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Timeline

The Kitchen (2019) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
2019 · 102 min
Echo score 35
Directed by
Andrea Berloff
Starring
Melissa McCarthy, Common, Bill Camp, Tiffany Haddish, James Badge Dale, Domhnall Gleeson
Budget
$38M

When a woman discovers a hidden fortune in a kitchen, her actions trigger a dangerous series of events. This high-stakes thriller explores themes of loyalty, trust, and morality as lives are put in jeopardy and the consequences of greed unfold. The situation escalates quickly, testing the limits of those involved and forcing them to confront difficult choices.

On this page (6)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Events in order (15)
  3. 3 Timeline questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Movies like The Kitchen
  6. 6 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch The Kitchen (2019)

Where can you watch The Kitchen? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Fandango At Home: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

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15 events in order · contains spoilers

The Kitchen Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of The Kitchen (2019) 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. Introduction to Hell's Kitchen

    The film opens in the gritty landscape of Hell's Kitchen in 1978, a tough neighborhood shaped by crime and the Irish mafia. The lives of three middle-aged women reveal the complexities of their relationships amidst a backdrop of danger and uncertainty.

    When
    1978
    Where
    Hell's Kitchen, New York
  2. The Women's Marriages

    Kathy Brennan, Ruby O'Carroll, and Claire Walsh are introduced as the main female characters, each grappling with their individual marital struggles. Kathy is married to kind-hearted but hesitant Jimmy, Ruby to Kevin, and Claire to the abusive Rob, showcasing their contrasting realities.

  3. The Convenience Store Robbery

    One night, Jimmy, Rob, and Kevin attempt to rob a convenience store but are caught by FBI Agent Gary Silvers. This fateful incident leads to their imprisonment for three years, setting off a chain of events that will alter the women's lives forever.

    Where
    Convenience Store
  4. Life Without Their Husbands

    With their husbands incarcerated, Kathy, Ruby, and Claire face insecurity and financial instability. The family struggles grow more pronounced when the women learn that Little Jackie, now in charge, refuses to provide adequate support, deepening their desperation.

  5. Desperation Leads to Action

    Kathy finds it increasingly difficult to provide for her children and decides to confront Jackie regarding their dire needs. When Jackie dismisses their requests for help, the women realize they must take decisions into their own hands to survive.

  6. Empowerment Through Protection Fees

    With the assistance of Kathy's cousin Duffy and his friend Burns, the women begin to collect protection fees, transforming from desperate housewives to local heroines. Their actions instigate a revitalization of their community, showcasing their changing roles.

  7. Retaliation from Jackie's Men

    Tensions escalate when Jackie's men retaliate against Duffy and Burns for their involvement with the women. This retaliation highlights the emerging power dynamics and sets the stage for increased conflict as the women assert themselves in the criminal underworld.

  8. Gabriel O'Malley's Return

    In a twist of fate, Gabriel O'Malley, a former mob enforcer, resurfaces to protect Claire after she is attacked by Jackie. With hidden feelings for Claire, Gabriel takes on the role of enforcer for the women, helping them navigate their growing power.

  9. Confronting Union Leaders

    The women steer their newfound assertiveness as they confront union leaders and organized crime heads. They successfully strike a deal with Alfonso Coretti, solidifying their position in the crime world in exchange for a portion of their profits.

  10. Preparing for the Husbands' Release

    As their husbands' release date approaches, the women fortify their control over the neighborhood. The dynamics shift dramatically, and they must contend with the harsh realities of altered relationships and new threats that accompany their newfound power.

  11. Conflict and Betrayal

    After their return, Kevin, Jimmy, and Rob face a landscape where the balance of power has shifted. Venturing back into their old ways leads to conflicts, betrayals, and violence, challenging the women's authority they fought so hard to establish.

  12. Kathy's Tragic Showdown

    The escalating tension culminates in a tragic showdown led by Kathy, whose ruthless determination towards maintaining power results in confrontation within their circles. Ruby’s hidden agendas add complexity to the already strained relationships.

  13. Testing Loyalties

    As confrontations escalate, loyalties among the women are severely tested, leading to unexpected outcomes in their tight-knit group. The once united front begins to fracture, resulting in devastating consequences for them all.

  14. Kathy and Ruby's Rivalry

    In the aftermath, a palpable rivalry develops between Kathy and Ruby, as both seek to establish dominance in their criminal enterprise. Their contrasting methods and ambition threaten their partnership, possibly altering their futures.

  15. Claiming Their Legacy

    Despite the challenges they face, Kathy and Ruby rise as formidable figures within New York’s underworld. Their journey through crime, ambition, and the costs of their choices unveils deeper themes of survival and sisterhood amidst a dangerous legacy.

    Where
    New York

Last updated: October 31, 2024 at 15:14

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Timeline questions answered

The Kitchen Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of The Kitchen (2019): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why do Jimmy, Rob, and Kevin get arrested?

The three husbands attempt to rob a convenience store one night, but they are caught by FBI Agent Gary Silvers and his partner. This results in them being imprisoned for three years, which sets the entire plot in motion and leaves their wives to fend for themselves.

  • jimmy
  • rob
  • kevin
  • arrested
  • fbi
  • convenience store
  • prison
Q2

Who is Little Jackie and why does he refuse to help the women?

Little Jackie is the mobster who takes over the Irish mafia operations after the husbands go to prison. When the women approach him for financial support, he callously refuses, offering only a meager allowance that is insufficient for their families. This rejection drives the women to take matters into their own hands.

  • little jackie
  • mob
  • mafia
  • support
  • allowance
Q3

Why does Gabriel O'Malley help the women?

Gabriel O'Malley is a former mob enforcer who was in hiding. He resurfaces after Claire is attacked by Jackie's men. Gabriel has harbored romantic feelings for Claire, which motivates him to become their main enforcer. He also teaches Claire how to defend herself.

  • gabriel o'malley
  • claire
  • former enforcer
  • feelings
  • protection
Q4

What happens when the husbands are released from prison?

When Kevin, Jimmy, and Rob return after three years, they find that their wives have taken control of their criminal territory. The power dynamics have shifted dramatically. This leads to conflicts, betrayals, and violence as the men try to reclaim their old positions while the women fight to maintain their authority.

  • husbands return
  • release
  • conflict
  • power shift
  • betrayal
Q5

Why do Kathy and Ruby become rivals?

After the women establish their criminal empire, a rivalry develops between Kathy and Ruby. While both seek power and control over their territory, their methods diverge significantly. Ruby's hidden agendas and manipulations create tension, and their once united front fractures as they clash over how to handle the evolving situation.

  • kathy
  • ruby
  • rivalry
  • power
  • conflict
  • methods
Q6

What happens to Rob, Claire's abusive husband?

Rob is Claire's abusive husband who goes to prison alongside Jimmy and Kevin. When he returns, the dynamics have shifted completely. Claire, who has grown powerful and learned to protect herself with Gabriel's help, no longer lives under his control. The summary indicates the returning husbands face a landscape where the women hold the power.

  • rob
  • abusive husband
  • claire
  • return
  • prison
Q7

How do the women take over the protection racket?

After being rejected by Little Jackie, the women partner with Kathy's cousin Duffy and his friend Burns to start collecting protection fees from local businesses. They become local heroines by helping revitalize their struggling neighborhood while establishing their criminal authority.

  • protection fees
  • duffy
  • burns
  • territory
  • empowerment
Q8

Who is Alfonso Coretti and what deal do the women make with him?

Alfonso Coretti is a powerful organized crime figure. The women confront him and other crime bosses, successfully negotiating a deal where he acknowledges their power. In exchange, they offer him a portion of their earnings, creating a strategic alliance that solidifies their position in the criminal underworld.

  • alfonso coretti
  • deal
  • organized crime
  • negotiation
  • alliance
Q9

What leads to Kathy's tragic showdown?

Kathy's ruthless determination to maintain power and control over the territory leads to a tragic confrontation. As tensions escalate between the women and their returning husbands, along with Ruby's hidden manipulations, Kathy finds herself in a deadly confrontation that results in significant personal cost.

  • kathy
  • showdown
  • tragic
  • power
  • ruthless
  • confrontation
Q10

What does the ending mean for Kathy and Ruby's partnership?

Despite the challenges and the fractured relationship between them, both Kathy and Ruby emerge as two of the most formidable women in New York's criminal underworld. Their partnership is damaged by competing ambitions and different methods, but they each claim their place in the city's dangerous legacy, though their sisterhood is forever changed.

  • ending
  • partnership
  • fracture
  • power
  • legacy
  • new york

Movie threads

More Movies Like The Kitchen, by Mood & Story

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

Crime Underdog Stories with a Power Grab like in The Kitchen

Desperate outsiders violently seize control of a criminal empire from within. If you liked watching the underdog rise in The Kitchen, explore more movies about characters who violently seize control of a criminal enterprise. These films share themes of female empowerment, gritty underworld settings, and the brutal cost of climbing to the top against powerful enemies in similar crime dramas.

  • gritty
  • tense
  • determined
  • brutal
  • uneasy
  • desperate
  • Tone: tense, gritty, determined
  • Pacing: fast, driven by conflict
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative typically follows disenfranchised characters—often women or other marginalized figures—who operate within or on the fringes of a criminal organization. Facing systemic oppression, they orchestrate a daring and violent plan to usurp power, leading to a tense and fast-paced story of shifting alliances, strategic maneuvers, and bloody confrontations.

Why they belong together: These movies are grouped together by their core premise of an underdog's ascent to power within a crime story. They share a tense, gritty tone, high emotional stakes, and a focus on the psychological and physical toll of challenging a powerful, established hierarchy.

Gritty Female-Led Crime Survival Thrillers like The Kitchen

Women navigating brutal criminal worlds, forced into violence for survival and power. For viewers who enjoyed the fierce female dynamics and survivalist crime story of The Kitchen, this list features similar movies with tough women protagonists in gritty criminal settings. Find more tense, heavy dramas about betrayal, power struggles, and the high cost of survival in the underworld.

  • tense
  • gritty
  • oppressive
  • desperate
  • brutal
  • anxious
  • Tone: tense, heavy, oppressive
  • Pacing: fast, escalating
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative focuses on the complex emotional journey of women forming alliances and facing betrayals within a high-stakes criminal environment. The plot is driven by their need to overcome systemic abuse, external threats, and internal conflicts, often leading to a morally mixed victory secured at great personal cost.

Why they belong together: This thread groups movies based on the specific combination of a female-led narrative within a gritty crime thriller. The shared experience is defined by a tense atmosphere, heavy emotional themes like abuse and survival, and a fast-paced plot where the characters' empowerment is hard-won through violence.

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Movies Like The Kitchen

Similar movies to The Kitchen: the same genre, themes or kind of story. Each one comes with its own plot summary, timeline and ending explained.

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Every angle

The Kitchen (2019) Explained: Plot, Ending, Timeline & Characters

Everything about The Kitchen in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning, the ending explained and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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