He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not (2022) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

The film takes place primarily in contemporary France, where Angélique lives and works, including scenes at a cafe and while house-sitting for a wealthy family. The story also shifts to Florence, Italy, for a key romantic getaway that becomes pivotal to the plot.

• france
• florence
• setting
• locations
• italy

The story is set in the early 2000s, anchored in a modern present-day context relative to the film's release. This time period is reflected in the contemporary legal investigations, media coverage, and mental health treatment depicted in the narrative.

• time period
• early 2000s
• era
• setting

Florence serves as the setting for a planned romantic getaway that contrasts sharply with Angélique's domestic life in France. This Italian trip becomes a catalyst for the major turn in the plot, shifting the narrative from the everyday to a more dramatic and pivotal context.

• florence
• italy
• trip
• romantic getaway
• setting contrast

Erotomania is a delusional belief that someone of higher status is in love with the individual, and it drives the core conflict of the film. Angélique's fixation on Loïc, a married doctor, evolves into an obsessive pursuit where she believes a romantic relationship is possible, leading her to drastic actions including deceit, theft, and self-harm.

• erotomania
• obsession
• mental illness
• fixation
• delusion

The film directly addresses mental health through Angélique's diagnosis of erotomania, highlighting the complexities and stigma surrounding the condition. The narrative shows how her disorder impacts her relationships, job, and self-control, ultimately pointing to unresolved issues and the persistence of her condition even after the main events conclude.

• mental health
• erotomania
• diagnosis
• psychological
• stigma

Angélique is a successful art student who becomes romantically obsessed with Loïc, a married doctor. Her fixation drives the entire central conflict, manifesting in increasingly dangerous behavior including gifts, theft, and self-harm. The story is told primarily from her perspective, showing her emotional experience and deteriorating grip on reality.

• angelique
• protagonist
• art student
• obsession
• main character

Loïc Le Garrec is a married doctor whose relationship with Angélique triggers the main turmoil in the film. He becomes entangled in a criminal investigation as his life unravels, navigating suspicion and ethical boundaries while attempting to clear his name and protect his family.

• loïc
• doctor
• married
• accused
• protagonist

The film features a major narrative twist where the timeline is reset and events are revisited from Loïc's perspective after a rewind. This dual narrative shifts reframes the audience's understanding of who is at fault and why events unfold as they do, emphasizing how perspective shapes truth and interpretation.

• narrative twist
• perspective
• dual narrative
• replay
• perspective shift

Manipulation and performative deception are central themes, with Angélique staging events to influence Loïc and affect outcomes. Characters present false facades throughout, creating confusion about blame and motive during the investigation. The theme underscores how appearances can mislead both other characters and viewers.

• manipulation
• deception
• lies
• false facade
• staging events

Rachel is Loïc's wife, whose miscarriage and subsequent reconciliation with her husband become a stabilizing force amid the crisis. Her decisions and actions ultimately aid in clearing Loïc of the charges brought against him, influencing the trajectory of the investigation.

• rachel
• loïc's wife
• miscarriage
• supporting character