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Timeline

The Inhabitant (2017) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
2017 · 93 mins · Spanish
Directed by
Guillermo Amoedo
Starring
Fernando Becerril, Gabriela de la Garza, Carla Adell, María Evoli, Natasha Cubría, Vanesa Restrepo

Three sisters target the home of a senator, planning to steal money he acquired through bribery. However, their heist takes a disturbing turn when they begin hearing unsettling cries emanating from the basement, suggesting a presence far more sinister than they anticipated.

On this page (5)
  1. 1 Events in order (12)
  2. 2 Timeline questions answered
  3. 3 Movie threads
  4. 4 Movies like The Inhabitant
  5. 5 Every angle

12 events in order · contains spoilers

The Inhabitant Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of The Inhabitant (2017) 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. The curse takes hold

    Tara is plagued by nightmares, murderous impulses, and visions of Lizzie Borden urging her to kill. Her only solace lies in redesigning vintage clothing, a hobby she shares with her mother Emily, who sells the dresses online.

    Where
    Tara's home / town
  2. Murder waves hit the town

    Several townspeople are found murdered, and the police quickly zero in on Tara as the prime suspect since all the victims had issues with her. The killer is even seen wearing one of Tara's dresses, tying the murders to her design hobby.

    Where
    Town
  3. Diane's warning

    Seeking answers, Tara visits her Aunt Diane, who is institutionalized for the murder of her infant child. Diane hints that Emily might be suffering the same curse, suggesting the danger runs in Tara's family.

    Where
    Aunt Diane's institution
  4. Emily's role hinted

    Diane's claim shifts the suspicion away from Tara and toward her mother, implying that Emily could be the true killer. The conversation leaves Tara with more questions than answers about who is truly cursed.

    Where
    Aunt Diane's institution
  5. Trip to the Borden House

    Tara decides to confront the origin of the curse by visiting the Borden House with her boyfriend Carl. The visit is meant to connect Lizzie's seamstress past with the present murders.

    Where
    Borden House
  6. Lizzie's seamstress past

    At the Borden House, Tara learns Lizzie Borden was an accomplished seamstress, which makes her wonder if the dresses are a trigger for the curse. The possibility ties the present killings to Lizzie's legacy.

    Where
    Borden House
  7. Dress investigation

    Tara asks Suzy to fetch dresses from her home to test the theory, hoping the garments might reveal a link to the murders. This plan raises the stakes as more clues come to light.

    Where
    Tara's home
  8. Suzy's disappearance

    Suzy fails to return or respond to calls, forcing Tara and Carl to return home and confront the growing danger. The missing girl deepens Tara's fear that the curse is closer than she realized.

    Where
    Tara's home
  9. Escapes and family truths

    Back home, Tara learns that Aunt Diane has escaped from the institution, and that her mother Emily is the true killer. Tara discovers Emily killed Diane's baby, believing it was the product of incest between Diane and their father.

    Where
    Tara's home
  10. Emily embraces Lizzie

    In a psychotic rage, Emily aligns with Lizzie Borden, convinced Lizzie killed her parents due to suspected infidelity, and turns on Tara. She lashes out at Tara and moves to slaughter her.

    Where
    Tara's home
  11. Confrontation and shooting

    The confrontation ends when police shoot Emily, responding to Caleb's call for help. The dramatic moment marks the collapse of the curse's immediate threat.

    Where
    Tara's home
  12. Aftermath and the curse continues

    As the film ends, one of Tara's brothers speaks to the spirit of Lizzie Borden, implying that the curse still holds power over the family. The closing scene suggests a cycle that could claim another victim.

    Where
    Family home

Last updated: October 14, 2025 at 04:07

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Timeline questions answered

The Inhabitant Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of The Inhabitant (2017): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why is Tara suspected of the town murders?

Tara becomes the prime suspect because all the murdered victims had some conflict or issue with her, and a witness reported seeing the killer wearing one of Tara's vintage dresses. Since she designs and sells the dresses through her mother's online business, the physical evidence directly connects her to the crime scene.

  • tara suspected
  • town murders
  • dress evidence
  • police investigation
Q2

What is the curse affecting Tara's family?

The family believes they are cursed by an ancestor connected to Lizzie Borden. Those afflicted experience vivid nightmares, a growing murderous impulse, and recurring visions of Lizzie Borden urging them toward violence. The curse appears to pass through generations, affecting different family members.

Foreshadowing: The curse is introduced early through Tara's nightmares and visions.

  • family curse
  • lizzie borden
  • nightmares
  • murderous impulse
  • visions
Q3

Why did Emily kill Diane's infant child?

Emily murdered Diane's baby because she believed the child was the product of incest between Diane and their father. This psychotic delusion drove her to kill the infant, which later led to Diane's institutionalization after she herself committed the act.

Foreshadowing: Diane is already institutionalized for killing her own infant, but the true culprit is revealed to be Emily.

  • emily kills baby
  • diane's child
  • incest delusion
  • psychosis
Q4

How are Tara's dresses connected to the curse?

Tara discovers that Lizzie Borden was an accomplished seamstress, leading her to theorize that the dresses she designs might act as triggers for the curse. The dresses become the conduit through which the curse manifests, explaining why the killer was seen wearing one of Tara's creations.

Foreshadowing: The connection is established when Tara visits the Borden House and learns about Lizzie's seamstress background.

  • tara dresses
  • lizzie borden seamstress
  • curse trigger
  • vintage clothing
Q5

Who is the true killer of the town murders?

Emily, Tara's mother, is revealed to be the true killer. She has been succumbing to the family curse and committing the murders while believing she is carrying out Lizzie Borden's legacy. The police suspicion on Tara was a red herring.

Foreshadowing: Aunt Diane hints that Emily might be suffering the same curse, shifting suspicion away from Tara.

  • emily killer
  • true murderer
  • town murders
  • mother killer
Q6

Why does Emily turn on Tara during the confrontation?

In a psychotic rage, Emily fully embraces Lizzie Borden's legacy, believing Lizzie killed her parents because of her mother's suspected infidelity. Viewing herself as Lizzie's spiritual successor, Emily attempts to kill Tara as part of this delusional mission.

Foreshadowing: This psychotic alignment is foreshadowed by Emily's increasing disconnection and the revelation of family trauma.

  • emily attacks tara
  • lizzie borden legacy
  • psychotic rage
  • mother daughter conflict
Q7

What happened to Suzy after she went to get the dresses?

Suzy disappears after being sent to fetch dresses from Tara's house. She fails to return or respond to calls, raising the stakes and deepening the fear that the curse has moved dangerously close to Tara's inner circle.

Foreshadowing: Suzy's disappearance signals that the danger is escalating and the curse is actively claiming victims.

  • suzy missing
  • dress investigation
  • disappearance
Q8

Why does Caleb call the police during the confrontation?

Caleb calls the police for help when he witnesses Emily attacking Tara with a weapon. His call brings authorities to the scene, resulting in Emily being shot and the immediate threat to Tara's life being neutralized.

Foreshadowing: Caleb's presence in the home during the confrontation enables his timely intervention.

  • caleb calls police
  • emily shot
  • tara saved
  • confrontation ending
Q9

Does the curse continue after Emily's death?

The curse persists despite Emily's death. The ending shows one of Tara's brothers engaging in a spectral conversation with Lizzie Borden's spirit, implying the curse remains active in the family line and may claim another victim in the future.

Foreshadowing: The film's final scene directly confirms the curse's lingering presence through the supernatural encounter.

  • curse continues
  • lizzie borden spirit
  • ending explained
  • family fate
Q10

Why does Emily believe Lizzie Borden killed her parents?

Emily becomes convinced that Lizzie Borden murdered her parents because of suspected infidelity by Lizzie's mother. This belief fuels Emily's own psychotic break and her identification with Lizzie as someone who eliminated family members perceived as sinful or impure.

Foreshadowing: The family history of trauma and Lizzie's historical narrative are revealed during the Borden House visit.

  • lizzie borden parents
  • emily delusion
  • infidelity motive
  • family trauma
Q11

What is the connection between Diane and Emily's curse?

Diane was institutionalized for murdering her infant child, which she actually committed in a confused state. Emily, believing Diane's baby was the product of incest, killed the child herself and let Diane take the blame. Both women are affected by the family curse, though Diane's version manifests differently.

Foreshadowing: Diane hints at this connection when she tells Tara that Emily might be suffering the same curse.

  • diane emily relationship
  • family curse
  • institutionalization
  • infant murder

Movie threads

More Movies Like The Inhabitant, by Mood & Story

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

Haunted house movies with a sinister past like The Inhabitant

A home's dark history returns to torment its new inhabitants. If you liked The Inhabitant's exploration of a house with a dark legacy, you'll find more chilling stories here. This thread gathers horror movies where the terror stems from a location's history, featuring movies like The Inhabitant where characters uncover generational secrets and malevolent forces tied to a specific place.

  • haunting
  • uneasy
  • claustrophobic
  • mysterious
  • disturbing
  • generational
  • Tone: dark, oppressive
  • Pacing: steady, methodical
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern follows characters, often new residents or investigators, who enter a space harboring a violent or tragic history. As strange events escalate, they are compelled to dig into the past, uncovering a curse, a crime, or a cycle of violence that the location perpetuates, often putting them in direct danger.

Why they belong together: These movies are grouped by their shared focus on location-based horror. The central threat is the house itself and its history, creating a claustrophobic and unsettling atmosphere. They share a steady pacing for building dread and a tone that is dark and oppressive, as the past physically manifests in the present.

Psychological horror movies about inherited madness like The Inhabitant

Characters confront a terrifying family legacy of violence or insanity. For viewers who enjoyed The Inhabitant's themes of a generational curse and psychological breakdown. This section features similar movies like The Inhabitant that explore inherited madness, where characters fear they are doomed to repeat a dark family history, creating a heavy and ambiguous atmosphere.

  • oppressive
  • disturbing
  • psychological
  • paranoid
  • uneasy
  • generational curse
  • Tone: dark, psychologically unsettling
  • Pacing: steady, slow burn
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative follows a character who becomes aware of a disturbing pattern in their family history—often involving murder, mental illness, or a supernatural curse. The story becomes an internal and external investigation, blurring the lines between real supernatural threat and the protagonist's own deteriorating sanity as they fight against a seemingly predetermined fate.

Why they belong together: These films are united by their exploration of bloodline-based horror. They create a profound sense of dread not just from external threats, but from the internal fear of one's own nature. They share a heavy emotional weight, a dark tone, and often feature ambiguous endings that leave the curse's power unresolved.

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Movies Like The Inhabitant

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Every angle

The Inhabitant (2017) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

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