The Fall Guy (2024) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Colt quit after a dangerous stunt for Tom Ryder went wrong, he fell and severely injured his back. The injury ended his career as a stuntman and caused him to walk away from both his job and his relationship with Jody, who was pursuing her dream of becoming a director.

Foreshadowing: Early scenes show Colt performing dangerous stunts while reflecting on his colleagues, hinting at the physical toll his job would eventually take.

• colt seavers
• back injury
• stuntman
• quit career
• tom ryder

Jody is upset because Colt abruptly left her eighteen months ago without explanation after his injury. When he disappeared, he also cut off all contact with her, despite their relationship. Seeing him return as Ryder's stunt double brings back the pain of his sudden departure.

Foreshadowing: Colt's decision to walk away from both his career and his love is shown as a single choice that damaged multiple relationships.

• jody moreno
• colt relationship
• film set
• emotional conflict

Tom Ryder, the Hollywood star, disappeared from the set of 'Metalstorm' after getting involved with dangerous people. Producer Gail Meyer tasked Colt with finding him within 48 hours to save the film's production. Ryder was ultimately revealed to have committed crimes including drug dealing and possibly murder.

Foreshadowing: Gail warns Colt that Ryder vanished in dangerous company, hinting from the start that his disappearance involves criminal activity.

• tom ryder
• missing star
• drug dealing
• disappearance

The body found in Ryder's hotel room was Henry Herrera, another stuntman. Colt discovered the corpse while investigating Ryder's whereabouts, which pulled him into a criminal investigation against Gail's advice to stay out of police matters.

Foreshadowing: Colt's investigation leads him to connect Ryder to dangerous activities, making the discovery of a body less surprising given the stakes established early on.

• henry herrera
• dead body
• hotel room
• stuntman murder

Colt used deepfake technology to stand in for Tom Ryder after the star disappeared, allowing production on 'Metalstorm' to continue. This allowed Jody's film to stay on schedule while Colt simultaneously searched for the missing actor.

Foreshadowing: Gail's urgency to find Ryder within 48 hours directly ties to keeping the film production alive, making the deepfake solution a logical workaround.

• deepfake
• film production
• stand in
• metalstorm

Tom Ryder was involved in drug dealing through his dealer Doone, and he was connected to the death of stuntman Henry Herrera found in his hotel room. Colt ultimately edited the film's narrative to expose Ryder's misdeeds, forcing a confession from the star.

Foreshadowing: Colt's investigation progressively reveals Ryder's criminal connections, starting with the drug dealer encounter at the nightclub.

• tom ryder
• drug dealing
• murder
• confession
• crimes

Colt edited the footage of 'Metalstorm' to weave in evidence of Ryder's crimes, creating a reveal within the film itself. This editing job forced Ryder to confess publicly to his wrongdoings during the movie's climactic moments.

Foreshadowing: The 'film within a film' structure builds toward using the movie production as a tool for truth, which is set up by Colt's deepfake involvement.

• film edit
• expose crimes
• confession
• evidence
• ryder

Ryder is exposed and confesses to his crimes after Colt's editing reveals his wrongdoing. The ending shows police pursuing both Ryder and producer Gail Meyer, leaving their fates uncertain but hinting at upcoming justice.

Foreshadowing: The 48-hour deadline and Gail's suspicious behavior throughout establish her as complicit in Ryder's crimes, making her eventual pursuit by police consistent.

• tom ryder
• gail meyer
• arrest
• police
• ending

Yes, Colt and Jody end up together. After their rocky reunion, professional collaboration on 'Metalstorm,' and Colt proving his commitment to not sabotaging her dreams, they celebrate their victory together and their relationship proves resilient.

Foreshadowing: The romantic tension between them is established from the opening scenes, with Jody being Colt's primary motivation even after his departure.

• colt
• jody
• romance
• reunion
• happy ending

Metalstorm is a sci-fi film that Jody is directing. It becomes the central production of the plot, with Tom Ryder cast as the lead. After Ryder disappears, Colt uses deepfake technology to fill in for him, and the film ultimately becomes a critical success starring Jason Momoa as the new lead.

Foreshadowing: The sci-fi genre is mentioned early when Gail presents the opportunity, setting up the film's visual scale and importance.

• metalstorm
• sci-fi film
• jody director
• jason momoa

Gail hired Colt because he was the only person who could find Ryder quickly, she believed his stuntman background and connections in the industry gave him the best chance of locating the missing star within the 48-hour window to save Jody's film.

Foreshadowing: Gail's cryptic reason for choosing Colt is clarified by her own complicity in Ryder's crimes, making her selection of a competent investigator deliberate.

• gail meyer
• producer
• hire colt
• investigation
• 48 hours

The title refers to Colt being called 'the fall guy' by an ex-coworker who mocked him for his previous accident. It also plays on the literal meaning, a stuntman who falls for a living, and the metaphor of being set up or blamed for someone else's crimes, which nearly happens when Ryder's crimes come to light.

Foreshadowing: The title is introduced early through the mocking dialogue, then reinforced through Colt's actual falls during stunts and his near-framing for Ryder's crimes.

• fall guy
• title meaning
• stuntman
• accident
• metaphor