What We Become

What We Become

Year: 2016

Runtime: 85 min

Language: Danish

Director: Bo Mikkelsen

ThrillerHorror

A seemingly peaceful summer in a suburban town is shattered when a devastating plague begins to spread. As the death toll rises and the government imposes a strict lockdown, the Johansson family finds themselves trapped and struggling to survive. They soon realize the danger isn't just the illness itself, but the escalating desperation and the increasingly drastic measures people take in a fight for survival.

Tense
Bleak ending
Emotionally heavy
High intensity
Mixed pacing
Simple story

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Timeline & Setting – What We Become (2016)

Explore the full timeline and setting of What We Become (2016). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Contemporary

The events of the movie unfold in a contemporary setting where a sudden and catastrophic outbreak disrupts everyday life. This time period is marked by enhanced fears due to the pandemic, leading to a severe response from the military and a gradual breakdown of societal norms. The contrast between the initial peace of summer days and the chaos of an apocalypse serves as a stark reminder of how quickly circumstances can change.

Location

Sorgenfri, Denmark

Sorgenfri is a picturesque town in Denmark known for its idyllic summer landscapes and peaceful community atmosphere. Despite its charm, the town becomes a battleground as a deadly virus outbreak disrupts the tranquility, revealing the fragility of safety. It's a setting that juxtaposes beauty with the horror of survival, highlighting the struggle between maintaining normalcy and facing imminent danger.

🏡 Family 🌳 Nature ⚔️ Survival

Last Updated: October 22, 2024 at 22:03

Main Characters – What We Become (2016)

Meet the key characters of What We Become (2016), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Dino

Dino is a protective and well-meaning father who is determined to keep his family safe during the chaos of the outbreak. He struggles with the difficulty of maintaining hope in the face of despair and is faced with making gut-wrenching decisions to protect his loved ones. His character highlights the burden of responsibility and the emotional turmoil faced by parents in a crisis.

👨‍👧‍👦 Family 💪 Strength 😔 Sacrifice

Pernille

Pernille is a nurturing mother who deeply cares for her children, especially her youngest, Maj. As tensions rise, her maternal instincts clash with the harsh realities of their situation, leading to emotional turmoil and a desperate fight for her family's survival. Her character embodies the theme of love amidst tragedy, showing both her tenderness and fierce protection.

👩‍👧‍👦 Motherhood ❤️ Love 😨 Fear

Gustav

Gustav is a curious teenager who grapples with feelings of responsibility and bravery as the situation escalates. His desire to prove himself and protect those he cares for leads him to make impulsive choices, resulting in dire consequences. His character arc explores the transition from adolescence to adulthood in the face of catastrophe.

👦 Youth ⚔️ Courage 🤨 Recklessness

Maj

Maj is the innocent and beloved daughter of Dino and Pernille, whose deep bond with her pet rabbit Ninus symbolizes the childhood innocence that is threatened by the surrounding horrors. Her character adds emotional weight to the storyline, as her struggles reflect the anguish of families torn apart by crisis. Her fate serves as a chilling reminder of the cost of survival.

🐰 Innocence 💔 Loss 🌼 Childhood

Last Updated: October 22, 2024 at 22:03

Major Themes – What We Become (2016)

Explore the central themes of What We Become (2016), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🧟‍♂️ Survival

The theme of survival permeates the narrative as the family faces an increasingly perilous environment. They must navigate not only the external threats posed by a ravenous outbreak but also the internal conflicts and moral dilemmas that arise. Ultimately, it questions the lengths one would go to protect loved ones amidst insurmountable odds.

🔒 Isolation

Isolation is a prominent theme as the quarantine imposed by the military separates families and amplifies their fears. The loss of community bonds and the emergence of trust issues lead to a tense atmosphere. This theme reflects the psychological toll of being cut off from the world during a crisis.

💔 Loss

Loss is keenly felt throughout the film, particularly as beloved family members and neighbors succumb to the outbreak. The emotional weight of grief and the struggle to accept loss showcases the human cost of the crisis, making the audience confront their own attachments and the fragility of life.

Last Updated: October 22, 2024 at 22:03

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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.

Claustrophobic outbreak movies like What We Become

Families forced into lockdown as a deadly contagion tears society apart.If you liked the tense, trapped feeling of What We Become, explore more movies about families struggling to survive a deadly plague under strict lockdown. These similar thriller and horror stories feature claustrophobic settings, societal collapse, and the moral dilemmas of survival.

claustrophobictenseparanoiddesperateoppressivegrimdread-filledchaotic

Narrative Summary

Stories in this thread typically begin with a sense of normalcy that is violently shattered by a fast-spreading contagion. The protagonists are quickly confined to their homes or a small area under oppressive military or government control, forcing them to confront threats from both the infected outside and the panicked, desperate people trapped with them.

Why These Movies?

These movies are grouped by their shared focus on the intimate, terrifying experience of a family unit being besieged by a biological threat. They share a high-intensity, tense tone, a variable pacing that builds from slow dread to chaotic action, and a heavy emotional weight centered on survival and loss.

Suburban dystopia films similar to What We Become

Orderly communities descend into violence and desperation when catastrophe strikes.Fans of What We Become who enjoyed watching a quiet neighborhood descend into chaos will find more movies like it here. These stories explore the loss of innocence and moral collapse in suburban settings during apocalyptic events, focusing on tense survival and grim realities.

grimdesperateoppressivechaoticparanoiddystopianbrutalunsettling

Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern follows the rapid de-evolution of a familiar, safe community into a lawless battlefield. The conflict often shifts from an external threat (like a virus) to the internal threat posed by former friends and neighbors. The journey is one of losing innocence and facing the bleak necessity of hard, often morally ambiguous, choices to protect one's family.

Why These Movies?

These films are united by their specific setting and theme: the destruction of the idyllic suburban dream. They share a bleak ending feel, a heavy emotional weight dealing with trauma, and a tone that is tense and grim, focusing on the psychological impact of watching your world turn savage.

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What We Become Summary

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What We Become Timeline

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What We Become Spoiler-Free Summary

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What We Become Spoiler-Free Summary

More About What We Become

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