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Spoiler-Free Summary

Reset (2017) Spoiler-Free Summary – What It's About

Release, runtime and language
2017 · 110 min · English
Directed by
Alban Teurlai, Thierry Demaizière

This documentary follows choreographer Benjamin Millepied as he undertakes a challenging mission to refresh the Paris Opera Ballet. Through stunning visuals, the film offers an intimate look at his artistic process and the complexities of leading a prestigious institution. Composer Nico Muhly, dancer Aurélie Dupont, and designer Iris van Herpen offer insightful perspectives on this period of significant change and creative renewal within the ballet world.

On this page (6)
  1. 1 What it is about
  2. 2 Is it worth watching?
  3. 3 After you watch
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Movies like Reset
  6. 6 Every angle

Spoiler-free summary · safe to read

What Is Reset About? (No Spoilers)

The plot of Reset (2017) without spoilers: what it is about, who it follows and where it takes place, told without the twists or the ending. Enough to decide whether it is your next watch, not enough to ruin it.

In the storied halls of the Paris Opera Ballet, a quiet revolution is taking shape. Benjamin Millepied, a celebrated choreographer known for his daring imagination, steps into the role of artistic director with a singular mission: to breathe fresh life into a centuries‑old institution. The film follows his arrival, capturing the delicate balance between reverence for tradition and the urgent desire to push the boundaries of movement, music, and design.

Around Millepied, a constellation of creative voices lends depth to the unfolding narrative. Nico Muhly, the composer whose scores ripple through the dancers’ bodies, offers insight into how sound can become a catalyst for transformation. Aurélie Dupont, a veteran ballerina whose presence anchors the company’s legacy, provides a perspective that bridges the past and the present. Meanwhile, visionary fashion designer Iris van Herpen reflects on the visual language of costume, illustrating how fabric and form can reshape the audience’s experience of ballet. Their conversations, interwoven with rehearsal footage, reveal the collaborative tension that fuels artistic renewal.

Visually, the documentary moves with the fluid elegance of the art it examines, pairing sweeping shots of the historic theater with intimate close‑ups of rehearsals, sketches, and quiet moments backstage. Its tone is both celebratory and contemplative, inviting viewers to feel the weight of heritage while sensing the electric possibility of change. Through candid interviews and unscripted encounters, the film paints a portrait of a creative leader navigating the complexities of stewardship, ambition, and the relentless pursuit of beauty in a world where every step carries the echo of history and the promise of tomorrow.

Last updated: October 05, 2025 at 16:54

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What to expect

Is Reset Worth Watching? What It Feels Like

Is it dark, sad, slow, intense or confusing? The mood of Reset (2017) in a few tags, without a word about how it ends. Each tag opens a list of movies that feel the same.

After you watch

Seen Reset? Now Read the Spoilers

Once you have watched Reset (2017), come back for the full story: the plot summary with spoilers, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning.

Movie threads

More Movies Like Reset, by Mood & Story

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

Documentaries about artistic pressure like Reset

Intimate documentaries revealing the high-stakes drama of running a prestigious art institution. If you were fascinated by Reset's look at the Paris Opera Ballet, explore more movies like it. This collection features documentaries that delve into the high-stakes world of prestigious artistic institutions, showcasing the challenges of leadership and creative renewal.

  • tense
  • insightful
  • dramatic
  • high-stakes
  • artistic
  • behind-the-scenes
  • Tone: tense, insightful
  • Pacing: steady, observational
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative typically follows a new leader or a period of significant transition within a hallowed institution. It documents the clash between tradition and innovation, the immense pressure of upholding a legacy, and the personal toll on those driving change, often building towards a pivotal performance or reveal.

Why they belong together: Movies are grouped here for their shared focus on the intense, real-world drama of managing artistic excellence. They share a fly-on-the-wall perspective, a tense tone from high expectations, and a thematic exploration of the cost and reward of creative ambition within established systems.

Movies about creative renewal like Reset

Stories of ambitious artists and leaders confronting tradition to forge a new path. For viewers who enjoyed Reset's theme of artistic reinvention, this list highlights similar stories. Discover films about visionary figures confronting tradition to enact change, capturing the bittersweet journey of reshaping a legacy for a new era.

  • ambitious
  • conflict
  • visionary
  • bittersweet
  • tradition vs innovation
  • revolutionary
  • Tone: tense, bittersweet
  • Pacing: steady, complex
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The journey centers on a protagonist bringing a bold new vision to an establishment resistant to change. The plot revolves around their battles with traditionalists, their moments of doubt and breakthrough, and the ultimate bittersweet outcome—achieving some form of renewal, but often at a significant personal cost or with compromises.

Why they belong together: These films are connected by their core theme of creative renewal against odds. They share a focus on a visionary protagonist, a tense tone from conflict with tradition, a complex look at the change process, and a bittersweet emotional weight regarding the outcome.

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Every angle

Reset (2017) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Reset 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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