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

Mary Elnor gained her healing powers by selling her soul to Satan. In 1845, she was accused of witchcraft in Banfield, Massachusetts, and executed for using these demonic powers to perform so-called miracles. These abilities are passed down through her bloodline to descendants like Alice Pagett, allowing them to perform healings in exchange for souls.

Foreshadowing: The film hints at Mary's dark origin early through the description of her as a witch accused of making deals with evil forces.

• mary elnor powers
• satanic deal
• witchcraft
• healing ability
• curse

Alice Pagett is a descendant of Mary Elnor, one of her bloodline heirs. This genetic connection is why Alice possesses the same supernatural healing abilities that Mary used. Mary Elnor's spirit specifically chose Alice as the vessel through which to continue her work of collecting souls for Satan.

Foreshadowing: The revelation that Alice is descended from Mary explains why she was uniquely chosen to receive these abilities.

• alice pagett
• descendant
• bloodline
• mary elnor family
• heir

Father William Hagan was killed because he discovered the truth about Mary Elnor. After finding a book documenting Mary's history with Satan and her demonic miracles, Hagan tried to warn others about the true nature of the events in Banfield. Mary Elnor targeted him to silence him before he could reveal her sinister plan to damn the entire town.

Foreshadowing: Mary's need to eliminate Hagan quickly signals that his discovery posed a significant threat to her scheme.

• father hagan
• murder
• death
• mary elnor warning
• killed

Mary Elnor gains power through people pledging their allegiance to her. Monsignor Delgarde warns that each person who pledges themselves to Mary three times strengthens her connection to the living world and condemns their souls to Hell. The more followers she gathers through Alice's church service, the more powerful and dangerous she becomes.

Foreshadowing: The buildup to Alice's service shows Mary's growing strength as more townspeople begin believing in her.

• soul pledge
• followers
• power gain
• allegiance
• mary elnor followers

Alice becomes deaf again because her miraculous healing was tied to Mary's demonic power. When Alice sacrifices herself to sever Mary's connection to the living realm, she essentially gives up the supernatural abilities she received from Mary. When Gerry pleads with God to restore her life, Alice returns but without the healing powers, and her hearing, which was part of those powers, does not return.

Foreshadowing: The film establishes early on that Alice's healing abilities and her deafness are connected through Mary Elnor's curse.

• alice deaf
• hearing loss
• ending
• miracle reversal
• sacrifice

All the people Alice healed revert to their previous ailments once Mary's demonic influence ends. Since these healings were powered by Mary Elnor's Satanic curse rather than genuine divine intervention, they disappear when the curse is broken. This reversal demonstrates that Mary's miracles were temporary demonic tricks designed to lure souls into her influence.

Foreshadowing: The false nature of the miracles is established early through Gerry's skepticism and the increasingly sinister events surrounding them.

• healing reversal
• miracles fake
• townspeople healed
• curse broken
• illness return

Bishop Gyles concealed Father Hagan's murder because he feared it would discredit the ongoing miraculous events in Banfield. Despite knowing something was wrong, Gyles wanted to maintain the narrative of divine intervention occurring in the town. He believed revealing a potential suicide connected to the supposed miracles would destroy the Church's investigation and the opportunity to validate what appeared to be genuine religious phenomena.

Foreshadowing: Gyles's initial willingness to investigate the miracles shows his investment in their authenticity, making his cover-up more believable.

• bishop gyles
• cover up
• father hagan death
• church conspiracy
• suppressed evidence

The doll serves as the vessel that tether's Mary Elnor's spirit to the physical world after her execution in 1845. Before she died, her spirit became connected to the doll, allowing her to persist beyond death. When Gerry crushes the doll in Boston, he inadvertently releases Mary's vengeful spirit, setting the entire chain of events in motion.

Foreshadowing: The prologue establishes the doll as Mary's anchor to the living world, making its destruction the catalyst for everything that follows.

• doll
• mary elnor spirit
• vessel
• anchor
• supernatural object

Mary kills Bishop Gyles in a rage because he represents the authority that tried to stop her. As the church service spirals into chaos and Alice begins to realize Mary's true nature, Mary emerges from the burning tree and attacks everyone present. Her fury is particularly directed at those who stood against her plan to collect souls from the entire town.

Foreshadowing: Mary's escalating violence throughout the film shows her increasing desperation as her opportunity to claim multiple souls approaches.

• bishop gyles death
• mary kills
• mass damnation
• church attack
• violence

Gerry Fenn redeems himself by sacrificing his reputation to expose the truth about Mary Elnor. Throughout the film, he struggles with his past of fabricating stories, but ultimately uses his credibility as a journalist to publicly declare that the miracles were fake and driven by demonic forces. His willingness to be seen as a liar again, combined with his sacrifice for Alice, represents his moral redemption.

Foreshadowing: Gerry's initial discredit as a journalist creates the tension for his ultimate redemption through honest admission of the truth.

• gerry fenn redemption
• journalist
• truth reveal
• moral compass
• character arc

Alice defeats Mary by sacrificing herself to sever Mary's connection to the living realm. When Alice jumps in front of Mary to save Gerry, she breaks the bloodline link between Mary Elnor and her descendant. This act of selfless love cuts Mary's tether to the physical world, causing her to lose her power and disappear, taking all the claimed souls with her.

Foreshadowing: Alice's genuine goodness and her connection to Mary through bloodline make her the only person capable of breaking the curse.

• alice sacrifice
• mary defeated
• bloodline link
• love beats evil
• curse broken

The Matthew 7:15 quote "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves" serves as the film's moral warning. It encapsulates the central theme that evil often disguises itself as good, Mary Elnor appeared as a divine miracle worker while actually being a demonic entity seeking to damn souls. The ending reinforces that people should be cautious of those who appear righteous but harbor sinister intentions.

Foreshadowing: The entire narrative builds this theme through the contrast between the appearance of miracles and the reality of demonic deception.

• matthew 7:15
• false prophets
• ending warning
• theme
• message

Mary Elnor exploits the religious context by appearing as the Virgin Mary to gain trust and followers more easily. By manifesting as a holy figure and performing what appear to be divine miracles, she lures desperate believers into pledging their souls to her. This deception is more effective than openly presenting herself as a demonic entity, allowing her to build a following of people who believe they are worshipping God.

Foreshadowing: The statue weeping blood and Alice's claims of Virgin Mary appearances establish this deception early in the investigation.

• virgin mary disguise
• deception
• false miracles
• religious manipulation
• spiritual deception