Disconnected Plot Summary
Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for Disconnected (1984). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.
Alicia is a young woman working at a video rental store in Waterbury, Connecticut, where the ordinary cadence of small-town life begins to fray at the edges. One afternoon, she is approached outside her apartment by an Old Man dressed in black who asks to use her phone. After they enter, the man strangely disappears, leaving Alicia shaken and puzzled. She shares the odd incident over drinks with her boyfriend, Mike, a local disc jockey, and with her glamorous twin sister, Barbara Ann. Both dismiss it as a strange coincidence, even as a darker thread begins to run through the town—the serial killer who preys on young women and draws the attention of Detective Tremaglio.
At the video store, Alicia encounters an awkward young man named Franklin who browses the shelves but insists he doesn’t own a video player. He flirts and then returns the next day to ask Alicia out, only to reveal that while he speaks with her, he is lying in bed with a woman’s bloody corpse. After their phone call ends, Franklin proceeds to have sex with the dead body. Days later, Alicia and Franklin go on a movie date and encounter Barbara Ann, who is also on a date. Alicia, needing to be up early the next morning, ends the date and heads home. Meanwhile, Franklin visits a bar, picks up another woman, and brings her back to his house, where he murders her after they are intimate, slashing through the illusion of normalcy with brutal certainty.
Alicia continues to be tormented by strange phone calls, voices that include unearthly sounds. Even after changing her number, the calls persist, gnawing at her mind as she experiences nightmare-like sequences in which Mike and Barbara Ann discuss the affairs as if they were real, all while she feels pulled into a waking nightmare she cannot escape. She agrees to another dinner with Franklin, and they sleep together again, but in the morning he plans to kill her—only to discover she has already left for work.
Barbara Ann reenters the picture, visiting Franklin and seducing him; after she performs oral sex on him, he murders her in cold blood. The very next morning, Alicia stops by his house again, finds Barbara Ann’s body, and is confronted by Franklin. Tremaglio and his partner patrol the neighborhood, and the tension spikes as Franklin insists he is not the serial killer. The truth comes in a brutal moment: Tremaglio and his partner shoot Franklin, ending his murderous spree in a blaze of gunfire.
Back at her apartment, a distraught Alicia sinks deeper into fear and doubt, plagued by the recurring phone calls and the sense that the killer may not be the lone predator after all. A disturbing radio report about another dead woman in town only compounds her anxiety, hinting at a broader pattern that dwarfs the already suffocating fear she feels. Her mental state deteriorates as she leans on Mike for support and briefly resumes their dating, trying to cling to some semblance of ordinary life. After a date, Mike makes a payphone call that seems to echo through the distance of the city, and Alicia is left to confront the haunting calls alone once more.
One morning, the old unease returns in a final, unsettling image: the elderly man she once let into her home is seen emerging from her apartment, a quiet sign that the danger—and the fear it embodies—may have followed her home. The film leaves her at a crossroads between trust and paranoia, illness and clarity, as the line between the real and the imagined becomes dangerously blurred. The town’s shadows linger, and Alicia’s world has expanded into a labyrinth of voices, faces, and consequences that refuse to fade.
Disconnected Timeline
Follow the complete movie timeline of Disconnected (1984) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.
Elderly man enters Alicia's apartment and vanishes
An elderly man dressed in black asks to use Alicia's phone outside her apartment. They go inside together, but the man suddenly disappears before she can react. The eerie incident unsettles Alicia and foreshadows danger lurking in the town.
Friends dismiss the incident
Alicia recounts the strange encounter to her boyfriend Mike and her glamorous twin sister Barbara Ann. They brush it off as an odd coincidence and try to reassure her. The gap between her experience and their reaction deepens her sense of unease.
Franklin's first store encounter
Franklin, an awkward customer at the video store, browses the shelves and strikes up conversation with Alicia. He hints at interest but admits he does not own a video player. The exchange leaves Alicia wary of his odd charm.
Franklin asks for a date (but she declines)
The next day, Franklin returns to the store and asks Alicia out on a date. She politely declines, sensing something unsettling beneath his polite surface. The tension between them lingers as he leaves.
Mysterious calls begin
That night, Alicia receives several bizarre phone calls. During them, she overhears Mike and Barbara Ann discussing their affair as if unaware they are being listened to. The calls leave her shaken and increasingly paranoid.
Nightmares inside nightmares
Alicia experiences dreams that escalate into nightmares within nightmares. In them, Mike and Barbara Ann appear at her door and murder her, intensifying her fear of an unseen menace. She wakes with lingering dread and confusion about what is real.
A date arranged; a double life revealed
The next day, Alicia calls Franklin and agrees to go on a date after all. Meanwhile, Franklin is shown in his apartment with a dead woman in bed, signaling a dangerous double life. When they meet, he presents a veneer of normalcy while hiding a disturbing truth.
Date at the cinema; Barbara Ann appears
Alicia and Franklin go on a movie date, but at the theater they run into Barbara Ann, who is also on a date. Feeling pressed for time, Alicia ends her date early and heads home. The encounter foreshadows the web of danger closing in on her.
Franklin lures another woman; a fatal act
Franklin visits a local bar, meets another woman, and brings her back to his house. The pair share a moment before Franklin kills her with a switchblade. The chilling crime deepens the town's serial killer mystery.
Dinner date and a disturbing intimacy
Alicia accepts another dinner date at Franklin's house and they have sex. The routine appears ordinary on the surface, but the underlying danger remains unresolved. Alicia remains unable to fully trust the man she has begun dating.
Morning murder attempt on Alicia
The next morning, Franklin plans to murder Alicia, but she has already left for work. The narrow escape deepens her existential fear and makes her question whether she can ever be truly safe. The threat of a killer lingers close to home.
Barbara Ann seduced and killed
Barbara Ann visits Franklin at his home and seduces him. After an intimate encounter, he murders her. The discovery sends ripples through the investigation and shocks Alicia further.
Alicia confronts the killer; Tremaglio intervenes
Alicia visits Franklin and discovers Barbara Ann's body in his home. Tremaglio and a partner intervene, and Franklin is shot and killed as he proclaims his innocence. The serial killer mystery reaches a violent turning point.
Aftermath and unraveling
Distraught, Alicia returns to her apartment and sinks into a depressive state. She remains tormented by the relentless phone calls and the town's new murder report on the radio. Her mental state deteriorates as she tries to cling to normalcy with Mike.
Final eerie reveal: the elderly man returns
In the morning, the same elderly man who once sought help at Alicia's door emerges from her apartment, casting a final shadow of menace over Waterbury. The ending leaves Alicia haunted and uncertain about whether safety ever truly existed.
Disconnected Characters
Explore all characters from Disconnected (1984). Get detailed profiles with their roles, arcs, and key relationships explained.
Alicia (Frances Sherman)
A young woman who works at a Waterbury video rental store and becomes entangled in a string of bizarre events after a mysterious visitor. She endures unsettling phone calls, disturbing nightmares, and a deteriorating mental state as the town's murders unfold around her.
Barbara Ann (Frances Sherman)
A glamorous twin sister to Alicia who becomes involved with Franklin and ultimately becomes a victim in the killer's spree. She exudes charisma but harbors dangerous secrets that intersect with the murder plot.
Mike (Carl Koch)
Alicia's boyfriend and local DJ who leads a duplicitous life, hinting at an affair and a complex relationship. He embodies the blurred lines between normal life and the town's deadly mystery.
Franklin (Mark Walker)
An awkward suitor who appears normal but is revealed to have a double life connected to dead bodies. He becomes a primary suspect and is ultimately killed by Tremaglio.
Detective Tremaglio (Carmine Capobianco)
A detective investigating the serial killings in Waterbury, who confronts the murders and ultimately shoots Franklin. He embodies the procedural drive of the investigation.
Old Man (William A. Roberts)
A mysterious elderly figure who appears at Alicia's apartment, contributing to the film's eerie atmosphere and sense of watching danger lurk nearby.
Alicia's Mother (Bette Kintzer)
Alicia's mother, referenced in her life, providing familial connection and support amidst the unsettling events and Alicia's unraveling state.
Girl Franklin Takes Home (Donna Dervoin)
A woman who becomes involved with Franklin and is murdered, reinforcing the reach of the killer and the danger surrounding Franklin's double life.
Disconnected Settings
Learn where and when Disconnected (1984) takes place. Explore the film’s settings, era, and how they shape the narrative.
Location
Waterbury, Connecticut
Waterbury, Connecticut serves as the compact town backdrop where Alicia works at a video rental store and the mysterious events unfold. The setting centers on a close-knit neighborhood with apartments, bars, a theater, and a detective presence that heightens the sense of danger. The film uses the town as a stage for an escalating cycle of murder and paranoia, affecting everyday life.
Disconnected Themes
Discover the main themes in Disconnected (1984). Analyze the deeper meanings, emotional layers, and social commentary behind the film.
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Reality vs Nightmare
Alicia experiences distorted, dreamlike sequences and nightmare loops that blur the line between what is real and what is imagined. Unsettling phone calls and surreal visions destabilize her grip on normal life as the serial killings unfold around her. The tension arises from the character's slipping sense of reality and the fear of unseen threats. This theme probes how fear can warp perception and control.
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Suspense & Mystery
The town's murders create a mystery driven by clues, misdirections, and a mounting sense of danger. Alicia's interactions with Franklin and the eerie phone calls heighten the sense of suspense and ambiguity. Detective Tremaglio represents investigative pursuit, while the killer's identity remains unsettled until the culmination. The narrative uses uncertainty to maintain tension.
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Toxic Relationships
Romantic and familial ties are saturated with secrets, lies, and violence. Alicia's relationships—especially with Mike and Barbara Ann—become entangled with the murder plot, reflecting how intimacy can become a dangerous conduit for wrongdoing. The characters navigate deception and dependency amid a lethal mystery. The film suggests that intimate connections can deteriorate into violence and coercion.
Disconnected Spoiler-Free Summary
Discover the spoiler-free summary of Disconnected (1984). Get a concise overview without any spoilers.
In the quiet streets of Waterbury, Connecticut, Alicia lives a routine life behind the counter of a modest video‑rental shop. After ending her relationship with Mike, a local disc jockey, she is left nursing doubts that he may be seeing her twin sister, Barbara Ann. The breakup pulls her into a fragile emotional balance that is constantly nudged by a series of strange, almost otherworldly phone calls that seem to arrive from nowhere, hinting that the town’s calm surface hides something unsettled.
The community itself feels like a postcard that has been slightly smudged—neighbors chat, a detective patrols the neighborhood, and an elderly stranger once asks to use Alicia’s phone before vanishing as abruptly as he appeared. Those odd moments create an undercurrent of tension, turning everyday encounters into fleeting puzzles. The town’s small‑town charm is tinged with an inexplicable sense of watchfulness, as if the walls themselves are listening.
It is in this atmosphere that Franklin steps into Alicia’s world. He is a shy, well‑meaning film enthusiast who shares her love of movies and quickly becomes someone she can talk to about the unsettling calls. Beneath his quiet demeanor, however, there is a subtle, disquieting edge that makes Alicia wonder whether the very source of her anxiety is closer than she imagined. Their tentative friendship is framed by lingering glances, half‑spoken jokes, and a growing curiosity about the strange noises that echo through the phone line.
The film moves between the ordinary rhythm of a small town and the creeping dread of unseen forces, weaving an ambience that feels both intimate and claustrophobic. As Alicia navigates lingering doubts about loyalty, identity, and the source of those haunting calls, the story invites the audience to share her uneasy feeling that the line between reality and imagination may be thinner than it appears.
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