The Night (2021) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Owen was being tormented by a demonic entity called 'Nothing' that had been trying to convince him to kill Beth so she would return to it. The entity had been pursuing Beth ever since she experienced 'nothing' during her near-death experience in the car accident. Owen fought against this destiny but ultimately succumbed to the pressure, taking his own life while leaving behind a cryptic note trying to warn Beth about what was after her.

• owen
• suicide
• death
• motive
• demon

Owen's note reads 'There is nothing. Nothing is after you. You're safe now.' The phrase 'Nothing' refers to the demonic entity that confronted Beth during her four-minute clinical death and has been pursuing her ever since. Owen was trying to tell Beth that the entity (nothingness itself) was after her, and by taking his own life, he believed he was protecting her from it, at least temporarily.

• suicide note
• owen
• message
• nothing
• meaning

The reverse house is a mirrored version of Beth and Owen's lake house that Owen built in secret. It exists in a liminal space connected to the demon 'Nothing.' Owen constructed it as a way to trap or deceive the darkness, attempting to create a false location to protect Beth. The house appears empty and unfinished because it exists outside normal reality, though ghostly figures of Owen's victims appear there.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Beth discovers floor plans for a reversed version of their house among Owen's belongings.

• reverse house
• mirrored house
• lake
• occult
• building

Owen was being manipulated by the demon 'Nothing.' The entity was attempting to use these women as substitutes for Beth, trying to fulfill a twisted purpose. Owen's killings were a result of his being controlled or influenced by the darkness while he was caught between resisting the demon's demands and trying to protect his wife. The women all resembled Beth because the demon was fixated on bringing Beth to it.

• owen
• murders
• victims
• women
• resemblance
• beth

'Nothing' is a demonic entity that exists in the void between life and death. It is literally the nothingness Beth experienced during her four-minute clinical death in the car accident. The entity feeds on souls and has been pursuing Beth ever since, wanting her to join it. It tried to convince Owen to kill Beth so she would return to it, and when that failed, it turned its attention to manipulating Beth directly.

Foreshadowing: Beth reveals she once died for four minutes in a car accident and encountered 'nothing' during that time.

• nothing
• demon
• entity
• void
• afterlife
• supernatural

Owen built the reverse house as a desperate attempt to trap or deceive the demon. Understanding that the entity was after Beth, he tried to create a false version of their home in an attempt to mislead the darkness and keep her safe. The house served as both a physical manifestation of his efforts to fight the supernatural threat and a location where the demon could potentially be contained or diverted.

• owen
• reverse house
• construction
• protection
• demon

During a car accident, Beth clinically died for four minutes. In that moment, she encountered 'nothing', which is actually the demonic entity. Since then, the demon has been pursuing her, trying to bring her back to it. This connection is why the entity targeted Owen, attempting to manipulate him into killing Beth so she would return to the void it represents.

Foreshadowing: Beth reveals her near-death experience during a night out with Claire, explaining what she saw when she died for four minutes.

• near death experience
• car accident
• nothing
• demon
• connection

Madelyne revealed that Owen had invited her to the reverse house. During what seemed like an intimate moment, Owen suddenly attacked her and tried to choke her. Frightened for her life, Madelyne escaped. This encounter confirmed for Beth that Owen had been involved with multiple women who resembled her, though Madelyne denied any affair, stating she was just another victim Owen had targeted.

• madelyne
• owen
• attack
• choke
• encounter

Beth discovered multiple bodies hidden beneath the floorboards of the reverse house. These were the corpses of women Owen had murdered, victims who all bore a striking resemblance to Beth. This horrifying discovery revealed the true extent of Owen's secret violent life and confirmed that he had been systematically killing women who looked like his wife.

• bodies
• floorboards
• reverse house
• victims
• discovery
• horror

The demon 'Nothing' wants Beth to commit suicide because that's how it can claim her soul. Having encountered the void during her near-death experience, Beth belongs to the entity. By having Owen kill Beth (and later trying to have Beth kill herself), the demon attempts to bring her back to the nothingness it represents. When Owen resisted, the demon directly targeted Beth to achieve its goal.

• demon
• suicide
• nothing
• beth
• trap
• soul

Claire arrives at the lake after discovering signs of a struggle at the house. She finds Beth drifting in a boat with the gun Owen used to kill himself, apparently in a trance and about to shoot herself. Claire's urgent shouts and desperate pleas break through Beth's hypnotic state, pulling her back from the edge. She physically rescues Beth from the boat and brings her back to safety on the dock.

• claire
• rescue
• boat
• beth
• save
• ending

When Beth says 'it's nothing' while looking at the boat, she is beginning to conquer her grief and the demon's influence. By acknowledging 'nothing' without succumbing to it, Beth asserts her victory over the entity. The phrase represents her refusal to let the demon's void consume her any longer, she chooses to live rather than give in to the despair that 'nothing' represents.

• ending
• nothing
• beth
• grief
• closure
• meaning

Owen began sleepwalking approximately a year before his death because of the demon's influence. The entity was actively manipulating him, trying to use him as a vessel to bring about Beth's death. The sleepwalking episodes were a symptom of the supernatural pressure Owen was under as 'Nothing' demanded he kill his wife. Beth even wondered if her own emotional struggles had contributed to his condition.

Foreshadowing: Beth mentions that Owen had begun sleepwalking about a year ago and raises concerns about whether her own emotional state affected him.

• sleepwalking
• owen
• demon
• influence
• mental state

The statue Beth discovers is a voodoo doll connected to Owen's occult research. It represents the demonic rituals and practices Owen was studying in an attempt to fight or contain the entity. The statue is an occult object used in attempts to trap demonic forces, though Owen's efforts ultimately proved insufficient to stop 'Nothing' from pursuing him and Beth.

• voodoo doll
• statue
• owen
• occult
• research
• demon