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The Contest (2013) movie poster

Timeline

The Contest (2013) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
2013 · 96 mins · Danish
Directed by
Martin Miehe-Renard
Starring
Lado Hadzic, Sylvester Byder, Lars Knutzon, Line Kruse, Laura Christensen, Victor Marcussen

After relocating from the Danish countryside to the diverse Nørrebro district of Copenhagen, Karl and his mother find themselves outsiders. He’s befriended by Sawsan, a confident Danish-Turkish girl who attempts to introduce him to city life. Sawsan dreams of performing in the Danish Eurovision Song Contest for kids, but faces opposition from her father. Karl devises a plan to help her achieve her ambition, navigating cultural differences and unexpected challenges along the way.

On this page (4)
  1. 1 Events in order (14)
  2. 2 Timeline questions answered
  3. 3 Movie threads
  4. 4 Every angle

14 events in order · contains spoilers

The Contest Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of The Contest (2013) 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. George's confession and the wager begins

    George confesses the embarrassing incident to Jerry, Elaine, and Kramer, explaining how his mother caught him with her Glamour magazine. He promises to quit masturbation entirely, a vow he recites in a moment of low spirits. He challenges his friends to a contest to see who can hold out the longest.

    When
    Evening
    Where
    Jerry's apartment
  2. Wager details and odds

    Two-to-one odds favor the women, heightening the risk of losing the bet for the men. Elaine adds a personal stake by putting in extra money to sweeten the pot. The arrangement locks in a high-stakes contest that will color the entire night.

    When
    Evening
    Where
    Jerry's apartment
  3. Naked neighbor distraction begins

    From Jerry's window, a naked woman in the adjacent apartment becomes an irresistible distraction that freezes both George and Jerry in a mix of fascination and embarrassment. They watch in disbelief as the audacious scene unfolds. Kramer slips away briefly, but he returns to stay in the game and cover the bet.

    When
    Night
    Where
    Jerry's window / adjacent apartment
  4. George's mother and psychiatric demand

    George's mother, still in traction, delivers a harsh demand that he seek psychiatric help for his actions. The plea echoes through the room, underscoring the gravity of the night's misadventure.

    When
    Night
    Where
    Hospital
  5. Nurse and curtain silhouettes

    A shadowed nurse bathes an unseen patient while silhouettes drift behind a curtain, feeding George's voyeuristic fixation. The quiet medical setting contrasts with the group's escalating tensions.

    When
    Night
    Where
    Hospital
  6. Elaine's aerobics and JFK cameo

    Elaine dives into an energetic aerobics class that includes a celebrity cameo by John F. Kennedy Jr. After class, she pretends to be a resident of Jerry's building to share a taxi with him, fueling a spark of anticipation.

    When
    Evening
    Where
    Gym
  7. Jerry's frustration and Marla's hesitation

    Jerry grapples with sexual frustration as Marla hesitates to lose her virginity, and the pressure of the bet gnaws at him through the night. The tension rides alongside the others' stubborn inaction.

    When
    Night
    Where
    Jerry's apartment
  8. Sleeplessness, peeping, and cartoons

    As sleep eludes them, Kramer maintains his single-minded urge to peep at the naked woman, while Jerry tries to distract himself with cartoons on the TV. The perpetual wakefulness heightens the night’s absurd complications.

    When
    Night
    Where
    Apartment
  9. George's late-night hospital visit

    George returns to his mother, stalling for time as she begs for a sandwich during sponge-bath hours, a scene that underscores the messy entanglement of affection and obligation. The moment deepens the emotional stakes of the night.

    When
    Night
    Where
    Hospital
  10. Kennedy asks to meet Elaine again

    Kennedy asks to meet Elaine again, signaling a potential real connection that could outpace the night's fantasies. The encounter raises the stakes for Elaine and shifts the mood from teasing to possibility.

    When
    Night
    Where
    Outside building / public area
  11. Marla agrees to have sex; Jerry reveals

    Marla, under pressure, agrees to have sex, and Jerry feels a momentary relief as he reveals the true nature of their contest to her. The secrecy and stakes come to a head as the night progresses toward its peak.

    When
    Night
    Where
    Group setting
  12. Marla recoils; Kennedy consoles and departs with her

    Marla recoils, denounces the entire spectacle, and leaves in horror. Kennedy offers her support and ultimately leaves with her, changing the romantic trajectory for Elaine and adding a somber turn to the evening.

    When
    Night
    Where
    Outside building
  13. Kramer finally gets the payoff

    Despite dropping out first, Kramer somehow hooks up with the naked woman, securing the night's improbable victory in a punchy turn of fate. The others watch with a mix of envy and disbelief as the barbed humor lands.

    When
    Late night
    Where
    Building / apartment
  14. End of night and aftermath

    The group drifts into a rare calm as they sleep, the contest now moot. The late-night coupling between Marla and Kennedy adds a final, intimate note to the evening's tangled drama.

    When
    Early morning
    Where
    Various

Last updated: October 03, 2025 at 10:34

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Timeline questions answered

The Contest Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of The Contest (2013): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why does George quit masturbation and challenge his friends?

George quits after his mother catches him in an intimate moment with her Glamour magazine. The shock lands her in the hospital in traction. Feeling guilty and humiliated, George vows to quit entirely and challenges his friends to a contest to see who can hold out longest, using his vow as a test of willpower.

Foreshadowing: The opening confession establishes the entire premise that drives every character's actions throughout the night.

  • george
  • mother
  • quit
  • contest
  • vow
  • hospital
  • glamour magazine
Q2

How does the contest work and what are the stakes?

George proposes a wager where each participant must quit masturbation, and whoever lasts the longest wins. The women get two-to-one odds because Elaine and the other female participant are considered more likely to succeed. Elaine adds extra money to sweeten the pot, making the stakes even higher.

  • contest
  • wager
  • odds
  • Elaine
  • stakes
  • money
Q3

Why does Kramer win the contest despite dropping out first?

Kramer drops out of the contest early but still manages to hook up with the naked woman in the adjacent apartment. While George, Jerry, and Elaine are all still stubbornly holding out, Kramer secures the physical victory, making his dropping out irrelevant to the final outcome.

Foreshadowing: Kramer's persistent peeping throughout the night sets up his eventual success.

  • kramer
  • win
  • naked woman
  • contest
  • drops out
Q4

Why does Marla leave after agreeing to have sex with Jerry?

Marla agrees to have sex with Jerry, but he then reveals the true nature of the contest, the bet about abstaining from masturbation. She feels used and horrified that she was drawn into their wager, so she recoils and leaves in disgust.

Foreshadowing: Jerry's frustration with Marla's hesitation builds tension throughout the night.

  • marla
  • jerry
  • leaves
  • contest
  • horrified
  • sex
Q5

Why does Kennedy leave with Marla instead of Elaine?

After Marla leaves in horror upon learning about the contest, Kennedy consoles her and decides to leave with her instead of pursuing his earlier interest in Elaine. This leaves Elaine missing his anticipated arrival and ending the night alone.

Foreshadowing: Elaine's pretension of living in Jerry's building to share a taxi with Kennedy creates the setup for her disappointment.

  • kennedy
  • marla
  • elaine
  • leaves
  • console
Q6

Why does George's mother demand he seek psychiatric help?

George's mother, still hospitalized in traction after catching him with her Glamour magazine, demands he get psychiatric help. She's deeply disturbed by what she witnessed and believes his behavior requires professional intervention.

  • george
  • mother
  • psychiatric help
  • hospital
  • demand
Q7

Why is the ending considered bittersweet?

The night ends with a rare calm as everyone finally sleeps, but the specific resolutions are disappointing. Jerry loses Marla after she learns about the contest. Elaine misses her chance with Kennedy. Meanwhile, Kramer, the one who dropped out first, unexpectedly gets the physical payoff with the naked woman, leaving the others envious.

  • ending
  • bittersweet
  • kramer
  • winner
  • jerry
  • elaine
  • marla
  • kennedy
Q8

What happens between Elaine and John F. Kennedy Jr.?

Elaine meets Kennedy at an aerobics class and pretends to be a resident of Jerry's building to share a taxi with him. Kennedy asks to meet her again, creating genuine anticipation. However, she misses his arrival and he leaves with Marla instead, leaving her disappointed.

Foreshadowing: The aerobics cameo sets up the romantic tension that ultimately goes unresolved for Elaine.

  • elaine
  • kennedy
  • aerobics
  • taxi
  • misses
Q9

Why does Jerry struggle with Marla throughout the night?

Jerry faces sexual frustration because Marla hesitates to lose her virginity. The pressure of the contest gnaws at him through the night, and just when she finally agrees, his revelation about the wager destroys the moment.

  • jerry
  • marla
  • virginity
  • frustration
  • sex

Movie threads

More Movies Like The Contest, by Mood & Story

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

Stories of Friendship Across Cultures like The Contest

Stories where unlikely friendships bridge cultural divides with humor and heart. If you enjoyed the heartwarming and awkward friendship between Karl and Sawsan in The Contest, you'll love these movies. They feature similar stories of characters from different worlds connecting, often with a light, steady pace, and a focus on overcoming cultural and personal obstacles together.

  • humorous
  • awkward
  • heartfelt
  • competitive
  • frustrated
  • hopeful
  • Tone: light, hopeful
  • Pacing: steady, character-driven
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative typically follows an outsider or a pair of characters from different backgrounds who form an unexpected bond. Their friendship is tested by cultural misunderstandings, family pressures, or a shared ambition, leading to a journey of mutual growth that culminates in a resolution that is heartwarming but not entirely perfect.

Why they belong together: Movies are grouped here for their shared focus on the vibrancy and challenges of cross-cultural connections. They share a light to medium emotional weight, a steady, character-driven pace, and a tone that balances humor with genuine emotional moments, creating a uniquely uplifting and relatable experience.

Quirky Coming-of-Age Movies like The Contest

Young characters pursue an eccentric dream, navigating friendship and family along the way. Fans of The Contest will appreciate these films about kids and teens chasing unconventional dreams. Like Sawsan's ambition to perform in the Eurovision contest, these movies feature determined young characters, lighthearted obstacles, and a bittersweet yet hopeful tone that makes the journey feel authentic and engaging.

  • quirky
  • ambitious
  • humorous
  • frustrated
  • awkward
  • hopeful
  • Tone: light, bittersweet
  • Pacing: steady, observational
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The plot centers on a young character or duo with a distinct, often artistic or performance-based, aspiration. Their pursuit of this goal drives the narrative, creating a series of comedic and mildly dramatic episodes involving family conflict, friendship tests, and personal insecurity, leading to an ending that values the experience over a perfect victory.

Why they belong together: These films are united by their specific vibe: a blend of youthful ambition, light comedy, and a steady, observational pacing. They avoid high drama, focusing instead on the quirky, relatable challenges of growing up, making them perfect for viewers seeking a humorous and mildly melancholic slice-of-life story.

Every angle

The Contest (2013) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about The Contest in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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