The Wretched (2020) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

The witch feeds on children, consuming their bodies to sustain her dark powers. In the film, we see her devouring Dillon's lifeless form in her lair inside the ancient tree. She appears to prefer young victims, likely because they are more vulnerable and easier to manipulate through the supernatural means she employs.

Foreshadowing: The prologue in 1985 shows Megan being killed, establishing the witch's pattern of targeting vulnerable individuals.

• witch
• children
• consumption
• supernatural

The witch can enter and control people's bodies, turning them into puppets. When possessing someone, their eyes become cold and distant, as seen with Sara when she stares blankly at Liam. The possession can be broken through violence to the host body, which is how Ben eventually frees Sara by shooting her, allowing the witch's spirit to emerge from her fallen form.

Foreshadowing: Abbie's sudden transformation and decay of her garden flowers hint at the witch's presence taking hold.

• possession
• witch
• spirit
• control

Nathan is Ben's older brother who was kidnapped by the witch years earlier when she took him into the tree. Ben discovers this memory during the climactic confrontation, learning Nathan has been trapped in the witch's lair inside the ancient tree all this time. Ben successfully rescues Nathan during the final battle, and they escape together along with their mother.

Foreshadowing: Ben experiences fragmented memories throughout the film that hint at his lost brother.

• nathan
• brother
• kidnapped
• rescue

The symbol is a marking associated with the witch's dark magic. It appears on the ancient tree where she dwells and was also engraved on the door of the Gambel residence in 1985. The same symbol appears on a photograph in Ty and Abie's cellar, connecting the witch's presence to the family. When Abbie and Dillon discover the tree marked with this symbol, it signals the witch's return to the area.

• symbol
• woods
• tree
• witch

Abbie was possessed by the witch, becoming her primary host in the present day. The witch's influence caused Abbie's life to deteriorate dramatically - her garden flowers died, her skin decayed, and she began kidnapping children to feed the witch. Ty, her husband, was also under her influence, though unknowingly. Abbie ultimately met a gruesome end when she was pulled beneath Sam's crib by an unseen force.

Foreshadowing: Abbie's sudden decay and erratic behavior foreshadow her possession.

• abby
• possession
• decay
• family

In 1985, Megan was killed while babysitting at the Gambel residence. She heard sinister noises from the basement, discovered something horrific eating its victims, and was murdered by Mr. Gambel, who was apparently possessed by the same witch. The haunting symbol was engraved on her door as she died, marking the witch's presence decades before the main story.

Foreshadowing: This event establishes the witch's long history in the area.

• 1985
• megan
• gambel
• murder

Ben and Mallory create a trap around the ancient tree, coating it with lighter fluid and surrounding it with salt for protection. Ben enters the tree to confront the witch in her lair, finding her consuming Dillon's body. After rescuing Nathan, Ben fights the witch while Liam crashes into her with his truck, apparently destroying her physical form. However, the ending reveals this may not have been a permanent defeat.

Foreshadowing: The careful preparation with salt and fire hints at traditional witch-hunting methods.

• battle
• fire
• tree
• trap

The ending reveals the witch has returned, now possessing Mallory. After their tender farewell where Mallory kisses Ben and places a flower in his hair, Ben sees the flower again and realizes the witch has transferred to Mallory. The final shot shows her joining a group of children for sailing lessons, echoing the witch's pattern of targeting children, leaving the threat unresolved.

Foreshadowing: The ambiguous farewell and the placement of the flower hint at the witch's transfer.

• mallory
• ending
• possession
• flower

The ancient tree serves as the witch's lair and dimension where she takes her victims. It acts as a portal between the real world and her nightmarish domain. When children approach it, they hear otherworldly whispers beckoning them. Inside the hollow tree, the witch consumes her victims and holds prisoners like Nathan captive. The tree is central to her power and is ultimately the target Ben attacks.

Foreshadowing: The tree comes alive with an ominous presence when Dillon approaches it.

• tree
• lair
• portal
• dimension

When Sara becomes possessed, Ben attempts to save her by cutting her arm, but the witch manipulates the scene to make Ben appear as the attacker. Later, during the climactic confrontation, Ben shoots Sara, which kills the host body but allows the witch's spirit to emerge. This breaks the possession, though it comes at the cost of Sara's life.

Foreshadowing: Ben observes the telltale signs of possession before the confrontation.

• sara
• possession
• shooting
• break

Dillon was the first child taken in the present day - the witch pulled him into the tree where she consumed his body. Sam, Abbie's younger son, was taken from his nursery and killed, with Abbie discovering the gruesome remains. Lily, Mallory's sister, was also taken into the tree. Ben managed to rescue Nathan but was too late to save Lily, who was already dead when he found her in the witch's lair.

Foreshadowing: Dillon's fear and hiding from Abbie foreshadow his tragic fate.

• dillon
• sam
• lily
• deaths