Paranoid 2000
Directed by
John Duigan
Made by
Isle of Man Film
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 fashion show, where Chloe Keene struts the catwalk. She returns home to her boyfriend, Toby, and recounts a glamorous time in New York. After a tense phone call that goes nowhere, she tells a friend she will change her number. Later, at a shoot, she runs into her other boyfriend, Ned, who invites her to a reunion of his former band. She heads home and fibs that she will visit someone in Brighton.
Chloe drifts into sleep in the car, numbed by pills, and wakes upon arrival at the reunion. A stalker’s voice punctuates the quiet, different from the earlier call. At the gathering, she meets Stan, his wife Rachel, their deaf daughter Theresa, and Stan’s brother Gordon, who films the party. Over lunch, Ned’s wife Eve arrives and she is openly rude to Chloe, culminating in Eve cutting her hand on a glass. Eve’s chilling line—she wants Chloe to bleed to death—hangs over the table and unsettles everyone.
Outside, Chloe’s night takes a darker turn. Later, Stan finds her and says the others have left, offering her the chance to stay the night. While she’s in the bath, Rachel enters and asks what she thinks about the photoshoots; Chloe admits she merely pretends through them. When she returns to the bedroom, she discovers the handcuffs Ned gave her on the bed. A suspicious noise prompts a search, and Stan drags her back to bed after drugging her; she drifts back into sleep.
The next morning, Chloe wakes to the sight of Gordon watching the earlier tapes. He goes to bed, but Chloe swipes one and watches herself being coerced and assaulted. An attempted door opening sends her toward a window for escape, only to faint outside when she recognizes Stan waiting in the car. She regains consciousness in a basement, chained to the bed. Meanwhile, her persistent stalker Clive continues to phone, tapping away at the nerve of the situation. Theresa discovers the tapes and creates a poster to hand to the police, yet the officers dismiss it. Rachel hunts for the phone and the group decides to hide it in a shed.
Clive makes his way toward the house, but Rachel manages to dispose of him. He phones Chloe again and hears the shed’s ringing, prompting him to alert the police. Inside, Theresa locates Chloe but cannot free her cuffs. Ned arrives, insisting they must film a clip of Chloe “enjoying herself” if they’re ever to explain their absence to the law and avoid being charged as accessories to murder.
Stan orders Gordon to silence Chloe, and the trio prepares to drive her away. Clive, still in pursuit, is spotted by Ned and Rachel; a tense standoff unfolds as Clive tries to intervene, but the police arrive and arrest Stan. Back at home, Clive sits down to dinner and quietly watches Chloe return, calling her partner Toby. When she hangs up, the final twist lands: Toby reveals himself to be her other stalker, the second shadow watching Chloe all along.
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 opener and home return
The film opens with Chloe Keene strutting the catwalk at a high-profile fashion show, establishing her as a rising star. She returns home and tells Toby about her time in New York, then mentions a mysterious unanswered phone call and vows to change her number.
Ned proposes a reunion trip
During a shoot, Chloe meets Ned, who is revealed to be another boyfriend. He offers to take her to a reunion of his former band, creating a new, complicated liaison. She also lies to Toby about visiting someone in Brighton.
Drive to the reunion and a drug-induced sleep
Chloe travels to the reunion but falls asleep in the car due to pills she has taken. She wakes upon arrival, realizing she has reached the party she was lured toward, setting the stage for a night of danger.
Reunion party reveals a tangled web
At the reunion, Chloe meets Stan, his wife Rachel, their deaf daughter Theresa, and Gordon who films the party. Ned's wife Eve arrives and is hostile, culminating in Eve cutting Chloe's hand and declaring she wants her to bleed to death.
Stan offers shelter for the night
Stan tells Chloe that everyone else has gone and offers her the chance to stay the night. The offer deepens the sense that she is trapped in a house full of controlling figures.
Bath talk about shoots
While she stays the night, Chloe is in the bath when Rachel asks what she thinks during photoshoots. Chloe says she just pretends, exposing the performative nature of her work. The moment hints at the pressure behind the glamour.
Discovery of handcuffs and ambush
Chloe discovers Ned's handcuffs on the bed, a chilling reminder of control. Stan drugs her, and she drifts off to sleep, signaling the night will escalate into danger and captivity.
An illicit tape and a disturbing revelation
Chloe awakens and, after a failed phone call with a friend, goes downstairs to find Gordon watching tapes of earlier events. She grabs one and watches herself being sexually assaulted, realizing how deeply she has been manipulated.
Escape attempt gone awry
Someone attempts to open the door, so Chloe escapes through a window and ends up outside. She faints after seeing Stan in a car, highlighting the immediate danger and her fragile hope for escape.
Basement captivity and a taunting call
Chloe wakes in the basement and is handcuffed to the bed by Stan. Clive, the silent stalker who has been phoning her, calls the house, and Chloe uses her bare feet to answer, telling him that she is trapped in the hotel-like residence.
Tapes, posters, and police skepticism
Theresa finds the tapes and makes a poster to report Chloe to the police, but they laugh it off. Meanwhile, Rachel discovers the phone and the group decides to hide it in the shed, further obscuring Chloe's plight.
Clive closes in and the tape plan forms
Clive makes a move toward the house while Ned and Rachel discuss a plan to create a fake tape of Chloe 'enjoying herself' to justify their actions if authorities intervene. The night grows more dangerous as deception deepens.
Murder is on the table
Stan tells Gordon they must kill Chloe and bundles her into a car, with Clive following. Ned warns that they could become accessories to murder if they go through with it, raising the stakes dramatically.
Theresa's escape and police arrival
Theresa breaks a window with a chair to escape just as the police arrive. Ned manages to herd Chloe into a police car, but the intervention comes just as the situation reaches a breaking point.
The twist: Toby unveiled as the other stalker
Stan is arrested as the police close in, but the ending reveals a chilling twist: Chloe returns home and, after calling Toby, discovers that he, who has been playing the saxophone, is actually her other stalker. The obsession surrounding Chloe is finally exposed in full.
Paranoid Characters
Explore all characters from Paranoid (2000). Get detailed profiles with their roles, arcs, and key relationships explained.
Chloe Keene (Jessica Alba)
A glamorous model juggling multiple lovers and a high-pressure career, Chloe exudes confidence but is increasingly cornered by a silent stalker and a web of deceit. Her resourcefulness is tested as she navigates hidden cameras and coercive plans, revealing resilience under duress. She remains the focal point of the threat and the moral compass the story tests.
Stan
Stan is a controlling host who orchestrates the reunion and becomes entangled in the group’s dangerous dynamics. He films the party, signaling his power to document and manipulate events. His demeanor hints at a willingness to push others toward darker outcomes to preserve his influence.
Rachel
Stan’s wife, present at the gathering and later revealed as complicit in the scheme to keep Chloe compliant. She moves between surfaces of politeness and ruthlessness, masking true intentions behind social graces. Her actions contribute to the sense that no one is truly safe from manipulation.
Theresa
Stan’s deaf daughter, a perceptive observer who tries to grasp what is happening. She discovers tapes and plays a key role in signaling the danger to others, highlighting vulnerability and courage in a perilous situation. Her presence underscores how communication barriers can heighten tension.
Gordon
Stan’s brother who records the gathering, embodying a voyeuristic menace. His willingness to film and inflate the situation reveals a troubling appetite for control through captured evidence. He stands as a foil to Chloe’s struggle, showing the dark side of family complicity.
Ned
Chloe’s other lover and a driving force behind the trap, orchestrating plans to use Chloe’s image for leverage. His actions expose a ruthless, self-serving hunger that fuels the evening’s peril. He is central to the conspiracy that spirals out of control.
Clive
Chloe’s silent stalker who relentlessly phones and pursues her from outside the house. He represents the moral counterpoint to the group’s manipulations and becomes a catalyst for Chloe’s attempt to seek help. His persistence underscores the theme of unseen danger converging with visible threats.
Eve
Ned’s wife, who arrives during the party with overt hostility toward Chloe. She embodies cruelty and a willingness to escalate violence, even suggesting Chloe bleed to death. Eve’s presence intensifies the peril and deepens the sense of a toxic, predatory dynamic at play.
Toby
Chloe’s boyfriend and a saxophonist who remains a supportive figure amid the chaos. He provides emotional grounding for Chloe and serves as a contrast to the more predatory relationships surrounding her. His involvement tests loyalty and trust in the midst of danger.
Paranoid Settings
Learn where and when Paranoid (2000) takes place. Explore the film’s settings, era, and how they shape the narrative.
Time period
The story is set in contemporary times, depicted through modern devices like mobile phones and surveillance video. The tension builds through present-day social dynamics, fashion culture, and the casual invasion of privacy. The setting relies on current technology to advance the stalking and discovery elements.
Location
New York, Brighton, House (former hotel)
The action primarily unfolds around a secluded house that used to be a grand hotel, now serving as a tense backdrop for the reunion. Chloe travels from New York to Brighton, then ends up at the house where the party spirals into danger. The location's old-world charm clashes with the grim events inside, including a basement confrontation and surveillance of the guests.
Paranoid Themes
Discover the main themes in Paranoid (2000). Analyze the deeper meanings, emotional layers, and social commentary behind the film.
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Stalking
A relentless, hidden pursuit threads through the film, with Chloe haunted by calls, messages, and glimpses of her captors. The stalker’s omnipresence turns ordinary interactions into traps, amplifying fear and paranoia. The tension hinges on what is unseen and who truly controls Chloe’s safety.
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Deception
Characters wear masks within a web of manipulation, where intentions are hidden behind charm and performance. The party atmosphere masks dangerous motives as filming and coercion escalate. Truth becomes a weapon, weaponizing relationships for control.
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Isolation
The house becomes a claustrophobic prison that cuts Chloe off from escape and help. The group’s dynamic traps her in a closed environment where voices outside the doors feel distant. The setting intensifies vulnerability, making every corridor and room a potential threat.
Paranoid Spoiler-Free Summary
Discover the spoiler-free summary of Paranoid (2000). Get a concise overview without any spoilers.
In the glittering rush of runway lights and London’s relentless pace, Chloe Keane feels the weight of a career that dazzles the public while draining her privately. A coveted model with a string of high‑profile gigs, she balances the glamour of catwalks against a growing sense of unease—late‑night phone calls that seem to linger, a relationship with Toby that feels both comforting and strained, and a constant pressure to keep up appearances. When an invitation arrives from a former rock‑star, promising a quiet weekend away, it appears to be the perfect antidote to the city’s relentless glare.
The invitation leads her to a secluded country house owned by Stan, a charismatic figure whose past fame has settled into a quieter, more enigmatic domestic life. His home is a collage of contrasts: a warm, lived‑in kitchen where his wife Rachel and their deaf daughter Theresa move through everyday rituals, and a more shadowed space where his brother Gordon captures moments on film. The property feels both welcoming and oddly off‑kilter, a place where the hum of pastoral tranquility masks an undercurrent of something unseen. As night falls, the house becomes a stage for subtle tensions, the kind that ripple through family dynamics and the lingering presence of strangers.
When dawn finally breaks, Chloe awakens to an unsettling reality: the bedroom she entered the night before is now a strange confinement, and Toby has vanished without a trace. The lingering echo of that earlier phone call, the faint sense that she is being watched, and the unfamiliar surroundings combine to create a claustrophobic atmosphere that blurs the line between an accidental misstep and a deliberate trap. The weekend that promised respite instead places her at the heart of an enigmatic, almost surreal household, where every creak and whispered conversation raises the question of who she can truly trust.
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