The In Between (2022) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Tessa breaks up with Skylar after learning he plans to move to Oregon to support his father. She misinterprets this as a sign that he's leaving her life, when in reality he was planning to return for her during summer. This tragic misunderstanding leads her to end things just as she's about to submit her RISD application and confess her true feelings, believing she's protecting herself from abandonment.

Foreshadowing: Earlier scenes show Tessa's adoptive father commenting on her mother's tendency to abandon things, hinting at her fear-driven decision to leave first.

• tessa
• skylar
• breakup
• oregon
• misunderstanding

The In Between refers to a supernatural state described in a book by Doris, where a person who has died must make one final connection before moving on. Tessa believes Skylar is trapped in this state and tries to help him complete this connection, which is why she seeks out meaningful places from their relationship.

Foreshadowing: The book title is introduced early when Tessa explains the concept to Shannon, establishing the supernatural framework for the entire narrative.

• the in between
• doris
• supernatural
• spirit
• afterlife

Yes, both Tessa and Skylar die in the traffic accident. The opening scene shows two young people on the ground, one barely moving (Tessa) and one completely still (Skylar). At the end, during the paramedics' attempts to revive her, Tessa is reunited with Skylar in a vision, suggesting they both succumbed to their injuries.

Foreshadowing: The opening accident scene clearly shows two victims, and the mid-credits scene takes place in a spiritual realm where they are together.

• accident
• death
• skylar
• tessa
• fatal

During the SAT, Skylar's spirit guides Tessa's hand, causing her to draw an erratic scribble. This drawing later matches the GPS route her adoptive mother's car took, revealing that her scribble was actually a map to significant locations in her relationship with Skylar. The scribble becomes the key that leads her to Doris and the meaning behind The In Between.

Foreshadowing: The scribble appears supernatural at the time, but its connection to the GPS route confirms it was Skylar trying to guide her.

• sat
• scribble
• gps
• map
• spirit

When Tessa and Shannon attempt to contact Skylar at the abandoned Empyrean hotel, they finally make contact. However, when Skylar reaches toward Tessa, he unintentionally shatters a mirror. This moment suggests the fragility of their supernatural connection, Skylar cannot physically interact with the world without causing disruption, and the broken mirror symbolizes how their bond transcends the living world but cannot be fully sustained.

Foreshadowing: The Empyrean hotel is where they shared their first kiss, making it the most emotionally charged location for their reunion attempt.

• empyrean
• mirror
• shatter
• spirit
• connection

Tessa discovers that the erratic scribble she drew during her SAT exam matches the GPS route her adoptive mother's car had taken. This connection, revealed when her adoptive mother checks the car's navigation history, leads Tessa to realize the scribble was actually Skylar guiding her hand to draw a map. Following this path leads her to Doris, who helps her understand she needs to visit the meaningful places from their relationship.

Foreshadowing: The SAT scribble appears during a moment when Tessa is thinking about Skylar, establishing their spiritual connection.

• gps
• scribble
• route
• doris
• mapping

Tessa dies at the end. After escaping the hospital with help from Shannon and Skylar's spirit manipulating the electronics, she races back to the accident site. As paramedics attempt to revive her lifeless body, she experiences a vision where she's reunited with Skylar in a peaceful, black-and-white Paris, representing the afterlife where their love continues.

Foreshadowing: The opening accident scene shows Tessa on the ground, establishing from the start that she does not survive.

• tessa
• death
• paris
• afterlife
• vision

The black-and-white Paris scene represents Tessa's afterlife reunion with Skylar. This vision occurs as paramedics work to revive her, showing that she experiences a peaceful, romantic space with Skylar, echoing their first meeting at a French film and their shared love of Paris. The line "love never dies" encapsulates the film's theme that true love transcends death.

Foreshadowing: Their relationship began with a French film at a local theater where Skylar translated for Tessa, establishing their connection to French cinema and Paris.

• paris
• love never dies
• afterlife
• reunion
• vision

Tessa was facing heart surgery because of injuries sustained in the traffic accident. After being taken home by police following her attempt to contact Skylar at the Empyrean hotel, she collapses and is taken to the hospital where doctors determine she needs emergency heart surgery. This surgery is what she's recovering from when she escapes with Shannon's help to return to the accident site.

Foreshadowing: The accident scene shows the physical severity of the collision, explaining the life-threatening nature of Tessa's injuries.

• heart
• surgery
• injury
• hospital
• accident

Skylar's spirit is able to manipulate electronics throughout the movie, causing the song "Never Tear Us Apart" to play on everyone's devices simultaneously, making the television respond to Tessa's attempts at communication, and later helping her escape the hospital by manipulating the doors and monitors. This ability represents the supernatural nature of The In Between, where spirits can interact with the living world through technology.

Foreshadowing: Electronic phenomena begin with the synchronized song, establishing early that Skylar's spirit has access to technology.

• electronics
• spirit
• technology
• supernatural
• manipulation

Tessa's interpretation of Skylar's decision to support his father in Oregon is colored by her deep-seated fear of abandonment, shaped by her adoptive father's earlier comment about her mother abandoning things. When Skylar mentions Oregon, she immediately assumes he's leaving her forever rather than understanding it's a temporary support arrangement. This tragic miscommunication stems from her emotional vulnerability and the timing, right as she's about to confess her feelings.

Foreshadowing: The adoptive father's comment about abandonment earlier in the film plants the seed for this misunderstanding.

• oregon
• abandonment
• misunderstanding
• fear
• communication

Doris is the author of the book "The In Between" that inspired Tessa's journey. When Tessa follows the GPS route to find her, Doris explains the concept of The In Between, that spirits must make a final connection before moving on. She encourages Tessa to visit the places most meaningful to their relationship, believing this will help Skylar complete his transition. Doris serves as a spiritual guide who validates Tessa's belief that her connection with Skylar is real.

Foreshadowing: Tessa mentions The In Between book to Shannon early in the film, establishing its importance before Doris appears.

• doris
• the in between
• author
• spiritual guide
• book