Unforgettable

Unforgettable

Year: 1996

Runtime: 116 mins

Language: English

Director: John Dahl

Science FictionThrillerMysteryThrillers and murder mysteriesSuspenseful crime thrillers

After his wife’s murder, Seattle medical examiner David Krane refuses to let her memory fade, hoping it will reveal her killer. When a neurobiology professor offers an experimental serum that can transfer memories between people, Krane sees a chance to solve the case—though the procedure carries deadly risks and could cost him his own sanity.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline – Unforgettable (1996)

Trace every key event in Unforgettable (1996) with our detailed, chronological timeline. Perfect for unpacking nonlinear stories, spotting hidden connections, and understanding how each scene builds toward the film’s climax. Whether you're revisiting or decoding for the first time, this timeline gives you the full picture.

1

Murder at the drug store connects Krane to Mary

During a violent drug store robbery, a woman is killed. Dr. David Krane, Seattle Medical Examiner, finds a matchbook at the scene that resembles one found at his wife Mary's murder, convincing him that the same killer is behind both crimes. He resolves to pursue the killer using every clue he can find.

Opening sequence Seattle drug store
2

Briggs develops a memory-transfer serum

Dr. Martha Briggs has created a serum that can transfer memories via cerebrospinal fluid. Krane offers to volunteer to experience memories himself, hoping to uncover the killer’s identity. Briggs refuses, warning of dangerous side effects and ethical issues.

3

Krane steals Mary's CSF and breaks into Briggs' office

Krane retrieves a CSF sample from Mary's autopsy and then breaks into Briggs' office to steal her serum. He takes the serum at home and experiences a memory flash of the night of Mary's murder, but the killer’s face remains unseen. The vision convinces him that the memory contains crucial clues if he can access more data.

4

Krane injects serum; memory flash of murder night

Krane injects the serum at his home and relives fragments of the murder night. He sees a memory but cannot identify the killer’s face, leaving him determined to keep searching. The experience begins to take a physical toll as the obsession grows.

Krane's house
5

Using the serum reveals the killer's face

Using the serum on the CSF from the drug-store victim, Krane finally sees the killer's face. With a police sketch artist, he translates the vision into a likeness that could unlock the case. The breakthrough pushes the investigation forward but deepens Krane’s personal peril.

Forensic lab
6

Briggs confronts Krane about theft and risks

Briggs confronts Krane about stealing her serum and questions his judgment. She worries about the serum’s side effects and the damage it is causing Krane’s heart. The confrontation strains their professional and personal relationship.

Briggs' laboratory/office
7

Curtis Avery identifies Eddie Dutton

Curtis Avery analyzes memory-derived data and identifies Eddie Dutton as a suspect with a criminal history. He provides Krane with Eddie’s last known address at a motel. The new lead sets Krane on a direct pursuit of the killer.

Krane's lab; motel
8

Krane confronts Eddie at the motel

Krane travels to Eddie’s motel and has an overreaction when confronted. In the ensuing chase, Krane ends up with Eddie’s gun and follows him toward a church. Eddie seizes a hostage with a knife, prompting a tense standoff with the police.

Motel; church
9

Eddie is shot by the police

Police arrive as Krane tries to talk Eddie down while keeping others safe. Detective Don Bresler shoots Eddie dead to prevent further violence. The incident reinforces Krane’s sense that his pursuit is spiraling out of control.

Church
10

Krane is fired and steals Eddie's CSF

Due to his erratic behavior, Krane is fired from his medical examiner duties. He later sneaks into the autopsy room and steals a sample of Eddie’s CSF to fuel his next memory experiment. The theft marks a turning point as he prioritizes memory quests over professional boundaries.

Hospital morgue
11

Second memory session reveals Mary's secret

Krane uses the Eddie CSF and experiences a flash of Mary with another man. In the vision, his emotions erupt and he almost chokes Briggs, realizing someone had seen him return home the night Mary died. Briggs administers nitroglycerin as Krane explains Eddie didn’t kill Mary and reflects on his own failings and Mary’s pregnancy.

Briggs' lab/office
12

DNA test shows the baby isn't Krane's

The next morning, Briggs has Curtis run a DNA paternity test on Krane. The paternity result shows that the baby Mary carried was not Krane’s. This revelation shatters Krane’s certainty and deepens his emotional turmoil.

Morning Briggs' lab
13

Krane confronts Mary’s sister; more memories, heart trouble

Krane confronts Mary’s sister Kelly, who reveals Mary was having an affair with a detective. As he probes, Krane experiences more of Eddie’s memories and suffers a heart attack. He is rushed to the hospital, where the merged memories of Mary’s murder overwhelm him.

Mary's sister's home; hospital
14

Bodner link emerges; Bodner’s CSF tested

Stewart Gleick suggests Detective Bodner may be the father of Mary’s child. Krane and Briggs go to a hospice to obtain Bodner’s CSF and use the memory serum to confirm Mary’s affair with Bodner. The revelation ties together new emotional and investigative threads as Bresler’s corruption remains in question.

Hospice
15

Fire, confession, and the coma; ending resolve

Bresler arrives to kill Krane and Briggs by starting a fire at the house. Kelly arrives with Krane’s kids, and Krane defeats Bresler, saving Briggs and recovering Bresler’s confession on a microcassette recorder. Krane ends up in a coma, imagining life with Mary, and a doctor explains the coma is due to his mental state, signaling that he has let go and may return to his kids in real life.

Krane's home; hospital

Last Updated: October 05, 2025 at 12:39

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