The Gallows (2015) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Charlie died during a performance of The Gallows in 1993 when a prop malfunction caused a stage light or piece of equipment to fall on him, killing him in front of the entire audience including his parents. The tragic accident occurred during the play's climax and haunted the school community for decades.

Foreshadowing: The 1993 tragedy is introduced in the opening as the inciting incident that sets up the entire narrative.

• charlie grimille
• prop malfunction
• death
• 1993
• the gallows play

Charlie transforms into the Hangman, the character he played in the original production, because his spirit is consumed with vengeance. The supernatural force driving the film compels the living to reenact the tragic final scene, with Charlie taking on the role of executioner to kill those trapped in the school.

Foreshadowing: The eerie television interview with Alexis hints at Charlie's emotional state before his death, foreshadowing his vengeful return.

• hangman
• charlie
• vengeance
• spirit
• executioner

The news segment revealed that Charlie had not been meant to perform in the play on the night he died. Instead, he had covered for Reese's father Rick, who was supposed to be in the production. This shocking connection meant that Reese was directly linked to the tragedy that killed Charlie twenty years earlier.

Foreshadowing: This revelation directly explains why Charlie's spirit targets Reese specifically during the film's events.

• rick
• houser
• charlie
• news segment
• 1993
• covered for

Ryan becomes separated from the group and encounters a shadowy figure wielding a noose, the vengeful spirit of Charlie. He is suddenly yanked away by an unseen force and killed by Charlie, who has taken on the role of the Hangman. His broken leg from an earlier fall prevents him from escaping.

Foreshadowing: Ryan's injury from falling off the ladder leaves him vulnerable and unable to flee when Charlie finds him.

• ryan shoos
• death
• killed
• charlie
• hangman

Cassidy is grabbed by an unseen supernatural force and lifted into the air, leaving marks around her neck. She later becomes the first character to be killed by Charlie directly when he murders her as the Hangman, mirroring the hanging death from the original tragedy.

Foreshadowing: The earlier scene where Cassidy is levitated by an invisible force foreshadows her eventual death at Charlie's hands.

• cassidy spilker
• death
• killed
• hanged
• charlie

Pfeifer is revealed to be the daughter of Charlie Grimille and Alexis, Charlie's girlfriend from 1993. This means Pfeifer is Charlie's child, which explains why she survives the massacre while others are killed. The final scene reveals this family connection when Pfeifer warns the police not to say Charlie's name.

Foreshadowing: Alexis's presence in the 1993 news interview and her role in the film's climax hint at a deeper connection to Charlie.

• pfeifer
• charlie
• daughter
• alexis
• parents
• family connection

The students become targets because they are the ones who decide to revive The Gallows play, which inadvertently summons Charlie's vengeful spirit. The act of performing the play again triggers the curse, forcing the participants to reenact the tragic events of 1993 that led to Charlie's death.

Foreshadowing: The school's decision to revive the play to 'confront the specters of its past' directly awakens the dormant evil.

• revival
• play
• curse
• target
• students
• beatrice high school

Reese auditioned for the play primarily to get closer to his crush Pfeifer Ross, who was playing a lead role. However, he is unexpectedly cast as the protagonist, a twist that overwhelms him and leads him to panic, ultimately devising a plan to vandalize the set so he can withdraw from the production.

Foreshadowing: This casting puts Reese at the center of the tragedy, exactly where Charlie's spirit wants him.

• reese houser
• cast
• lead role
• audition
• pfeifer

While exploring the school alone, Ryan discovers a hidden room containing a bed frame and a body hanging from the ceiling, a disturbing sight that adds to the escalating terror. This discovery reveals that someone else may have been killed in the school previously, or it could be part of the supernatural setup designed to frighten the intruders.

Foreshadowing: This grim discovery occurs just before the group becomes fully separated, heightening the individual terror each character faces.

• hidden room
• body
• ceiling
• ryan
• discovery

At the end, Charlie kills Reese by hanging him on stage, completing his revenge. Pfeifer and Charlie then take a final bow together, revealing their father-daughter relationship. The film ends with police discovering the carnage, where speaking Charlie's name manifests his power, killing another officer before the screen fades to black.

Foreshadowing: Pfeifer's survival and her cryptic warning 'You shouldn't say that name' foreshadow the final revelation of her connection to Charlie.

• ending
• final scene
• charlie
• pfeifer
• police
• death