The In-Between (2019) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

The In Between is a supernatural idea that the recently deceased may need a final contact with the living within a brief window before moving on. Shannon introduces this concept to Tessa after reading several books about the afterlife, and Tessa uses it as a framework to try reaching Skylar after the accident, believing their connection transcends death.

Foreshadowing: Earlier in the film, Tessa mentions the concept to Shannon before any accident occurs, planting the seeds for her later attempts to communicate.

• in between concept
• afterlife
• supernatural
• Skylar
• ghost

Tessa learns that Skylar plans to travel to Oregon to support his father for the year, which would separate them just as she's applied to RISD and is about to express her love. She interprets this as a sign that she must pursue her own path and find her voice, believing breaking up is necessary for her personal growth.

Foreshadowing: Their earlier argument about Skylar showing her photo in an exhibit revealed their communication issues and fear of commitment, foreshadowing this breakup.

• breakup
• Oregon
• Skylar
• RISD
• decision

The film leaves Skylar's status ambiguous. He appears to Tessa in supernatural visions after the accident, but the ending suggests these may be metaphorical representations of his impact on her life rather than literal afterlife appearances. The mid-credits scene shows them together on the beach in a dreamlike state, implying their connection transcends physical existence.

Foreshadowing: The recurring theme of The In Between and the supernatural elements surrounding their reunion suggest Skylar may not have survived the accident.

• Skylar death
• alive
• afterlife
• fate

The film opens with a traffic accident where two young people lie on the road, the girl barely moving and the boy motionless. Tessa wakes up in the hospital, and the story then unfolds through flashbacks showing how she and Skylar met and fell in love, before returning to the present-day aftermath.

Foreshadowing: The opening scene establishes the stakes that drive the entire narrative: Tessa must choose between holding on to Skylar or returning to life.

• accident
• opening scene
• hospital
• crash

The film implies Tessa has a pre-existing heart condition that has worsened over time due to the emotional stress of her relationship with Skylar and her complicated past. Doctors tell her adoptive parents that her heart needs repair the next day, creating urgency for her decision to escape the hospital.

Foreshadowing: Tessa's chronic health issues are referenced earlier when she's described as someone dealing with serious medical concerns that impact her daily life.

• heart condition
• surgery
• hospital
• health

Skylar manipulates electronic devices to distract the nurses while Shannon helps Tessa slip out of the hospital. He guides them toward the accident site through electronic means, facilitating their reunion on the night of the accident.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Tessa and Shannon experiment with instrumental trans-communication using electronic devices to try reaching Skylar, establishing his ability to manipulate technology from beyond.

• escape
• hospital
• electronics
• Skylar
• help

The Paris vision is a supernatural reunion where Tessa and Skylar appear in black and white, echoing the Robert Doisneau photograph "Le baiser de l'hôtel de ville" that Tessa associates with longing for a moment that might never come again. This vision represents their final connection before Tessa chooses to return to life.

Foreshadowing: The recurring image of the Doisneau photograph throughout the film foreshadows this exact moment of romantic connection in Paris.

• Paris
• vision
• Doisneau
• photograph
• reunion

When Tessa and Skylar reconnect at The Empyrean (the abandoned hotel where they first kissed), Skylar becomes emotionally overwhelmed and shatters a mirror in a dramatic moment. This symbolizes a breaking point in their relationship, the pressure of impending separation, his frustration with their communication issues, and the turmoil of facing an uncertain future together.

Foreshadowing: Their earlier argument about the exhibited photo revealed Skylar's frustration with Tessa's inability to express her feelings openly, building to this emotional outburst.

• Empyrean
• mirror
• emotional
• Skylar
• breakdown

The photograph "Le baiser de l'hôtel de ville" (The Kiss by the Town Hall) appears as a recurring image throughout the film, representing Tessa's longing for a perfect romantic moment that might never return. This iconic image of a spontaneous kiss becomes the visual template for her vision of Paris with Skylar, symbolizing love that transcends time and even death.

Foreshadowing: Tessa fixates on this photograph early in the film, establishing it as her ideal of romantic connection that she hopes to recreate with Skylar.

• Doisneau
• photograph
• kiss
• Paris
• art

Yes, Tessa survives the accident. After her supernatural reunion with Skylar in the Paris vision, she hears her adoptive mother calling her back and chooses to return to life. She tearfully tells Skylar that "love never dies" before waking up in the hospital and later pursuing her photography career.

Foreshadowing: The opening scene shows Tessa lying on the road barely moving rather than completely still, suggesting she survives the accident from the very beginning.

• survival
• accident
• wake up
• live
• return

Yes, Tessa successfully auditions for RISD (Rhode Island School of Design). She presents the photographs she created during her time with Skylar and explains The In Between as a real, transformative window of connection. Her artistic journey and personal growth through the experience become the foundation of her accepted portfolio.

Foreshadowing: Earlier in the film, Tessa receives encouragement to apply to RISD, marking a pivotal moment that promises a future for her photography career.

• RISD
• audition
• photography
• acceptance
• future

Skylar appears to be at the accident scene alongside Tessa, and both end up at the hospital. The film suggests he may have been the other person in the accident, which is why he's able to help her escape and why their supernatural connection becomes possible, he may have died in the same accident.

Foreshadowing: The opening scene shows two people in the accident, Tessa and what appears to be a young man, matching the characters of Tessa and Skylar.

• hospital
• together
• accident
• both