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Unlocked (2017) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
2017 · 98 min · Korean
Echo score 50
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Directed by
Michael Apted
Starring
Brian Caspe, Matthew Marsh, Michael Douglas, Tosin Cole, Noomi Rapace, Toni Collette

CIA agent Alice Racine is forced into exile in London after a traumatic experience in Paris, where she is reassigned as a caseworker. Her mentor, Eric Lasch, summons her back into service, launching her on a desperate race against time to avert a catastrophic attack. With her intelligence compromised and numerous lives at risk, Alice must team up with ex-soldier Jack to stop a looming biological threat and prevent disaster from striking London.

On this page (7)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Events in order (15)
  3. 3 Timeline questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Movies like Unlocked
  6. 6 Categories
  7. 7 Every angle
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15 events in order · contains spoilers

Unlocked Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of Unlocked (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. Alice's Quiet Life

    Alice Racine leads a solitary existence as a therapist at a London Community Center. Despite her tranquil environment, she is haunted by her past as a CIA interrogation officer and the memories of a failed mission.

    Where
    London
  2. Haunting Past

    Her past experience was marked by a disastrous mission in Paris that resulted in numerous casualties. This haunting memory drives Alice's desire for redemption and her inner turmoil as she struggles with her former identity.

    Where
    Paris
  3. Consultations with MI5

    Alice begins consulting with MI5 Intelligence Chief Emily Knowles regarding a potential return to the field. Her conversations reveal her longing to make a difference and the weight of her past decisions.

  4. Warning Signs

    Alice discovers a plot involving Islamic extremists Yazeed Khalil and David Mercer who are planning a biological attack in Britain. This revelation ignites her instinct to act and prevent another disaster.

    Where
    Britain
  5. Interrogation of Lateef

    Under the direction of CIA chief Bob Hunter, MI5 operatives capture Khalil's courier, Lateef. Frank Sutter pressures Alice to assist in the interrogation, which leads her to important intelligence regarding the imminent attack.

  6. Dangerous Revelations

    Alice exposes critical links between the plot and Mercer during the interrogation process. However, she starts to suspect that Sutter may not have her best interests at heart, complicating her involvement.

  7. Tragic Turn

    In an attempt to warn Lateef about the impending threat, chaos erupts, resulting in his death. The situation worsens when Alice witnesses the murder of her mentor, Eric Lasche, pushing her deeper into danger.

    Where
    Lasche's home
  8. Unexpected Alliance

    After going on the run, Alice finds refuge in a hotel thanks to a burglar named Jack Alcott. Reluctantly, she teams up with him, leading to the formation of an unexpected alliance that begins to uncover deeper truths.

    Where
    Hotel
  9. Khalil's Change of Heart

    Alice and Alcott manage to locate Khalil, who surprisingly claims he has renounced his extremist beliefs. This pivotal moment raises questions about trust and the reality of their mission.

  10. Betrayal Unveiled

    Tensions escalate as Alcott reveals his true intentions, leading to a gripping confrontation. A fierce struggle ensues, forcing Alice to fight for her survival amidst betrayal and danger.

  11. Amjad's Brave Intervention

    During a moment of peril, Alice's friend Amjad intervenes, allowing her a chance to escape. Despite the victory, the costs escalate with looming threats still present.

  12. Rising Stakes

    As Alice collaborates with Emily Knowles to dismantle Mercer's plans, they uncover that sniper John Wilson is a double agent. This revelation raises the stakes significantly and puts everyone in jeopardy.

  13. Devastating Loss

    Alice suffers a crushing loss when Amjad is killed in the chaos. This event fuels her determination to thwart Wilson’s plans and avenge her friend’s death.

  14. Final Confrontation

    The climactic showdown occurs in a warehouse linked to the planned biological attack. In a race against time, Alice battles to stop the catastrophe and confront her tormentors.

    Where
    Warehouse
  15. Path to Redemption

    In a decisive moment, Alice successfully thwarts the biological attack and confronts Mercer, avenging Amjad’s death. Her actions mark a turning point as she reconciles with her past and embraces a renewed purpose.

Last updated: October 27, 2024 at 22:32

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Timeline questions answered

Unlocked Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

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

Q1

Why does Alice Racine agree to help interrogate Lateef?

Alice agrees to help because Frank Sutter manipulates her into it, using her expertise as a former CIA interrogation officer. Although she has left the agency, she still possesses valuable skills in extracting information. Additionally, Alice is driven by her desire to prevent another disaster after discovering the biological attack plot, making her willing to use her skills for what she believes is a legitimate intelligence operation.

  • alice racine
  • lateef
  • interrogation
  • cia
  • frank sutter
Q2

Why does Alice warn Lateef about the impending threat?

Alice warns Lateef because she begins to suspect that Frank Sutter and the CIA have ulterior motives and are using her. After extracting critical intelligence linking the attack to Mercer, she realizes the interrogation is a setup and that Lateef is being used as a pawn in a larger game. Her instinct to protect him stems from her growing distrust of Sutter's intentions.

  • alice
  • warn
  • lateef
  • threat
  • cia
  • frank sutter
Q3

Why does Jack Alcott betray Alice?

Jack Alcott's true intentions are revealed during their confrontation, showing he has been working with the antagonists all along. His initial appearance as a helpful burglar who offers Alice refuge was calculated to gain her trust and potentially extract information about the investigation. The betrayal leads to a violent confrontation where Alice must fight for her survival.

  • jack alcott
  • alice
  • betrayal
  • double cross
  • trust
Q4

Who is really behind the biological attack plot?

While Islamic extremists Yazeed Khalil and convert David Mercer appear to be the architects of the biological attack, the actual conspiracy runs deeper. The true masterminds are revealed to be CIA operative Frank Sutter and double agent sniper John Wilson, who manipulate the extremist plot for their own purposes. Alice's own mentor Eric Lasch is also revealed to be complicit in the conspiracy.

  • biological attack
  • mercer
  • wilson
  • sutter
  • cia
  • conspiracy
Q5

What happened during Alice's failed mission in Paris?

Alice's past as a CIA interrogation officer is haunted by a disastrous mission in Paris that resulted in numerous casualties. The traumatic experience left her with deep guilt and a desire for redemption, which is why she left the CIA and became a therapist in London. The memory of those lost lives drives her constant consultations with MI5 about returning to the field and her urgency to prevent another catastrophe.

  • alice
  • paris
  • mission
  • cia
  • trauma
  • failed operation
Q6

Why is John Wilson working with the antagonists?

John Wilson, introduced as a sniper working with Alice and MI5, is revealed to be a double agent secretly collaborating with Frank Sutter and the conspiracy. His betrayal represents the deep infiltration of corrupt elements within intelligence agencies. Wilson's involvement raises the stakes significantly as Alice discovers she cannot trust even those working alongside her.

  • john wilson
  • double agent
  • sniper
  • cia
  • betrayal
  • conspiracy
Q7

How does Alice stop the biological attack at the stadium?

Alice stops the attack through a final confrontation in a warehouse connected to the plot. She battles both John Wilson and Eric Lasch, who are attempting to carry out the biological attack. In the climactic showdown, Alice thwarts the disaster and kills Mercer, avenging Amjad's death. Her actions prevent the catastrophe from striking the football stadium and save countless lives.

  • biological attack
  • stadium
  • warehouse
  • alice
  • stopped
  • final confrontation
Q8

Why does Eric Lasch turn against Alice and join the conspiracy?

Eric Lasch, Alice's former mentor who initially appears supportive, is revealed to be complicit in the conspiracy to launch the biological attack. He is murdered at his home, but his involvement suggests he was either coerced or had his own undisclosed motives. Alice ultimately faces him in the final showdown, where she turns the tide against those who wronged her.

  • eric lasch
  • mentor
  • conspiracy
  • cia
  • alice
  • betrayal
Q9

Why does Amjad die in Unlocked?

Amjad, Alice's friend and former patient, is killed during the escalating conflict as Alice works to stop the biological attack. His death occurs in the chaos surrounding the conspiracy, specifically when John Wilson and Sutter's plans intensify. Amjad's tragic death serves as a pivotal moment that fuels Alice's determination to avenge him and prevent the attack.

  • amjad
  • death
  • killed
  • alice
  • revenge
  • biological attack
Q10

Why does Alice trust Jack Alcott initially?

After fleeing danger following Lateef's death and witnessing Lasch's murder, Alice finds herself desperate and without allies. Jack Alcott helps her find refuge in a hotel, presenting himself as a helpful ordinary citizen. Trusting him out of necessity, Alice reluctantly teams up with him, not knowing his true allegiance. Their partnership develops as they work together to locate Khalil, until his betrayal is revealed.

  • alice
  • jack
  • team up
  • trust
  • hotel
  • partnership
Q11

What is Frank Sutter's role in the conspiracy?

Frank Sutter manipulates Alice into assisting with the interrogation of Lateef, using her expertise while concealing his true intentions. He is a central figure in the conspiracy working with John Wilson to orchestrate the biological attack. Sutter represents the corrupt elements within the CIA who manipulate intelligence operations for their own agenda, using Alice as a pawn in their larger scheme.

  • frank sutter
  • manipulation
  • cia
  • conspiracy
  • alice
  • interrogation
Q12

Why does Yazeed Khalil claim to have renounced extremism?

When Alice and Jack locate Yazeed Khalil, he reveals that he has renounced his extremist views, claiming to no longer support the biological attack. This twist raises questions about trust and whether his change of heart is genuine or a strategic move. However, the revelation adds complexity to the conspiracy, as the actual threat may come from different sources than initially believed.

  • yazeed khalil
  • extremist
  • renounced
  • biological attack
  • plot twist

Movie threads

More Movies Like Unlocked, by Mood & Story

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

Paranoid Spy Movies Like Unlocked

Thrillers where a lone agent can't trust anyone while racing to stop a disaster. If you enjoyed the tense, high-stakes world of Unlocked, this thread features similar movies where government agents face betrayal and conspiracies. Find other gripping spy thrillers with plots involving compromised intelligence, urgent missions, and protagonists who must operate alone to prevent disaster.

  • suspenseful
  • urgent
  • paranoid
  • high stakes
  • gritty
  • anxious
  • Tone: tense, anxious, urgent
  • Pacing: fast, relentless
Why these movies?

The story pattern: This thread follows narratives where a highly trained protagonist, often suffering from past trauma or failure, is pulled back into action to confront a clear and present danger. The plot is driven by a series of betrayals and reveals, forcing the hero to rely on their own skills and a few uncertain allies in a frantic sprint to uncover the conspiracy and neutralize the threat before time runs out.

Why they belong together: Movies are grouped here based on their shared core elements: a high-tension atmosphere of paranoia, a fast-paced plot centered on preventing an imminent attack or catastrophe, and a professional protagonist navigating a world of institutional betrayal.

Action Dramas About Redemption Like Unlocked

Stories of guilt-ridden heroes finding purpose by confronting a new crisis. For viewers who liked the emotional depth of Unlocked, this thread gathers movies where skilled professionals haunted by past mistakes get a chance at redemption through a dangerous mission. Discover similar stories combining high-octane action with a heavy emotional weight and a journey of personal recovery.

  • cathartic
  • urgent
  • emotional
  • redemptive
  • gritty
  • high stakes
  • Tone: heavy, tense, cathartic
  • Pacing: fast, driven
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern involves a protagonist in a state of exile or reduced capacity due to a defining past trauma. A crisis reawakens their skills and forces them to confront their demons head-on. The external conflict to stop a threat runs parallel to the internal conflict of overcoming guilt and fear, culminating in a victory that provides both public safety and personal catharsis.

Why they belong together: These movies are linked by their central theme of a protagonist's redemption arc within a high-pressure scenario. They share a mix of heavy emotional weight stemming from past failure, fast-paced action, and a tone that balances intense suspense with a ultimately hopeful resolution.

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Movies Like Unlocked

Similar movies to Unlocked: the same genre, themes or kind of story. Each one comes with its own plot summary, timeline and ending explained.

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Categories

Movie Lists Featuring Unlocked

Unlocked appears in these hand-built movie categories. Each one groups movies by a specific mood, theme or story type, with their plot summaries and endings explained.

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Every angle

Unlocked (2017) Explained: Plot, Ending, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Unlocked in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning, the ending explained and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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