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The Buckingham Murders (2023) movie poster

Timeline

The Buckingham Murders (2023) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
2023 · 107 mins · English
Echo score 53
JustWatch #28,224 1
Directed by
Hansal Mehta
Starring
Daniel Eghan, Asheq Akhtar, David Cann, Jonathan Nyati, Sartaaj Kakkar, Ash Tandon

A police officer and single mother, Jasmeet Bhamra, is reassigned to High Wycombe after tragedy strikes when her child is killed in a shooting. While there, she becomes involved in a missing child case, forcing her to confront her grief and navigate a complex investigation with personal stakes.

On this page (6)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Events in order (13)
  3. 3 Timeline questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Movies like The Buckingham Murders
  6. 6 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch The Buckingham Murders (2023)

Where can you watch The Buckingham Murders? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on Netflix and Netflix Standard: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

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13 events in order · contains spoilers

The Buckingham Murders Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of The Buckingham Murders (2023) 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. Jass transfers to Buckinghamshire to take on Ishpreet case

    Jasmeet "Jass" Bhamra, grieving her child, accepts a transfer to Buckinghamshire to escape her loss and pursue a fresh lead. She is assigned the missing Indian child Ishpreet case by Miller and begins working with DI Hardik "Hardy" Patel. The relocation marks the start of the investigation and Jass's uneasy entry into Patel's orbit.

    When
    Upon transfer
    Where
    Buckinghamshire
  2. Ishpreet's adoption revealed during parent interviews

    Jass interviews Ishpreet's adoptive parents, Daljeet and Preeti Kohli, uncovering that Ishpreet was adopted and not their biological son. The discovery raises questions about family history and potential hidden tensions. The interview sets the stage for later motives rooted in relationships.

    When
    First days
    Where
    Police station
  3. Patel's troubled history with the family emerges

    Jass learns that Patel has past ties to the Kohli family, including a relative who was a drug dealer. This revelation hints at possible conflicts of interest and blurred loyalties within the investigation. It complicates Jass's view of Patel as an impartial detective.

    When
    Early investigation
    Where
    Police briefing room
  4. Ishpreet's last known location found and search begins

    Using CCTV, police identify Ishpreet's last-known location at a park and initiate an overnight search of the area. At dawn, Patel orders the team to rest and ventures into the park with his subordinate Simon. The search intensifies as the case moves toward a critical discovery.

    When
    Dawn (following overnight search)
    Where
    Park
  5. Ishpreet's body is found in an abandoned car

    The search leads to the discovery of Ishpreet's dead body inside an abandoned car in the park. The case immediately connects to a Muslim man whose nephew, Saquib, is seen borrowing the car on the day of the murder. This ties Saquib to the vehicle and the evolving crime plot.

    When
    Dawn
    Where
    Park
  6. Saquib linked to the murder; Naved's involvement revealed

    Investigations trace the car to Saquib, a drug addict with history to Patel. Saquib's association with the local Imam's son, Naved, is uncovered. In interviews, Naved reveals that Saquib killed Ishpreet in a fit of rage, leading to Saquib's arrest. Jass remains unconvinced and pushes for the truth.

    When
    Day
    Where
    Police station
  7. Jass confronts Patel; a punch ends her case

    Jass challenges Patel and Miller, but Patel taunts her about the loss of her own son. In a surge of anger, she punches him, and Miller removes her from the case, moving her to a desk job. The confrontation marks a turning point in Jass's involvement with the case.

    When
    Later that day
    Where
    Police station
  8. Jass digs deeper; Patel's sister and Saquib's confession

    While at a desk job, Jass learns that Patel's sister is in a coma due to drugs supplied by Saquib, deepening the motive web. She visits Saquib in prison, pressuring him for the truth. He reveals that they had an altercation but did not kill Ishpreet, and that Naved and Saquib are lovers.

    When
    Days later
    Where
    Prison
  9. Naved's deal with Patel exposed; Patel's suicide

    Naved admits that he struck a deal with Patel to falsely testify against Saquib in exchange for Saquib's release. Jass informs Miller of the deceit, but Patel shoots and kills himself in a final act of despair. The murder-suicide shifts the case's direction and removes Patel from the equation.

    When
    Moments after confession
    Where
    Miller's office / unspecified location
  10. Saquib released; Daljeet emerges as new suspect

    Saquib is released from prison, and Jass shifts focus to Daljeet Kohli as the new prime suspect. Daljeet, now financially strained and involved in a risky life—having an affair with Indrani—also becomes abusive toward Preeti. The motive web expands beyond Ishpreet's death.

    When
    Weeks later
    Where
    Daljeet's home / transportation business
  11. Daljeet murders Prithvi amid mounting tensions

    Daljeet witnesses Prithvi making advances on Preeti and kills him in a fit of rage. The violence adds another layer of tragedy and complicates the Kohli family dynamics. The act sets off a police investigation into Prithvi's death.

    When
    Event occurred
    Where
    Prithvi's location / Daljeet's residence
  12. Evidence ties Preeti to the Ishpreet plot; case closes

    Police search Prithvi's house and uncover Ishpreet's missing backpack and a burner phone used for drug dealing, with a call traced to Preeti. Preeti is revealed as the mastermind behind Ishpreet's disappearance and as the orchestrator who manipulated Prithvi into killing Ishpreet, while guiding Daljeet to murder Prithvi. The case is closed in a traumatised Jass's mind.

    When
    After investigations
    Where
    Prithvi's house
  13. Jass seeks personal closure after the case

    With the case closed, Jass is emotionally scarred and struggles to find closure for her own son's death. The resolution leaves her with a lingering sense of unresolved grief. The final moments reflect on the cost of seeking truth.

    When
    End
    Where
    Jass's home

Last updated: October 01, 2025 at 10:22

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Timeline questions answered

The Buckingham Murders Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of The Buckingham Murders (2023): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why was Ishpreet Kohli adopted?

Ishpreet was adopted by Daljeet and Preeti Kohli, which became a crucial detail in the investigation. His adoptive status raised questions about family history and hidden tensions that would later reveal significant motives. The adoption was never fully explained within the family, creating a layer of secrecy that Preeti would later exploit.

Foreshadowing: The adoption is mentioned early during Jass's interviews with the Kohli parents, setting the stage for later revelations about family dynamics.

  • adoption
  • kohli family
  • ishpreet
  • motive
  • family secrets
Q2

Why did Saquib kill Ishpreet?

Naved claimed Saquib killed Ishpreet in a violent burst of rage tied to the drug trade, as Ishpreet had been delivering drugs. However, this story was later revealed to be a fabrication orchestrated by Naved and Patel. Saquib later confessed to having an altercation with Ishpreet but insisted he did not kill him.

Foreshadowing: The initial arrest of Saquib seemed to resolve the case quickly, but Jass's skepticism about the official story proved justified.

  • saquib
  • ishpreet
  • drug trade
  • murder
  • arrest
Q3

Why was DI Patel helping Naved and Saquib lie about the murder?

Patel's sister was in a coma due to drugs supplied by Saquib. This personal connection created intense bias and motivated Patel to orchestrate a false confession to protect Saquib while appearing to solve the case. Additionally, Naved (the Imam's son) was in a romantic relationship with Saquib, and Patel struck a deal with Naved to testify falsely in exchange for Saquib's release.

Foreshadowing: Patel's early ties to the Kohli family and his unusual pressure on the investigation hinted at hidden allegiances.

  • patel
  • naved
  • saquib
  • corruption
  • complicity
Q4

Why did DI Patel kill himself?

Patel shot and killed himself when Jass confronted Miller with the truth about his deception. After Naved admitted to the deal with Patel to falsify testimony, and Jass exposed the conspiracy, Patel faced professional ruin and criminal charges. The combination of his sister's coma (caused by Saquib's drugs), his involvement in the cover-up, and being exposed led him to take his own life.

Foreshadowing: Patel's defensive behavior throughout the investigation and his taunt toward Jass about her son's death revealed mounting internal pressure.

  • patel
  • suicide
  • miller
  • exposed
  • confession
Q5

Why did Preeti Kohli orchestrate Ishpreet's death?

Preeti was the mastermind behind Ishpreet's disappearance and had manipulated Prithvi into killing the boy. Her motive was to escape her abusive marriage to Daljeet. By orchestrating Ishpreet's death and subsequently manipulating Daljeet into killing Prithvi (who she had set up to take the blame), Preeti planned to free herself from the abusive relationship while making it appear as though both deaths were unrelated crimes committed by others.

Foreshadowing: Preeti's seemingly cooperative demeanor during interviews masked her orchestration of events, and her manipulation of both Prithvi and Daljeet became clear only through evidence discovery.

  • preeti
  • orchestrator
  • abuse
  • murder plot
  • manipulation
Q6

Why did Daljeet Kohli kill Prithvi?

Daljeet murdered Prithvi in a fit of rage after witnessing him making inappropriate advances toward Preeti. This violent outburst was triggered by a combination of factors: Daljeet's volatile temperament, his knowledge of his own infidelity (having an affair with Indrani), and the mounting pressures of his failing transport business and financial troubles.

Foreshadowing: Prithvi's pressuring of Preeti and Daljeet's increasingly unstable behavior were established earlier in the investigation.

  • daljeet
  • prithvi
  • murder
  • abuse
  • jealousy
Q7

Why did Jass continue investigating after being removed from the case?

After Jass punched Patel following his taunt about her son's death, Miller removed her from the case and assigned her to a desk job. However, her personal grief and determination to find the truth drove her to continue investigating secretly. Her own unresolved trauma from losing her child to a drug-addicted shooter made her particularly invested in uncovering the real truth behind Ishpreet's death.

Foreshadowing: Jass's emotional reaction to Patel's taunt revealed how deeply her personal loss affected her judgment and resolve.

  • jass
  • investigation
  • removed
  • persistence
  • grief
Q8

Why did Daljeet Kohli become a suspect in Ishpreet's murder?

Daljeet became the prime suspect after Saquib was released. His financial troubles were significant, his transport business was failing and he had taken out a large life insurance policy on Ishpreet. Additionally, he was having an affair with Indrani Rai and had a volatile, abusive relationship with Preeti. These factors provided clear financial and personal motives for wanting Ishpreet dead.

Foreshadowing: The timeline reveals Daljeet's financial decline and the discovery of the life insurance policy occurred before his arrest.

  • daljeet
  • suspect
  • insurance
  • financial trouble
  • motive
Q9

Why did Jass visit Saquib in prison?

Jass visited Saquib in prison because she remained unconvinced by the official narrative that he had killed Ishpreet. While working at a desk job, she had discovered that Patel's sister was in a coma due to drugs supplied by Saquib, which deepened the web of potential motives and conflicts. Her persistent questioning led Saquib to reveal that Naved and Saquib were lovers and that Patel had orchestrated the false testimony.

Foreshadowing: Jass's refusal to accept the easy answer and her independent research into Patel's background led to the prison visit.

  • jass
  • prison
  • saquib
  • confession
  • truth
Q10

Why was Ishpreet involved in drug dealing?

Ishpreet was revealed to have been dealing drugs, using a burner phone for his operations. The police discovered this after finding the burner phone and Ishpreet's missing backpack during a search of Prithvi's house. This involvement in the drug trade was what initially connected him to Saquib in the investigation, though the true circumstances of his death were far more complex.

Foreshadowing: Early in the investigation, references to drug activity in the area and connections to Patel family history hinted at Ishpreet's involvement.

  • ishpreet
  • drugs
  • burner phone
  • dealing
  • evidence
Q11

Why does Jass not find closure for her son's death?

Even after solving the Ishpreet case and uncovering the truth, Jass remains emotionally scarred and unable to find closure for her own son's death. Her son was killed by a drug-addicted shooter, a crime that apparently went unsolved or unpunished. The resolution of Ishpreet's case brought professional victory but no personal healing, as the circumstances of her son's death remain an open wound she continues to carry.

Foreshadowing: Jass's personal loss is established in the opening scenes and drives her emotional involvement throughout the investigation.

  • jass
  • closure
  • grief
  • son
  • emotional ending
Q12

Why was Daljeet Kohli's character abusive?

Daljeet Kohli exhibited a volatile, abusive personality toward his wife Preeti throughout their marriage. His abuse was fueled by multiple factors: his affair with Indrani Rai, financial stress from his failing business, and a generally violent temperament. This abusive behavior ultimately became a key motivating factor for Preeti's elaborate plot to escape the marriage by orchestrating multiple murders.

Foreshadowing: Early interviews with Preeti and observations of family dynamics revealed the troubled nature of the Kohli marriage.

  • daljeet
  • abuse
  • preeti
  • marriage
  • dynamics

Movie threads

More Movies Like The Buckingham Murders, by Mood & Story

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

Detective stories fueled by personal grief like The Buckingham Murders

Haunted investigators whose personal trauma fuels a high-stakes case. If you liked The Buckingham Murders, explore movies where a detective's personal tragedy shadows a complex investigation. These films combine intense crime-solving with deep character studies about loss, making the stakes feel overwhelmingly personal. Find similar emotionally heavy thrillers and dramas here.

  • grieving
  • tense
  • determined
  • somber
  • suspenseful
  • melancholic
  • Tone: dark, melancholic, tense
  • Pacing: steady, methodical
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative follows a professional investigation that runs parallel to the protagonist's journey through grief. The case often echoes their personal trauma, forcing them to confront their pain while doggedly pursuing the truth. The resolution of the crime typically offers little solace for the character's enduring personal wound.

Why they belong together: These films are grouped together because they share a core premise: a detective's professional competence is tested against the backdrop of overwhelming personal grief. This creates a unique blend of procedural suspense and deep psychological drama, resulting in stories with high emotional weight and a bittersweet or bleak tone.

Atmospheric and heavy crime procedurals like The Buckingham Murders

Methodical crime stories where mood and suspense are the main characters. For viewers who appreciated the tense, melancholic mood of The Buckingham Murders, this thread collects movies with a similar feel. Discover crime mysteries and thrillers where the steady pacing and heavy atmosphere are central to the experience, perfect for fans of suspenseful, character-driven investigations.

  • tense
  • suspenseful
  • oppressive
  • somber
  • melancholic
  • methodical
  • Tone: dark, tense, somber
  • Pacing: steady, slow burn
Why these movies?

The story pattern: These stories unfold methodically, often within a specific community shaken by a crime. The narrative builds suspense through reveals and character interactions rather than chase sequences, focusing on the moral complexities and emotional fallout. The ending often provides resolution but leaves a lingering sense of sorrow or unease.

Why they belong together: This thread connects films that share a specific cinematic texture: a steady, deliberate pace, a dark and tense tone, and a focus on building a heavy, suspenseful atmosphere. The similarity lies in the overall viewing experience—a slow-burn sense of dread and a deep engagement with the characters' emotional states.

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Every angle

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