Wendigo

Wendigo

Year: 2002

Runtime: 91 min

Language: English

Budget: $500K

MysteryThrillerHorror

During a winter weekend getaway in upstate New York, a family—Kim, George, and their son Miles—finds their retreat turning sinister. While driving in their blue Volvo, they become entangled in a desperate fight for survival when a mysterious and malevolent force awakens. The terrifying events are rooted in ancient Native American legends and seem to be connected to Miles’s increasingly intense and imaginative visions.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline – Wendigo (2002)

Trace every key event in Wendigo (2002) 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

Family escapes to Upstate cabin

George, a tightly wound photographer, travels with his wife Kim and their 10-year-old son Miles to an isolated cabin in Upstate New York to escape the city grind. They hope the winter scenery will soothe the strain of their work and daily life. The drive up is tense, foreshadowing the emotional unraveling to come.

Day 1, afternoon Upstate New York cabin
2

George hits a deer and clashes with Otis

George accidentally hits and severely injures a deer on the icy road. He stops to examine the damage and is confronted by Otis, a hunter who erupts in anger and boasts that he and others have been tracking the animal. The confrontation unsettles George and hints at the danger lurking in the woods.

Day 1, evening Icy road outside the cabin area
3

The cabin is haunted by a dark presence

Upon returning to the cabin, the family senses a dark, intimidating presence that seems to have taken control of the retreat. The once cozy space feels menacing as night falls. The atmosphere foreshadows the supernatural trouble creeping into their trip.

Night of Day 1 Cabin, Upstate New York
4

Wendigo legend introduced in town

The next day, a stop in town reveals rumors of the Wendigo, a cannibalistic Native American monster that can shapeshift and wield supernatural powers. Miles receives a small Wendigo figurine from the shopkeeper, deepening his belief that the forest hides something monstrous. He starts connecting the legend to the strange happenings around them.

Day 2, morning Town store
5

Sledding turns dangerous

While sledding with his father, Miles watches as George suddenly collapses, leaving him lost and frightened in the woods. The forest seems to come alive as the Wendigo pursues Miles, who eventually passes out. The danger of the woods becomes immediate and personal.

Day 2, afternoon Forest near the cabin
6

Kim and Miles confront the danger

Kim, panicked by the missing family members, searches the area and eventually reunites with Miles and the now-troubled George. The trio struggles to make sense of the danger and to decide how to respond to the escalating threat. The woods around the cabin remain ominously silent.

Day 2, evening Near the cabin/woods
7

George crawls to the car, claims he was shot

Back at the house, the injured George crawls toward their car and tells Kim that Otis shot him. They rush him to the hospital for emergency treatment as the true scale of the violence in the woods becomes clear. The fear shifts from the forest into the hospital corridor.

Night of Day 2 House/Cabin area
8

George undergoes surgery and Miles hallucinates

George is taken into emergency surgery for his liver injury, while Miles experiences a terrifying hallucinatory encounter in which the Wendigo assault seems to threaten his father. He faints and later wakes to learn that George has died. The family’s nightmare reaches a new, devastating peak.

Day 3, early morning Hospital
9

Otis kills the sheriff and flees

Otis is confronted by the local sheriff, whom he kills before fleeing into the night. The Wendigo relentlessly stalks him as he drives, eventually forcing a crash and sending him running into the surrounding forest. The pursuit ends with him being struck on a road by a deputy sheriff’s squad car.

Night of Day 3 Local area around town / road
10

Otis ends up in the hospital

Otis is carried into the hospital ER, completing his fraught arc of violence and pursuit. Miles watches from a distance, holding the Wendigo figurine, while the Indian shopkeeper lingers nearby. The film closes with the ominous symbol and the unresolved menace lingering in the background.

End Hospital emergency room

Last Updated: November 22, 2025 at 15:58

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