnoff in front of a shocked crowd.

    Where
    Subway Tunnels
  13. Desperate Search in the Toy Store

    Finding Emily in a toy store brings brief relief to Jason and Rachel, but they must quickly address her cries for help. They plunge back into the depths of the subway where dangers loom.

    Where
    Toy Store
  14. The Final Confrontation

    Using a subway train, Jason devises a risky plan to trap the queen spider in a dead-end tunnel. Their harrowing pursuit ends with a catastrophic explosion that destroys the queen and her lair.

    Where
    Subway Tunnel
  15. An Ominous Conclusion

    As the dust settles from the explosion, Jason, Rachel, and Emily emerge on the surface, reuniting safely. However, the sight of a mutated spider crawling across the street foreshadows that the threat may not be entirely over.

    Where
    New York City

Last updated: November 19, 2024 at 12:05

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Timeline questions answered

Spiders Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of Spiders (2013): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why did Jimmy die in the subway?

Jimmy died after falling onto the third rail while investigating the subway tunnels. He had descended to find the source of the noise from the crashed Soviet spacecraft and was electrocuted when he came into contact with the electrified rail.

Foreshadowing: Warning sirens had already blared, signaling danger in the tunnels before Jimmy ventured down.

  • jimmy
  • electrocution
  • third rail
  • subway death
Q2

What were the Soviet experiments on spiders in space?

Two decades before the crash, the Soviets found a spacecraft buried in ice containing alien genetic material. They injected this extraterrestrial DNA into several species, but only spiders could survive and adapt to the foreign genes, creating the mutated creatures.

Foreshadowing: The Russian doctor at the crash site dismisses contamination concerns despite the obvious danger.

  • soviet
  • space station
  • alien dna
  • experiments
  • mutations
Q3

Why is the queen spider so important?

The queen spider can spin limitless amounts of lightweight, incredibly strong material. This substance would provide whoever controls it with significant military advantage, which is why both Colonel Jenkins and the Russian operatives wanted to capture it.

Foreshadowing: Dr. Darnoff explicitly states the queen's material could provide military dominance before Jenkins orders her capture.

  • queen spider
  • military
  • lightweight material
  • dominance
Q4

Why did Colonel Jenkins order everyone exposed to the spiders killed?

Jenkins claimed the extermination was to prevent a virus outbreak, but this was a cover-up to hide the true spider infestation. Dr. Darnoff warned that killing exposed individuals was unnecessary, but Jenkins ignored him, prioritizing secrecy over lives.

Foreshadowing: Authorities already spread misinformation about a virus outbreak to control the public.

  • colonel jenkins
  • extermination
  • virus cover-up
  • conspiracy
Q5

What was the Russian doctor's role in the spider crisis?

The Russian doctor was part of a scheme to recover the queen spider egg for military use. Russian operatives later seized Rachel's purse containing the critical queen egg canister, revealing their ongoing involvement in the crisis.

Foreshadowing: The Russian doctor dismisses contamination concerns at the crash site, showing prior knowledge.

  • russian
  • conspiracy
  • queen egg
  • doctor
  • operatives
Q6

How did the spiders grow so large so quickly?

The alien genetic material from the crashed Soviet spacecraft caused rapid mutation in the spiders. This extraterrestrial DNA triggered unprecedented growth, transforming normal spiders into massive creatures within days of the crash.

Foreshadowing: The crash released genetic material that had been preserved in space for decades.

  • spiders
  • mutation
  • rapid growth
  • alien dna
  • size
Q7

How did Jason defeat the queen spider?

Jason lured the queen into a dead-end tunnel using a subway train. Once trapped by her massive size, the train collided with her, rupturing gas pipes. The resulting explosion destroyed both the queen and her entire underground lair.

Foreshadowing: Dr. Darnoff warned that capturing the queen could disrupt the ecosystem, hinting at her vulnerability when constrained.

  • jason
  • queen spider
  • train
  • explosion
  • tunnel trap
Q8

What does the surviving spider at the end mean?

The final shot shows a mutated spider crawling across a shattered traffic light, suggesting the threat was not fully eliminated. Despite the explosion destroying the queen and her lair, at least one spider survived, leaving the danger unresolved.

Foreshadowing: The queen was capable of laying countless eggs, making total eradication unlikely.

  • ending
  • surviving spider
  • sequel
  • unresolved threat

Movie threads

More Movies Like Spiders, by Mood & Story

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

Urban creature feature chaos like in Spiders

B-movies where mutated creatures run rampant through a modern city. If you liked the giant spider rampage in Spiders, you'll enjoy these similar movies. This section features creature features and monster movies where a terrifying entity threatens to overrun a major city, creating a fast-paced and destructive spectacle.

  • chaotic
  • frantic
  • destructive
  • suspenseful
  • panic
  • large-scale threat
  • Tone: tense, chaotic
  • Pacing: fast, relentless
Why these movies?

The story pattern: These stories typically begin with a scientific accident or the emergence of a dangerous creature, which then rapidly reproduces or grows, overwhelming local authorities. The plot follows a group of heroes—often everyday people or scientists—racing against time to stop the threat, with the city's infrastructure serving as both a battleground and a trap.

Why they belong together: Movies are grouped here based on their shared premise of a monster outbreak in an urban environment, their high-intensity pacing, and their focus on survival against overwhelming odds. They deliver a specific brand of chaotic, large-scale action-horror.

Contained sci-fi catastrophe thrillers like Spiders

Stories of scientific disasters that create an immediate, claustrophobic threat. For viewers who enjoyed the tense, claustrophobic horror of Spiders, this list collects movies with similar sci-fi catastrophe plots. These films often involve a quarantine scenario or a sealed-off location where characters face a rapidly evolving, unnatural threat.

  • claustrophobic
  • anxious
  • suspenseful
  • scientific hubris
  • quarantine
  • containment breach
  • Tone: tense, claustrophobic
  • Pacing: fast, escalating
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern involves an initial, isolated incident that quickly spirals out of control, forcing characters into survival mode within a limited environment. The conflict is direct and physical, focusing on containing the threat and escaping alive, often with a subplot about a cover-up or conspiracy.

Why they belong together: These films are united by their straightforward, high-stakes plots, their tense and claustrophobic mood, and their focus on a single, devastating sci-fi event. They prioritize immediate survival panic and visceral thrills over complex world-building.

If you liked this

Movies Like Spiders

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Browse all movie summaries

Every angle

Spiders (2013) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Spiders 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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