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.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline – What We Become (2016)

Trace every key event in What We Become (2016) with our detailed, chronological timeline. Perfect for unpacking nonlinear stories, spotting hidden connections, and understanding how each scene builds toward the film’s climax. Whether you're revisiting or decoding for the first time, this timeline gives you the full picture.

1

A Peaceful Summer Begins

The film opens with a charming summer in Sorgenfri, Denmark, where the family of four enjoys their tranquil life together. Dino, Pernille, and their children, Maj and Gustav, revel in the idyllic surroundings, creating a strong sense of normalcy and happiness.

Sorgenfri, Denmark
2

New Neighbor Moves In

The serene atmosphere is disrupted by the arrival of a new neighbor, Sonja, who quickly catches the attention of teenager Gustav. Her presence introduces a hint of flirtation amidst the family's summer bliss, impacting the dynamics within the household.

Sorgenfri, Denmark
3

Picnic Takes a Dark Turn

During a picnic, a sudden turn of events occurs when a little boy is spotted becoming ill, raising concerns among the parents. Just moments later, the panic grows as a distraught elderly woman arrives, alarmed over her husband's mysterious disappearance, hinting at a larger crisis.

Picnic site
4

Quarantine Enforced

As the deadly virus begins to spread, the military arrives to enforce a lockdown that traps the families in their homes. Supplies dwindle and power outages add to the growing fear and uncertainty, marking the end of their peaceful summer.

Sorgenfri, Denmark
5

Neighbors Taken by the Military

One night, chaos ensues when the military starts to forcibly remove neighbors from their homes under the pretense of safety. The unsettling atmosphere intensifies as the threat of the virus becomes all too real, leaving the remaining families anxious and confused.

Sorgenfri, Denmark
6

Gustav's Secret Discovery

Defying the quarantine, Gustav sneaks out to check on Sonja and discovers her mother injured. His exploration leads him to a deadly 'safe space,' where he uncovers the horrific truth about the infected, awakening a new level of danger for everyone.

Safe Space
7

Zombie Horde Unleashed

In a moment of desperation, Gustav inadvertently opens the door to a horde of zombies, causing utter chaos and forcing the military to retreat. The residents, now left to fend for themselves, realize the gravity of their situation as fear grips the community.

Sorgenfri, Denmark
8

Family Horror Escalates

As tensions rise, the family grapples with their own horrors, from the unsettling disappearance of their pet rabbit Ninus to Maj's haunting inquiry about him during breakfast. The atmosphere is thick with dread, complicating their already fragile emotional state.

Dino's home
9

Descent into Madness

As the situation worsens, Maj ventures out to find Ninus, only to encounter the neighbor searching for her missing partner. This fateful decision leads to a tragic encounter where she is bitten, encapsulating the escalating horrors threatening their family.

Outside Dino's home
10

Desperate Measures

Cornered and desperate, Dino faces the harrowing reality of needing to kill his infected daughter Maj. The scene spirals into chaos and heartbreak as Pernille struggles to accept this grim outcome, leading to a gut-wrenching confrontation that reshapes their fate.

Dino's home
11

Escape Attempt

Gustav and Sonja barricade themselves in a room, devising a plan to escape the chaos around them. With fireworks as a diversion, they confront Sonja's reborn mother, desperate to survive as the remaining families succumb to the surrounding turmoil.

Sorgenfri, Denmark
12

Final Moments of Hope

As smoke rises from their town and an air raid siren wails in the background, Gustav and Sonja make a frantic dash for safety. This heartbreaking escape marks the end of their world as they once knew it, leaving them to face the unknown.

Forest
13

Aftermath of Chaos

The camera pulls back to illustrate the devastation left in the wake of the outbreak, capturing the haunting silence that follows the chaos. The film concludes with the chilling message of 'WHAT WE BECOME,' forcing the audience to ponder the depths of human survival.

Sorgenfri, Denmark

Last Updated: November 08, 2024 at 02:00

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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.

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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.

Unlock the Full Story of What We Become

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What We Become Summary

Read a complete plot summary of What We Become, 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.

What We Become Summary

Characters, Settings & Themes in What We Become

Discover the characters, locations, and core themes that shape What We Become. Get insights into symbolic elements, setting significance, and deeper narrative meaning — ideal for thematic analysis and movie breakdowns.

Characters, Settings & Themes in What We Become

What We Become Spoiler-Free Summary

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What We Become Spoiler-Free Summary

More About What We Become

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about What We Become: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

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