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

Thomas explains that he was one of the cultists who originally kidnapped Gloria five years ago, but he was moved by her humanity and couldn't go through with the ritual. He faked his own suicide to escape the cult and spent years tracking down the remaining members. He kidnaps Gloria again to isolate her from the cultists who intend to complete the ritual under the locust moon. His intention is to keep her away from them, though his method of abduction is traumatic for Gloria.

Foreshadowing: Thomas mentions he was moved by Gloria's humanity during the original kidnapping, which explains why he chose to protect her rather than harm her.

• thomas
• gloria
• kidnapping
• cult
• protection
• motivation

Ruth, Gloria's mother, is killed by Joan shortly after Gloria is kidnapped. When the police officer becomes suspicious of Joan's violent behavior, Joan kills both the detective and Ruth, who happens to be an unwitting witness to the situation. Ruth dies as a result of Joan's attempt to eliminate anyone who might interfere with the cult's plans.

• ruth
• death
• gloria's mother
• joan
• killed

Joan is revealed to actually be Gwendolyn, the leader of the cult that originally kidnapped Gloria five years ago. She orchestrated the entire second kidnapping from the beginning, using her relationship with Gloria as a cover. Gwendolyn is also Thomas's sadistic sister who scarred him with fire, explaining the burn scar on Thomas's face. Her entire relationship with Gloria was a manipulation to get close to her again.

Foreshadowing: Joan hints at something special planned for their anniversary the day before Gloria is kidnapped, which was actually the cult's planned ritual.

• joan
• gwendolyn
• cult leader
• sister
• thomas
• identity reveal

Abaddon is referred to as the "Taker of Souls" in the cult's beliefs. The cultists believe they implanted this demon into Gloria's body during the original ritual five years ago, and that it has been growing inside her ever since. They consider her transformation and the demonic signs to be proof of the ritual's power. Both Gloria and Thomas experience visions of Abaddon as the locust moon approaches.

• abaddon
• demon
• possession
• cult
• ritual
• souls

Under the light of the locust moon, Gloria undergoes a physical transformation that includes growing wings. The cult believes this is Abaddon manifesting within her body as the demon grows stronger. Whether the transformation is real supernatural manifestation or psychological trauma manifesting physically is left ambiguous, but Thomas becomes convinced the transformation is real as the situation escalates.

• gloria
• wings
• transformation
• locust moon
• abaddon

Joan kills the detective and Ruth after the police officer becomes suspicious of her increasingly violent behavior. When Joan pulled a knife on a bystander who seemed indifferent to Gloria's disappearance, the detective learned about her erratic conduct and grew suspicious that she might be involved. In response, Joan murdered both the detective and Ruth to eliminate witnesses and cover her tracks, ensuring nothing stood between her and completing the cult's ritual.

• joan
• killings
• detective
• ruth
• cover up
• cult

The locust moon is the specific lunar event under which the cult performs their most important rituals. The original kidnapping and ritual occurred during a locust moon five years ago, and the cult intends to complete the ritual during another locust moon in the present. When the locust moon rises, Gloria becomes seriously ill and experiences visions, suggesting the demon's power intensifies during this time.

Foreshadowing: Gloria's original kidnapping happened during a night haunted by a locust moon.

• locust moon
• ritual
• cult
• lunar
• demon

Thomas was one of the cultists present during the original ritual five years ago, when the group performed their occult ceremony wearing grotesque masks. The ritual ended with the cultists killing themselves, but Thomas faked his suicide. He explains that he was moved by Gloria's humanity during that night and chose not to go through with the killing or his own death. He survived by pretending to kill himself, then spent years trying to protect Gloria from the remaining cult members.

• thomas
• original ritual
• survival
• fake suicide
• cult

The ending is ambiguous. After Thomas kills Gwendolyn and drags what appears to be Gloria's dead body outside at sunrise, Gloria suddenly revives and attacks Thomas. She speaks in the voice of Abaddon, declaring she will kill him and claim his soul for hell. The final scene shows her transformation continuing to blur the lines between human and demon, leaving whether she is truly possessed, psychologically broken, or something else entirely unresolved.

• ending
• ambiguous
• gloria
• alive
• possessed
• abaddon
• final scene

The movie deliberately leaves this ambiguous. The cult genuinely believes Abaddon was implanted in Gloria and that her transformation is real supernatural proof of the ritual's power. Both Gloria and Thomas experience visions of Abaddon, and her physical changes include growing wings. However, given the psychological trauma Gloria has endured and the manipulative nature of the cult leader Gwendolyn, it's possible the transformation is a manifestation of trauma or a perception influenced by belief. The movie never confirms which interpretation is correct.

• possession
• psychological
• transformation
• ambiguity
• real
• demon
• trauma

Gwendolyn is revealed to be Thomas's sadistic sister, and she is the one who scarred him with fire. This explains the brutal burn scar on Thomas's face. The sibling relationship between Thomas and Gwendolyn adds another layer of the film's themes of family betrayal and manipulation, as Thomas was raised in the same household as the cult's leader.

• gwendolyn
• thomas
• sister
• scar
• fire
• burn

Thomas kills Gwendolyn after she arrives at the cabin, overpowers him, and begins performing the final occult ritual on Gloria. Breaking free from his bonds, Thomas overpowers and kills his sister Gwendolyn to stop her from completing the ritual. He then drags Gloria outside, hoping to prevent her full transformation by exposing her to the dawn. This act represents Thomas's final attempt to protect Gloria from both the cult and his own sister.

• thomas
• gwendolyn
• kill
• sister
• cabin
• ritual