The Colony (2013) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Mason kills Hal out of fear that Hal will bring the flu back into Colony 7 after being sent out into the frozen wilderness during the quarantine. When Hal manages to return despite the harsh conditions, Mason views his survival as a direct threat to everyone else's safety and kills him to prevent any possibility of the flu spreading further. This act highlights the desperate, morally compromised decisions people make in the colony's life-or-death situation.

Foreshadowing: Earlier in the film, Briggs explains that those who remain ill after the 40-day quarantine must either face execution or be sent outside, establishing the brutal logic Mason uses to justify his actions.

• mason
• hal
• flu
• quarantine
• colony 7
• survival

Briggs decides to send a team to Colony 5 after receiving an SOS signal following two days of silence, which suggests something catastrophic has happened. Despite the dangerous journey through the frozen wilderness and the risks to his already fragile colony, Briggs feels compelled to investigate because the distress signal could mean survivors need assistance. Additionally, Briggs uses this opportunity to address Mason's earlier murder of Hal, making it clear he disagrees with Mason's brutal methods.

Foreshadowing: The SOS signal comes right after the tensions peak between Briggs and Mason over Hal's death, giving Briggs a reason to leave the colony and take action.

• briggs
• colony 5
• sos signal
• mason
• leadership

When Briggs, Sam, and Graydon arrive at Colony 5, they discover it has been destroyed and overrun by cannibals. The colony is filled with pools of blood and signs of slaughter, indicating that the residents were killed and likely eaten. The group who sent the SOS signal has been decimated, with only the sinister cannibal group remaining in the area. This horrifying discovery shatters their hope of finding help and reveals a new, even more terrifying threat.

Foreshadowing: The two-day silence before the SOS signal was received foreshadows that something catastrophic had already happened at Colony 5.

• colony 5
• cannibals
• slaughter
• destruction
• survivors

The cannibals in Colony 5 appear to be survivors who have resorted to extreme measures to survive the ice age. After their colony presumably fell apart due to the flu epidemic or resource shortages, these survivors turned to cannibalism as a means of sustenance in the frozen wasteland. The film suggests that the harsh conditions and desperation have driven some people to commit unspeakable acts to stay alive, making them more dangerous than the environment itself.

Foreshadowing: The film establishes early on that survival requires extreme sacrifices, with characters already facing death from the flu and exile to the frozen wilderness.

• cannibals
• survival
• desperation
• colony 5
• extreme measures

Graydon is killed during the group's escape from the cannibals at Colony 5. After discovering the horrifying scene of slaughter and confronting the cannibal group, Graydon is overwhelmed and fatally wounded in the desperate fight for survival. His death forces Briggs and Sam to flee without him, leaving his body behind as another tragic loss in their journey. This event occurs as the cannibals close in on them during the chaotic escape.

Foreshadowing: Graydon had expressed hesitation about joining the mission to Colony 5, and the dangers of the journey prove fatal for him.

• graydon
• death
• colony 5
• cannibals
• escape

Leland reveals that another colony discovered a way to rejuvenate the land, suggesting that some group has found a way to make the frozen earth habitable again. This message serves as a glimmer of hope amid the bleak survival story, indicating that humanity might eventually reclaim the surface from the ice age. However, this hopeful message is immediately undercut by the presence of the cannibal threat, showing that even hope comes with grave dangers.

Foreshadowing: The revelation about reclaiming the land contrasts with the constant reminders of death and desperation throughout the journey.

• reclaiming land
• colony
• hope
• survival
• leland

Sam decides to escape Colony 7 because Mason has become a tyrannical leader who poses a greater threat to the colony than the external dangers. After witnessing Mason kill Hal and seeing his oppressive rule strengthen during Briggs' absence, Sam loses faith in the colony's leadership. Working with Kai, Sam uses the satellite connection to identify a potentially warmer area where a group could survive beyond Mason's control, giving them hope for a better future outside the collapsing colony.

Foreshadowing: Kai's role as temporary leader during Briggs' journey gives her access to the satellite, enabling the escape plan.

• sam
• mason
• escape
• colony 7
• tyranny
• satellite

During Briggs' absence, Kai takes over leadership of Colony 7 and uses the colony's satellite connection to scan for viable locations beyond their current settlement. She identifies an area that appears to have warmer conditions, offering hope for survival without the constant threat of the flu and harsh underground living. This plan becomes the foundation for Sam and Kai's escape attempt, representing a technological solution to their desperate situation.

Foreshadowing: Kai was entrusted with leadership specifically because of her skills and capabilities, making her the ideal person to operate the satellite equipment.

• kai
• satellite
• escape
• new home
• survival

Briggs implements the 40-day quarantine and the threat of execution for those still ill after the quarantine because a flu epidemic has already claimed twenty lives in Colony 7. With dwindling medical supplies and no immunity among the survivors, Briggs believes extreme measures are necessary to prevent the complete annihilation of the colony. The harsh rule reflects the desperate mathematics of survival where the few must be protected from the many, even if it means killing their own people.

Foreshadowing: The film opens with the aftermath of the flu crisis, establishing the fear that drives Briggs' extreme policies.

• flu
• quarantine
• execution
• brigs
• colony 7
• pandemic

At the end of The Colony, a small group escapes from Colony 7 during the cannibal attack, with Sam leading the fight against Mason's tyranny. The cannibals attack the colony, creating chaos that allows Sam and others to break free from Mason's control. Armed with Kai's knowledge of a warmer location and motivated by the hope of starting fresh, the survivors depart from the destroyed Colony 7. The ending is bittersweet, they find hope for the future but at the cost of many lives and the complete collapse of their former home.

Foreshadowing: The final act brings together the internal conflict with Mason and the external cannibal threat, forcing the survivors to choose between staying under tyranny or risking everything for a chance at a better life.

• ending
• escape
• colony 7
• survival
• hope
• sam