What Happens Later

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2:24

What Happens Later

R

Released Nov 3, 2023

1h 43m

Romance

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

51%

Tomatometer

72 Reviews

28%

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100+ Verified Ratings

Two ex lovers, Bill (David Duchovny) and Willa (Meg Ryan) get snowed in at a regional airport overnight. Indefinitely delayed, Willa, a magical thinker, and Bill, a catastrophic one, find themselves just as attracted to and annoyed by one another as they did decades earlier. But as they unpack the riddle of their mutual past and compare their lives to the dreams they once shared, they begin to wonder if their reunion is mere coincidence, or something more enchanted.

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Critics Consensus

A pair of beloved stars and a refreshingly mature take on rom-com tropes are almost enough to overcome What Happens Later's increasingly cloying execution.

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Audience Says

Short on romance and comedy, What Happens Later will be a painful disappointment for many viewers who've been waiting for Meg Ryan's return to the genre.

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Mark Kermode

Kermode and Mayo's Take (YouTube)

It's incredibly contrived and it really shouldn't work, but kind of does.

Jan 18, 2024

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Kevin Maher

Times (UK)

Meg Ryan is back, in a rom-com! [...] And that idea, unfortunately, is as good as it gets.

Rated: 2/5

Dec 19, 2023

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Wendy Ide

Observer (UK)

Aims to be an adorably quirky romcom but plays out as such a surreally purgatorial ordeal that at one point I found myself wondering, Wait, are they actually dead? Am I? Is this what hell looks like?

Rated: 1/5

Dec 17, 2023

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Randy Meeks

Espinof

It feels like a night at the airport: it's uncomfortable, boring, long, dark, with nothing to do, and only a few occasional fun moments that make you think that maybe one day you'll remember it with some fondness. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 2/5

May 24, 2024

Full Review

Enid Román Almansa

Cinemanía (Spain)

A film halfway between comedy and drama and with a touch of magical realism. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 3/5

May 17, 2024

Full Review

Manu Yáñez

Fotogramas

The film deals with a script overloaded with metaphors but ultimately finds a certain truth in its bittersweet look at the comforting and frustrating feelings that stem from memories of love. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 3/5

May 17, 2024

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Cheryl

I loved this movie. It showed caring and compassion.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/30/24

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bob c

Love the story and love how real Meg and Davis make the story!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/23/23

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Facebook U

A waste of time and money!!!

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

11/21/23

Full Review

C Swalheim

This movie had no plot, the writing was awful, no humor, stupid, boring and probably one of the worst I have seen. Save your money. My friend and I fell asleep and even then it was too long.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

11/16/23

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Nancy P

Very well done. It was so touching.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/16/23

Full Review

Page

Nothing like other Meg Ryans movies… we almost left theater sadly

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

11/15/23

Full Review

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Meg Ryan

Director

Meg Ryan

Willa

David Duchovny

Bill

Steven Dietz

Screenwriter

Kirk Lynn

Screenwriter

Meg Ryan

Screenwriter

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What Happens Later: Trailer 1

2:24

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Synopsis

Two ex lovers, Bill (David Duchovny) and Willa (Meg Ryan) get snowed in at a regional airport overnight. Indefinitely delayed, Willa, a magical thinker, and Bill, a catastrophic one, find themselves just as attracted to and annoyed by one another as they did decades earlier. But as they unpack the riddle of their mutual past and compare their lives to the dreams they once shared, they begin to wonder if their reunion is mere coincidence, or something more enchanted.

Director: Meg Ryan
Producer: Jonathan Duffy, Kelly Williams, Laura D. Smith, Kristin Mann
Screenwriter: Steven Dietz, Kirk Lynn, Meg Ryan
Distributor: Bleecker Street
Production Co: Prowess Pictures, Das Films, Rockhill Studios, Ten Acre Films
Rating: R (Some Sexual References|Language|Brief Drug Use)
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 3, 2023, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 28, 2023
Box Office (Gross USA): $3.3M
Runtime: 1h 43m

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