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Love Affair(s) (2020) movie poster

Plot Summary

Love Affair(s) (2020) Plot Summary Explained

Release, runtime and language
2020 · 122 mins · French
Echo score 76
Directed by
Emmanuel Mouret
Starring
Émilie Dequenne, Vincent Macaigne, Lise Lomi, Julia Piaton, Guillaume Gouix, Niels Schneider
Budget
$3.4M

While on vacation in the French countryside, Daphne finds herself alone when her boyfriend, François, unexpectedly leaves for Paris to cover for a sick colleague. She is joined by Maxime, François’ cousin, and over four days, the two grow closer as they share personal stories and intimate moments while awaiting François’ return.

On this page (4)
  1. 1 What happens: full plot
  2. 2 Plot questions answered
  3. 3 Movie threads
  4. 4 Every angle

Full plot summary · contains spoilers

What Happens in Love Affair(s): Full Plot Summary

The whole story of Love Affair(s) (2020) explained, from the opening scene to the final frame: every key event, every twist and what it all adds up to. Read it as a quick recap before the sequel, to check a scene you missed, or to finally understand what really happened.

During a quiet rural vacation, Daphné, Camélia Jordana, who is three months pregnant, shares the moments of life with François, Vincent Macaigne, before he is forced to return to Paris for work. Left alone, Daphné is joined by Maxime, Niels Schneider, a cousin she has never met, who arrives to stay for four days. What follows is a slow, intimate exchange of memories and present worries as the two newcomers confront their own loves and losses while the scenery shifts from countryside calm to the murmur of city life.

Maxime, Niels Schneider, is a writer-in-progress who narrates his encounter with Victoire, Julia Piaton, a woman drawn to him. After a brief, hopeful affair, Victoire reveals she is married and moving to Japan with her husband. At a farewell party, she introduces Maxime to her sister Sandra, Jenna Thiam, who was once his childhood sweetheart but has since moved on. Maxime’s room-mate, Gaspard, Guillaume Gouix, moves in with Sandra and her aunt’s sprawling apartment, weaving a new, complicated domestic tapestry. The relationship between Sandra and Gaspard waxes and wanes, giving Maxime a glimmer of hope until he discovers they continue to meet in secret, prompting him to move out and seek his own space. Meanwhile, Daphné recounts how she first met François—an older documentary filmmaker for whom she worked as an editor but whom she loved without reciprocity, a memory that colors her present choices and desires.

After laying bare their experiences, Daphné and Maxime unexpectedly cross paths with Victoire again on a walk. Victoire has separated from her husband in Japan, she is three months pregnant, and she remains nearby, staying with her mother. The revelation does little to ease the pull between the three, and the line between friendship and romance becomes increasingly blurred as their lives intertwine in unforeseen ways.

Back in Paris, François learns that his ex-wife Louise, Émilie Dequenne, has discovered his ongoing relationship with Daphné. As Daphné and Maxime have already begun an affair, François returns home to confront the mix of guilt, longing, and unresolved feelings that have taken hold. Rather than making a firm stand, he chooses to stay with Daphné, though his own heart remains unsettled and uncertain, a tension that threads through the days that follow. The tension among love, loyalty, and truth undercuts the stability each character seeks, leaving them to navigate a fragile balance of affection and honesty.

Months pass, and life resumes its quiet rhythm, but the moment of clarity remains elusive. One day, Daphné spots Maxime shopping for Christmas trees in Paris, and the sight unsettles her as she notices he is with Victoire. The sighting reopens old questions and nudges her toward a choice between the past she thought she understood and the complicated present she is living with François. In the end, she turns back toward François, a testament to how desire, memory, and the ache for connection refuse to be neatly resolved.

Last updated: February 25, 2026 at 08:24

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Plot questions answered

Love Affair(s) Plot Explained: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask most about Love Affair(s) (2020): what happens in the confusing scenes, why the characters do what they do, the twists, hidden details and what the ending means. Each answer contains spoilers.

Q1

Why does François leave Daphné alone in the countryside?

François is forced to return to Paris to cover for a sick colleague at work. As a documentary filmmaker based in Paris, he cannot avoid the professional obligation, leaving Daphné, who is three months pregnant, alone in the rural cottage.

  • francois
  • paris
  • work
  • countryside
  • pregnancy
Q2

Why do Daphné and Maxime start an affair?

Over four days of sharing their past and present loves, Daphné reveals she once loved François without reciprocity when she worked as his editor. Maxime shares his failed romance with Victoire. Their mutual confessions about unrequited love and emotional vulnerability create a deep connection, leading them to begin an affair while François is away.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Daphné admits her past feelings for François were never reciprocated, hinting at her emotional availability.

  • affair
  • emotions
  • vulnerability
  • past love
  • connection
Q3

Why does François stay with Daphné after discovering the affair?

François learns from his ex-wife Louise that she discovered his relationship with Daphné. Despite knowing about Daphné and Maxime's affair, François chooses to remain with Daphné. His decision reflects his confused emotional state and unresolved feelings rather than certainty, he stays but his heart remains unsettled and uncertain.

  • francois
  • louise
  • ex-wife
  • choice
  • confusion
Q4

What happened between Maxime and Victoire?

Maxime had a brief affair with Victoire, who revealed she was married and was moving to Japan with her husband. At a farewell party, Victoire introduced Maxime to her sister Sandra, who was actually Maxime's childhood sweetheart. Later, Victoire separated from her husband in Japan, is three months pregnant, and returns to stay with her mother nearby.

Foreshadowing: The farewell party scene introduces Victoire and sets up her later return to Maxime's life.

  • maxime
  • victoire
  • japan
  • married
  • childhood sweetheart
  • sandra
Q5

Why does Maxime move out from Sandra's apartment?

Maxime moves into Sandra's aunt's large apartment with Sandra and her roommate Gaspard, hoping for a potential romance with Sandra. However, he discovers that Sandra and Gaspard continue to meet in secret despite their ups and downs. Realizing there is no chance for him with Sandra, Maxime decides to move out.

  • maxime
  • sandra
  • gaspard
  • apartment
  • secret meetings
Q6

How did Daphné originally meet François?

Daphné first met François when she worked as an editor for him on his documentary films. She loved him but he did not return her affection, this unrequited love from her past continues to influence her present choices and desires in their relationship.

  • daphne
  • francois
  • editor
  • documentary
  • unrequited love
Q7

Why does Daphné choose to stay with François after seeing Maxime with Victoire?

Months later, around Christmas, Daphné spots Maxime in Paris shopping for Christmas trees with Victoire. This sighting reopens old questions about her past. Rather than pursuing Maxime, Daphné chooses to return to François, preferring the stability of their relationship over the uncertainty of her feelings for Maxime.

  • christmas
  • paris
  • choice
  • stability
  • maxime
  • victoire
Q8

Why is Victoire's pregnancy important to the story?

Victoire reveals she is three months pregnant after separating from her husband in Japan. Like Daphné, who is also three months pregnant, this parallel highlights the themes of uncertain futures and complicated relationships. Victoire's situation adds another layer to the emotional web connecting the characters.

  • victoire
  • pregnancy
  • japan
  • separation
  • daphne
Q9

What happens between Sandra and Gaspard?

Sandra and Gaspard live together in Sandra's aunt's apartment, but their relationship has ups and downs. Maxime watches their dynamics hopefully, but eventually discovers they continue to meet in secret. This secret-keeping ultimately prompts Maxime to move out, as their relationship remains complicated and unresolved.

  • sandra
  • gaspard
  • secret
  • relationship
  • apartment
Q10

Why does the movie end without clear resolution?

The film ends with Daphné returning to François after seeing Maxime with Victoire, but the ending remains bittersweet and unresolved. This reflects the movie's themes, desire, memory, and the ache for connection refuse to be neatly resolved. Characters return to their original partners but with a palpable sense of loss and lingering uncertainty.

  • ending
  • resolution
  • loss
  • desire
  • memory

Movie threads

More Movies Like Love Affair(s), by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes Love Affair(s) tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Quietly melancholic romantic dramas like Love Affair(s)

Subtle stories of love, longing, and the space between people. Discover movies similar to Love Affair(s) that capture a gentle, melancholic mood. If you liked its quiet yearning and introspective take on romance, you'll find more emotionally resonant stories here about love's complexities.

  • melancholic
  • introspective
  • yearning
  • quiet
  • romantic
  • contemplative
  • Tone: melancholic, bittersweet, introspective
  • Pacing: slow, deliberate
Why these movies?

The story pattern: Narratives in this thread typically center on character-driven revelations, often set against subdued or isolated backdrops. The plot unfolds slowly through conversations, memories, and subtle emotional shifts rather than external events, leading to endings that are reflective rather than neatly resolved.

Why they belong together: These movies are grouped together because they share a distinctively quiet, melancholic atmosphere, a slow-burn pacing that allows for emotional depth, and a focus on the introspective, often bittersweet aspects of romantic relationships.

Movies about brief encounters and stolen moments like Love Affair(s)

Stories where a short, intense connection changes lives forever. Find films similar to Love Affair(s) that explore the intensity of short-lived relationships. If you were captivated by the poignant four-day connection, you'll enjoy these stories of life-altering meetings and missed connections.

  • romantic
  • passionate
  • contemplative
  • yearning
  • life choices
  • intimate
  • Tone: romantic, contemplative, bittersweet
  • Pacing: steady, character-driven
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern follows characters who meet by chance or circumstance and form a deep, often romantic, bond over a brief, isolated period. This intense connection serves as a catalyst for self-reflection, challenging their existing relationships and life paths, culminating in an ending marked by poignant what-ifs.

Why they belong together: These films are united by a shared plot structure: a powerful, time-bound romantic connection that acts as a turning point. They explore themes of infidelity, passion versus commitment, and the lingering impact of what could have been.

Every angle

Love Affair(s) (2020) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Love Affair(s) 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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