Terminal (2018) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Annie stabs Bill because he was her former teacher at a residential school where he abused her. During their conversation at the diner, she reveals her identity as his past victim and attacks him in retaliation for the abuse she suffered, ultimately pushing him into an abandoned shaft.

Foreshadowing: Earlier in the film, Annie tells her employer she needs help finding someone, her former abuser Bill.

• annie
• bill
• stabbing
• diner
• revenge
• abuse

Annie was a student at a residential school where Bill was her English teacher. He abused her during his time there, a trauma that motivates her entire revenge plot throughout the film. She has spent years planning her vengeance against him.

Foreshadowing: Bill mentions feeling déjà vu when talking to Annie, hinting at their shared past.

• annie
• bill
• teacher
• student
• abuse
• residential school

Mr. Franklyn is Annie's biological father and the mastermind behind the criminal operation. He is revealed to be the monster who abused both Annie and her twin sister Bonnie. The sisters ultimately confront and kill him as part of their long-planned revenge.

Foreshadowing: Annie meets with her enigmatic employer early in the film, hinting at a deeper connection.

• mr franklyn
• annie
• bonnie
• father
• abuse
• mastermind

Yes, Annie and Bonnie are twin sisters. Both were victims of abuse by their father Mr. Franklyn at the residential school. They work together throughout the film to execute their revenge against him and Bill, their former abuser.

Foreshadowing: The revelation that two sisters were abused by the same person connects the twins' storylines.

• annie
• bonnie
• twins
• sisters
• revenge

Annie works at the all-night diner as part of her cover to lure Bill into her trap. She deliberately positioned herself there knowing Bill would eventually arrive, using the waitress job as a way to get close to her former abuser and carry out her revenge.

Foreshadowing: Annie meets with Mr. Franklyn to discuss her hit plan, which involves retrieving a briefcase while also settling personal scores.

• annie
• waitress
• diner
• cover
• trap

Clinton is revealed to be working with Annie as part of her orchestrated chaos. He deliberately misdirects Bill at the metro station, telling him no trains will come until 4:04 a.m., steering him toward the diner where Annie awaits. His limping demeanor masks his true role in the conspiracy.

Foreshadowing: Clinton's peculiar behavior and suggestion that Bill wait at the café appears helpful but is actually part of Annie's setup.

• clinton
• annie
• conspiracy
• janitor
• misdirection

Vince is secretly offered double his payment to kill Alfred, a betrayal orchestrated by Annie and Clinton as part of the larger scheme. This creates tension and conflict among the hired killers, adding complexity to the already dangerous situation and serving Annie's broader revenge plan.

Foreshadowing: Annie's meeting with Mr. Franklyn reveals she is managing multiple players in her deadly game.

• vince
• alfred
• betrayal
• annie
• clinton
• double cross

Vince and Alfred are tasked with retrieving a briefcase as part of Mr. Franklyn's criminal assignment. Their mission takes them to a French strip club where they encounter Bunny, who is actually Annie in disguise. The briefcase serves as a plot device that brings the various criminal elements together.

Foreshadowing: Annie meets with Mr. Franklyn to receive her sinister hit plan involving the briefcase retrieval.

• briefcase
• vince
• alfred
• mission
• franklyn

Annie's gruesome suggestions about how Bill could end his life are not genuine advice but a cruel form of psychological torture. She uses his terminal diagnosis against him, mocking his desperation while subtly revealing her knowledge of his situation, setting up her later revelation that she knows exactly who he is.

Foreshadowing: Annie's dark conversation about death foreshadows her true identity as Bill's victim seeking revenge.

• annie
• bill
• terminal illness
• suicide
• psychological torture

In the climax, Annie and Bonnie finally confront their father Mr. Franklyn, exposing him as the monster who abused them. They execute their long-desired revenge by killing him, bringing closure to their harrowing journey of survival and retribution.

Foreshadowing: The film builds toward this confrontation through Annie's work as a contract killer and her broader plan to dismantle her father's criminal empire.

• annie
• bonnie
• mr franklyn
• confrontation
• revenge
• killing