That Day Plot Summary
Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for That Day (2003). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.
Livia, Elsa Zylberstein, a young woman whose grasp on reality is fragile, lives on a vast estate with considerable wealth. Her days are touched by delusional visions that she records in notebooks and sometimes shares with strangers, hinting at inner worlds that others dismiss as fantasy.
Her father and the wider family, eager to secure their own gains, hatch a plan to hasten the end of her life so inheritance can pass to them. Harald, Michel Piccoli, the family patriarch, selects a dangerous option: Pointpoirot, Bernard Giraudeau, a psychiatric patient with a chilling history, to carry out the killing.
Pointpoirot is released and given instructions to kill Livia. At her estate, Livia encounters Pointpoirot outside, drawn by his odd charm—his polite manner and a striking habit (mirrorless switchblade shaving). She lets him in, seemingly charmed, until he snaps and attacks. In self-defense, Livia knocks him unconscious with a hammer, and in the resulting chaos she accidentally kills one of her unsuspecting relatives with the same weapon.
After the incident, Livia wanders the estate in a daze, unaware of the crime she’s committed. Once he awakens, Pointpoirot becomes fascinated by her bewildering behavior and agrees to help. He begins to murder family members as they appear, while the two form an unsettling bond—sharing songs and piano duets and long conversations. Throughout this, the inspector and police on the case drift passively, effectively allowing the conspiracy to unfold.
As more relatives disappear, it becomes clear that Livia does not realize they are dead; she even prepares meals using their bodies, a macabre misinterpretation of the situation. Pointpoirot and Livia grow closer, their affection blooming in the midst of horror. Harald continues to investigate and, when confronted with the carnage, finds himself with limited options and ultimately takes his own life rather than harm Livia.
With the estate enveloped in mystery, the film ends on a stark image: schoolchildren marching to class as military trucks roll past. A radio plays, recounting the massacre in a chilling, detached voice, leaving the audience with a haunting sense of the collision between wealth, innocence, and violence.
That Day Timeline
Follow the complete movie timeline of That Day (2003) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.
Livia's life on the estate and her delusional visions
On the expansive estate, Livia leads a sheltered life marked by childish behavior and vivid, delusional visions she documents in notebooks. She shares these visions with strangers, blurring the line between imagination and reality. Her wealth and status make her an object of family interest and speculation.
Family plots to inherit by Livia's death
Seeing opportunity in Livia's wealth, the family schemes to have her die so they can claim the inheritance. They search for a killer who can discreetly remove the obstacle. Their plan hinges on a dangerous, sociopathic agent who can carry out the deed without arousing suspicion.
Pointpoirot released to kill Livia
Harald arranges for the release of a violent mental patient named Pointpoirot and instructs him to kill Livia. Pointpoirot's sociopathic demeanor makes him a feared choice for the task. He is released with the explicit mandate to eliminate Livia and secure the family's inheritance.
Livia meets the killer and invites him in
Pointpoirot arrives at the estate, catching Livia's attention with his enigmatic demeanor and a peculiar ritual of mirrorless switchblade shaving. Livia finds him oddly charming and invites him inside, drawn by his quiet politeness. The encounter sets the stage for the looming nightmare as trust slowly blossoms into danger.
Pointpoirot attacks; Livia defends, a relative dies
Pointpoirot launches a violent attack, and Livia fights back, striking him with a hammer to knock him unconscious. In the ensuing chaos, she accidentally kills one of her relatives with the same weapon. The grim incident marks the first fatal consequence of the family's plot.
Livia wanders mindlessly; Pointpoirot awakens
After the incident, Livia roams the estate in a daze, unaware of the murder she committed. Pointpoirot awakens and becomes intrigued by her behavior, deciding to aid her and pursue further killings. Together they drift into a dangerous partnership as the body count rises.
A growing killing spree and a troubling bond
With Livia as his unwitting partner, Pointpoirot begins murdering additional relatives who arrive at the estate. He and Livia bond, sharing moments of companionship—singing, playing piano, and quiet conversations—while the killings continue. The massacre unfolds under a chilling double life, as affection masks brutality.
Law enforcement fails to intervene
Law enforcement lingers but takes no decisive action, effectively allowing the disappearances and killings to continue unchecked. The inspector and police officer seem oblivious to the escalating pattern, slow to connect it to Livia or Pointpoirot. Their inaction turns the estate into a stage where catastrophe unfolds unimpeded.
The victims' deaths are hidden to Livia
As deaths mount, it becomes clear that Livia is unaware the victims are dead, even going so far as to prepare her relatives' bodies for supper. The macabre meals reveal the depth of her detachment from reality. The sense of normalcy persists for Livia even as the bodies accumulate.
Pointpoirot escapes and professes love
Realizing the danger closing in, Pointpoirot escapes the estate, professing his love for Livia as he makes his getaway. The escape ends the immediate threat of capture and shifts the balance of danger to those left behind. Livia is left alone with the truth she cannot confront.
Harald confronts carnage and dies
Harald arrives at the estate and is horrified by the carnage and Livia's apparent innocence. He contemplates killing Livia to end the madness but realizes he cannot justify it and instead ends his own life. His suicide closes a private tragedy that the world remains blissfully unaware of.
Epilogue: world oblivious to the massacre
In the epilogue, schoolchildren march in line to class as military trucks roll through the countryside. A radio voice overlays the scene, describing the massacre at the estate and hinting at a larger conflict. The wider world remains oblivious to the tragedy at the estate while it becomes a grim memory within the family.
That Day Characters
Explore all characters from That Day (2003). Get detailed profiles with their roles, arcs, and key relationships explained.
Harald - Michel Piccoli
A wealthy family member who orchestrates the plot to kill Livia in order to secure the inheritance. He hires Pointpoirot and guides the conspiracy from behind the scenes, displaying a cold, calculating demeanor. His manipulation reveals the moral decay lurking beneath affluence, and he ultimately commits suicide when faced with the consequences.
Livia - Elsa Zylberstein
A young woman whose delusional visions and childlike behavior shape her interactions and make her vulnerable to manipulation. She writes her fantasies in notebooks and shares them with strangers, remaining largely unaware of the murders surrounding her. Her innocence and detachment create a fragile center around which the plot spins.
Patron café - Jacques Denis
A minor café patron whose presence highlights life outside the estate’s drama. He serves as a small, ordinary detail in the unfolding aristocratic intrigue, emphasizing the isolation of the estate as events spiral inside.
Ritter - Christian Vadim
An estate resident whose position hints at old-world loyalties. He remains a peripheral figure, adding texture to the social fabric of the manor without directly driving the plot.
Warff - Féodor Atkine
A relative or associate within the mansion’s circles, contributing to the layered web of relations and potential motives. His exact role is subtle, underscoring the film’s theme of hidden agendas.
Pointpoirot - Bernard Giraudeau
A sociopathic killer hired to murder Livia. He presents a polite, controlled exterior while committing brutal acts, and he gradually forms an unsettling bond with Livia. After carrying out the killings, he escapes and proclaims his love for her.
Bernadette - Hélène Surgère
A family member residing at the estate, part of the social circle surrounding Livia. She becomes entangled in the family dynamics and the unfolding crime, contributing to the tense atmosphere.
Raufer - Jean-Luc Bideau
An investigator figure whose presence underscores the search for truth. He, along with others, becomes caught in the inertia that allows the conspiracy to persist.
Leone - Édith Scob
A member of the household whose actions contribute to the estate’s intricate social web. Her role adds to the dense atmosphere of secrecy and control within the family.
Hubus - Rufus
A minor character in the estate’s circle, representing the ordinary people drawn into the unfolding drama by proximity to the events.
Treffle - Jean-François Balmer
A member of the mansion’s network of relatives and staff, contributing to the layered dynamics without driving the plot directly.
Roland - Laurent Malet
Another figure within the estate’s circle, whose presence enriches the web of relationships around Livia and the inheritance scheme.
That Day Settings
Learn where and when That Day (2003) takes place. Explore the film’s settings, era, and how they shape the narrative.
Location
Livia's estate, the estate
A sprawling private estate sits at the center of the story, where Livia’s vast wealth draws conspirators and secrets. The secluded mansion and its grounds become a stage for manipulation, deception, and murder as relatives seek to control her fortune. The opulent setting contrasts with the brutal actions that unfold within its walls.
That Day Themes
Discover the main themes in That Day (2003). Analyze the deeper meanings, emotional layers, and social commentary behind the film.
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Greed
Wealth and inheritance drive the central conflict, turning a seemingly peaceful family into conspirators. The plan to kill Livia hinges on her fortune, revealing the corrupt lengths people will go to secure money. Greed erodes trust and binds the estate’s members to a deadly agenda.
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Delusion
Livia’s delusional visions shape her reality and invite manipulation by others. Her childlike demeanor makes her an easy target for those seeking to control her wealth. The narrative probes how perception can be distorted when wealth, power, and deceit collide.
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Control
Power dynamics govern every move on the estate, guiding who speaks and who stays silent. Harald’s orchestrations show how control translates into moral compromise and violence. The presence of Pointpoirot further unsettles authority, blurring lines between hunter and hunted.
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Violence
Violence creeps into the estate with calculated precision as murders pile up. The household’s quiet calm masks brutal acts and a growing mania. The film contrasts intimate moments of song with brutal acts to heighten dread.
That Day Spoiler-Free Summary
Discover the spoiler-free summary of That Day (2003). Get a concise overview without any spoilers.
In a remote, opulent estate where the walls hold centuries of privilege, Livia drifts through each day with a delicate grip on reality. Her world is painted with whispered visions that spill onto loose‑leaf pages, a private gallery of images that others dismiss as imagination. The grandeur of the house contrasts sharply with her inner turbulence, creating a haunting backdrop where silence feels as heavy as the marble corridors.
Within the same walls, the family’s matriarchal legacy is upheld by Harald, a patriarch whose concern for lineage masks a ruthless determination. Facing the prospect of an inheritance that could slip away, he conceives a chilling solution: enlist a dangerous outsider and set a course that could erase the obstacle standing between him and his ambitions. The plan, though calculated, hints at the fragile moral fabric that binds the household together.
Enter Pointpoirot, a man whose presence is both unsettling and oddly genteel. Released from confinement for a purpose far darker than his polite demeanor suggests, he arrives at the estate with a quiet confidence that catches Livia off guard. Their encounter is marked by an unexpected current of curiosity, a pull that defies the grim intentions surrounding them. As they navigate the strange intimacy of shared glances and whispered conversations, a strange, almost romantic tension begins to thread through the air, turning a deadly design into something bewilderingly tender.
The film sways between the austere elegance of a gilded manor and the disquieting undercurrents of hidden desire. It paints a portrait of wealth teetering on the brink of decay, where fragile minds and shadowed motives intersect. In this atmosphere of elegant dread, the audience is left to wonder how far the characters will drift when love and danger become indistinguishable.
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