We Are from the Future
My iz budushchego, or We Are from the Future, is a movie about time travel. Four 21st century treasure seekers are transported back into the middle of a WWII battle in Russia. The movie's genres are action, drama, fantasy, and romance. The movie will leave you captivated.
The film earned $8.3M at the global box office.
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
We Are from the Future (2008) demonstrates strategically placed plot construction, characteristic of Andrey Malyukov's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 50 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.0, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Four cynical black market diggers pillage WWII battlefields for Nazi artifacts to sell, showing no respect for the war dead or Russian history.. Structural examination shows that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 14 minutes when While digging near a lake at a WWII battlefield, the group discovers a mysterious bunker and experiences a strange phenomenon - they fall unconscious.. At 12% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 27 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This illustrates the protagonist's commitment to The diggers are forced to join a Soviet reconnaissance unit when they're captured by Red Army soldiers. They must actively participate in WWII or be executed as deserters., moving from reaction to action.
At 54 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 49% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Significantly, this crucial beat During a major battle, the diggers realize they cannot escape back to their time and must fully commit to the fight. Their modern cynicism is shattered by the reality of fascist brutality., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 82 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, The Soviet mirror characters are killed in action, dying heroically. The diggers witness the ultimate sacrifice and realize these were the real heroes whose graves they desecrated., shows the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 88 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. The diggers choose to honor their fallen friends by completing the mission and fighting with true courage. They embrace the values of sacrifice and duty they once mocked., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
We Are from the Future's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs a 15-point narrative structure framework that maps key story moments. By mapping We Are from the Future against these established plot points, we can identify how Andrey Malyukov utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish We Are from the Future within the action genre.
Comparative Analysis
Additional action films include The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, The Bad Guys and Lake Placid.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Four cynical black market diggers pillage WWII battlefields for Nazi artifacts to sell, showing no respect for the war dead or Russian history.
Theme
An elderly veteran tells the diggers that those who don't honor the past have no future, establishing the theme of historical responsibility and sacrifice.
Worldbuilding
Introduction to the four protagonists: Borman (leader obsessed with Nazi memorabilia), Cherep (violent skinhead), Chuha (tech expert), and Skull (young romantic). They dig illegally, party, and mock Soviet history.
Disruption
While digging near a lake at a WWII battlefield, the group discovers a mysterious bunker and experiences a strange phenomenon - they fall unconscious.
Resistance
The diggers wake up disoriented in 1942, witnessing actual warfare. They debate whether it's real, try to understand what happened, and attempt to survive while being mistaken for Soviet soldiers.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
The diggers are forced to join a Soviet reconnaissance unit when they're captured by Red Army soldiers. They must actively participate in WWII or be executed as deserters.
Mirror World
The group meets their Soviet counterparts - soldiers with similar personalities but who embody courage, loyalty, and sacrifice. These mirror characters show what the protagonists could become.
Premise
The diggers experience the brutal reality of war firsthand. They form bonds with soldiers, witness heroism and death, and gradually begin to understand the sacrifice of the WWII generation.
Midpoint
During a major battle, the diggers realize they cannot escape back to their time and must fully commit to the fight. Their modern cynicism is shattered by the reality of fascist brutality.
Opposition
The Nazi forces intensify their assault. The diggers' Soviet companions are killed one by one. The protagonists must use their modern knowledge while facing impossible odds and mounting losses.
Collapse
The Soviet mirror characters are killed in action, dying heroically. The diggers witness the ultimate sacrifice and realize these were the real heroes whose graves they desecrated.
Crisis
The surviving diggers face their darkest moment, mourning their fallen comrades and confronting their own cowardice and disrespect for history. They must decide who they want to be.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
The diggers choose to honor their fallen friends by completing the mission and fighting with true courage. They embrace the values of sacrifice and duty they once mocked.
Synthesis
The transformed diggers execute a final desperate assault, fighting as true soldiers. They complete the mission, and through their actions, somehow trigger their return to the present day.
Transformation
Back in modern times, the diggers visit the graves of their WWII companions with reverence and flowers, no longer desecrating but honoring. They are fundamentally changed by understanding sacrifice.