We Live in Time is January's must-see weepie so get those tissues ready and prepare to bask in a star-led drama that mixes joy and sadness in equal measure. Here's everything you need to know about the film.
What is We Live in Time About?
We Live in Time is a non-linear love story revolving around the lives of Tobias and Almut. They first meet when fusion chef Almut accidentally knocks the recently divorced Tobias over with her car. They commiserate in the hospital and a sensitive relationship develops that eventually deepens into marriage and parenthood.
The story scrambles the highs and lows of this relatable couple, unpredictably pinballing us from happy memories to heart-wrenching revelations, and acting as a mirror to our own unpredictable lives.
Who stars in We Live in Time?
We Live in Time showcases the red-hot pairing of Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh. Both actors are riding high from their respective appearances in hit blockbuster franchises and searing dramas. In Garfield's case, he's mixed and matched his role as Spider-Man (2012-2021), both inside and outside the MCU, with memorable roles in The Social Network (2010), Silence (2016) and the musical Tick, Tick... Boom! (2021) Garfield was Oscar-nominated for the second and third films cited there.
Pugh, meanwhile, was Oscar-nominated for Little Women, which was preceded by the hit horror Midsommar and followed by her role as Prince Irulan in Denis Villeneuve's visually staggering sci-fi odyssey Dune: Part Two (2024). It's a role she's set to reprise in Villeneuve's planned adaptation of Dune: Messiah. She's also set to return to the MCU as Yelena Belova in Thunderbolts, released in May 2025.
The two actors have evident chemistry, engrossing us in the recognisable travails of Tobias and Almut that range from the hilarious to the heartbreaking.
Pugh describes the story (via Collider) as, "A script about real people that I recognize living today and a story that I know will resonate with loads of people." She adds: "I guess the idea of freely falling in love and knowing that that's going to hurt. I totally fell in love with the script. I fell in love with the characters in the script. I imagined every single scene and fell in love even more with who they are."
In the same interview, Garfield says: "[The movie] was joyful. It was a vehicle and a vessel where I could explore loss and love, and the cost of living life to its fullest. The reality, the set-up that, if we love things, if we love people, if we love life, then baked into that is the loss of the very things we love. There's no way around it, so let's celebrate."
Who directs We Live in Time?
We Live in Time is directed by John Crowley. He scored a critical hit with 2015's Brooklyn, the sensitive and moving adaptation of Colm Toibin's bestselling novel. The film starred Saoirse Ronan as Eilish, an Irish emigrant to 1950s New York who finds herself experiencing divided loyalties between her home country and her adopted city.
The movie received worldwide praise, in particular Ronan's performance and Crowley's intuitive direction. The movie was nominated for xxx Oscars and announced Crowley as a drama director of considerable weight. Little wonder that people are anticipating We Live in Time with a sense of excitement.
Crowley and Garfield have collaborated before on the BAFTA-nominated TV drama Boy A (2007), which is widely considered Garfield's breakout performance. Crowley praised the actor's naturalism, telling Indiewire: [Garfield] never goes into a scene to cry or laugh. It’s something that bubbles up as a result of hitting an obstacle or something else in the scene.
"It was one of the things that struck me that might appeal about the role to Andrew. There are very few actors who have his emotionality, as in his range of emotion, but also he’s comfortable.”
Has We Live in Time received good reviews?
We Live in Time has received positive reviews with Garfield and Pugh's chemistry singled out for praise. It currently has a 78% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 171 reviews.
Rolling Stone critic David Fear writes: "Come for the jumble-puzzle Scenes From a Marriage, sans an actual marriage for most of the narrative. Stay for the connection that these two communicate wonderfully enough that you almost don’t mind the storytelling mind games.
"We Live in Time is an actor’s movie, by necessity if not always by design. You know where the destination ends before the movie’s even begun. Pugh and Garfield make the endgame worth the journey, no matter where you place it."
When is the Unlimited screening of We Live in Time?
The Unlimited screening of We Live in Time is on December 2nd and is exclusive to Unlimited members. Book your tickets via the link below.
BOOK WE LIVE IN TIME UNLIMITED SCREENING TICKETS
What is the age rating for We Live in Time?
We Live in Time has yet to be rated by the BBFC – return to this post for more updates.
When is We Live in Time released in the UK?
We Live in Time is released on January 1st. Book your tickets below.
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