The Nana Project (2024) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

The film takes place primarily on Earth, spanning multiple timelines including 2018, 2022, and a dystopian 2050. A cabin serves as a key location, acting as a refuge for characters amid the chaos of time travel consequences.

• earth
• cabin
• locations
• settings
• 2018
• 2022
• 2050

The story unfolds across three distinct time periods: 2018 shows a simpler past before the calamities, 2022 depicts present-day familial struggles and personal growth, and 2050 presents a dystopian nightmare resulting from time travel manipulation.

• time period
• timeline
• 2018
• 2022
• 2050
• dystopian
• era

Time travel is the central theme, exploring how altering timelines impacts personal relationships and creates consequences that ripple across generations. The characters confront both their past and future selves, emphasizing how choices reverberate through time and the complexity of fate.

• time travel
• theme
• fate
• timeline
• consequences

The film emphasizes family bonds, particularly the relationship between Adam and his father Louis across different timelines. It explores forgiveness, understanding, and healing after loss, showing how the emotional wounds from abandonment can be reconciled through time-travel encounters.

• family
• relationships
• father
• son
• forgiveness
• loss

Young Adam is a 12-year-old boy portrayed by Nolan Gould, struggling with bullying and the emotional impact of losing his father. He uses a snarky wit to mask his feelings of abandonment and learns courage and maturity through interactions with his older self.

• young adam
• character
• Nolan Gould
• bullying
• father loss

Big Adam is the adult version of the protagonist, portrayed by Sierra McCormick. He grapples with regret over his past and is driven by love for his family as he works to ensure his younger self becomes stronger. His journey involves reconciling memories with his actions.

• big adam
• adult adam
• character
• Sierra McCormick
• regret

Louis is Adam's father, a brilliant but flawed parent whose work focus strained his relationship with his son. His scientific discoveries lead to time travel but cause significant family pain. He seeks redemption and a deeper connection with both versions of Adam before his fate.

• louis
• father
• time travel inventor
• redemption

Maya Sorian is the film's antagonist, a former partner of Louis who exploits time travel for personal gain. Her manipulative nature and ambition turn the future into a dystopia, representing the dangerous potential of power unchecked by morality.

• maya sorian
• antagonist
• villain
• dystopian
• time travel

Self-discovery is a crucial theme, especially for Young Adam as he confronts his insecurities and develops inner strength. Through guidance from his older self, he learns that facing challenges builds character and resilience, shaping who he becomes.

• self discovery
• growth
• resilience
• adversity
• young adam

The film has a bittersweet tone, blending action and sci-fi elements with deep emotional resonance around grief and reconciliation. While the pacing is fast with medium intensity due to the chase narrative, the underlying sadness of loss gives way to a happy ending where the protagonist heals.

• tone
• bittersweet
• emotional
• action
• sci-fi

The movie uses a complex non-linear structure with multiple time periods (2018, 2022, 2050) and interactions between different versions of the same characters. This requires viewers to track cause and effect across timelines as the narrative reveals how time travel creates consequences.

• nonlinear timeline
• complexity
• time travel mechanics
• cause effect

Ellie is Adam's mother, portrayed as a caring but overwhelmed parent navigating life after her husband's loss. She struggles with single parenthood and dating while trying to create stability for Adam, representing the challenges many face while raising children alone.

• ellie
• mother
• single parent
• family
• caregiver