Submarine (2011) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Oliver mistakenly believes that bullying will impress Jordana. He thinks acting tough and aggressive will make him appear cooler and more attractive to her, not realizing this behavior would actually repulse someone like Jordana. This reflects Oliver's fundamental dynamics and his misunderstanding of social desperate attempt to fit in.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Oliver's narration establishes his delusion about being popular and admired, setting up his misguided social strategies.

• oliver
• bullying
• Jordana
• teenage crush
• social isolation

Jordana deliberately uses Oliver to make her ex-boyfriend jealous. She invites him to meet after school with a camera and diary, creating the appearance of a secret relationship. Oliver unknowingly becomes a pawn in her scheme to provoke her ex's jealousy, which backfires badly when both teens become targets of ridicule.

• Jordana
• ex-boyfriend
• jealousy
• scheme
• manipulation

Oliver witnesses Jordana's father having an emotional breakdown during the early Christmas dinner. This destabilizes his idealized image of Jordana and her family. Believing he's protecting her from his own emotional inadequacy, Oliver decides to stop communicating with her, ironically causing the very pain he sought to prevent.

Foreshadowing: The film establishes early on that Oliver struggles with genuine emotional intimacy and often makes decisions based on misguided protector instincts.

• oliver
• jordana
• break up
• christmas dinner
• emotional breakdown

Oliver acts out of combined rage and despair. He'd just seen Jordana with a new boyfriend at the beach, devastating him, and simultaneously feared his mother was having an affair with Graham. Drunk and emotionally shattered, he commits vandalism as a chaotic release for his family anxieties and romantic heartbreak.

Foreshadowing: Oliver's escalating fears about his parents' marriage and his possessiveness over Jordana have been building throughout the film.

• oliver
• graham
• vandalism
• heartbreak
• rage
• beach

After Oliver's reckless night out, his parents have a heart-to-heart conversation that leads to reconciliation. Oliver's mother admits to some form of intimate incident with Graham but assures it won't happen again. His father, despite being depressed, chooses to work through it, demonstrating that their marriage survives on forgiveness rather than certainty.

Foreshadowing: Earlier scenes show Oliver's father appearing withdrawn and his mother seeming torn between her marriage and past feelings for Graham.

• parents
• reconciliation
• graham
• affair
• marriage
• depression

When Oliver learns Jordana's mother has a potentially fatal brain tumor, he becomes overwhelmed with helplessness. In a bizarre and misguided attempt to spare Jordana additional pain, he contemplates killing her dog so she won't have to grieve both her mother and the dog simultaneously. This reflects his desperate but completely irrational problem-solving mindset.

Foreshadowing: Oliver consistently attempts to fix adult problems with childish solutions throughout the film.

• oliver
• jordana
• dog
• brain tumor
• mother illness
• misguided

After the failed jealousy scheme, a classmate makes derogatory comments about Jordana. Oliver attempts to defend her honor by refusing to insult her, which leads the classmate to physically assault him. This moment ironically earns Oliver genuine respect and marks the turning point where Jordana actually begins to care about him.

• oliver
• jordana
• defend
• assault
• bullying
• respect

Oliver's mother admits to an "intimate incident" with Graham but provides few details. She cryptically tells her husband it won't happen again. The exact nature remains vague, the film suggests something happened between them, likely emotional if not physical, which Oliver's mother ultimately confesses to her husband.

Foreshadowing: Graham's flirtatious behavior toward Oliver's mother and his move next door have been foreshadowing potential infidelity.

• mother
• graham
• affair
• admission
• confession
• marriage

After Oliver is assaulted for refusing to insult her, Jordana is genuinely touched by his loyalty and the personal cost he paid to defend her. She takes his hand while walking home and they share their first kiss. This moment marks their relationship becoming authentic rather than part of her manipulation scheme.

Foreshadowing: The assault scene directly precedes this moment, showing Jordana's transition from using Oliver to genuinely connecting with him.

• jordana
• oliver
• kiss
• first kiss
• loyalty
• relationship

The film ends ambiguously without confirming whether Oliver and Jordana reunite. After weeks of misery, Oliver sees Jordana on the beach and rushes to apologize. She reveals she has ended things with her new boyfriend, but the film cuts before their future becomes clear. This open ending reflects the uncertain nature of young love and adolescence itself.

• oliver
• jordana
• reunion
• ending
• ambiguous
• beach
• uncertain