'Winter Spring Summer Or Fall' Movie Ending Explained & Summary: Did Remi And Barnes Get Back Together?

Tiffany Paulsen’s 2025 romantic drama film feels like a Hallmark film with A24 aesthetics. The plot, the characters, and the performances had me rooting for the film, only for me to be left disappointed. The characters felt one-dimensional, and the love story was underexplored. Winter Spring Summer or Fall is one of those ‘could’ve been’ films, full of potential but ended up a cliché. Remi, a perfect SAT-scoring, high-achieving genius from the suburbs, met Barnes, a Talking Heads fan and somewhat-of-a-dreamer-with-no-clues-about-his-future classmate. They were polar opposites, and that was perhaps all the more reason why Barnes was intrigued by Remi. This was not the first time he’d seen her. Remi was his friend, PJ’s neighbor and he had heard all about her achievements and was thoroughly impressed. Barnes didn’t waste the opportunity to introduce himself to Remi when they crossed paths on a train ride, and thus began their love story that evolved with every season.

Spoiler Alert

Why did Remi break up with Barnes?

Remi didn’t think she could ever have a future with Barnes. He was just a cute guy she’d run into on a train ride. Barnes was a little heartbroken when Remi explicitly told him that she had plans for her future and he would never find a place in it. She had only known Barnes for a few hours, and she’d already taken a different route than what she had in mind, and she even met with a small accident and ended up in a doctor’s chamber. Seeing that there was no convincing Remi, Barnes had to accept the rejection. Remi eventually got into Harvard as she’d planned; it was her first major step in becoming a public defendant, and her parents were clearly excited for her academic life to take shape. They were both in the same field, and they were proud of Remi’s achievements. Even though their daughter was smart enough to make the right choices, they gave her a brief lecture on sex and protection and awkwardly handed her condoms to carry to her school prom. Remi’s friend, Lucas, was her prom date, and while her parents assumed they were attracted to each other, Remi had friend-zoned him. Lucas was disappointed when Remi clearly stated that she didn’t intend on sleeping with him at all, and upon reaching prom, he got busy hitting on other girls. Remi was all by herself, and to make the night somewhat interesting, she borrowed a joint from PJ. She was secretly hoping to run into Barnes, and when she saw him walk into the party, she had a smile on her face. The only reason Barnes had come to the prom was Remi. Even though their dates had ditched them, they decided to have a good time. Barnes was pleasantly surprised when he discovered that Remi had listened to his Spotify mix, and maybe in that moment he felt that they had a chance. After dancing at the prom, Barnes offered to take Remi to a hole-in-the-wall sushi place, and she agreed. There was something about Barnes that Remi couldn’t resist, and even though he didn’t fit into her future plans, she wanted to be with him. Barnes invited her to his home, and they kissed for the first time. Remi knew that she couldn’t afford to get into a serious relationship considering she had to leave the suburbs to start her classes at Harvard in the fall. But Barnes was not really concerned about it; he believed in living in the present, and he looked forward to spending the summer with Remi. 

They were madly in love, and they couldn’t live a second without each other. Remi started to consider adapting to Barnes’ lifestyle. He planned on taking a gap year and exploring possibilities. She had always wanted to sign up for a ‘save the turtles’ program, and she considered taking a gap year to live her life a little. Remi’s parents were devastated when she broke the news to them. Harvard had always been her dream, and they were shocked that she was planning to throw it away. Remi reminded them that she could get back to her academic life after a year, but that was not what her parents wanted to hear. 

It was the 4th of July, and there was a party at a lake house. Barnes noticed Remi drinking more than usual, and he thought she was behaving a little strange. When she decided to go on a quick drive to the supermarket, Barnes warned her it was not a wise idea. Remi didn’t pay him any heed and got in the car, but she ended up crashing almost immediately. Remi experienced somewhat of a nervous breakdown after the incident. She finally came to terms with the fact that she was not ready to live a carefree life. She was ambitious, and as much as she wanted to spend all her time with Barnes, she couldn’t do it at the cost of risking her career. She figured Barnes was not the kind of influence that she needed in her life, and she broke up with him. 

What made Remi reconsider getting back with Barnes?

It was fall, and Remi had already settled in at Harvard. While she prepared for the midterms, her roommate encouraged her to attend the Halloween party on campus. But she decided to pass on it, and she went to work as usual. As she scrolled through Instagram, she discovered that Barnes was in Boston. She wondered if she should text him, and even though a random stranger at the restaurant she worked at advised her not to text her ex, she ignored him and texted Barnes. Her eyes were glued to her screen waiting for a response, and they lit up when he replied. Barnes and Remi agreed to meet at her campus. Remi was glad to find out that Barnes was touring with a band, and he was working as an assistant to one of the VPs of the record label company he was working at. While they were doing well professionally, Remi couldn’t help but mention how she had struggled after the breakup. Barnes was a little surprised since she was the one who ended their relationship. But Remi explained that she had to make the choice because there was no other way, and it didn’t mean that she was not hurt. Remi felt a little hopeful talking to her best friend/romantic interest after such a long time, and she decided to invite him to the Halloween party. But to her disappointment, Barnes clarified that he was busy. He added that he was happy they could still be friends. 

When Remi discussed how her meeting went with Barnes, her friends were visibly disappointed in her. They believed that just because they were different didn’t necessarily have to mean that they could not make it work, since they were clearly in love. Remi decided to take a bold step, and she made it to the concert Barnes was supposed to be at. She somehow managed to sneak in, and the minute she met Barnes, she confessed how she truly felt about him. Barnes was overwhelmed, and he didn’t know how to react. Even though he wanted to say yes, he decided it would be best for them to remain friends. 

Did Barnes and Remi end up together?

Remi was heartbroken, and she went back to her dorm. Choosing to remain friends with the woman he loved was not easy for Barnes as well, but he figured their differences would always get in the way. Evangeline, the lead singer of the band he was touring with, was surprised when she found out that Barnes had opted to be friends. She had seen the spark in his eyes when he received her text, and she was hopeful that they would consider getting back together, especially after Remi crashed backstage. 

During Winter Spring Summer or Fall’s ending, Barnes realized he had made a terrible mistake. The only reason he chose not to get back with Remi was because seeing her thrive and live the life she’d always dreamt of made him realize that maybe her life was truly better without him. But if that would’ve been the case, she would not come running back to him. Remi loved her life at Harvard, but she also missed Barnes, and even though they were living vastly different lives, she was ready to make their relationship work. Barnes figured that if Remi was ready to make adjustments just to be with him, he too must at least try because, at the end of the day, they both had realized that what they shared was rare. In the final scene, Evangeline performed for Remi in front of her hostel. She ran to her window and was surprised to see Barnes waiting for her. Without any words shared, Remi knew that Barnes was ready to take a bet on them, and this time she was completely on board. The lovers kissed, and it was a happy ending. 

...