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Warlock (1991) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
1991 · 103 min · English
JustWatch #10,794 21
Directed by
Steve Miner
Starring
Richard E. Grant, Julian Sands, Lori Singer, Mary Woronov, Anna Levine, Kay E. Kuter

In 17th-century New England, a man named Giles Redferne attempts to bring an evil warlock to justice, but supernatural forces intervene and send the conjurer hurtling into the 1980s. Now in the modern era, the warlock begins to wreak havoc, and Redferne must pursue him. To stop the warlock’s dark magic and prevent global catastrophe, Redferne must adapt to his new surroundings and join forces with a resourceful woman.

On this page (6)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Events in order (15)
  3. 3 Timeline questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Movies like Warlock
  6. 6 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch Warlock (1991)

Where can you watch Warlock? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video Free and Plex: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

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15 events in order · contains spoilers

Warlock Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of Warlock (1991) 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. Execution Setup in Boston

    In 1691 colonial America, a grim execution is arranged in Boston, featuring gallows and a pyre. A man distraught over the fate of feral cats loads them into a basket as a foreboding atmosphere settles over the village.

    When
    1691
    Where
    Boston, Massachusetts
  2. Warlock's Imprisonment

    The village elders gather in a prison tower marked with a hex sign, where a warlock is chained and awaiting execution for trafficking with the Devil. Despite being faced with imminent death, he remains unrepentant and defiant.

    When
    1691
    Where
    Boston, Massachusetts
  3. Giles Redferne's Taunt

    Giles Redferne, a self-satisfied witch hunter, visits the imprisoned warlock to mock him about his doomed fate. Their heated exchange hints at an otherworldly intervention that could alter their destinies.

    When
    1691
    Where
    Boston, Massachusetts
  4. The Storm and Escape

    Just as Giles leaves the tower, a violent and unnatural storm envelops the village. The warlock uses dark magic to escape his chains, leaving Giles shocked and desperate.

    When
    1691
    Where
    Boston, Massachusetts
  5. The Devil's Wind in Los Angeles

    Fast forward to modern-day Los Angeles, where a weather phenomenon known as 'The Devil's Wind' causes chaos. Kassandra discovers an unconscious man, the warlock, in her living room after a violent gust of wind shatters her window.

    When
    Modern Day
    Where
    Los Angeles
  6. Kassandra's Daily Life

    Kassandra, a young woman dealing with diabetes, faces the struggle of balancing her personal and work life. Amid these challenges, she starts to form a connection with the warlock, who is bewildered by the modern world.

    When
    Modern Day
    Where
    Los Angeles
  7. Chas's Death

    Chas, Kassandra's housemate, finds himself in a deadly situation when the warlock, captivated by his Scorpio birth sign, violently attacks him. The confrontation ends with Chas's gruesome and untimely death.

    When
    Modern Day
    Where
    Los Angeles
  8. Investigation Begins

    In the aftermath of Chas's death, a police detective begins investigating the mysterious circumstances surrounding it. Kassandra grapples with the repercussions of the warlock's actions as she becomes a person of interest.

    When
    Modern Day
    Where
    Los Angeles
  9. Channeler Confrontation

    The warlock seeks out a spirit channeler to summon dark forces. However, he quickly reveals her fraudulent nature, leading to a horrifying outcome for her when she meets a gruesome fate at his hands.

    When
    Modern Day
    Where
    Los Angeles
  10. Kassandra's Strange Experiences

    Kassandra's attempts to lead a normal life are interrupted by supernatural events, which intensifies her struggle. She witnesses the warlock's sinister power firsthand, heightening her fears and uncertainty.

    When
    Modern Day
    Where
    Los Angeles
  11. Confrontation with Giles

    As Kassandra attempts to escape the warlock's grasp, she encounters Giles, who shares a troubling connection to her past. Together, they uncover the warlock's ominous plans that threaten their lives.

    When
    Modern Day
    Where
    California
  12. Pursuit Across California

    Kassandra and Giles embark on a perilous journey across California to reclaim Kassandra's stolen charm bracelet. The bracelet is key to reversing the warlock's dark spells, adding urgency to their mission.

    When
    Modern Day
    Where
    California
  13. The Cemetery Showdown

    The climax unfolds at a remote cemetery where Kassandra and Giles unearth dark secrets tied to their shared history. As they confront the warlock, the stakes of the confrontation rise, revealing a grim fate.

    When
    Modern Day
    Where
    Remote Cemetery
  14. Final Confrontation

    In an intense showdown, Kassandra confronts her deepest fears and summons her inner strength. As the warlock's plans come dangerously close to fruition, the battle escalates into a desperate struggle for survival.

    When
    Modern Day
    Where
    Remote Cemetery
  15. The Conclusion

    In a heart-pounding twist, Kassandra manages to foil the warlock's plans at the last moment. She buries the Grimoire deep in the salt flats, symbolizing closure for herself and marking a new beginning as she drives away, changed forever.

    When
    Modern Day
    Where
    Salt Flats

Last updated: October 27, 2024 at 22:02

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Timeline questions answered

Warlock Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of Warlock (1991): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

How does the warlock escape from his cell in 1691?

The warlock escapes using dark magic during an unnatural storm. After Giles Redferne taunts him and leaves the prison tower, a violent storm suddenly envelops the village. The warlock uses this supernatural disturbance to break free from his chains and vanish into the storm, much to Giles's shock and desperation.

Foreshadowing: The warlock's cryptic warning to Giles that "Satan may yet save them both" foreshadows this supernatural intervention.

  • warlock escape
  • dark magic storm
  • Giles Redferne
  • 1691 prison
Q2

Why does the warlock attack Chas?

The warlock attacks Chas because he is intrigued by his Scorpio birth sign. In the context of the warlock's occult knowledge, Scorpio holds significance related to dark magic and the zodiac. The warlock violently kills Chas after discovering this detail, viewing it as relevant to his mystical pursuits.

  • warlock kills Chas
  • Scorpio zodiac
  • dark magic
  • Kassandra housemate
Q3

What is the Grand Grimoire and why does the warlock want it?

The Grand Grimoire is described as the ultimate weapon of dark magic that can unravel creation itself. It is the warlock's primary objective throughout the movie. Possessing this powerful grimoire would grant him catastrophic magical power capable of causing global catastrophe, which is why Giles and Kassandra must stop him from completing it.

  • Grand Grimoire
  • dark magic book
  • warlock powers
  • apocalyptic threat
Q4

What is Kassandra's charm bracelet and why is it important?

Kassandra's charm bracelet serves as the key to reversing the warlock's spells. When the warlock steals it, Giles explains that reclaiming the bracelet is essential to stopping his dark magic. The bracelet appears to have protective or neutralizing properties against the warlock's sorcery, making it a crucial plot device in their mission to defeat him.

  • charm bracelet
  • reverse spells
  • Kassandra
  • warlock artifact
Q5

How does Kassandra stop the warlock in the final confrontation?

In the climactic showdown at the remote cemetery, Kassandra confronts her fears and summons her resolve to thwart the warlock's plans at the last moment. Though the specific mechanics aren't detailed in the summary, she manages to prevent the warlock from completing his Grand Grimoire ritual, ultimately defeating him and saving the world from his dark scheme.

  • Kassandra defeats warlock
  • final battle
  • Grand Grimoire
  • climax
Q6

Why does Kassandra age throughout the movie?

Kassandra ages progressively due to the dark spells the warlock casts upon her. Each time the warlock uses his magic, it takes a physical toll on Kassandra, causing her to age more rapidly. This supernatural effect ties her directly to the warlock's dark magic and raises the stakes of the pursuit.

  • Kassandra aging
  • dark magic toll
  • spell effects
  • supernatural aging
Q7

What is the 'Devil's Wind' that brings the warlock to Los Angeles?

The Devil's Wind is a supernatural weather phenomenon that transports the warlock from 1691 colonial Boston to modern-day Los Angeles. This violent storm appears during the warlock's execution and serves as the mechanism for his time travel. The storm shatters Kassandra's window, depositing the unconscious warlock directly into her living room.

Foreshadowing: The unnatural storm that erupts during the execution directly connects to this phenomenon.

  • Devils Wind
  • time travel storm
  • warlock arrives
  • 1691 to modern
Q8

Why does the warlock kill the Channeler?

The warlock seeks out a spirit Channeler to summon dark forces, but quickly discovers she is a fraud with no actual mystical abilities. Enraged by her deception, the warlock kills her horrifically, demonstrating his brutal nature and the danger he poses to anyone who pretends to wield the dark arts without genuine power.

  • Channeler death
  • Mary Woronov
  • fake medium
  • warlock kills
Q9

What happens to Giles at the cemetery?

At the remote cemetery, Kassandra and Giles unearth dark secrets tied to their shared history. The confrontation reveals a grim fate for Giles, suggesting he either dies or faces dire consequences during the showdown with the warlock. The cemetery serves as the location for the climactic battle where the warlock draws dangerously close to acquiring his full power.

  • Giles death
  • cemetery showdown
  • warlock battle
  • Giles fate
Q10

Why does Kassandra bury the Grimoire in the salt flats at the end?

After defeating the warlock, Kassandra chooses to bury the dangerous Grand Grimoire deep in the salt flats to prevent anyone from ever using its dark magic again. This act symbolizes permanent closure and ensures the end of the warlock's malevolent reach. The ending shows Kassandra driving away triumphant but forever changed by her ordeal, now living with the knowledge of the buried evil.

  • buried Grimoire
  • salt flats ending
  • evil contained
  • Kassandra closure

Movie threads

More Movies Like Warlock, by Mood & Story

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

Movies with time-traveling evil like Warlock

Heroes pursue ancient evil into a confusing modern world to save it. If you liked the premise of Warlock, you'll enjoy these movies where ancient supernatural threats are unleashed in the modern era. These films feature a desperate chase across time, pitting a dedicated hunter against a powerful evil that must be stopped before it consumes the world.

  • sinister
  • urgent
  • desperate
  • violent
  • supernatural
  • apocalyptic
  • Tone: dark, desperate
  • Pacing: fast, urgent
Why these movies?

The story pattern: These narratives typically begin with a supernatural incursion into the present day, often through time travel or a long-sealed evil being released. The protagonist, often an expert or someone with historical knowledge of the threat, must adapt to modern settings while engaging in a relentless pursuit. The story is structured around a series of violent encounters and escalating stakes, culminating in a final, costly confrontation to seal the evil away again.

Why they belong together: They are grouped by their shared high-stakes premise of a temporal or contextual displacement of evil. The core experience is a fast-paced, action-horror hybrid with a dark tone, focusing on the friction between old-world dark magic and modern skepticism, all under the pressure of a world-ending threat.

Grim supernatural action horror movies like Warlock

Bleak, violent battles against dark magic with a heavy emotional cost. For viewers who enjoyed the dark fantasy and violent horror of Warlock, this list features similar stories of grim battles against demonic forces. These movies share a high intensity, heavy emotional weight, and a focus on the physical and psychological toll of fighting evil magic.

  • grim
  • violent
  • sinister
  • desperate
  • anxious
  • supernatural
  • Tone: dark, grim, violent
  • Pacing: fast, relentless
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative follows a protagonist facing a profoundly evil, magic-wielding antagonist. The journey is marked by a series of brutal and often grotesque confrontations that test the hero's resolve. The central theme is the cost of victory; even when the immediate threat is neutralized, the ending is often bittersweet or bleak, with lasting consequences for the world and the characters.

Why they belong together: These films are united by their specific blend of dark fantasy, horror, and action, all delivered with high intensity. They prioritize a grim atmosphere, tangible dread, and the theme that defeating ultimate evil requires immense sacrifice, resulting in a heavy, impactful viewing experience.

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Movies Like Warlock

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Every angle

Warlock (1991) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

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

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