Vibes

Vibes

Year: 1988

Runtime: 99 mins

Language: English

Director: Ken Kwapis

ComedyActionRomanceCrude humor and satireRelationship comedy

Medium Sylvia Pickel and psychometrist Nick Deezy meet at a New York psychic research center. They are hired by billionaire Harry Buscafusco, who pays $50,000 to locate his missing son deep in the Incan heartland of South America. Their search uncovers an ancient secret and sparks an unexpected romance.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline – Vibes (1988)

Trace every key event in Vibes (1988) 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

Origin of Sylvia's abilities

At age 12, a fall from a ladder left Sylvia in a two-week coma. When she awoke, she began communicating with a spirit guide named Louise, marking the birth of her trance-medium abilities.

Age 12 Childhood home / hospital
2

Louise trains Sylvia in astral projection

Louise teaches Sylvia astral projection while she is placed in special homes for being 'different.' These early years forge the bond that will guide her future abilities and relationships.

Post-age 12 Various care homes
3

Sylvia meets Nick Deezy at a psychic study

During a study of psychics, Sylvia meets fellow psychic Nick Deezy, a psychometrist who can read the history of events surrounding objects. Her flirtatious demeanor clashes with his skepticism, setting up initial tension between them.

Early career Study of psychics
4

Harry hires Sylvia; Nick is recruited

Harry Buscafusco hires Sylvia for $50,000 to accompany him to Ecuador in search of his missing son. Sylvia brings Nick along, who is reluctant but curious about the opportunity to leave his current job behind.

Present Sylvia's apartment
5

Trip to Ecuador; initial plan revealed

The group heads toward the last known location of Harry's son, but Nick's powers tell him that Harry is pursuing something far more dangerous. The mission shifts from a rescue to an expedition for a rumored lost city in the mountains.

During the trip En route to Ecuador (mountains)
6

Harry's true motive exposed

Harry confesses that his real goal is a legendary city of gold in the mountains, and that his former partner who found it went insane. Nick retreats with Sylvia to the hotel, feeling foolish for having been misled.

After the confession Mountains / hotel
7

Hotel attack prompts renewed trek

Back at the hotel, a mysterious woman tries to drug and stab Nick, signaling the rising danger around them. Realizing something significant is at stake, the trio resolves to trek back into the mountains to continue the search.

Immediately after attack Hotel
8

Detour to visit the former partner

A detour brings them to Harry's former partner, now vegetative in a hospital. When Nick touches him, he receives a jolt of psychic energy and the partner dies on the spot, underscoring the peril of their powers.

During detour Vegetative hospital
9

Ingo Swedlin's ambush and escape

Ingo Swedlin, another psychic from their test group, ambushes the trio, taking them hostage at gunpoint. Sylvia uses Louise to reach Ingo's long-lost mother, enabling a narrow escape.

After detour Highland pass / road
10

Pursuit leads to capture and forced journey

The trio resumes their ascent but is confronted by Ingo and Doctor Harrison Steele. In a brutal turn, Ingo kills Harry and the remaining two are captured, forced to continue toward the rumored city.

Following escape Mountains
11

Arrival at the pyramid and deciphering carvings

They reach an ancient pyramid-shaped structure with mystical carvings. Sylvia translates the inscriptions, revealing that the site was built by an alien race that imbued the pyramid with psychic energy.

Arrival Mountain pyramid
12

Power surges; danger and near death

Nick touches the pyramid and learns the Incan civilization was destroyed by using the pyramid's power on each other. As Ingo presses to decipher how to harness the energy, Sylvia lays hands on the pyramid and channels the dangerous forces through herself, fighting off their captors.

During Pyramid chamber
13

Louise sacrifices herself; Sylvia loses her guide

Sylvia's exertion saves them, but Louise sacrifices herself to protect Sylvia and Nick. The act costs Sylvia her ongoing connection to her spirit guide, a loss that haunts her going forward.

During Pyramid chamber
14

Return to hotel; romance rekindles with a twist

Battered but grateful to be alive, Sylvia and Nick return to the hotel and reconnect romantically. As they ease into their closeness, a headboard impact reveals that a new spirit guide has entered Sylvia's life—Harry rather than Louise.

Night Sylvia's hotel room

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 14:34

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Vibes Summary

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Vibes Summary

Characters, Settings & Themes in Vibes

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Characters, Settings & Themes in Vibes

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