Beyond

Beyond

Year: 2015

Runtime: 41 mins

Language: English

Director: Joe Penna

Drama

A multi-era tale about a man’s struggle with immortality.

Melancholic
Bittersweet ending
Moderately emotional
Medium intensity
Mixed pacing
Complex story

Warning: spoilers below!

Haven’t seen Beyond yet? This summary contains major spoilers. Bookmark the page, watch the movie, and come back for the full breakdown. If you're ready, scroll on and relive the story!

Timeline & Setting – Beyond (2015)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Beyond (2015). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Present day to near-future

Primarily set in the present, the story follows everyday life disrupted by an impending asteroid. As scientists race to divert the threat, the film cuts to flashforwards showing a desolate Scotland after alien arrivals. The time shift contrasts intimate relationship moments with a broader planetary struggle, highlighting how choices in the present echo in the future.

Location

Scotland, shop, Maya's house, hospital

Scotland serves as the post-apocalyptic backdrop seen in the flashforwards after the asteroid arrives, contrasting with the present urban settings. The film uses a small shop as the entry point for tension, then shifts to Maya's house and finally to a hospital where life-and-death choices unfold. These locations frame the narrative's exploration of ordinary life endangered by cosmic events.

❄️ Cold 🌆 Urban 🪐 Apocalyptic

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 07:47

Main Characters – Beyond (2015)

Meet the key characters of Beyond (2015), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Cole

Initially cynical and reticent, Cole is a man who avoids commitment yet shows a capacity for care when pushed by the danger around him. He challenges others, particularly the robber, exposing his own fear of vulnerability. As the future unfolds in flashforwards, his choices about responsibility and partnership become the hinge of the story.

🧠 Complex 💔 Reluctant 🧭 Existential

Maya

Maya hosts the house party and becomes a central romantic partner for Cole, balancing hope with realism. She bears a pregnancy and pushes for connection and commitment despite looming disaster. Her determination and faith in life drive much of the film’s emotional arc.

❤️ Hopeful 🌱 Determined 🧭 Steadfast

Michael

The shop cashier who becomes a catalyst for conflict, expressing dissatisfaction with Cole's refusal to accept responsibility. He confronts the moral weight of their choices and is drawn into the violence of the robbery before his death. His perspective sharpens the film's exploration of responsibility and consequence.

⚖️ Moral conflict 💥 Violent 🕊️ Tragic

Doctor (Keith Novac)

Novac is a doctor who rushes from the hospital and shoots Michael, then performs life-saving actions to save Cole. He embodies moral ambiguity—capable of drastic acts under pressure while striving to preserve life. His actions become a pivotal turning point in both the present and the fate glimpsed in the flashforwards.

🩺 Healer ⚖️ Ethical 🧠 Calculated

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 07:47

Major Themes – Beyond (2015)

Explore the central themes of Beyond (2015), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🌌 Existence

Facing an asteroid that could erase humanity, the film probes whether individual lives retain significance. Cole's indecision and Maya's stubborn hope collide with scientific warnings, forcing characters to define what truly matters. The looming doom reframes trivial daily concerns as opportunities for connection or withdrawal.

❤️ Love

Romantic love becomes a lifeline in the film's bleak setup. Cole and Maya's relationship evolves under pressure: they connect, marry, and cope with pregnancy amidst dwindling resources. The pregnancy intensifies questions about responsibility, legacy, and the possibility of hope. Their bond is tested by fear, but also becomes a force that motivates survival.

⚖️ Responsibility

Characters are pressed to own their choices and the consequences. Cole's reluctance to embrace responsibility clashes with Michael's accusations and Novac's intervention. The film links personal responsibility to broader survival, suggesting that meaning arises from action rather than fatalism.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 07:47

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Explore Movie Threads

Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Bittersweet Sci-Fi Dramas About Love and Mortality like Beyond

Stories where romance is tested against cosmic threats and existential questions.If you enjoyed the emotional core of Beyond, explore more movies like it. This collection features similar sci-fi stories where romantic relationships are central to navigating themes of immortality, apocalypse, and existential purpose. These films blend speculative concepts with deep character drama for a thoughtful and moving experience.

romanticmelancholicexistentialatmosphericreflectiveanxioushopeful

Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern in these films often involves a couple facing a world-altering event or scientific phenomenon. The central conflict is internal as much as external, exploring how love, commitment, and the desire for a normal life persist when confronted with the impossible. The journey typically leads to a bittersweet resolution, where a personal victory is tempered by profound loss or change.

Why These Movies?

Movies are grouped here because they share a specific emotional and thematic blend: the grandeur of sci-fi concepts paired with the intimate scale of a relationship drama. They have a melancholic tone, medium emotional weight, and use their speculative elements to ask fundamental questions about what makes life meaningful when faced with eternity or annihilation.

Atmospheric Survival Stories with Nonlinear Time like Beyond

Films that intercut tense survival scenarios with quieter character-building moments.Looking for more movies with a narrative structure like Beyond? This list features films that use nonlinear storytelling to weave together a tense survival plot with a poignant character drama. If you liked the way Beyond connected its two timelines, you'll find similarly complex and emotionally engaging stories here.

anxiousatmosphericnonlineartenselonelyreflectivesurvival

Narrative Summary

The narrative unfolds across two interconnected timelines. One thread builds the characters and their world in a time before a cataclysmic event, establishing what is at stake. The other thread depicts the harsh reality of survival after the event. The viewer is tasked with piecing together how the characters from the 'before' timeline become the survivors in the 'after,' creating a rich, puzzle-like emotional journey.

Why These Movies?

These films are grouped by their distinctive storytelling structure and the specific mood it creates. They share a variable pacing that shifts between steady character development and urgent survival tension. The experience is atmospheric and complex, generating anxiety and melancholy by constantly contrasting what was lost with the grim reality of what remains.

Unlock the Full Story of Beyond

Don't stop at just watching — explore Beyond in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Beyond is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Beyond Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Beyond, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

Beyond Summary

Beyond Timeline

Track the full timeline of Beyond with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

Beyond Timeline

Beyond Spoiler-Free Summary

Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of Beyond that covers the main plot points and key details without revealing any major twists or spoilers. Perfect for those who want to know what to expect before diving in.

Beyond Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Beyond

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Beyond: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

More About Beyond

Explore More About Movie Beyond

Beyond (2015) Plot Summary & Movie Recap

Beyond (2015) Scene-by-Scene Movie Timeline

Beyond (2015) Spoiler-Free Summary & Key Flow