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The Landlords (2012) movie poster

Timeline

The Landlords (2012) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
2012 · 90 mins · Italian
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Directed by
Edoardo Gabbriellini
Starring
Elio Germano, Valerio Mastandrea, Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, Lorenzo Rivola, Gianni Morandi

Two construction worker brothers, Cosimo and Elia, are hired to renovate a renowned singer’s rural mansion before his highly anticipated career comeback concert. The job appears straightforward, but the close-knit community of the small town views outsiders with suspicion. As the brothers work, they encounter resistance and must navigate the locals' apprehension while completing the renovation on time for the singer's return.

Drama Cast, crew & box office
On this page (5)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Events in order (12)
  3. 3 Timeline questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Every angle
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12 events in order · contains spoilers

The Landlords Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of The Landlords (2012) 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. Elgar buys the Park Slope tenement and plots luxury plans

    Elgar Enders, living on an allowance, purchases an inner-city tenement in Park Slope, Brooklyn. He intends to evict the current occupants so he can erect a luxury home for himself. This marks his initial break from his WASP upbringing and social circle.

    When
    early
    Where
    Park Slope, Brooklyn

  2. Elgar discovers the residents and grows fond of them

    Upon entering the tenement, Elgar meets the low-income black residents and begins to see their lives. He becomes protective of the building and decides to stay, helping fix it instead of throwing people out. His stance shifts from landlord-empire to community ally.

    When
    soon after
    Where
    Park Slope tenement

  3. Elgar begins a romance with Lanie

    Elgar starts a relationship with Lanie, a mixed-race dancer at a local black club. Despite her colorism experiences and mixed heritage, she connects with him on a personal level. The romance signals his rebellion against his upbringing.

    When
    early
    Where
    local black club and nearby tenement

  4. Affair with tenant Fanny Johnson and pregnancy

    Elgar has an affair with Fanny Johnson, one of his tenants, which results in her pregnancy. The situation complicates his growing bond with the tenants and deepens his conflict with his family’s expectations. He faces the consequences of crossing social boundaries.

    When
    mid
    Where
    tenement residence

  5. Copee's rage and violent confrontation

    Copee, Fanny's husband and a Black activist, reacts furiously upon learning about the pregnancy and the affair. He tries to kill Elgar with an axe but is restrained and eventually taken away in a straitjacket. The incident exposes tensions in the community.

    When
    mid
    Where
    tenement and hospital

  6. Hospital recovery and a plea to take responsibility

    While recovering, Fanny tells Elgar she cannot raise the child alone with Copee away. She asks him to consider their future and the possibility of him taking responsibility. The topic centers on whether Elgar will become a father.

    When
    late
    Where
    hospital

  7. Adoption proposal to a white family

    Fanny suggests placing the baby with a white family to start a new life, a solution she believes could shield the child from the neighborhood's racial tensions. Elgar wrestles with his role and the meaning of family in this context. The moment highlights the social pressures at play.

    When
    late
    Where
    hospital/home

  8. Elgar's decision about fatherhood

    Elgar confronts his own fears and the burden of single fatherhood. He contemplates how his life would change and whether he can keep the child. The decision becomes a turning point in his relationship with Lanie and the tenants.

    When
    late
    Where
    hospital and tenement

  9. Elgar takes custody of the child

    Ultimately, Elgar chooses to take custody of the baby and commit to raising it himself. The plan to place the child with a white family is abandoned, signaling a personal and moral shift. His stance aligns with staying in the community and stepping into paternal responsibility.

    When
    end
    Where
    hospital/home

  10. Elgar mends things with Lanie

    Elgar reconciles with Lanie, acknowledging the bond they've formed and choosing to pursue it. The resolution includes her accepting his commitment to their future. Their relationship becomes the emotional core of the new family.

    When
    end
    Where
    Lanie's place

  11. Elgar moves in with Lanie

    Elgar moves in with Lanie, symbolizing his full break with the old life and his integration into the community he chose to support. He remains in the tenement as a landlord who helps build the neighborhood, now with a partner by his side.

    When
    end
    Where
    Lanie's home in Brooklyn

  12. New life and ongoing community involvement

    The story ends with Elgar continuing to balance landlord duties, personal growth, and care for the child. He and Lanie start a life together, reflecting a broader shift from privilege to shared responsibility and belonging.

    When
    end
    Where
    Park Slope, Brooklyn

Last updated: February 03, 2026 at 07:41

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Timeline questions answered

The Landlords Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of The Landlords (2012): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why does Elia decide to help the tenants instead of evicting them?

Elia experiences a profound transformation after moving into the tenement. Initially planning to demolish the building for a luxury home, he becomes drawn to the residents' resilience, warmth, and community bonds. Rather than seeing them as obstacles to his ambition, he begins to value their humanity and chooses to stay, helping fix the deteriorating property instead of tearing it down.

Foreshadowing: His initial purchase already marks a break from his WASP upbringing, hinting at his underlying desire to escape his privileged bubble.

  • tenants
  • community
  • transformation
  • eviction
  • gentrification
Q2

Why does Elia have an affair with Fanny Johnson?

The affair represents Elia's complete break from his social boundaries. As he becomes more embedded in the community, his emotions become entangled with the lives of the tenants. His relationship with Fanny crosses social and racial lines, reflecting his rebellion against the expectations of his wealthy background and his growing immersion in the world he initially sought to displace.

Foreshadowing: His romance with Lanie earlier signals his willingness to cross social boundaries.

  • affair
  • pregnancy
  • Fanny Johnson
  • tenants
  • transgression
Q3

Why does Copee attack Elia with an axe?

Copee, Fanny's husband and a Black activist, reacts with violent fury upon discovering that Elia impregnated his wife. The attack stems from the betrayal of trust within his own home, combined with the historical context of a white landlord impregnating a Black tenant, a situation that echoes painful power dynamics. His rage escalates to attempted murder before he is restrained and taken away in a straitjacket.

Foreshadowing: The tension between Elia's position as landlord and his relationships with tenants foreshadows this explosive confrontation.

  • Copee
  • axe attack
  • violence
  • anger
  • betrayal
Q4

What happens to Fanny's baby in the end?

Elia takes custody of the baby, choosing to raise the child himself rather than placing it with a white family as Fanny had proposed. This decision marks his final commitment to staying in the community and accepting paternal responsibility, abandoning his original luxury home plans entirely.

Foreshadowing: Fanny's hospital plea for someone to take responsibility sets up Elia's ultimate choice.

  • baby
  • custody
  • adoption
  • fatherhood
  • Elia
Q5

Why does Fanny suggest giving the baby to a white family?

Fanny proposes placing the baby with a white family because she believes it would give the child a better life, shielded from the racial tensions and challenges she has experienced in the neighborhood. Her proposal reflects the complex social pressures and colorism present in the community, though the plan is ultimately abandoned when Elia decides to keep the child.

Foreshadowing: Lanie's backstory of facing colorism due to her light skin hints at the film's exploration of racial dynamics.

  • adoption
  • white family
  • racial tensions
  • Fanny
  • choice
Q6

Does Elia end up with Lanie?

Yes, Elia reconciles with Lanie and they eventually move in together. After taking custody of the baby and mending their relationship, Elia chooses to build a life with her, symbolizing his full integration into the community and his break from his previous privileged life.

Foreshadowing: Their early romance in the film establishes the emotional connection that ultimately prevails.

  • Lanie
  • relationship
  • reconciliation
  • future together
Q7

What triggers Elia's transformation from landlord to community member?

Elia's transformation is triggered by his direct exposure to the tenants' lives. Rather than viewing the building as a profit opportunity, he experiences their warmth, resilience, and community firsthand. This emotional connection gradually shifts his priorities from personal ambition to genuine care for others, fundamentally changing his identity.

Foreshadowing: The moment he steps inside the tenement marks the beginning of his change.

  • transformation
  • growth
  • community
  • identity change
Q8

How does the film address gentrification?

The film uses Elia's purchase of the Park Slope tenement as a lens for gentrification. His initial plan to evict long-standing Black tenants and build a luxury home represents the displacement mechanism. His eventual choice to stay and help the community rather than displace them offers a counter-narrative, exploring how personal relationships can challenge systemic displacement.

Foreshadowing: The tension between Elia's wealth and the tenants' poverty establishes this central theme from the start.

  • gentrification
  • displacement
  • tenement
  • Brooklyn
  • community
Q9

Why does Elia choose to take responsibility for the child?

Elia chooses fatherhood as the final step in his transformation. After rebelling against his upbringing, forming community bonds, and recognizing his role in the pregnancy, he decides that staying and raising the child represents his truest commitment to the world he has chosen. It is both an act of responsibility and a rejection of his previous life of privilege.

Foreshadowing: His earlier decision to help the tenants rather than evict them foreshadows his willingness to embrace responsibility.

  • fatherhood
  • responsibility
  • choice
  • growth
  • commitment

Movie threads

More Movies Like The Landlords, by Mood & Story

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

Dramas about community and outsiders like The Landlords

Stories where newcomers must earn their place in a tightly-knit, suspicious community. If you liked the community dynamics in The Landlords, explore these movies about outsiders navigating closed societies. This collection features stories of personal transformation set against a backdrop of local suspicion and the struggle for acceptance, perfect for fans of socially conscious character dramas.

  • socially conscious
  • dramatic
  • conflicted
  • introspective
  • redemptive
  • community-focused
  • Tone: dramatic, socially conscious, hopeful
  • Pacing: steady, character driven
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative follows an individual or group entering a community that is initially unwelcoming. Through shared experiences, conflicts, and small acts of understanding, barriers begin to fall. The journey is often one of mutual transformation, where both the outsider and the community are changed by the encounter.

Why they belong together: These movies are grouped together because they all center on the powerful, often bittersweet dynamic between an individual and a community. They share a steady, character-driven pace and a tone that balances dramatic conflict with a hopeful undercurrent of human connection.

Dreamland: The Land of Dreams movie poster

Dreamland: The Land of Dreams

2011
Ordinary Miracles movie poster

Ordinary Miracles

2005
Brother movie poster

Brother

2023
Seekers of Happiness movie poster

Seekers of Happiness

1936
Inside Moves movie poster

Inside Moves

1980
Where Hope Grows movie poster

Where Hope Grows

2015
Otherhood movie poster

Otherhood

2019
We Can Do That movie poster

We Can Do That

2008

Movies about social transformation like The Landlords

Character-driven stories where social issues force a personal reckoning and growth. Looking for movies like The Landlords that explore class and identity? This selection features character dramas where protagonists undergo significant personal change while confronting social conflicts. These films deliver emotionally impactful, bittersweet narratives that are both thought-provoking and redemptive.

  • redemptive
  • socially conscious
  • bittersweet
  • hopeful
  • dramatic
  • introspective
  • Tone: hopeful, bittersweet, redemptive
  • Pacing: steady, deliberate
Why these movies?

The story pattern: A protagonist, often initially complacent or privileged, is thrust into a situation that exposes them to systemic social issues. Their journey involves a moral and emotional awakening, leading to changed perspectives and actions. The resolution acknowledges the complexity of the problems, offering a bittersweet but meaningful conclusion focused on personal redemption rather than a perfect solution.

Why they belong together: These films share a core narrative of redemption sparked by social awareness. They possess a similar emotional mix: a medium level of drama and sadness balanced by a fundamentally hopeful tone, resulting in a cathartic, bittersweet feeling that resonates after the credits roll.

The Landlords movie poster

The Landlords

2012
Always: Sunset on Third Street 2 movie poster

Always: Sunset on Third Street 2

2007
Go Back to China movie poster

Go Back to China

2019
The Hungry Bachelors Club movie poster

The Hungry Bachelors Club

1999
Adult Adoption movie poster

Adult Adoption

2022
Endless Poetry movie poster

Endless Poetry

2017
The Black Orchid movie poster

The Black Orchid

1958
The Constitution movie poster

The Constitution

2016

Every angle

The Landlords (2012) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about The Landlords 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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