The Other (1972) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Holland died on his and Niles' last birthday. According to Ada, Holland fell into the old well while attempting to hang the family cat, the same well that had been off-limits since their father's death the previous year. This explains why the well was forbidden territory and why Niles has traumatic memories associated with it.

Foreshadowing: Earlier in the film, the children are repeatedly warned to stay away from the cellar and well areas, hinting at the danger these places pose.

• holland death
• well accident
• twins
• perry family

The movie leaves this deliberately ambiguous. After Holland's death, Niles continues to see and interact with his brother, who appears to guide him toward increasingly sinister actions. The film presents three possibilities: Holland's spirit is actually haunting Niles, Niles is experiencing guilt-driven hallucinations, or Holland never actually died and is physically present. The ambiguity is central to the film's psychological horror.

Foreshadowing: Niles' fascination with the magician Chan-yu and illusion tricks early in the film foreshadows the theme of deceptive appearances and questions of reality.

• holland ghost
• supernatural
• niles psychology
• hallucination
• twist ending

The baby is found dead in a wine barrel after disappearing during a thunderstorm. While the film implies Holland (or Niles acting under Holland's influence) is responsible, the exact perpetrator remains unclear due to the film's ambiguous reality. What is clear is that the tragedy occurs while Torrie and Rider leave the newborn unsupervised during the storm.

Foreshadowing: The missing baby follows the pattern of other 'accidents' that plague the family after Holland's death, starting with Russell's impalement.

• baby death
• torrie's baby
• wine barrel
• tragedy

Alexandra becomes paralyzed and loses her voice after falling down the stairs during a struggle with Niles over the family ring and a piece of blue tissue. While the fall appears accidental, the circumstances suggest Holland's influence may have orchestrated the event, as he had been manipulating Niles throughout the film.

Foreshadowing: Earlier interactions show Alexandra as emotionally distant and overwhelmed since her husband's death, making her vulnerable to further tragedy.

• alexandra paralysis
• mother injured
• staircase fall

Russell, the cousins' son, impaled himself on a pitchfork while attempting to jump into hay in the barn. Niles witnesses the accident while imagining himself as a flying crow. Leno Angelini, a farmhand, becomes deeply distressed and takes responsibility, though Niles reassures him it was truly an accident. The event traumatizes Niles significantly.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Holland killed Russell's pet rat in the barn, showing his violent tendencies and establishing the barn as a place of danger.

• russell impaled
• pitchfork accident
• barn
• cousin

The twins' father died the year before the film's events. He fell into the old well while attempting to hang the family cat, an incident that mirrors Holland's own death in the same well. This family tragedy set the tone for the family's grief and the forbidden nature of the well area.

Foreshadowing: The cellar door had been off-limits since the father's death, and Ada warns the children repeatedly about dangerous places on the farm.

• father death
• well
• perry family tragedy
• previous year

Mrs. Rowe is found dead in her home after Niles and Ada discover she hasn't answered her door. Her death adds to the mounting tragedies affecting the family and community, though the exact cause isn't detailed in the summary. Earlier, Holland had snuck into her house to steal preserves, showing his transgression of boundaries.

Foreshadowing: The break-in incident where Holland stole preserves and left Niles to take the blame establishes Mrs. Rowe as a neighbor connected to their mischief.

• mrs rowe death
• neighbor
• discovery

Ada sets fire to the barn to destroy what she believes is Holland's malevolent influence or presence. After the baby is found dead and the family tragedies continue, Ada pours kerosene around the barn and ignites it, sacrificing the building in hopes of ending Holland's supposed return and stopping the cycle of violence.

Foreshadowing: The barn had been the site of multiple tragedies, Russell's rat killing and Russell's own accident, making it a symbol of Holland's darkness.

• ada burns barn
• kerosene
• sacrifice
• holland spirit

The family ring, decorated with a peregrine falcon, is a heirloom passed down from the grandfather. Holland originally wore it but gave it to Niles after their birthday, symbolizing their bond. The ring becomes a source of conflict, Alexandra struggles with Niles over it, and at the climax, Niles cuts off Holland's finger to retrieve it, viewing it as a connection to his brother.

Foreshadowing: The ring's passage from Holland to Niles marks the shift in the story's dark events, beginning shortly after Holland's death.

• family ring
• peregrine falcon
• heirloom
• niles inheritance

While Holland is blamed for all the tragedies, Russell and the father's deaths, the baby's death, and Alexandra's injury, the film questions whether Holland is truly responsible or if Niles is acting out guilt and trauma. Niles ultimately confesses to Ada that Holland caused these events, but it's unclear whether this is supernatural influence, Niles's subconscious, or a combination of both.

Foreshadowing: The film establishes early that Niles is often caught up in Holland's schemes, blurring the line between the twins' actions.

• holland guilt
• niles responsibility
• tragedies cause
• twin psychology

In the climactic scene, Niles cuts off Holland's swollen finger to retrieve the family ring, acting on Holland's guidance from beyond. This surreal act symbolizes Niles' desperate attempt to maintain a connection to his dead brother while confronting the horrific reality of his influence. It represents the twisted bond between the twins and Niles's inability to let go.

Foreshadowing: The ring had been passed from Holland to Niles, and Holland appears to instruct Niles to take it and continue their 'game.'

• niles cuts finger
• ring retrieval
• climax
• severed finger