Things to Come

Things to Come

Year: 2016

Runtime: 102 min

Language: French

Director: Mia Hansen-Løve

Drama

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.

Things to Come (2016) – Spoiler-Free Movie Summary & Plot Overview

Get a spoiler-free look at Things to Come (2016) with a clear plot overview that covers the setting, main characters, and story premise—without revealing key twists or the ending. Perfect for deciding if this film is your next watch.

In the aftermath of a painful divorce, Nathalie—a respected philosophy professor—finds herself standing at the edge of a new, uncharted chapter. The quiet corridors of academia, once filled with the measured cadence of lectures and debate, now echo with the lingering questions of a life reshaped by loss. As her marriage crumbles and her children move out, the familiar scaffolding of family and routine begins to dissolve, leaving her to confront the raw expanse of personal freedom.

The world she inhabits is both familiar and subtly altered, a modern city that buzzes with the ordinary while hinting at the deeper currents of change. Light filters through the windows of her study, casting shadows that seem to mirror the internal contemplation she now must face. The tone is thoughtful and gently melancholic, weaving moments of quiet introspection with the occasional flicker of unexpected humor that reminds her—and the audience—that even in the most serious of reckonings, the human spirit can surprise itself.

Surrounded by former colleagues and friends who carry their own burdens of age and ambition, Nathalie navigates a social landscape that is as much a mirror as it is a backdrop. The relationships she rekindles and the new connections she forges serve as lenses through which she re‑examines her own identity, her career, and the philosophies she has long taught. The film leans into the complexities of aging, not as a decline but as a time of possibility, where experience can become a catalyst for reinvention.

Against this contemplative canvas, the story promises an immersive journey of self‑discovery, inviting viewers to feel the delicate balance of grief and hope. It hints at the unforeseen turns life may offer, without revealing the specifics, leaving a lingering curiosity about how Nathalie will ultimately redefine herself in the years to come.

Last Updated: August 10, 2025 at 03:34

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Things to Come Summary

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Things to Come Summary

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Characters, Settings & Themes in Things to Come

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Characters, Settings & Themes in Things to Come

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