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I Used to Go Here (2020) movie poster

Characters & Themes

I Used to Go Here (2020) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

Release, runtime and language
2020 · 80 min · English
Echo score 62
JustWatch #12,032 7
Directed by
Kris Rey
Starring
Jorma Taccone, Jemaine Clement, Josh Wiggins, Gillian Jacobs, Hannah Marks, Kate Micucci

After a disappointing book tour, writer Kate Conklin returns to her college for a speaking engagement, reconnecting with a former professor and an old crush. Hoping to find comfort in familiar surroundings, she instead finds herself entangled in a series of awkward situations with current students. As she navigates these encounters, Kate also confronts feelings of jealousy towards her professor’s new student, leading to a complicated and humorous exploration of regret and lost potential.

On this page (9)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Characters explained (4)
  3. 3 Where & when it takes place
  4. 4 Themes & meaning (3)
  5. 5 Character & meaning questions
  6. 6 Movie threads
  7. 7 Movies like I Used to Go Here
  8. 8 Categories
  9. 9 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch I Used to Go Here (2020)

Where can you watch I Used to Go Here? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV and Paramount Plus Essential: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

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4 main characters · contains spoilers

I Used to Go Here Characters Explained: Who Is Who

The main characters of I Used to Go Here (2020), heroes and villains: what drives them, how they change over the course of the story and what each of them reveals about the film's bigger ideas.

  • Kate Conklin

    Kate is a writer facing the crossroads of her personal and professional life, navigating the aftermath of a failed engagement and a disappointing literary career. Her journey reflects her vulnerability, as she grapples with feelings of nostalgia, jealousy, and a search for personal validation.

    • ✍️ Writer
    • 💪 Resilient
    • ❤️ Vulnerable
  • David Kirkpatrick

    played by Jemaine Clement

    David is Kate's former professor who offers her a teaching role. He embodies the complexities of adult relationships, revealing an unconventional open marriage that resonates with Kate's own struggles with intimacy and connection.

    • 🎓 Mentor
    • ❓ Complex
    • 💔 Disappointed
  • Hugo

    played by Josh Wiggins

    Hugo is a lively young man who becomes a source of comfort for Kate amidst her struggles. His burgeoning relationship with April adds layers of youthful love and heartbreak to the story, ultimately bonding him with Kate in unexpected ways.

    • 🌟 Young
    • 💕 Supportive
    • ❣️ Romantic
  • April

    played by Hannah Marks

    April is a talented writing student whose personal relationship with Hugo complicates the dynamic. Her confrontations with Kate reveal deeper issues of jealousy and the struggle for affirmation in creative pursuits.

    • 📖 Talented
    • 😟 Jealous
    • 🔍 Honest

Last updated: October 22, 2024 at 21:47

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Setting

Where and When Does I Used to Go Here Take Place?

The setting of I Used to Go Here (2020): the year and time period, the places and locations, and how they shape the characters, the mood and the tension of the story.

Time period

The narrative unfolds in modern times as Kate grapples with her career and personal challenges. The contemporary setting allows for relatable themes of personal growth and the impact of past experiences on current choices.

Location

Carbondale, Illinois University, The Writers' Retreat

The story takes place in Carbondale, a small city known for its vibrant university atmosphere. Illinois University, where Kate studied, serves as a backdrop for her revisited dreams and aspirations. The Writers' Retreat, her old college home, symbolizes her creative beginnings and evokes a sense of nostalgia throughout her journey.

  • 🏫 University
  • 🏡 Cozy Home
  • 🎨 Creativity

Last updated: October 22, 2024 at 21:47

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3 major themes

I Used to Go Here Meaning: Themes & Message Explained

What is I Used to Go Here (2020) really about? The emotional, social and philosophical themes the film keeps returning to, its symbolism and the message beneath the surface.

  • Heartbreak

    The theme of heartbreak resonates throughout the film as Kate confronts the fallout of her engagement and the mixed emotions tied to her past. This emotional turmoil catalyzes her journey of self-discovery and reevaluation of her life choices.

  • Literary Aspirations

    Literary aspirations drive Kate's interactions and decisions, reflecting the struggle of creative identity. Her experiences with mentoring a writing student reveal her own insecurities and the pressure of artistic expectations.

  • New Beginnings

    The film explores the theme of new beginnings as Kate considers a teaching position that could reshape her career. It highlights the importance of embracing change and the potential for personal growth after setbacks.

Last updated: October 22, 2024 at 21:47

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Character & theme questions

I Used to Go Here Characters & Meaning: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask about I Used to Go Here (2020): who the characters really are, their relationships, what the symbols mean, where it takes place and what the movie is really about. Each answer contains spoilers.

Q1

Where does the movie take place?

The story unfolds in Carbondale, a small city in Illinois known for its vibrant university atmosphere. Kate revisits Illinois University, where she studied, and the Writers' Retreat, her old college home, serves as a key location that symbolizes her creative beginnings and evokes nostalgia throughout her journey.

  • carbondale
  • illinois university
  • writers retreat
  • setting
  • location
Q2

What is the Writers' Retreat?

The Writers' Retreat is Kate's old college home at Illinois University, representing where she first began her creative writing journey. Returning to this location forces her to confront her past aspirations and the gap between her former dreams and current reality.

  • writers retreat
  • kate
  • college
  • creativity
  • nostalgia
Q3

When is the movie set?

The narrative takes place in modern times, with Kate dealing with contemporary career and personal challenges. The present-day setting allows the film to explore relatable themes of personal growth, professional dissatisfaction, and how past experiences shape current choices.

  • modern
  • contemporary
  • time period
  • present day
Q4

What role does heartbreak play in the film?

Heartbreak is a central theme as Kate navigates the fallout from her failed engagement while reconnecting with her past. This emotional turmoil drives her journey of self-discovery, forcing her to reevaluate her life choices and confront unresolved feelings about her relationships and career.

  • heartbreak
  • failed engagement
  • emotional journey
  • kate
Q5

How does the film explore literary aspirations?

Literary aspirations drive Kate's interactions and decisions throughout the film. Her experiences mentoring a young writing student expose her own insecurities about artistic expectations and the pressure of maintaining a creative identity after experiencing professional disappointment.

  • literary aspirations
  • writing
  • creative identity
  • mentorship
  • kate
Q6

What does the theme of new beginnings represent?

The theme of new beginnings emerges as Kate considers a teaching position offered by her former professor, which could reshape her career. The film explores how embracing change after setbacks can lead to personal growth, even when the path forward remains unclear.

  • new beginnings
  • change
  • career
  • growth
  • teaching position
Q7

Who is the main character Kate Conklin?

Kate Conklin is a writer in her thirties facing a crossroads in her personal and professional life. After a disappointing book tour and a failed engagement, she returns to her college campus, where she grapples with nostalgia, jealousy, and a search for validation while confronting the gap between her past dreams and present reality.

  • kate conklin
  • main character
  • writer
  • protagonist
Q8

Who is David Kirkpatrick and what is his role?

David Kirkpatrick is Kate's former college professor, played by Jemaine Clement. He offers Kate a teaching position at the university, representing both an opportunity for a new career path and a connection to her past. His unconventional open marriage reflects themes of adult relationships and adds complexity to Kate's own struggles with intimacy.

  • david kirkpatrick
  • professor
  • Jemaine Clement
  • teaching position
Q9

Who is Hugo in the movie?

Hugo is a lively young student who becomes a source of comfort for Kate during her difficult visit. His budding relationship with fellow writing student April adds layers of youthful romance to the story, and his connection with Kate ultimately bonds them in unexpected ways as they both navigate heartbreak.

  • hugo
  • student
  • april
  • romance
  • support
Q10

Who is April in the story?

April is a talented writing student in David Kirkpatrick's program who is in a relationship with Hugo. Her interactions with Kate reveal deeper issues of jealousy and competition, particularly around creative affirmation, as Kate sees in April both her former self and a reminder of opportunities she didn't take.

  • april
  • writing student
  • hugo
  • creative competition
Q11

Is the movie more of a comedy or drama?

The film balances bittersweet tones, combining humor from Kate's awkward interactions with students against the melancholic backdrop of her personal and professional disappointments. While classified as a comedy, it deals with serious themes of regret, jealousy, and uncertainty about the future.

  • comedy
  • drama
  • tone
  • bittersweet
  • humorous
Q12

Does the movie have a clear ending?

The ending remains ambiguous. While Kate receives external validation through a teaching offer and positive feedback on her work, she stays internally uncertain about her life's direction. The film leaves her future open-ended, suggesting tentative growth without definitive answers about her path forward.

  • ending
  • ambiguous
  • open-ended
  • conclusion
  • kate future

Movie threads

More Movies Like I Used to Go Here, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes I Used to Go Here tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Movies about stalled potential like I Used to Go Here

Characters confronting their lost dreams and unfulfilled expectations with humor and melancholy. Find more movies like I Used to Go Here that explore themes of creative failure and midlife crisis. These comedies and dramas follow characters grappling with regret and unfulfilled potential, often blending bittersweet humor with introspective moments. If you enjoyed the awkward yet reflective journey in this film, you'll appreciate these similar stories.

  • introspective
  • melancholic
  • awkward
  • nostalgic
  • reflective
  • hopeful
  • Tone: bittersweet, melancholic, awkwardly humorous
  • Pacing: steady, character-driven
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern centers on a protagonist returning to a formative place or confronting a past version of themselves, triggering a comparison between their current stalled state and their former potential. The conflict is largely internal and interpersonal, driven by jealousy and a sense of being left behind, leading to a conclusion that is often ambiguous or subtly hopeful rather than neatly resolved.

Why they belong together: Movies in this thread share a specific emotional mix: the cringe-comedy of social awkwardness layered over a melancholic core of personal disappointment. They focus on character-driven stories with medium emotional weight, where the pacing is steady and the stakes are intimately personal rather than epic.

Movies about awkward homecomings like I Used to Go Here

Returning to a formative place only to find yourself an awkward outsider. Discover movies similar to I Used to Go Here where characters return to a familiar place and face awkward realities. These stories often blend comedy and drama as protagonists grapple with nostalgia, changed relationships, and the feeling of being an outsider in a once-comfortable environment. If you liked the cringe-comedy and reflective tone of this film, explore these related titles.

  • nostalgic
  • awkward
  • wistful
  • reflective
  • cringe-comedy
  • melancholic
  • Tone: bittersweet, awkward, nostalgic
  • Pacing: steady, day-by-day progression
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative follows a linear, often short-term visit structure, where each day brings new awkward encounters that highlight the protagonist's displacement. The central conflict arises from the tension between nostalgic memory and present-day reality, forcing the character to reassess their past and their current identity without the story necessarily providing a clear-cut resolution.

Why they belong together: These films are united by their specific setting-driven premise and the resulting vibe of cringe-comedy mixed with wistfulness. They share a focus on the emotional dissonance of nostalgia, a steady pacing that allows for reflective moments, and a tone that balances humor with the sadness of realizing you can't go home again.

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Movies Like I Used to Go Here

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Categories

Movie Lists Featuring I Used to Go Here

I Used to Go Here appears in these hand-built movie categories. Each one groups movies by a specific mood, theme or story type, with their plot summaries and endings explained.

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Every angle

I Used to Go Here (2020) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about I Used to Go Here in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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