Things to Come (1936) Spoiler-Free Summary – What It's About

In a world scarred by a centuries‑long second World War, the remnants of humanity cling to the ruins of once‑great cities while a wandering disease turns the living into restless shadows. Out of this bleakness a pragmatic, rational order begins to take shape, determined to stitch together the fragments of civilization and turn its gaze toward the stars. The atmosphere is one of stark contrast: the cold, skeletal skylines of ruined metropolises stand beside the crisp, hopeful hum of newly imagined machines, suggesting both the weight of loss and the promise of renewal.

At the heart of this emerging order is an aging former pilot, John Cabal, whose wartime experience has forged a meticulous mind and an unshakable belief in humanity’s capacity to rebuild. His vision is carried forward by his grandson, Oswald Cabal, now the public face of the government, who balances the demands of stewardship with the restless ambition that drives the new regime. Across the fractured landscape, a charismatic warlord known only as the Boss commands a pocket of survivors, his pragmatic ruthlessness offering a foil to the idealism of the Cabals. Meanwhile, a contemplative sculptor, Theotocopulos, voices the growing public yearning for a pause in relentless progress, while scientists such as Catherine Cabal and Maurice Passworthy embody the drive to push humanity beyond Earth’s battered surface.

Together these figures embody the central tension of the film: a society poised between the necessity of order and the danger of unending acceleration. As the new government prepares to launch a bold extraterrestrial venture, the chorus of voices—political, artistic, scientific—asks whether the pursuit of the unknown must eclipse the simple act of simply being. The tone remains meditative, inviting the audience to feel the weight of a world rebuilding itself while wondering what price will be paid for the dream of reaching the stars.