The Souvenir: Part II (2021) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Julie visits Anthony's parents, James and Barbara, to return some of his belongings and to better understand the man she loved. However, she discovers that they knew very little about their son - they had minimal understanding of who Anthony really was, which leaves Julie even more confused about their relationship and deepens her sense of loss.

• anthony parents
• james barbara
• julie loss
• understanding anthony

Jim is an actor working on her friend Marland's student film at the film studio. Julie and Jim share a passionate night together, but the intimacy is marked by Julie getting her period during their encounter - a moment that signals both a potential new beginning and the ongoing emotional weight she carries from Anthony's death.

• jim
• julie intimacy
• new relationship
• film studio

Julie presents her reel and script for her final student film to the school board, but they harshly criticize it for having a weak narrative and improper formatting. They threaten to withdraw their support if she continues with the project as-is, forcing Julie to decide whether to comply or pursue her vision independently.

• school board
• film rejection
• student film
• julie film school

Julie creates a semi-autobiographical film titled The Souvenir that directly draws from her relationship with Anthony. The film blurs the lines between her memories and fiction as she tries to understand both Anthony and herself. The premiere features a dreamlike sequence where she symbolically confronts her grievances against Anthony, using her art to process and let go of her grief.

• the souvenir
• julie film
• anthony relationship
• film within film
• processing grief

The film ends with Julie celebrating her 30th birthday as a successful music video director. The celebration scene transitions to a film school studio set, and a voice calls out "Cut," revealing that the entire celebration was part of a film within the film. This meta-moment blurs reality and fiction, suggesting Julie has incorporated her painful past into her creative work and moved forward.

• ending cut
• film within film
• meta ending
• julie growth
• 30th birthday

In therapy, Julie wrestles with whether her feelings for Anthony were genuine love or stemmed from a desire for companionship outside her immediate circle. Her therapist encourages her to continue seeking genuine connections in her life, leaving this question somewhat open but suggesting Julie is working through unresolved feelings about the nature of her attachment.

• julie love anthony
• companionship
• therapy
• genuine feelings

While staying with her parents after Anthony's death, Julie tells her mother that her period is late, adding another layer of emotional turmoil to her already fragile state. This detail hints at the complexity of her situation - possible pregnancy symbolizing both a potential new life and the weight of her unresolved grief.

• late period
• julie mother
• emotional turmoil
• pregnancy hint

Julie receives a distressing call from Barbara informing her that James has suffered a stroke and been hospitalized. This event occurs after Julie has been processing her grief and working on her film, adding another layer of emotional complexity as she learns to navigate loss beyond Anthony's death.

• james stroke
• barbara
• hospitalization
• anthony family

Julie channels her complex feelings about Anthony into creating her graduation film. Despite the school's criticism and the difficulty of reliving painful memories, filmmaking becomes her way to reconstruct and make sense of her experiences. The editor Max advises her not to carry the burden of others' grief alone, helping her find a healthier approach to her artistic and emotional journey.

• filmmaking
• grief processing
• anthony death
• creative expression
• max editor

Julie probes her mother Rosalind for insights about Anthony and their last moment together. Rosalind reminisces about their last encounter, calling it pleasant and professing her fondness for Anthony. This conversation helps Julie reflect on her loss more deeply and provides another perspective on the man she loved beyond his addiction.

• rosalind
• julie mother
• anthony memory
• family conversation

Julie casts Pete as "Alfie" (the Anthony character) and insists Garance play "Julie," but her lack of clear communication and difficulty articulating her vision creates tension on set. Pete confronts her, suggesting she's caught between the version of Anthony she knew and the reality of who he truly was, reflecting her ongoing struggle to reconcile her memories with truth.

• pete casting
• garance
• alfie character
• directing struggle
• julie vision

In her quest for closure, Julie visits Anthony's friends from the world of addiction, hoping to learn details about his last hours. However, Suzie and the others offer her only silence, leaving Julie feeling more isolated in her grief. This rejection highlights how the mystery around Anthony's life and death remains unresolved.

• anthony friends
• suze
• closure
• last hours
• addiction