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The Trouble with You (2018) movie poster

Timeline

The Trouble with You (2018) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
2018 · 108 mins · French
Echo score 70
Directed by
Pierre Salvadori
Starring
Damien Bonnard, Audrey Tautou, Pio Marmaï, Vincent Elbaz, Adèle Haenel, Alexandre Marouani

Detective Yvonne, the widow of beloved police chief Santi, discovers a shocking truth about her late husband: he was a corrupt officer. Determined to rectify his misdeeds, she finds herself entangled in a complex situation when she encounters Antoine, a man who suffered due to Santi’s actions. Their paths crossing ignites a chain of unexpected and often chaotic events as Yvonne attempts to uncover the full extent of her husband's crimes and find redemption.

On this page (5)
  1. 1 Events in order (12)
  2. 2 Timeline questions answered
  3. 3 Movie threads
  4. 4 Movies like The Trouble with You
  5. 5 Every angle

12 events in order · contains spoilers

The Trouble with You Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of The Trouble with You (2018) in order, scene by scene, with when and where it takes place. Use it to untangle flashbacks, time jumps and parallel storylines, to refresh your memory before the sequel or to find the exact scene you are thinking of.

  1. Discovery of Jean's corruption

    In a routine interrogation, Yvonne learns that her late husband Jean was a corrupt cop who had Antoine imprisoned for a jewellery-store hold-up. The truth complicates her sense of justice and the past she has tried to protect. Louis, a colleague who loves her, urges discretion and asks her not to reveal the truth yet.

    When
    Present day
    Where
    Police interrogation room
  2. Antoine's release from prison

    Antoine is released after years behind bars. Yvonne tails him and notes that his release leaves him mentally unsettled. He reunites with his wife Agnès and begins showing odd, increasingly erratic behavior.

    When
    Shortly after release
    Where
    Outside the prison
  3. Post-release turmoil

    Antoine's return home is shadowed by volatile behavior: petty theft and street violence erupt around him. Yvonne chooses not to intervene, letting him slip away after each incident. The tension between duty and desire begins to strain their fragile dynamic.

    When
    In the days following release
    Where
    City streets and pub
  4. Sea rescue and stolen ride

    After a fight with his wife, Antoine wanders toward the sea and attempts to jump in. Yvonne dives to save him, risking herself for a dangerous connection. They return to the city in a stolen car, and Yvonne feels both stunned and drawn to him.

    When
    Night of the rescue
    Where
    Sea coast and city
  5. Home life and forbidden attraction

    Back home with her son, Yvonne is conflicted but increasingly attracted to Antoine and even flirts with him. Louis looks after the boy, keeping watch as the affair threatens to pull her away from her duties. The line between professional and personal blurs.

    When
    Evening after the rescue
    Where
    Yvonne's home
  6. The disguise at the police station

    The next day Antoine is brought to the police for crashing the car. To avoid detection, Yvonne sits on a bench with prostitutes, pretending to be one of them. The ruse is designed to keep Antoine within reach while masking her identity.

    When
    Next day
    Where
    Close to the police station; bench with prostitutes
  7. Dinner invitation and fake chase

    Antoine, believing Yvonne is a prostitute, invites her to dinner. Louis stages a fake suspect chase to entertain them and complicate the situation. The interplay of deception deepens the danger surrounding their relationship.

    When
    That evening
    Where
    Restaurant and nearby streets
  8. Hostage crisis and hiding place

    Antoine takes restaurant staff hostage and sets the place on fire. Yvonne steps in, ejects him from the scene, and hides him in a disused underground sado-masochist club. The night's chaos pushes their bond further toward peril.

    When
    The same night
    Where
    Restaurant; disused underground club
  9. Escape, restraint, and the jewellery heist plan

    Antoine escapes, leaves his wife behind, and handcuffs Yvonne to a bedpost to prevent interference as he heads to rob the jewellery shop. Yvonne eventually frees herself and tracks him to the jewellery shop. There, she helps him steal the jewels and urges him to flee to join his wife.

    When
    Shortly after the hideout
    Where
    Underground club; jewellery shop
  10. Arrest at the jewellery shop

    In the jewellery shop confrontation, Yvonne assists Antoine with the heist and convinces him to escape to be with his wife. Her actions culminate in her arrest as the police close in. The line between duty and desire reaches a breaking point.

    When
    Immediately after the heist
    Where
    Jewellery shop
  11. Prison time and release

    Much later, Yvonne is released from prison and begins to rebuild. Her period behind bars has been endured, and she contends with the cost of the dangerous choices she made. The aftermath leaves her counting the consequences of her actions.

    When
    Much later
    Where
    Prison
  12. Reunion with Louis and the son

    Yvonne finds Louis, who has taken care of her son during her imprisonment. The film closes on their renewed connection and the promise of family amid the chaos that surrounded her marriage and the case.

    When
    After release
    Where
    City

Last updated: October 01, 2025 at 13:05

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Timeline questions answered

The Trouble with You Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of The Trouble with You (2018): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why does Yvonne help Antoine after learning about her husband?

Yvonne discovers her late husband Jean was a corrupt cop who wrongfully imprisoned Antoine for a jewellery-store robbery. Filled with guilt and a need to redeem her husband's crimes, Yvonne decides to help Antoine, even though it means crossing moral and legal lines. Her attraction to him deepens her commitment to making amends.

Foreshadowing: Yvonne's guilt is established the moment she learns the truth during the routine interrogation.

  • yvonne
  • antoine
  • redemption
  • guilt
  • corruption
Q2

Why does Antoine become violent and erratic after his release from prison?

After spending years in prison for a crime he didn't commit, Antoine returns mentally unstable. The wrongful imprisonment has traumatized him, causing outbursts of petty theft and street violence. His behavior represents the psychological damage caused by his unjust conviction.

Foreshadowing: Yvonne notes his unsettled mental state immediately upon his release.

  • antoine
  • prison
  • trauma
  • mental instability
  • violence
Q3

Why does Yvonne sit with the prostitutes at the police station?

When Antoine is brought to the police station for crashing the stolen car, Yvonne needs to get close to him without revealing she is a police officer. She sits with the prostitutes and pretends to be one of them so Antoine won't discover her true identity or realize she has been following him.

Foreshadowing: This disguise builds on her earlier decision to shadow him covertly.

  • yvonne
  • disguise
  • police
  • prostitutes
  • cover
Q4

Why does Antoine take the restaurant staff hostage?

Antoine believes Yvonne is a prostitute and has invited her to dinner. When Louis stages a fake suspect chase that pulls Yvonne away, Antoine becomes disappointed and angry. In his emotionally unstable state, he takes the restaurant staff hostage and sets the place on fire.

Foreshadowing: His erratic behavior has been building since his release.

  • antoine
  • hostage
  • restaurant
  • fire
  • anger
Q5

Why does Antoine decide to actually rob the jewellery shop?

Antoine wants to give meaning to the years of imprisonment that scarred his youth. By committing the crime he was wrongly accused of, he transforms his unjust past into a deliberate choice. He handcuffs Yvonne to prevent her from stopping him, seeing this heist as his way of reclaiming agency.

Foreshadowing: This plan emerges after he escapes from the underground club.

  • antoine
  • jewellery shop
  • heist
  • revenge
  • meaning
Q6

Why does Yvonne help Antoine with the jewellery heist?

Yvonne helps Antoine steal from the jewellery shop to give his life meaning after wrongful imprisonment. She sees it as completing a circle of justice, allowing Antoine to finally do the deed he was framed for, while she takes the blame. This act represents her ultimate redemption for her husband's corruption.

Foreshadowing: Her guilt has been driving her actions throughout the film.

  • yvonne
  • antoine
  • heist
  • jewellery shop
  • redemption
Q7

Why does Yvonne get arrested at the jewellery shop?

Yvonne is arrested because she assists Antoine in the jewellery heist. Rather than stopping him, she actively helps him steal the jewels and encourages him to escape to be with his wife. She accepts the arrest as the consequence of her choices, finally facing justice for both her husband's crimes and her own actions.

Foreshadowing: This arrest fulfills the film's theme of paying debts.

  • yvonne
  • arrest
  • jewellery shop
  • consequences
Q8

What happens to Louis while Yvonne is in prison?

While Yvonne serves her prison sentence, Louis remains loyal and takes care of her son. He keeps watch over the boy throughout the years Yvonne is away. When she is finally released, Louis is waiting for her, and they reunite, with the film suggesting they can now build a life together.

Foreshadowing: Louis has been in love with Yvonne since early in the film.

  • louis
  • yvonne
  • son
  • prison
  • reunion
Q9

Why does Antoine try to jump into the sea?

After a fight with his wife Agnès, Antoine reaches a breaking point and decides to end his life by jumping into the sea. His emotional turmoil stems from the combination of his wrongful imprisonment, his fractured relationship with his wife, and his overall mental instability.

Foreshadowing: His volatile behavior has been escalating since his release.

  • antoine
  • suicide
  • sea
  • desperation
Q10

Why does Yvonne save Antoine from drowning?

Yvonne has been secretly following Antoine and witnesses his suicide attempt. Despite knowing the danger, she dives into the sea to save him. This act represents her deep guilt over her husband's wrongdoing and her growing personal attraction to Antoine, marking a turning point in their relationship.

Foreshadowing: Her shadowing of Antoine has been ongoing since his release.

  • yvonne
  • antoine
  • rescue
  • sea
  • guilt
Q11

Why does Louis want Yvonne to keep Jean's corruption secret?

Louis, who is in love with Yvonne, convinces her to stay silent about Jean's corruption because revealing the truth would destroy the memory of the beloved police chief and complicate Yvonne's life. He asks her to let Antoine finish his final weeks in jail rather than exposing the scandal immediately.

Foreshadowing: Louis's romantic feelings for Yvonne are established early.

  • louis
  • jean
  • corruption
  • silence
  • secrets

Movie threads

More Movies Like The Trouble with You, by Mood & Story

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

Quirky Redemption Movies like The Trouble with You

Characters find moral clarity through a series of absurd and lighthearted misadventures. If you enjoyed the blend of serious moral reckoning and lighthearted chaos in The Trouble with You, you'll find more movies like it here. These films explore themes of redemption and fixing past mistakes through a whimsical, often comedic, narrative filled with unexpected encounters and hopeful outcomes.

  • redemptive
  • quirky
  • chaotic
  • lighthearted
  • playful
  • unexpected
  • Tone: lighthearted, whimsical, hopeful
  • Pacing: fast, variable, chaotic
Why these movies?

The story pattern: Stories in this thread often follow a character who discovers a past wrong they feel compelled to right. Their quest for redemption, however, rarely goes as planned, unfolding instead through a chain reaction of absurd, chaotic events. The narrative structure is less about solemn reflection and more about active, often clumsy, attempts to make amends that lead to personal growth and new connections.

Why they belong together: These movies are grouped by their unique tonal balance: they tackle weighty ethical dilemmas with a light touch, using humor and unpredictability to explore redemption. The shared vibe is one of optimistic chaos, where the path to a better self is messy, funny, and ultimately heartwarming.

French Crime Comedies similar to The Trouble with You

Where criminal antics meet charming character studies and romantic undertones. Looking for more movies like The Trouble with You? This collection features similar French crime comedies and dramedies that mix quirky criminal plots with lighthearted tones, romantic elements, and a focus on charming, flawed characters navigating chaotic situations.

  • quirky
  • charming
  • stylish
  • romantic
  • playful
  • unexpected
  • Tone: whimsical, light, charming
  • Pacing: fast, snappy
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern involves an ordinary or slightly offbeat character getting entangled in a criminal scheme or moral dilemma, not as a hardened criminal but as an amateur. The plot is propelled by a series of escalating, often humorous misunderstandings or mishaps, while character relationships and personal growth remain central to the story.

Why they belong together: These films share a distinctive blend of Gallic charm, criminal plots, and comedic timing. They possess a specific rhythm and wit, balancing social observation with playful storytelling. The similarity lies in their overall feel—a smart, stylish, and affectionate look at human folly within a lightly criminal framework.

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Every angle

The Trouble with You (2018) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

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