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The Windmill (2016) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
2016 · 85 min · English
Directed by
Nick Jongerius

While traveling through the Dutch countryside, a group of tourists find their tour bus stranded near a mysterious, ancient windmill. They soon discover the abandoned structure harbors dark secrets and a terrifying presence, forcing them into a desperate fight for survival against an unseen force that has waited centuries to be awakened.

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 Windmill
  6. 6 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch The Windmill (2016)

Where can you watch The Windmill? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on Hoopla, Cineverse and Apple TV Store: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

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15 events in order · contains spoilers

The Windmill Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of The Windmill (2016) 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. Mr. de Vries Encounters Jennifer

    Mr. de Vries finds himself in a precarious situation when he discovers that his seemingly innocent Australian nanny, Julie, is, in fact, the fugitive Jennifer Harris. This shocking revelation is marked by a violent confrontation where Jennifer strikes him with a vase, allowing her to make a swift escape.

    When
    Present Day
    Where
    Amsterdam
  2. Jennifer Hides Aboard the Bus

    As Jennifer flees, she finds refuge on a countryside tour bus filled with a diverse group of passengers. Among them are young Curt and his father Douglas, a drug-addicted doctor Nicholas, a former model Ruby, soldier Jackson, and Japanese tourist Takashi, none of whom are aware of the turmoil about to unfold.

  3. Jennifer Sees a Vision

    While on the bus, Jennifer experiences a moment of distress, believing she sees her deceased father on the road. In a panic, she commands the bus driver Abe to stop suddenly, which causes the vehicle to stall and heightens the tension among the passengers.

    Where
    Countryside Road
  4. Jackson's Haunting Flashback

    After stopping, Jennifer and Jackson venture on foot to a nearby windmill in search of help. There, Jackson confronts a haunting flashback of a violent act he committed the previous night, culminating in a surreal encounter with a supernatural figure wielding a scythe.

    Where
    Windmill
  5. Bus Chaos Ensues

    Upon returning to the bus, Jennifer frantically recounts Jackson's troubles, but her warnings are dismissed by Nicholas, who calls her delusional. Suddenly, the bus is rocked by a violent force, leading passengers to flee moments before it topples into a stream.

    Where
    Bus
  6. Curt's Injury

    During the chaotic escape from the bus, Curt suffers an injury that sends his father Douglas into a panic. As a hemophiliac, Curt's condition adds urgency to their search for help, complicating their already dire situation.

  7. The Search for Help

    As they disperse to find assistance, the group encounters an abandoned shack while searching for a miller at the windmill. With uncertainty and dread hanging over them, Abe decides to investigate the windmill alone, leaving the others anxious.

    Where
    Abandoned Shack
  8. Takashi's Inner Turmoil

    Guided by the spirit of his family dog, Takashi wanders off, haunted by guilt from his past decisions regarding his grandmother's fate. His personal struggles reflect the overall theme of confronting one's sins, deepening the horror surrounding the group.

  9. The Mysterious Miller Appears

    The group's fears escalate when a mysterious figure, the Miller, brandishing a scythe, appears. He emanates a sense of dread, amplifying the group's sense of impending doom and adding to the atmosphere of horror.

  10. Discovery of the Death Warrant

    Abe discovers an ancient death warrant for the local miller, Hendrik, executed by the townspeople for alleged witchcraft. This revelation adds to the legend surrounding their haunting experience and foreshadows further horrors ahead.

    Where
    Windmill
  11. Nicholas Faces His Guilt

    Amidst the chaos, Nicholas stumbles upon a disturbing surgical table in the woods, bringing his own guilt to the forefront. This unsettling sight leads him towards a terrifying confrontation with the Mill, underscoring the weight of past sins.

    Where
    Woods
  12. Takashi's Revelation

    Returning to the group, Takashi shares through Ruby's translations that they may be trapped at a gateway to Hell. He warns that only through repentance can they escape, revealing the dire stakes of their current predicament.

  13. Confronting the Past

    As the group faces escalating horrors, Jennifer and Ruby confront their traumatic pasts which haunt their present. The Miller, as a harbinger of vengeance, starts to collect on their sins in increasingly gruesome ways.

  14. Setting Fire to the Windmill

    In a desperate attempt to seal the gateway to Hell, Jennifer and the remaining survivors gather gasoline to set the windmill ablaze. Tensions rise as trust wanes, leading to betrayals that result in catastrophic consequences.

    Where
    Windmill
  15. Cycle of Horror Continues

    Just when it seems they've escaped, the horrifying Miller emerges from the flames, dragging Jennifer back into chaos. Meanwhile, young Curt survives, with Abe ominously picking up new individuals, hinting that the cycle of horror is far from over.

Last updated: October 27, 2024 at 16:46

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Timeline questions answered

The Windmill Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of The Windmill (2016): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why does Jennifer hide aboard the tour bus?

Jennifer is actually the fugitive Jennifer Harris, who has escaped after attacking her pursuer Mr. de Vries in Amsterdam. She boards the tour bus as a desperate attempt to flee from the police and disappear into the countryside.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Jennifer's violent confrontation with Mr. de Vries establishes her fugitive status and desperate state.

  • jennifer harris
  • fugitive
  • escape
  • amsterdam
  • nanny
Q2

What sin is Jackson being punished for?

Jackson is haunted by a flashback of a violent act he committed the night before arriving at the windmill. While the specific details are not fully shown, it was violent enough to attract the attention of the supernatural Miller, who confronts him with a scythe.

Foreshadowing: Jackson's disturbing flashback occurs immediately upon reaching the windmill, revealing his guilty conscience.

  • jackson
  • sins
  • punishment
  • flashback
  • violence
Q3

What is Takashi's connection to the windmill?

Takashi came to Holland to pay tribute to his late grandmother, but he is haunted by guilt over his involvement in her euthanasia. The spirit of his family dog guides him through the ordeal, and he realizes they are trapped at a gateway to Hell where sins must be atoned for.

Foreshadowing: Takashi's personal journey to honor his grandmother contrasts with the dark secret of his role in her death.

  • takashi
  • grandmother
  • euthanasia
  • guilt
  • japan
Q4

What is the Miller in the windmill?

The Miller is a supernatural entity that serves as a harvester of souls and enforcer of divine punishment. He is the spirit of Hendrik, a miller who was executed by townspeople centuries ago for alleged witchcraft. He now collects debts for sins at the cursed windmill.

Foreshadowing: Abe discovers an ancient death warrant for Hendrik, the local miller executed for witchcraft, linking past injustice to present horror.

  • miller
  • henrik
  • supernatural
  • witchcraft
  • scythe
  • soul collector
Q5

Why does the bus suddenly stall on the road?

Jennifer sees a vision of her deceased father on the road and desperately demands that driver Abe stop the bus. Her frantic command causes the bus to stall, stranding all the passengers near the windmill where the supernatural events unfold.

Foreshadowing: Jennifer's vision of her father foreshadows her confrontation with past trauma and the theme of parental abuse.

  • bus
  • stall
  • jennifer
  • vision
  • father
Q6

Why is Curt's injury particularly dangerous?

Curt is a hemophiliac, meaning his blood cannot clot properly. This makes any injury life-threatening since he cannot stop bleeding. His injury during the bus escape creates urgent stakes for the group to find medical help.

Foreshadowing: Curt's condition adds personal stakes for his father Douglas throughout their ordeal.

  • curt
  • hemophiliac
  • injury
  • blood
  • father douglas
Q7

Why do the survivors try to burn the windmill?

The survivors realize the windmill serves as a gateway to Hell. They attempt to seal this gateway by setting fire to the structure, believing destroying it will trap the Miller and end the supernatural attacks.

Foreshadowing: Takashi's revelation that they are at Hell's gateway sets up the desperate fire attempt as the only escape route.

  • windmill
  • fire
  • hell
  • gateway
  • seal
  • escape
Q8

What is the Miller's connection to Abe?

The Miller reveals a connection to Abe during the final confrontation, though the exact nature is left ambiguous. This connection positions Abe as more than just an innocent driver, suggesting he may be tied to the curse or the cycle of victims.

Foreshadowing: Abe's decision to investigate the windmill alone and his mysterious knowledge of the location hint at a deeper connection.

  • abe
  • miller
  • connection
  • driver
  • curse
Q9

Why does the horror cycle continue at the end?

Despite their attempt to burn the windmill and escape, the Miller emerges from the flames and drags Jennifer back. More significantly, Abe is shown picking up a new group of tourists, suggesting the curse continues with new victims, maintaining the bleaku2026

Foreshadowing: The ending mirrors the opening, with another group arriving at the cursed location.

  • ending
  • cycle
  • curse
  • abe
  • tourists
  • continues
Q10

What are the sins each passenger is being punished for?

Each passenger carries hidden sins: Jennifer killed her abusive father, Jackson committed a violent act the night before, Takashi performed euthanasia on his grandmother, Nicholas struggles with drug addiction and likely medical malpractice, and Ruby has her own guilt to confront. The Miller forces each to face their past.

Foreshadowing: The group is selected deliberately, each with sins that align with the windmill's purpose as a judgment portal.

  • sins
  • punishment
  • jennifer
  • jackson
  • takashi
  • nicholas
  • ruby
  • confession
Q11

Why does Nicholas go to the surgical table in the woods?

Nicholas is drawn to the surgical table in the woods because of his guilt over his sins, likely related to his drug addiction and possibly medical practices. The Miller uses this guilt to manifest his worst fears, leading to a terrifying confrontation.

Foreshadowing: Nicholas's dismissive attitude toward Jennifer's warnings masks his own vulnerability to supernatural judgment.

  • nicholas
  • surgical table
  • woods
  • guilt
  • drugs
  • doctor
Q12

What does Takashi tell the group about their situation?

Through Ruby as translator, Takashi explains that they have become trapped at a gateway to Hell. He warns that only those who truly repent of their sins can escape, otherwise they will face the Miller's judgment and eternal punishment.

Foreshadowing: This revelation comes after Takashi's personal encounter with his guilt, giving him spiritual insight.

  • takashi
  • ruby
  • translation
  • hell
  • gateway
  • repentance
  • warning

Movie threads

More Movies Like The Windmill, by Mood & Story

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

Supernatural Punishment Horror Movies like The Windmill

Characters are hunted by a vengeful force connected to their hidden guilt. If you liked The Windmill, you'll find similar movies here where characters' dark secrets come back to haunt them in the form of a vengeful supernatural entity. These horror stories focus on psychological punishment and retribution, often featuring a bleak tone and high intensity.

  • supernatural dread
  • guilt
  • retribution
  • vengeful
  • psychological
  • gruesome
  • Tone: dark, bleak, oppressive
  • Pacing: fast, relentless
Why these movies?

The story pattern: These narratives often begin with a group or individual arriving at a location tied to a past tragedy or curse. As the threat manifests, characters are systematically confronted with evidence of their sins, and the horror acts as a direct consequence of their actions, leading to a desperate fight for survival that often ends in bleak justice.

Why they belong together: These films are grouped by their shared core theme: horror as punishment. They combine supernatural elements with deep psychological dread, creating a viewing experience that is as much about internal guilt as external threat. The tone is consistently dark, and the pacing is often fast and relentless.

Claustrophobic Group Survival Horror Movies like The Windmill

A diverse group is isolated and hunted in a confined, hostile location. This list features movies similar to The Windmill, where a tour group or ensemble cast becomes stranded in a confined space and must fight for survival against a relentless force. Fans of fast-paced, anxious, and gruesome horror will find more films with this gripping, trapped narrative.

  • claustrophobic
  • anxious
  • desperate
  • gruesome
  • paranoid
  • isolation
  • Tone: tense, dark, anxious
  • Pacing: fast, chaotic
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern involves a group—often strangers—becoming isolated in a specific location (a bus, a building, an island). An external force, whether supernatural or human, begins hunting them. The story unfolds through a series of escalating attacks, testing the group's cohesion and revealing hidden character flaws as their numbers dwindle.

Why they belong together: These movies share a core structure and mood. They create an intense, anxious experience through claustrophobic settings, fast pacing, and the constant threat of death. The focus is on primal survival, group paranoia, and the visceral fear of being hunted in a place with no escape.

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Movies Like The Windmill

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Every angle

The Windmill (2016) Explained: Plot, Ending, Timeline & Characters

Everything about The Windmill 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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