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Paranoid

Paranoid 2000

Directed by

Ash Smith

Ash Smith

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Paranoid Plot Summary

Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for Paranoid (2000). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.


The film opens at a glamorous fashion show where Chloe Keene confidently holds the spotlight on the catwalk, a moment that underscores the high-octane world she navigates as a model. She returns home to her boyfriend Toby and recounts a thrilling time in New York, only for the phone to ring with no one on the other end. The unsettled feeling she carries lingers as she tells a friend she will change her number, hoping to sever that eerie line of contact.

Later, Chloe heads to a photo shoot and runs into Ned, who is not just a manager of her career but also a romantic partner in a complicated web. Ned suggests a reunion of his former band, and Chloe agrees to go, all the while fabricating a casual lie about visiting someone in Brighton to explain her absence. The road trip to the reunion is long and quiet, and Chloe, exhausted from pills she has taken, falls asleep in the car and only awakens when they arrive.

The reunion unfolds in a charged atmosphere. Stan, his wife Rachel, their daughter Theresa who cannot hear, and Stan’s brother Gordon are in attendance, with Gordon filming the gathering. The energy shifts as Eve, Ned’s wife, arrives and introduces a sharp, pointed contempt that ends with her injuring Chloe’s hand on a broken glass. Eve makes a chilling remark, confessing a desire for Chloe to bleed to death, setting a tone of menace that looms over the night.

Outside, Stan later persuades Chloe to stay for the night, claiming that everyone else has gone. Inside the house, the conversation turns intimate as Rachel asks Chloe about the realities of photoshoots, and Chloe admits she often pretends during them. After Chloe steps out of the bath, she discovers that the handcuffs Ned had given her lie on the bed, a grim reminder of how entangled she has become. A strange noise draws her attention, and when she investigates, Stan returns her to the bedroom and drugs her, sending her back into an exhausted, drugged sleep.

The next moment is a blur of fear. Chloe awakens, calls a friend who abruptly hangs up, and then sneaks downstairs where she finds Gordon watching the earlier tapes of the party. He goes to bed, but she takes a file of the footage and watches herself being assaulted on camera. As she tries to escape through the window, a car outside with Stan behind the wheel appears, and she collapses in fear at the sight.

Chloe is found in the basement, handcuffed to the bed. Meanwhile, the silent stalker Clive continues to phonenumber her, a thread that weaves tension through the night. Theresa discovers the incriminating tapes and creates a poster to report the events to the police, but the authorities laugh off the pleas. Rachel, in a bid to protect their secret, tries to hide the phone in a shed.

Clive makes his way toward the house, and Rachel moves to keep him away. Chloe’s phone rings, and Clive winds his way toward the source, realizing the shed holds the clue to her location. The police are eventually alerted, and Theresa manages to find Chloe but cannot undo the cuffs in time. Ned proposes a grim plan to create a taped version of Chloe enjoying herself, in case she ever reveals the truth to the authorities.

Stan and Gordon decide Chloe must be killed, and they drive away with her, unaware that Clive is tailing them. Ned warns Rachel that going forward with their plan would make them accessories to murder. Upstairs, Theresa uses a chair to break a window and escapes just as the police arrive. Ned helps Chloe into a police car and orders the others to flee.

Back at the house, Clive sits at dinner and glances out the window, spotting Chloe returning home. She dials Toby and hears him playing the saxophone, a haunting reminder of the life she leads. After she ends the call, the final truth is revealed: Toby is not just a former partner but also another stalker watching Chloe from the shadows.

Paranoid Timeline

Follow the complete movie timeline of Paranoid (2000) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.


Fashion show opening

Chloe takes the catwalk at a high-profile fashion show, soaking up the spotlight as the cameras flash. She later returns home to Toby and recounts having a great time in New York. A phone rings in the quiet house with no answer, making her decide she should change her number.

Fashion show

Home chat with Toby

Back at home, Chloe tells Toby about New York and how great it was. The unanswered call lingers in the room, unsettling her and prompting a plan to change her number. The moment sets a tone of secrecy around her relationships.

Chloe's home

Ned introduces the reunion

At a photography shoot, Chloe runs into Ned, who is her other boyfriend. He casually offers to take her to a reunion of his former band, hinting it will be a memorable night. She agrees, moving toward the possibility of a new twist in her social circle.

Photography shoot

Brighton lie

Chloe lies to Toby, telling him she will visit someone in Brighton, a fabrication intended to cover her tracks. The lie deepens her web of deceit and fuels the upcoming tension. She also prepares for the night ahead without fully understanding what awaits.

Chloe's home

Journey to the reunion

During the drive to the reunion, Chloe falls asleep from the pills she took. She wakes up to the unfamiliar surroundings of the gathering and realizes she has arrived at the event against her will. The night begins with a sense of disorientation and danger.

Reunion location

Reunion gathering

Chloe meets Stan, his wife Rachel, their deaf daughter Theresa, and his brother Gordon, who films the party. Ned's wife Eve arrives and behaves rudely, cutting Chloe's hand on a glass. Eve quietly voices a malicious wish that Chloe should bleed to death.

Stan's residence

Stan offers hospitality

Stan finds Chloe outside and says everyone else has gone, so she can stay the night. Inside, Rachel questions Chloe about photoshoots, and Chloe admits she simply pretends during them. The atmosphere grows tense as the household guards its own secrets.

Stan's house

Handcuffs discovered and drugging

Graham places the handcuffs Ned gave Chloe on the bed, signaling trouble ahead. Later, Stan drugs her and she drifts into an uneasy sleep. The sense of being controlled tightens as the night deepens.

Stan's house, bedroom

Basement captivity and tapes

Chloe wakes to find herself handcuffed to the bed in the basement. Clive, the silent stalker, continues to phone her. Theresa finds the tapes and drafts a police poster, but the authorities dismiss the concerns as a joke, while Gordon watches the footage.

Stan's house, basement

Escape and discovery

Chloe slips free and escapes through the window, fainting outside when she spots Stan in a car. The outside world feels both dangerous and beckoning as she fights to survive. The escape marks a turning point in the captivity.

Outside Stan's house

Clive's approach and police call

Clive makes his way toward the house, only to be shooed away by Rachel. He phones Chloe and hears that the shed phone is still ringing, which prompts him to decide to contact the police. Inside, Theresa remains unable to free Chloe, and Ned presses for a plan to preserve their actions on tape.

Stan's house

The filming plan

The group debates making a tape of Chloe enjoying herself to cover their tracks if she talks to the police. Ned, Rachel, and the others push this disturbing idea forward, increasing the sense of moral rot beneath the surface.

Stan's house

Police arrival and arrest

Theresa crashes through a window to attract attention as the police arrive, and Ned ushers Theresa toward a police car. Clive circles back and the police arrest Stan and his brother, breaking the immediate danger posed by the twisted scheme.

Stan's house

Return home and the reveal

Chloe returns home, calling Toby as a final connection to normal life. The call ends with a chilling reveal: Toby is actually another stalker lurking behind the facade. The film closes with Chloe still surrounded by looming threats.

Chloe's home

Paranoid Characters

Explore all characters from Paranoid (2000). Get detailed profiles with their roles, arcs, and key relationships explained.


Chloe Keene (Jessica Alba)

A successful fashion model who becomes the target of a stalker and a toxic social circle. She navigates a hostile mix of manipulation, surveillance, and sexual coercion. Resourceful and determined, she fights to break free from the trap around her.

👗 Fashion model 👀 Targeted 🛡️ Resilient

Toby (Oliver Milburn)

Chloe's boyfriend and a musician whose charm masks controlling tendencies. He appears supportive but is revealed to be another stalker, complicating Chloe's efforts to trust anyone. His manipulation amplifies the danger she faces.

🎷 Musician 🗝️ Manipulator

Ned (Gary Love)

Chloe's other boyfriend who arranges the reunion and participates in the scheme against her. He embodies deceit within a close relationship, helping to trap Chloe in a web of lies. His actions escalate the threat Chloe endures.

💼 Conspirator 🔒 Control

Stan

The host who drugs Chloe and drives the group’s plan to capture her. He exerts a chilling authority within the social circle and orchestrates the setup in the former hotel house. His leadership hinges on fear and dominance.

👑 Manipulator 🎭 Host

Rachel (Jeanne Tripplehorn)

Stan's wife, rude to Chloe and part of the conspiracy. She helps hide the incriminating evidence and participates in the scheme to keep Chloe in check. Her involvement reveals how appearances hide complicity.

🤝 Co-conspirator 💼 Social climber

Theresa (Mischa Barton)

Stan's deaf daughter who becomes a moral counterpoint within the family dynamic. She discovers tapes and ultimately aids Chloe by signaling the danger, offering a glimmer of hope amid the peril.

🧏 Deaf character 🤝 Ally

Gordon (Ewen Bremner)

Stan's brother who films the party and helps cover up the events. His presence intensifies the danger as he participates in the group's efforts to obscure what happened. He embodies the complicity of bystanders.

🎬 Film crew 🗡️ Aggressor

Eve (Gina Bellman)

Ned's wife who contributes to the cruel dynamics by encouraging the plan and expressing malicious hostility toward Chloe. She embodies the dark side of the couple's social circle.

💔 Domestic cruelty 🧪 Co-conspirator

Clive (Kevin Whateley)

The silent stalker whose calls persist as Chloe seeks help. He becomes a potential ally by guiding the police toward the truth, and his actions help drive the confrontation toward resolution.

📞 Silent stalker 🕵️ Outsider

Paranoid Settings

Learn where and when Paranoid (2000) takes place. Explore the film’s settings, era, and how they shape the narrative.


Time period

Contemporary (21st century)

The events unfold in present-day settings, with modern technology and social dynamics driving the thriller. Fashion industry events, mobile communications, and surveillance-like elements anchor the timeline in the current era. The pacing relies on real-time calls, tapes, and sudden shifts in trust.

Location

New York, Brighton, a former hotel house

The film moves between glamorous urban spaces, including fashion shows in New York, and intimate social circles in Brighton. Much of the tension centers around a secluded house that used to be a hotel, which Chloe is trapped inside. The contrast between public glamour and private danger reinforces the paranoid atmosphere of the story.

❗ Urban fashion 🎬 Thriller 🏚️ Isolated location 🔗 Stalking and manipulation

Paranoid Themes

Discover the main themes in Paranoid (2000). Analyze the deeper meanings, emotional layers, and social commentary behind the film.


👁️

Stalking

A relentless atmosphere of pursuit drives the narrative, with both a voicemail stalker and a circle of conspirators monitoring Chloe. The threat is intimate, exploiting routine moments and private spaces. The film uses surveillance and fear to create a pervasive sense of paranoia.

🔗

Control

Power dynamics within a privileged social circle push characters toward coercion and complicity. Loyalties are tested as individuals trade truth for self-preservation. The group's plans escalate from manipulation to murderous intent.

🛡️

Survival

Chloe's attempts to escape showcase resilience and quick thinking under pressure. Interventions by outsiders and law enforcement pivot the story toward rescue and accountability. The ending hints at consequences for those who enable abuse.

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Paranoid Spoiler-Free Summary

Discover the spoiler-free summary of Paranoid (2000). Get a concise overview without any spoilers.


In a small town where senior year feels like the last chance to leave a mark, a tight‑knit group of high‑school seniors bands together to stage an elaborate haunted house. Their goal is simple and urgent: raise enough money to fund the once‑in‑a‑lifetime senior trip that promises an escape from the familiar streets and expectations of their lives. The project quickly becomes a sprawling, make‑shift maze of props, strobe lights, and carefully crafted scares, turning an empty gymnasium into a pulse‑quickening labyrinth that mirrors the teenagers’ own transition from adolescence to adulthood.

The atmosphere is a blend of youthful excitement and creeping unease. As the students rehearse jump scares and perfect the timing of screams, underlying tensions begin to surface—friendships are tested, rivalries simmer, and hidden motives flicker just out of view. The haunted house, meant to be a festive fundraiser, starts to feel like a stage where every whispered secret and lingering glance could become part of the performance, amplifying the suspense that hangs over the group.

While the clock ticks toward opening night, the seniors find themselves racing against time, not only to finish the complex set‑up but also to keep the fragile camaraderie intact. The looming deadline adds a frantic energy, and the ever‑present hum of generators and rustling decorations creates a backdrop that is simultaneously thrilling and foreboding. In this charged setting, the students must balance their ambition with the growing sense that something unseen may be watching, turning their well‑intended fundraiser into a test of wits, loyalty, and the courage to confront the unknown.

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