Things to Come (, , )) is a 2016 drama film written and directed by Mia Hansen-Løve. It stars Isabelle Huppert as Nathalie Chazeaux, a middle-aged philosophy professor whose life undergoes a series of changes. The film explores the themes of aging, family ties, intellectual passion, and personal freedom.
Things to Come premiered in the main competition at the 66th Berlin International Film Festival, where Hansen-Løve won the Silver Bear for Best Director. The film received widespread critical acclaim and Huppert won several nominations and awards for her performance, including the National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress, New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress, Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress, and the London Film Critics' Circle Award for Actress of the Year. It is considered among the best films of the 2010s and of the 21st century.
Things to Come was released theatrically in France on 6 April 2016 by Les Films du Losange and in Germany on 18 August 2016 by Weltkino Filmverleih.
Plot Nathalie teaches philosophy in a Parisian high school, but for her it is not just a job, it is a way of living and thinking. With a past permeated by youthful idealism, she now aims to teach students to think for themselves, using philosophical texts that stimulate confrontation and discussion. Her life flows between her work, her husband, her two grown children, and her ex-model mother who needs constant attention. However, suddenly everything changes: her husband leaves her, her mother dies and Nathalie finds herself with unexpected and unusual freedom.
Cast Isabelle Huppert as Nathalie Chazeaux André Marcon as Heinz as Fabien Édith Scob as Yvette Lavastre as Chloé as Johann as Elsa Lionel Dray as Hugo Grégoire Montana-Haroche as Simon Lina Benzerti as Antonia Yves Heck as Daniel
Production Hansen-Løve said she wrote the role of Nathalie with Isabelle Huppert in mind. She also said Nathalie was loosely based on her mother, who was a philosophy professor and separated from her husband later in life. Principal photography began on 22 June 2015 in Paris.
Reception Critical response Things to Come received critical acclaim. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 99% based on 150 reviews, with an average rating of 8.2/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "A union to cherish between a writer-director and star working at peak power, Things to Come offers quietly profound observations on life, love, and the irrevocable passage of time." At Metacritic, the film received a weighted average score of 88 out of 100, based on 28 reviews from mainstream critics, indicating "universal acclaim".
Box office Things to Come grossed $5.6 million at the worldwide box office.
Accolades List of awards and nominations Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Austin Film Critics Association 28 December 2016 Best Foreign-Language Film Things to Come Berlin International Film Festival 21 February 2016 Best Director Mia Hansen-Løve Golden Bear Mia Hansen-Løve Boston Society of Film Critics 11 December 2016 Best Actress Isabelle Huppert (also for Elle) Best Foreign Film Things to Come Chicago International Film Festival 22 October 2016 Golden Hugo Mia Hansen-Løve Dorian Awards 26 January 2017 Foreign Language Film of the Year Things to Come Dublin Film Critics' Circle 17 December 2016 Best Actress Isabelle Huppert IndieWire Critics Poll 19 December 2016 Best Actress Isabelle Huppert Jerusalem Film Festival 17 July 2016 The Wilf Family Foundation Award – Best International Film Mia Hansen-Løve London Film Critics' Circle 22 January 2017 Actress of the Year Isabelle Huppert Foreign Language Film of the Year Things to Come Los Angeles Film Critics Association 4 December 2016 Best Actress Isabelle Huppert (also for Elle) National Society of Film Critics 7 January 2017 Best Actress Isabelle Huppert (also for Elle) Best Foreign Language Film Things to Come New York Film Critics Circle 1 December 2016 Best Actress Isabelle Huppert (also for Elle) Prix Louis-Delluc 14 December 2016 Best Film Mia Hansen-Løve
Notes
References
External links
Things to Come at AllMovie