The movie What Happens Later centers on two ex-lovers, Willa and Bill, who unexpectedly reunite at a regional airport during a severe snowstorm that causes flight delays. Over the course of the night, they reconnect and revisit their past relationship, revealing deep personal histories and unresolved feelings. Key plot points include:
- Willa and Bill meet while waiting for their flights, which are delayed due to a bomb cyclone. Willa is traveling to Boston, and Bill to Austin
- Bill is married with a teenage daughter, Rose, but his marriage is strained. Willa is visiting a friend who is separating from her husband
- They discuss their past, including Willa's miscarriage while with Bill and her giving up a daughter for adoption. Willa plans to meet this daughter for the first time
- Bill struggles with his family issues, particularly his daughter's aspirations and his wife's relationship with their daughter
- They share memories, regrets, and secrets, peeling back layers of their past connection
- As flights resume, they exchange meaningful gifts and a kiss before boarding separate planes, leaving their future ambiguous but hopeful. Bill writes "just try" on a card for Willa, echoing encouragement
- The film is dialogue-driven, focusing on their emotional interaction, and is described as a mature, reflective romantic drama rather than a conventional rom-com
In summary, the movie explores themes of love, regret, second chances, and the complexity of adult relationships through the intimate reunion of two former lovers stranded together by circumstance
