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This Night I’ll Possess Your Corpse (1967) movie poster

Timeline

This Night I’ll Possess Your Corpse (1967) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
1967 · 108 mins · Portuguese
Starring
Palito, José Mojica Marins, Maria Del Carmen, Mario Lima, Nestor Alves de Lima, Roque Rodrigues

Shot in vivid Eastmancolor, the film follows the infamous Coffin Joe, a macabre undertaker who returns to the town to resume his obsessive search for the ideal woman. He launches an even more savage reign of terror, with his loyal, hunchbacked assistant lurking at his side, amplifying the grisly nightmare.

On this page (6)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Events in order (12)
  3. 3 Timeline questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Movies like This Night I’ll Possess Your Corpse
  6. 6 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch This Night I’ll Possess Your Corpse (1967)

Where can you watch This Night I’ll Possess Your Corpse? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on Cultpix, Darkroom and Fawesome: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

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12 events in order · contains spoilers

This Night I’ll Possess Your Corpse Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of This Night I’ll Possess Your Corpse (1967) 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. Coffin Joe returns and declares a new obsession

    Coffin Joe returns to the village after months in a hospital, still reeling from his recent shock and blindness. He declares that he must find the perfect woman to sire a son who will ensure the continuity of his bloodline. Bruno the gaunt servant remains by his side as he reaffirms his singular goal.

    When
    Right after recovery
    Where
    Village
  2. Coffin Joe and Bruno abduct six women

    On his first night back, Coffin Joe and Bruno kidnap six beautiful women from the town. He subjects them to a brutal series of trials to identify a woman who shows no fear. While five are imprisoned in a pit below his bedroom, he unleashes venomous snakes to kill the others, leaving Marcia as the chosen one.

    When
    First night back
    Where
    Coffin Joe's residence / village
  3. Marcia is chosen; others die

    Marcia remains unfazed by the horrors, signaling she is Coffin Joe's chosen mate. The other five women are imprisoned in the pit below the bedroom, where venomous snakes are released to kill them. Coffin Joe keeps Marcia as his prize while the others perish.

    When
    Soon after the kidnapping
    Where
    Below Coffin Joe's bedroom (snake pit)
  4. Marcia refuses to sleep with Coffin Joe

    Shocked by Coffin Joe's actions, Marcia refuses to have sex with him and demands her freedom. Coffin Joe relents and lets her go, insisting she won't report him to the authorities. Her defiance unsettles him but does not deter his plans.

    When
    Shortly after the previous night
    Where
    Coffin Joe's residence
  5. Laura arrives and catches Coffin Joe's eye

    Laura, the colonel's daughter, visits the village and quickly attracts Coffin Joe's attention. He invites her to meet him at midnight, and she falls in love with him. The colonel and his sons try to intervene, but their efforts fail.

    When
    Soon after Laura's arrival
    Where
    Village
  6. The brother's bribe and the murder

    Laura's brother attempts to bribe Coffin Joe to drop Laura, but Coffin Joe and Bruno capture him and brutally kill him. The killers later frame the colonel's thug Truncador for the murder. This ensures Coffin Joe's influence grows unchecked.

    When
    That same period
    Where
    Village
  7. Midnight meeting intensifies the romance

    Coffin Joe and Laura arrange a midnight rendezvous; Laura's affection deepens, making the relationship dangerous for the villagers who distrust Joe. The meeting marks a turning point as Coffin Joe's control over Laura deepens.

    When
    Midnight
    Where
    Coffin Joe's residence
  8. Pregnant victim and a nightmare

    Coffin Joe learns that one of the kidnapped women was pregnant, a revelation that shocks him. He has a nightmare in which he is dragged to a graveyard, witnesses Hell, and sees the Devil appearing to be himself. Upon waking, he declares his beliefs even more strongly.

    When
    After the pregnant victim's discovery
    Where
    Nightmare sequence; graveyard
  9. Truncador's escape and ambush

    Truncador escapes from jail and joins the colonel in a plan to kill Coffin Joe for seducing his daughter. That night the hitmen attack Coffin Joe, but he proves fearless and defeats them all, eliminating the threat.

    When
    That night
    Where
    Village
  10. Marcia's death and revelation

    Marcia drinks arsenic after being unsettled by the events and dies. Before dying, she reveals Coffin Joe's crimes to the doctor and the onlookers, exposing his sadistic acts to the town. The villagers, led by the colonel, begin to mobilize against him.

    When
    After the attack and her death
    Where
    Village/clinic
  11. Birth crisis: Laura and the baby

    Laura is close to giving birth, but the doctor warns that only one will survive. They decide that the baby must live, but the operation ends unsuccessfully with both Laura and the baby dying. Coffin Joe is left devastated by the loss.

    When
    During the late stages of labor
    Where
    Village hospital
  12. Final confrontation and Coffin Joe's demise

    Coffin Joe carries Laura's body to a mausoleum in the cemetery; the mob closes in and he tries to escape. He is shot and falls into the pond where he had dumped his victims. In the final moment, a priest urges him to accept God, he concedes, and drowns as skeletons rise to the surface.

    When
    Final confrontation
    Where
    Cemetery/pond

Last updated: October 09, 2025 at 14:04

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Timeline questions answered

This Night I’ll Possess Your Corpse Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of This Night I’ll Possess Your Corpse (1967): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why does Coffin Joe want to find the perfect woman to have a son?

Coffin Joe is driven by a singular obsession to continue his bloodline with a son of superior quality. This stems from his belief that he possesses superior blood and must ensure its continuity. His entire reign of terror is motivated by this goal, which justifies his brutal actions in his own mind.

Foreshadowing: Early in the film, Coffin Joe explicitly states this purpose upon returning to the village after his hospital recovery.

  • Coffin Joe
  • son
  • bloodline
  • obsession
  • perfect woman
Q2

Why does Coffin Joe choose Marcia from the six abducted women?

Coffin Joe subjects all six women to brutal trials designed to test which one shows no fear. While five women scream in terror, Marcia remains calm and defiant throughout the ordeal. Her lack of fear signals to Coffin Joe that she possesses the strength he seeks for his ideal offspring.

Foreshadowing: The abduction and testing sequence directly establishes Coffin Joe's criteria for selecting his mate.

  • Marcia
  • fear test
  • chosen one
  • six women
  • abduction
Q3

Why does Coffin Joe let Marcia go after she refuses him?

After Marcia refuses to sleep with Coffin Joe and demands her freedom, he surprisingly releases her. He claims she will not report him to the authorities, possibly believing her defiance makes her more valuable or simply underestimating her resolve to expose him.

Foreshadowing: This moment shows Coffin Joe's arrogance and underestimation of those he considers weak.

  • Marcia
  • release
  • freedom
  • refuses
  • Coffin Joe
Q4

Why does Coffin Joe feel guilty after learning one of the kidnapped women was pregnant?

When Coffin Joe discovers that one of the women he killed with snakes was pregnant, he experiences overwhelming guilt. This realization triggers his nightmare sequence where he is dragged through a graveyard to Hell, suggesting his actions have consequences even in his own twisted moral framework.

Foreshadowing: The discovery directly leads to the film's most symbolic sequence, Coffin Joe's descent into Hell.

  • pregnant woman
  • guilt
  • snakes
  • Hell
  • nightmare
Q5

What does it mean when the Devil appears as a reflection of Coffin Joe in his nightmare?

In Coffin Joe's nightmare, he witnesses the Devil appearing as his own reflection, confirming his self-perception as a demonic figure. Rather than causing remorse, this vision hardens his belief that his actions are justified and not wrong, demonstrating his complete moral corruption.

Foreshadowing: The nightmare foreshadows the film's final moments and the ambiguity of Coffin Joe's ultimate fate.

  • Devil
  • reflection
  • nightmare
  • Hell
  • self-image
Q6

Why is Truncador framed for the colonel's son's murder?

After Coffin Joe and Bruno capture and brutally kill the colonel's emissary (Laura's brother), they deliberately frame Truncador, the colonel's own thug, for the murder. This calculated act eliminates a potential threat while creating distrust between the colonel and his own man, allowing Coffin Joe to operate with less interference.

Foreshadowing: The framing ensures Truncador's eventual alignment with the colonel against Coffin Joe later in the film.

  • Truncador
  • framed
  • murder
  • colonel
  • brother
Q7

Why do both Laura and the baby die during childbirth?

During Laura's labor, the doctor explains that only one life can be saved. Coffin Joe and Laura decide together that the baby must live. However, the operation ends in tragedy with both Laura and the baby dying, leaving Coffin Joe devastated by this final loss.

Foreshadowing: This tragic outcome represents the ultimate consequence of Coffin Joe's actions, the destruction of everything he sought to possess.

  • Laura
  • baby
  • childbirth
  • death
  • doctor
  • operation
Q8

What does Coffin Joe's acceptance of God at the end mean given his crimes?

In the final moments, as Coffin Joe drowns in the pond where he disposed of his victims, a priest pleads with him to accept God so his soul can be saved. Coffin Joe concedes and accepts God. This ambiguous ending raises questions about redemption, whether his acceptance is genuine or simply a desperate act facing death, especially given the skeletal figures rising around him.

Foreshadowing: The Hell nightmare earlier suggests Coffin Joe's internal struggle with damnation throughout the film.

  • God
  • priest
  • acceptance
  • redemption
  • soul
  • drowning
Q9

Why do the villagers form a lynch mob against Coffin Joe?

After Marcia drinks arsenic and confesses Coffin Joe's crimes to the doctor and townspeople before dying, the villagers learn of his sadistic abductions, murders, and tortures. Led by the colonel who lost his daughter and son to Coffin Joe, the mob pursues him for justice through violent retribution.

Foreshadowing: Marcia's confession directly triggers the village's turn against Coffin Joe, culminating in the final confrontation.

  • lynch mob
  • Marcia
  • confession
  • villagers
  • colonel
Q10

Why does Coffin Joe kill the colonel's son who comes to bribe him?

When Laura's brother approaches Coffin Joe with a bribe offer to leave Laura alone, Coffin Joe views this as an insult and a threat to his plans. Rather than accepting the money, he and Bruno capture and brutally kill the emissary, eliminating the obstacle and demonstrating his willingness to commit murder to pursue his desires.

Foreshadowing: This murder sets in motion the colonel's vendetta and the chain of events leading to the film's tragic conclusion.

  • colonel's son
  • bribe
  • murder
  • killed
  • Coffin Joe

Movie threads

More Movies Like This Night I’ll Possess Your Corpse, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes This Night I’ll Possess Your Corpse tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Obsessive villain-driven horror movies like This Night I’ll Possess Your Corpse

Stories where a charismatic monster's dark quest fuels a descent into madness. If you liked the relentless drive of Coffin Joe in 'This Night I’ll Possess Your Corpse', explore more movies with similar villain-centric horror stories. These films feature charismatic, obsessive antagonists whose dark quests and warped philosophies create a powerful and terrifying narrative force, offering a similar experience for fans of monstrous characters.

  • sadistic
  • obsessive
  • unsettling
  • brutal
  • philosophical horror
  • charismatic villain
  • Tone: dark, macabre
  • Pacing: steady, methodical
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative is propelled by the villain's obsession, whether it's for perfection, knowledge, or power. The plot follows their systematic and often brutal methods, escalating the terror as they pursue their goal, while also charting their psychological unraveling or confrontation with the consequences of their actions.

Why they belong together: These films are grouped together by their focus on a dominant, villainous force whose personal mission defines the story's mood and conflict, creating a specific kind of dread rooted in a singular, malevolent will.

Bleak and macabre horror films with an atmosphere like This Night I’ll Possess Your Corpse

Films that construct a world of inescapable dread and grim, tactile horror. For viewers who appreciated the oppressive, nightmarish atmosphere of 'This Night I’ll Possess Your Corpse', this section features similar movies defined by their bleak and macabre tone. Discover films that build a world of inescapable dread through intense violence, disturbing themes, and a consistently hopeless outlook, perfect for fans of truly dark horror.

  • macabre
  • oppressive
  • nightmarish
  • bleak
  • unrelenting
  • visceral horror
  • Tone: bleak, oppressive
  • Pacing: steady, deliberate
Why these movies?

The story pattern: Stories in this thread often unfold in a world where horror is a fundamental, inescapable condition. The plot serves to deepen the atmosphere of despair, frequently culminating in a bleak or catastrophic ending that reinforces the film's grim perspective, with character fates serving to illustrate the cruelty of this world.

Why they belong together: These films are united by their commitment to a specific, overwhelming mood—one of palpable dread, macabre visuals, and profound bleakness—making the atmosphere itself a primary character and source of horror.

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Every angle

This Night I’ll Possess Your Corpse (1967) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

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