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The Dressmaker (2016) movie poster

Timeline

The Dressmaker (2016) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
2016 · 119 min · English
JustWatch #5,873 8
Directed by
Jocelyn Moorhouse
Starring
Hugo Weaving, Kate Winslet, Liam Hemsworth, Judy Davis

A gifted dressmaker, Tilly Dunnage, leaves the glamour of Parisian fashion to return to her isolated childhood home in the Australian outback. Haunted by her past, she seeks reconciliation with her unconventional mother and finds comfort in a connection with the kind Teddy. Using her talent with a needle and thread, Tilly helps the women of the town embrace their beauty while subtly exacting revenge on those who once mistreated her, ultimately seeking a sense of belonging and closure.

Drama Cast, crew & box office
On this page (7)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Events in order (16)
  3. 3 Timeline questions answered
  4. 4 The book behind the movie
  5. 5 Movie threads
  6. 6 Movies like The Dressmaker
  7. 7 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch The Dressmaker (2016)

Where can you watch The Dressmaker? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon MX Player and Amazon Prime Video Free: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

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16 events in order · contains spoilers

The Dressmaker Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of The Dressmaker (2016) 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. Myrtle's Exile

    In 1926, a tragedy strikes in the rural town of Dungatar when schoolgirl Myrtle Dunnage is blamed for the death of her classmate, Stewart Pettyman. Local police sergeant Horatio Farrat exiles her from the town, leaving Myrtle to grapple with the injustice and trauma of her past.

    When
    1926
    Where
    Dungatar

  2. Return as Tilly

    Twenty-five years later in 1951, Myrtle returns to Dungatar as an accomplished dressmaker, now calling herself Tilly. With her skilled hands and a passion for fashion, she hopes to uncover the truth surrounding Stewart's death while integrating back into a town that still harbors resentment.

    When
    1951
    Where
    Dungatar

  3. Distraction at the Football Game

    During a local football final, Tilly's red couture gown catches the eyes of everyone, distracting the players from the opposing team. As a result of Tilly's unexpected entrance, Dungatar narrowly wins the match, showcasing the powerful impact of her arrival.

    When
    1951
    Where
    Dungatar

  4. Dress for Truth

    Tilly agrees to make a dress for Gertrude Pratt for an upcoming dance, but with a condition: she wants the truth about Stewart's death. Gertrude, in a moment of vulnerability, reveals that Tilly had been bullied by Stewart, and that it was her own defense that led to the tragic accident.

    When
    1951
    Where
    Dungatar

  5. Dance and Engagement

    At the dance, Gertrude's stunning dress crafted by Tilly captures the attention of William Beaumont, leading them to a romantic engagement. The townspeople, enamored by Tilly's creations, begin to seek her out for more elaborate dresses, reigniting her popularity.

    When
    1951
    Where
    Dungatar

  6. Secrets Unveiled

    Sergeant Farrat confides in Tilly that her exile was orchestrated by blackmail from Stewart's father, Evan. This revelation deepens their bond, as they both share a mutual passion for fashion and the burden of their past secrets within the town.

    When
    1951
    Where
    Dungatar

  7. The Rival Dressmaker

    Evan, resentful of Tilly's success, recruits Una Pleasance to start a competing dressmaking service. However, the townspeople quickly gravitate back to Tilly after she is commissioned to create Gertrude's wedding dress, leading to rivalry and dissatisfaction for Una.

    When
    1951
    Where
    Dungatar

  8. Confronting the Past

    Tilly, eager to understand the truth, bribes Farrat to access a witness statement from her former teacher, Beulah. After reading it, she becomes convinced Beulah lied due to fear of reprisal from Evan, and expresses her frustration at a wedding reception.

    When
    1951
    Where
    Dungatar

  9. Revelation of Parentage

    During a confrontation with Farrat, Tilly learns a shocking truth: Evan is her father. This revelation shakes her to the core as she battles with betrayal and the legacy of her family's dark history in the town.

    When
    1951
    Where
    Dungatar

  10. The Truth About Stewart

    Teddy reveals the circumstances of Stewart's death to Tilly, explaining how Stewart threatened her and how the accident occurred. This critical moment clarifies Tilly's past and, for the first time, allows her to understand her role in the tragic event.

    When
    1951
    Where
    Schoolhouse, Dungatar

  11. Passion and Loss

    Following their emotional revelations, Tilly and Teddy connect intimately, deepening their relationship. However, tragedy strikes when Teddy's brother, Barney, foolishly jumps into a grain silo and accidentally asphyxiates, further darkening the town's atmosphere.

    When
    1951
    Where
    Dungatar

  12. Molly's Last Words

    After suffering from a stroke, Tilly's mother, Molly, passes away. In her final moments, she urges Tilly to channel her skills against the townsfolk who have wronged them, serving as a catalyst for Tilly's revenge.

    When
    1951
    Where
    Dungatar

  13. Beulah's Fate

    Tilly, in a fit of anger after a series of events, injures Beulah during a drunken outburst. Beulah is then sent away, ostensibly for treatment, but in reality, she is taken to an asylum, illustrating the lengths the town goes to suppress the truth.

    When
    1951
    Where
    Dungatar

  14. Revenge and Retribution

    In a dramatic turn of events, Tilly exposes Evan's infidelities to his wife, Marigold, which leads her to brutally attack him. This act of vengeance culminates in Evan's gruesome demise, showcasing the fallout of his previous actions.

    When
    1951
    Where
    Dungatar

  15. The Fire and Departure

    In a symbolic act of liberation, Tilly sets her house ablaze and rolls a bolt of fabric down the hill towards Dungatar. Declaring herself free of the town's curse, she departs on a train, leaving behind the remnants of a town that once shunned her.

    When
    1951
    Where
    Dungatar

  16. The Town's Ruin

    Upon returning to Dungatar, the townspeople find the remnants of their once-thriving community reduced to ashes. Tilly's final act of defiance serves as a powerful reminder of the consequences of their actions against her.

    Where
    Dungatar

Last updated: May 12, 2025 at 07:04

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Timeline questions answered

The Dressmaker Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of The Dressmaker (2016): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why was Myrtle exiled from Dungatar?

Myrtle was exiled from Dungatar in 1926 after being blamed for the death of her classmate Stewart Pettyman. The town scapegoated her for the tragedy, and Sergeant Horatio Farrat enforced her departure. Years later, it would be revealed that Farrat was blackmailed by Stewart's father, Evan, forcing him to orchestrate Myrtle's exile despite knowing she was innocent.

  • myrtle dunnage
  • exile
  • dungatar
  • stewart pettyman
  • horatio farrat
Q2

Why does Tilly return to Dungatar?

Tilly returns to Dungatar in 1951 seeking answers about her traumatic childhood and the events that led to her exile. Though she has no recollection of the incident that branded her a murderer, she hopes to uncover the truth and reconcile with her mentally ill mother, Molly, while starting fresh in the town that once rejected her.

  • tillly dunnage
  • return
  • dungatar
  • reconciliation
  • molly
Q3

How was Sergeant Farrat involved in Myrtle's exile?

Sergeant Farrat orchestrated Myrtle's exile under pressure from Evan Pettyman, Stewart's father and a powerful town councilor. Farrat was blackmailed over a personal secret and had no choice but to blame Myrtle for Stewart's death and remove her from Dungatar. This guilt would weigh on him for decades until he finally confesses the truth to Tilly.

  • horatio farrat
  • blackmail
  • evan pettyman
  • exile
  • sergeant
Q4

What really happened to Stewart Pettyman?

Stewart Pettyman died in a tragic accident at school, not from any intentional act by Myrtle. During the incident, Stewart was bullying Myrtle when she pushed him away in self-defense, causing him to fall and fatally hit his head. The townspeople jumped to conclusions, and the truth was buried under layers of fear, with witnesses like teacher Beulah Harridiene lying to protect themselves from Evan's retaliation.

  • stewart pettyman
  • death
  • accident
  • school
  • truth
Q5

How did Tilly's dressmaking become a form of revenge?

Tilly used her extraordinary talent for fashion to gradually win over the townspeople while exposing their secrets and vulnerabilities. By creating stunning dresses for the women, she made them realize their complicity in her past suffering. She strategically leveraged requests for dresses to extract confessions about the truth, and ultimately used her access to expose Evan's infidelity to his wife Marigold, leading to Evan's violent death.

  • dressmaking
  • revenge
  • fashion
  • tilly
  • dungatar
Q6

What is the significance of Evan being Tilly's father?

The revelation that Evan Pettyman is Tilly's father adds a devastating layer to the story. Not only was Evan responsible for orchestrating Myrtle's exile by blackmailing Farrat, but he also fathered a child with Molly and then allowed an innocent girl to be blamed for murder while remaining silent. This betrayal by her own biological father motivates Tilly to seek ultimate revenge.

  • evan pettyman
  • father
  • tilly
  • family secret
  • reveal
Q7

How did Teddy McSwiney die?

Teddy McSwiney died tragically in a grain silo accident. After Teddy and Tilly consummate their relationship following his revelation about Stewart's death, Teddy's younger brother Barney foolishly jumps into a grain silo to show off. Teddy attempts to rescue him but both become trapped, and Barney accidentally asphyxiates Teddy while trying to climb out, leaving Tilly devastated by another loss.

  • teddy mcswiney
  • death
  • grain silo
  • barney
  • accident
Q8

What leads to Molly's death?

Molly dies from a stroke after suffering years of mental illness and the stress of the town's harassment. In her final moments, she urges Tilly to use her dressmaking skills as weapons against the townspeople who wronged them, serving as the catalyst for Tilly's final act of vengeance against Evan and the town.

  • molly dunnage
  • stroke
  • death
  • mother
  • final words
Q9

How does Evan Pettyman die?

Evan Pettyman is killed by his own wife Marigold after Tilly reveals his infidelity and that he fathered a child with Molly. Enraged by his betrayal, Marigold attacks Evan with a weapon, killing him in a violent act of retribution. This marks the climax of Tilly's revenge plot.

  • evan pettyman
  • death
  • marigold
  • killed
  • revenge
Q10

Why does Tilly burn down her house?

Tilly burns her house as a symbolic act of liberation, destroying the physical reminder of her traumatic past in Dungungatar. By setting fire to the building and rolling a bolt of fabric down the hill toward town, she declares herself free from the town's curse and her history of persecution. She then departs on a train, leaving the town to reckon with the ashes of its collective cruelty.

  • tilly
  • house fire
  • liberation
  • departure
  • dungatar
Q11

What happened to Beulah Harridiene?

Beulah Harridiene, Tilly's former teacher, was sent to an asylum after Tilly attacked her during a drunken outburst. Beulah had lied in her witness statement about Stewart's death out of fear of Evan's retaliation, and when Tilly confronted her at a wedding reception and discovered the truth, she violently lashed out. The town used this as an opportunity to remove Beulah permanently, institutionalizing her to suppress the truth.

  • beulah harridiene
  • asylum
  • teacher
  • lie
  • witness
Q12

How did Tilly's dresses change the town's opinion of her?

Tilly's stunning couture gowns, starting with her red dress at the football match that distracted the opposing team and helped Dungatar win, immediately captured the townspeople's attention and admiration. As the women of Dungatar saw themselves transformed by her artistry, they began to request more dresses, gradually accepting Tilly back into society despite their lingering resentment, which fuels rival Una Pleasance's jealousy.

  • dresses
  • fashion
  • town
  • acceptance
  • football match

Movie threads

More Movies Like The Dressmaker, by Mood & Story

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

Gothic revenge tales like The Dressmaker

Stylish outsiders return to a hostile hometown to settle old scores. Find more movies like The Dressmaker where a glamorous outsider confronts a dark past in a hostile small town. These films blend elements of revenge, gothic tension, and artistic expression, perfect for viewers who enjoy stories of defiance and the unraveling of long-held secrets.

  • gothic
  • vengeful
  • atmospheric
  • defiant
  • oppressive
  • unsettling
  • Tone: dark, vengeful, atmospheric
  • Pacing: steady, character-driven
Why these movies?

The story pattern: These stories typically follow a linear revenge plot driven by a protagonist seeking truth and retribution for a past wrong. The journey involves re-integration into a toxic community, the strategic exposure of hypocrisy, and a final, often destructive, act of liberation that leaves the past in ashes.

Why they belong together: They are grouped by their shared mood of oppressive atmosphere mixed with defiant energy, a central theme of revisiting trauma, and a narrative structure that pits a singular, strong-willed individual against the collective corruption of a closed society.

Revanche movie poster

Revanche

2009
1920: Horrors of the Heart movie poster

1920: Horrors of the Heart

2023
Dark Shadows movie poster

Dark Shadows

2012
Cold Moon movie poster

Cold Moon

2017
Gothic movie poster

Gothic

1986
The Revengers movie poster

The Revengers

1972
The Crow movie poster

The Crow

2024
The Black Torment movie poster

The Black Torment

1964

Movies about small town secrets like The Dressmaker

Psychological dramas where a community's repressed past violently surfaces. If you liked The Dressmaker's exploration of buried trauma and small-town hypocrisy, you'll appreciate these other films. Discover dramatic stories where isolated communities are forced to confront a dark past, leading to tense confrontations and emotional revelations.

  • oppressive
  • unsettling
  • psychological
  • melancholic
  • atmospheric
  • redemptive
  • Tone: dark, melancholic, unsettling
  • Pacing: steady, deliberate
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern involves a slow, steady peeling back of layers on a central, traumatic event that involved multiple townspeople. As the truth emerges, it destabilizes the social order, leading to confrontation, tragic consequences, and a fraught sense of closure for those involved.

Why they belong together: These films share a core focus on the theme of collective secrecy and the psychological impact of past trauma. They create a similar vibe through an oppressive, atmospheric setting and a tone that balances heavy emotional weight with a steady, deliberate pacing.

Awakened movie poster

Awakened

2014
Unforgotten movie poster

Unforgotten

2017
The Secrets We Keep movie poster

The Secrets We Keep

2020
Cavedweller movie poster

Cavedweller

2004
Incident in a Small Town movie poster

Incident in a Small Town

1994
Wish You Were Here movie poster

Wish You Were Here

2013
The Secret Village movie poster

The Secret Village

2013
The Ugly movie poster

The Ugly

2025

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Every angle

The Dressmaker (2016) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

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