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Things to Come

Things to Come

The future is here!

1936100 minNot RatedMidcredits score: 66th percentile of all films
Director
William Cameron Menzies
Starring
Raymond Massey, Edward Chapman, Ralph Richardson, Margaretta Scott

The story of a century: a decades-long second World War leaves plague and anarchy, then a rational state rebuilds civilization and attempts space travel.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Things to Come?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Things to Come streaming on Fandor via Prime Video, Midnight Pulp via Prime Video, Prime Video, The Criterion Channel, The Roku Channel (free) and Tubi (free).

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Things to Come?

Things to Come earns 6 badges, led by One of a kind and Crowd Pleaser.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Cast

Reception

Is Things to Come worth watching?

Things to Come's Midcredits score is the 66th percentile of all films, from 21K ratings across 4 sources. 60% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

66th percentile

Better received than 66% of films

67th percentile among Drama68th percentile among 1930s
Acclaim (how much people like it)64th
Approval (how many liked it)66th

65 /100

64th percentile of all films

66th percentile among Drama65th percentile among 1930s

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.8 — solid but not unanimous.

Approval

How many liked it

60% liked it

66th percentile of all films

67th percentile among Drama67th percentile among 1930s
60% rated it 7–1040% rated it 1–6

Critics 91% · Audience 55%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Reach

How many have seen it

81st percentile

21K ratings across platforms

84th percentile among Drama94th percentile among 1930s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 18% in 30 days

Box office

Budget£300K

In British pound, not converted to dollars.

What reviewers say

Common ground

The film is a visually striking but didactic and dramatically stiff work of speculative fiction that sacrifices narrative and character for philosophical ideas.

Fans praised

  • visionary special effects and art-deco production design still impressive today
  • ambitious 100-year scope and thought-provoking ideas about war and progress
  • prophetic prediction of aerial warfare and the coming world war

Detractors panned

  • stodgy, preachy dialogue and theatrical, overacted performances
  • episodic, characterless plot with wooden acting and no emotional engagement
  • heavy-handed moralizing that sacrifices drama for lecture

What stands out

Originality85

groundbreaking early sci-fi epic; still unique in structure and vision

Effects and spectacleDivisive80

impressive miniatures, matte paintings, and art-deco vehicles

Cinematography80

striking expressionist compositions and montages

ActingDivisive45

stiff, stagey, theatrical; Richardson's over-the-top Boss is a standout

Plot and storyDivisive45

episodic, rickety structure spanning a hundred years

Characters30

symbols and mouthpieces rather than developed people

PacingDivisive30

slow, ponderous, especially in middle sections

Dialogue25

preachy, heavy-handed, laden with philosophical speeches

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Men

Men scored it 16 points higher than women.

Critics vs users

Preferred by Critics

Critics scored it 13 points higher than users.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • US vs non-US 4 points apart

Watch experience

What is Things to Come like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Moving and uplifting: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want to be moved and come out lifted.

It takes its time and leaves you thinking. Skip it when you want things to move fast.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Patience.

What it feels like

Moving and uplifting.

Moods
TenseHopefulContemplative
Heaviest: late
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Epic · 2% of films: Vast in scale: big landscapes, big stakes, a long span.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.Episodic · 13% of films: Loosely connected incidents rather than one driving plot.
ToneThe film plays its material straight and earnestly, preaching a sermon on progress and the folly of war with solemn conviction.
The rideThe mood shifts from grim war and plague to a cautious hope during rebuilding, then to suspense as an uprising threatens progress.
StructureThe story is told in three distinct eras (1940, the 1960s–70s, and 2035) as discrete episodes spanning a century.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Thinking.

The answer rests on this: Thought-provokingHopeful
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves its audience with a serious debate about progress and human nature, but the closing vision of space exploration still feels optimistic.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Rebirth
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13% (this title): Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% (this title) · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Rebirth: A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed. · Liberation: Breaking free of a confining life (Room).

13% of films fit this archetype

with Overcoming the monster underneath

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeHumanity itself is the protagonist, emerging from war and plague into a new scientific age; a tyrant and an anti-progress mob serve as obstacles.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9% (this title): Community 14% (this title) · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% (this title) · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1% (this title)

Society

Community · 14% of filmsTechnology · 1% of filmsHope · 5% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Global stakes: Consequences reach the world.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe film explores how collective effort rebuilds civilization after collapse, and whether progress is a force for good or a cause of past disasters.
StanceThe film questions whether technological progress ultimately helps or harms humanity, without settling the debate.

The world

Near futureInstitutionalUrbanScience fiction
Orchestral classicalForeground music · original score · Arthur Bliss
SettingA future spanning global war, plague, rebuilding, and a lunar launch in 2035.
MusicBliss's score is a landmark of early film music, with a grand, symphonic character.

Content guide

Is Things to Come okay for kids?

Not Rated

Things to Come is not rated. As of August 31, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at mild (33/100), sexual content at minimal (5/100), language at minimal (8/100), drug and alcohol content at minimal (0/100) and frightening material at moderate (42/100). Its drug and alcohol content has too few votes to rank. Overall it is heavier than 13% of unrated films.

Ratings in 1 other country
  • SwedenBtl
Overall
Mild · all five categories
Heavier than 9% of all filmsHeavier than 13% of unrated films
Violence & Gore
Mild
light for an unrated film
heavier than 23%
Sex & Nudity
None / Minimal
light for an unrated film
heavier than 5%
Profanity
None / Minimal
light for an unrated film
heavier than 15%
Alcohol & Drugs
None / Minimal
too few votes to rank (9 votes)
Frightening / Intense
Moderate
typical for an unrated film
heavier than 34%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Nothing here is extreme. The strongest element is frightening material, heavier than 34% of unrated films.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Things to Come have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Things to Come?

Cast

6 of the 10 billed cast had never appeared on screen.

Raymond Massey
as John Cabal
Breakout: Their highest-reaching film role at the time, and they went on to a career at least 3 times their standing then.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Edward Chapman
as Pippa Passworthy
Breakout: Their highest-reaching film role at the time, and they went on to a career at least 3 times their standing then.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Ralph Richardson
as The Boss
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Margaretta Scott
as Roxana
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Cedric Hardwicke
as Theotocopulos
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Maurice Braddell
as Dr. Harding
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Sophie Stewart
as Mrs. Cabal
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Derrick De Marney
as Richard Gordon
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Ann Todd
as Mary Gordon
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Pearl Argyle
as Catherine Cabal
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Things to Come?

Movies like Things to Come include Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle (2018), IO (2019) and Metropolis (1927). Of the 12 closest matches, most are dystopian films, and half are films about technology.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

6 of these 12 share its world: post-apocalyptic. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Things to Come?

547 other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: post apocalyptic. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.