The Super (2018) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Ms. Daigle is targeted because she discovers Brad, her disabled student, acting strangely while clutching keys and reacting to something on a hidden camera feed. The red pencils become the weapon used in her murder, suggesting the attacker wanted to use something personal and accessible. Her discovery of Ann's mysterious disappearance and Brad's disturbing behavior likely made her a threat to whoever is behind the building's dark secrets.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Brad screams at a flashing image on the camera screen and clings to keys, indicating he witnessed something dangerous.

• ms daigle
• red pencils
• attack
• murder
• brad
• hidden camera

The residents who vanish, including Ann, Mrs. Grey, and Julio, become victims of Walter, the building's sinister janitor. Walter traps and kills residents, using the building's confusing basement maze and antiquated furnace system to hide his crimes. The disappearances remain mysterious for most of the film as Phil investigates, until the final confrontation reveals Walter's role as the primary antagonist.

Foreshadowing: Rose encounters Walter in the basement early on, where he warns her she should not be there, establishing his menacing presence.

• disappearances
• residents
• walter
• janitor
• basement
• killings

Walter is the building's janitor who secretly murders residents, using the old furnace and basement tunnels to dispose of his victims. He monitors residents through hidden cameras, particularly watching Brad's room. Walter traps Violet in the elevator and threatens Rose in the basement, making him the primary villain behind the building's spate of disappearances. His true menace is revealed in the final showdown when Phil confronts him.

Foreshadowing: Walter's unsettling gaze monitors residents throughout the building, and he warns Rose not to explore the basement.

• walter
• janitor
• dangerous
• murderer
• elevator
• basement
• cameras

The building was constructed during the Great Depression as a failed savings and loan, giving it a troubled history. Its basement contains a confusing maze of tunnels and an antiquated 1890s furnace, which Walter uses as a hiding place for his victims. The building's combination of affluent and low-income apartments creates an environment where disappearances can go unnoticed.

Foreshadowing: Mr. Johnson reveals the building's origins as a failed financial institution, hinting at deeper structural secrets.

• building secret
• basement
• furnace
• great depression
• history
• maze

Phil takes the superintendent job to provide a stable home for his daughters Violet and Rose after their mother's death. He specifically hopes the position will give him more time with his daughters while providing affordable housing. His motivation stems from wanting to protect and care for them during their difficult grieving period.

Foreshadowing: Phil tells Mr. Johnson he needs the job to be there for his daughters, emphasizing family stability after tragedy.

• phil
• superintendent
• job
• daughters
• violet
• rose
• mother death

The missing master key serves as the story's inciting incident, creating an atmosphere of unease from the beginning. Mr. Johnson informs Ms. Daigle that the key has vanished and all locks must be replaced, which directly precedes the first disappearance of Ann. This event establishes that someone has unauthorized access to residents' apartments, setting up the building's threat.

Foreshadowing: The master key disappearance happens before Ann vanishes, linking the two events.

• master key
• missing
• locks
• mr johnson
• ann
• disappearance

Violet and Rose are revealed to be twins who share a traumatic past. Their mother died, and there was a tragic fire that claimed Rose's life, though somehow both sisters survived. Beverly, who connects with Violet over shared loss, discovers this haunting history. The twins' secret adds a layer of mystery to the family's backstory and explains the intense bond between the sisters.

Foreshadowing: Beverly realizes Violet's tragic past when she learns about the fire that involved Rose.

• violet
• rose
• twins
• fire
• mother death
• beverly
• backstory

Mrs. Grey becomes suspicious after hearing strange noises throughout the building and arms herself with a knife to investigate. She discovers something alarming enough to warrant her grabbing a weapon, but before she can act on it, she vanishes mysteriously. Her disappearance adds to the growing terror and shows that even residents who try to investigate the threats are not safe.

Foreshadowing: Mrs. Grey's decision to arm herself suggests she heard concrete evidence of danger, making her fate more ominous.

• mrs grey
• disappears
• knife
• strange noises
• investigation

Julio, a building employee who tries to help Phil by furnishing his apartment, meets a gruesome end after he enters Phil's apartment and allows the dog to roam free. His death marks another disappearance in the building and demonstrates that even people with some familiarity to the building's operations are not safe from Walter's threats.

Foreshadowing: Julio exhibits questionable behavior earlier, raising Phil's protective instincts before his fatal mistake.

• julio
• death
• apartment
• dog
• building employee

Violet becomes trapped in a malfunctioning elevator that is controlled by Walter, who uses the building's systems to isolate residents. During this terrifying ordeal, she experiences an unnerving encounter on a dark floor, with Walter's unsettling gaze monitoring her. This incident heightens the danger facing Phil's daughters and confirms Walter's predatory behavior.

Foreshadowing: Walter's earlier warning to Rose about being in the basement establishes his pattern of targeting children.

• violet
• elevator
• trapped
• walter
• dark floor
• encounter