Things to Come
Year: 2016
Runtime: 102 min
Language: French
Director: Mia Hansen-Løve
Following a painful divorce, Nathalie, a respected philosophy professor, finds her life irrevocably changed. As her marriage crumbles and her children leave home, she’s forced to re-evaluate her career and her sense of self. Embracing a newfound freedom, she navigates the complexities of aging, family, and personal identity while confronting the unexpected turns life can take.
Warning: spoilers below!
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Timeline & Setting – Things to Come (2016)
Explore the full timeline and setting of Things to Come (2016). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.
Last Updated: October 22, 2024 at 21:24
Main Characters – Things to Come (2016)
Meet the key characters of Things to Come (2016), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.
Last Updated: October 22, 2024 at 21:24
Major Themes – Things to Come (2016)
Explore the central themes of Things to Come (2016), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.
Last Updated: October 22, 2024 at 21:24
Explore Movie Threads
Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.
Professionals rebuilding after collapse like in Things to Come
Professionals facing personal collapse and forced to rebuild their identity from scratch.Find movies similar to Things to Come that focus on characters experiencing a late-life crisis. If you liked the story of Nathalie rebuilding her life after her divorce, you'll appreciate these dramas about personal reinvention, intellectual turmoil, and the search for new meaning.
Narrative Summary
The narrative pattern begins with a stable, often intellectually-driven life that is fractured by a major personal event. The protagonist then navigates a period of intense disorientation and grief, gradually moving from a place of loss toward a complex, often ambiguous, form of liberation and self-discovery, without tidy resolutions.
Why These Movies?
Movies in this thread are grouped by their shared focus on the internal crisis of a high-achieving individual, the heavy emotional weight of starting over, and a tone that blends tense realism with moments of reflective hope. They share a character-driven pacing that feels urgent yet deeply personal.
Solemn character-driven dramas like Things to Come
Intensely personal stories where emotion is the primary driver of a fast-paced narrative.Discover movies with a similar feel to Things to Come. If you appreciated its fast-paced, emotionally heavy exploration of one woman's life, you'll find more solemn character studies here that grapple with identity, family, and change with similar intensity and narrative drive.
The Life of David Gale
2003
Life During Wartime
2010
Romeo + Juliet
1996
Hollow in the Land
2017
Harsh Times
2006
Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps
2010
Striking Distance
1993
Heavy Rain
2010
Christian Brothers
2011
Sole Survivor
2000
D.O.A.
2022
Five Star Final
1931
The Road
2023
The Secret Fury
1950
The Slender Thread
1965
Narrative Summary
Stories unfold through the lens of a single character's emotional journey, where external plot points serve primarily to trigger internal growth or crisis. The narrative moves quickly through pivotal life stages or events, maintaining a high level of emotional stakes and culminating in an ending that feels earned but often ambiguous, reflecting the complexity of life.
Why These Movies?
These films are connected by their solemn mood, heavy emotional weight, and a pacing that feels fast because it's packed with meaningful personal developments. They share a tense, realistic tone and focus deeply on the protagonist's psychological state above all else.
Unlock the Full Story of Things to Come
Don't stop at just watching — explore Things to Come in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Things to Come is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.
Things to Come Summary
Read a complete plot summary of Things to Come, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.
Things to Come Timeline
Track the full timeline of Things to Come with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.
