Year: 2012
Runtime: 109 min
Language: English
Director: David Cronenberg
During a day of escalating turmoil in New York City, a young and wealthy asset manager named Eric Packer finds his carefully constructed world falling apart. He sets out on a tense journey across Manhattan in a state-of-the-art limousine, encountering various unsettling events and individuals. While traveling, he makes a risky financial wager against the Chinese Yuan, further jeopardizing his situation and exposing the fragility of his empire.
Get a spoiler-free look at Cosmopolis (2012) with a clear plot overview that covers the setting, main characters, and story premise—without revealing key twists or the ending. Perfect for deciding if this film is your next watch.
In the restless heart of Manhattan, a city already humming with political pageantry and the echo of a famous musician’s farewell, the day stretches itself thin across traffic‑jammed avenues and crowded sidewalks. The urban landscape feels both familiar and unsettling, a place where the ordinary—like a trip to the barbershop—can quickly dissolve into a surreal odyssey. Neon signs and towering glass façades reflect a world of high stakes, where even the most routine errands become a backdrop for hidden tremors.
Eric Packer is a 28‑year‑old prodigy of finance, a young billionaire whose every asset glitters with the precision of a well‑engineered portfolio. Though his wealth grants him access to a sleek, state‑of‑the‑art limousine that glides through the city like a private sanctuary, his personal life feels fractured. A recent marriage sits under the pressure of demanding careers, intimacy is a rare commodity, and the specter of his own health whispers in the background, reminding him that even the most meticulously built empires have vulnerabilities.
The limousine itself becomes a moving stage for a day that feels simultaneously privileged and precarious. As the vehicle snakes through gridlocked streets, Eric juggles conference calls, high‑tech screens, and an audacious wager that pits his fortune against the rise of the Chinese yuan. Each new passenger or brief encounter outside the tinted glass hints at the fraying edges of his control, while the city’s escalating turmoil mirrors his own internal disquiet. The atmosphere is dense with a mix of sleek modernity and a creeping sense of unease, suggesting that wealth and power can be as fragile as the traffic lights that dictate the flow of the streets.
The film settles into a tone that is both polished and disquieting, blending opulent visuals with a lingering existential dread. It invites viewers to watch a seemingly invincible figure navigate a world where every decision reverberates, and where the veneer of affluence can quickly give way to questions about identity, certainty, and the cost of ambition.
Last Updated: August 10, 2025 at 07:03
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.
Characters trapped in confined spaces spiral towards an inevitable, bleak fate.If you liked the confined, downward spiral of Cosmopolis, this list features movies with similar journeys. Find films about characters trapped in a psychological or physical space, methodically heading toward a bleak and inevitable conclusion, often as a critique of larger systems.
The narrative follows a protagonist, usually isolated and powerful in some way, on a single, contained journey. The plot is less about external events and more about the internal logic of their collapse, which they often engineer themselves, leading to an ending with no redemption.
These movies are grouped by their shared core experience: a slow, deliberate, and confined unraveling. They share a bleak, intellectual tone, high emotional weight, and a focus on existential dread within a tightly controlled setting, creating a uniquely oppressive and thoughtful viewing experience.
Surreal and intellectual films dissecting the psychological rot of extreme wealth.For viewers who enjoyed Cosmopolis's surreal critique of wealth, this list features movies that use similar abstract and philosophical approaches. Discover films that are less about story and more about creating a mood of existential dread and societal decay centered on powerful, isolated figures.
Stories in this thread are often episodic and dialogue-heavy, prioritizing theme over conventional plot. The protagonist, typically a hyper-wealthy or powerful individual, moves through a surreal version of reality, encountering characters who represent different facets of the system's failure, leading to a collapse that is both personal and symbolic.
These films are united by their shared goal: to use complex, non-linear storytelling and a distinct, often cold aesthetic to deliver a forceful critique of economic systems. They prioritize mood, philosophical dialogue, and thematic depth, resulting in a challenging and intellectually stimulating experience.
Don't stop at just watching — explore Cosmopolis 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 Cosmopolis is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.
Read a complete plot summary of Cosmopolis, 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.
Track the full timeline of Cosmopolis with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.
Discover the characters, locations, and core themes that shape Cosmopolis. Get insights into symbolic elements, setting significance, and deeper narrative meaning — ideal for thematic analysis and movie breakdowns.
Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Cosmopolis: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.
Discover movies like Cosmopolis that share similar genres, themes, and storytelling elements. Whether you’re drawn to the atmosphere, character arcs, or plot structure, these curated recommendations will help you explore more films you’ll love.
Cosmopolis (2012) Scene-by-Scene Movie Timeline
Cosmopolis (2012) Movie Characters, Themes & Settings
Cosmopolis (2012) Spoiler-Free Summary & Key Flow
Movies Like Cosmopolis – Similar Titles You’ll Enjoy
After Hours (1985) Story Summary & Characters
Wanderlust (2012) Story Summary & Characters
Metropolitan (1990) Ending Explained & Film Insights
Metroland (1999) Plot Summary & Ending Explained
Synecdoche, New York (2008) Ending Explained & Film Insights
Welcome to New York (2015) Story Summary & Characters
Babylon (2022) Film Overview & Timeline
New York (2009) Movie Recap & Themes
The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1976) Ending Explained & Film Insights
Love in the Time of Money (2002) Detailed Story Recap
Street Smart (1987) Complete Plot Breakdown
Empire State (1987) Plot Summary & Ending Explained
The Sex Perils of Paulette (1965) Full Movie Breakdown
A, B, C… Manhattan (1997) Full Movie Breakdown
Ciao! Manhattan (1972) Complete Plot Breakdown