[SPOILERS] A note about the ending of Prisoners (2013) : r/movies - Reddit At the opening of the film, everyone believes that Alex Jones has kidnapped the children, but he turns out to be incapable of doing so - a dead end as well. But within days of arriving, these kids find themselves locked in a Spartan barracks, left with no wages, few meals and an exhausting schedule. As Mr. Jones was obsessed with mazes, Taylor's traumatic childhood caused his own mind to break, and become obsessed with them himself, explaining the writing on the walls of his home. They try. Luca sold two girls to a brothel and paid a hefty commission to Mateus, which made him more than happy. 5) 10 Movies Like Knock at the Cabin. 7 Prisoners | Netflix Wiki | Fandom In comes Detective Loki (Gyllenhaal), who is assigned the subsequent police case. The film tells the gut-wrenching story of a family Thanksgiving dinner that ends with two young girls disappearing. Luca took Mateus out to buy some more slaves from the market. However, the maze necklace on the dead body is the same as the one worn by Mr. Jones in an image in Holly's house, with her motivations for kidnapping revealing the connection between the Father and the Jones'. A broker, Gilson, arranged the job for Mateus and his friend from the same village, Samuel. There are tiers of power in this pyramid of horrors, and Luca is just one floor higher than them; he is just another pawn himself, serving his own masters and dispensing trickle-down brutality. All Images property of their respective owners. Mateuss exploitation is so profound, an entire metropolis vibrates with complicity. But after testing the film with the ending it has now, everyone decided that was definitely the way to go. In the end, Mateus became Luca and betrayed his fellow mates. After Luca was certain that Mateus wouldnt betray him, he offered him the position of right-hand man. Mateus caught him and brought him back to the prison. Depending upon the viewers disposition, they can either choose to be the pagan symbol of pragmatism or the evangelical silver lining. On searching thoroughly, he finds Alex and rescues him. Mateus (Christian Malheiros), a Black 18-year-old, and three others arrive at a scrap-metal junkyard. Keller decides to take the matter into his own hands and kidnaps Alex to get the truth out of him. Two of the producers,. 6) Crash Course in Romance Episode 9 Recap & Review. YOU'VE REACHED YOUR MONTHLY ARTICLE LIMIT. While Prisoners does answer this, the film's complex emotional story can allow certain aspects to become lost beneath the hard-hitting way the movie is presented. Prisoners - Movie Meaning and Ending Explained Later that night, the four of them try to run away. As migrant labor turns swiftly and all too plausibly into modern-day slavery, vivid, in-the-moment terror turns to more sustained, sweaty moral panic: The only way out of this prison, it seems, is to become a jailer yourself. With his English language debut, Villeneuve created a story layered with suspense, thrill, and excitement. Malheiros instinctive fury never diminishes, even when we can read Mateus ambivalent thoughts that cross his mind when presented with the chance of futile freedom.. Catanduva was beautiful, but Mateus, Samuel (Bruno Rocha) Isaque (Lucas Oranmian), and Ezequiel (Vitor Julian) don't want to work the fields the rest of their lives. He had to choose between a friend and his future. Hello, Goodbye, And Everything In Between Ending, Explained: Did Clare And Aiden Rekindle Their Romance? Sweet Tooth Aimee Eden, Explained: Is Aimee Dead Or Alive? Jake Gyllenhaal as Detective Loki and Paul Dano as Alex Jones in 'Prisoners'. All rights Reserved. It's the opposite of what you'd expect from a Hollywood produced film about this topic. At the same time, Koki listened to the sound of a whistle & ran off to see from where the sound was coming. Prisoners' ending, which even had an alternate conclusion at one point in production, sees Keller left in a pit beneath Holly's house after Loki exposes Holly and saves Anna. But in the pursuit of finding an escape, the hero gets infected with similar greed. Meanwhile, Keller finds a whistle in the basement that he had given Anna for signaling in the face of danger. Dilapidated bunk beds where Mateus et al. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. The more the latter climbs the ladder towards some independence, leaving his comrades behind, the more their paths align. With most of the leads and suspects running out, he becomes increasingly desperate to find answers. 7 Prisoners Review: Survival at Any Cost, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/11/movies/7-prisoners-review.html. Mateus sat in the car and saw the burnt mark on his arm. Joy tells Keller, you were there. Upon hearing this labored statement, Keller realizes that Alexs house might be the crime scene. He threatened Samuels mother and sent a picture. With that said, here's the ending, explained. One of the biggest questions the Prisoners ending leaves is why Holly Jones, played by Melissa Leo, and her husband prior to his disappearance were kidnapping children in the first place. This war on God was carried out over decades with Alex Jones being one victim. Dover takes matters into his own hands by abducting a local unstable man, Alex Jones (Paul Dano). In a 2013 interview with BuzzFeed, writer Aaron Guzikowski revealed there was a version where Loki found Keller. Despite her husband's disappearance, Holly continued their "war" by kidnapping the two children and sending Keller and his family, alongside the Birchs, down their own crisis of faith. At the start of writer-director Alexandre Morattos social realist melodrama 7 Prisoners (co-written with Thayn Mantesso), a hardworking young man named Mateus (Christian Malheiros) leaves his small village with a handful of others to go to So Paulo, where theyve all been promised steady work in a junkyard and more money and future opportunities than they could possibly imagine. Superlative performances by Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal drive this thriller into cinematic brilliance. As he skillfully peels the layers of such overwhelming social ills, Moratto commits to the cruel reality avoiding a resolution based on wishful thinking. Throughout the film, it is revealed that Holly and her husband adopted Alex Jones, played by Paul Dano of recent The Batman fame, after the death of their own son to cancer. Detective Loki is a steadfast and upright cop with a pragmatic approach to life. Even though you assume that's what's probably going to happen, I like that there's a small chance that he's not going to get him out of there for whatever reason.". Prisoners Ending Explained (In Detail) | Unfiltered Magazine The story of the devastating abduction of two young girls, a desperate, working-class father (Oscar nominee/ Wolverine actor Hugh Jackman) who takes matters into his own hands, and a devoted police. The visual metaphors that adorn Loki (Rosicrucian ring, occult tattoos, his pagan name) can be perceived as a way to pit two different schools of thought that surmise human existence. 7 Prisoners relies on him over and over to reflect our emotional disquietude, and the film is so nuanced in its transformation of its own stakes that you might not notice the gravity of all this until the final sequence. (SPOILERS), Brandon Cronenbergs 'Infinity Pool' Will Push the Boundaries of It's R-Rating. Inquisitively, they go for a walk but never return. 1. The two characters, who are trying to solve the mystery of the missing kids, roam the labyrinth and repeatedly hit a dead end. In the. But in the pursuit of finding an escape, the hero gets infected with similar greed. Running time: 1 hour 33 minutes. Produced by Will Reid and Michael Simon Johnson. Lokis suspicion of Keller increases as he sees through his instability and noncooperation with the police. One of the lingering questions of Prisoners is what Dover's fate could have been whether Loki did or did not save him. Once its clear that he and his bunkmates will be risking their own lives and the livelihoods of their families if they try to escape, Mateus starts looking for ways to curry favor with their tyrannical boss, Luca (Rodrigo Santoro), in hopes of improving everyones lot. After the police locate Anna's friend Joy, Keller travels to the hospital to inquire about his daughter's location. In director Alexandre Morattos familiar but still engrossing film, 18-year-old Mateus (Christian Malheiros) lives in the Brazilian countryside with his mother and sisters. The audience is unlikely to share the youths surprise when, upon arrival, working and living conditions arent remotely what they were promised: Theyre crammed into a filthy, cell-like dormitory, meals are an afterthought and their shifty new boss Luca (Rodrigo Santoro) is evasive on the subject of payment. Later that night, the four of them try to run away. His mother works endlessly to provide for them, and the cost of livinggroceries, electric, phone cardsis sky high. 7 Prisoners centers on a protagonist who becomes a slave to his employers wishes to survive. Throughout Prisoners, Dano's Alex Jones is one of the central characters in some harrowing ways. The next day, when he called his mother, she sounded extremely happy. However, after seeing a picture of her late husband with the maze necklace, he realizes that Holly is the kidnapper. He had to choose between a friend and his future. When they returned to the junkyard, Mateus best friend, Samuel, tried to run. Muoi: The Curse Returns Ending, Explained: Did Hang Survive? He seems to run out of time, and we, as viewers, feel the same dread brought upon us by the impending doom. Keller is caught in a dilemma that questions his religious belief but at the same time tries to justify his actions in the name of vengeance, ascribed to biblical allegories. Loki kills Holly in a shootout but sustains a gunshot wound himself. Luca explained to Mateus that he had seen his fancy magazines and knew about his dream of becoming a pilot or an engineer. With his English language debut, Villeneuve created a story layered with suspense, thrill, and excitement. Prisoners Of The Ghostland Ending Explained: What The Movie Is Really About Gilson takes them to a secluded junkyard and introduces them to their new employer, Luca (Rodrigo Santoro). https://wordpress-666638-2739719.cloudwaysapps.com. 7 Prisoners, set in Brazil, sketches the limitations and lamentations of such dreaming. Sao Paolo, like every other major city, is a metropolis powered on exploitation. Mateus understood that it was impossible to run away from these men, and all he could do to survive and protect his family was to abide by their wishes. Prisoners Ending Explained (In Detail) - Screen Rant Nevertheless, he grabs Anna and rushes her to the hospital. Here is the film's ending explained. It is interesting to see how the pragmatist (Loki) is accorded this chance, whereas an ardent believer in God (Keller), despite reaching the conclusion, is unable to fulfill his duty. After the global debut at the festival, 7 Prisoners will officially premiere later in 2021 on Netflix. All Rights Reserved. Their family will face the consequences of their actions, and in fear, the four decide to follow the masters wishes. Brazilian film 7 Prisoners depicts how young men from small villages are deceived into forced labor in the name of employment. The main way this is done is through Keller Dover's fate, which continues the film's depiction of real-life horror scenarios. Prisoners of the Ghostland is a surreal story of a man's quest to retrieve Bernice (Sofia Boutella) for The Governor (Bill Moseley), which takes him to a wasteland settlement known as "the Ghostland." Cage's character Hero goes through a largely introspective journey that involves spending a significant portion of screentime unconscious. 7 Prisoners is a 2021 Crime Drama film directed by Alexandre Moratto. They are neither the first nor the . In the end, Mateus became Luca and betrayed his fellow mates. Loki, on the other hand, can be understood as a pagan symbol that stands in conflict with the superfluous ways of religion. Spirits are high when he and a few other boys from his village hop into a So Paulo-bound shuttle, having all secured menial work at the same metal scrapyard on the city limits. From now on, Mateus was a completely different man. Luca told Mateus that his boss, Bianchi, ran the network. The journey symbolizes that greed spares no one, and in the end, we all become slaves to richness and luxury. That directors Fernando Meirelles and Ramin Bahrani have boarded Morattos two features so far as executive producers seems appropriate. The owner of the RV, Alex (Paul Dano), is brought up for interrogation as a prime suspect. The following morning, Samuel burned Mateuss arm with a cigarette. He cracked a deal with Luca and convinced him to free them after his debts were paid. The walls of the house are filled with sketches of elaborate mazes that become a leitmotif of the film. Keller gets trapped with the knowledge of Annas abductor but without her in his sight. Nevertheless, Bianchi commanded Luca to leave the junkyard and attend the campaigns daily operations. They looked happy, and their happiness changed Mateus heart. What exactly happened? He added that no one "really wanted to do that version, but we wanted to make sure we had it in case once the film was put together it seemed like it really needed it. Lucas boss, Bianchi, ran a political campaign that said he was the countrys future. However, their reunion is cut short when they are apprehended by police officers who don't seem very interested in . Those are rather heavy contemplations that Moratto handles with unsentimental sharpness. The plot of "Prisoners" itself is reminiscent of a maze. Eighteen-year-old Mateus (Christian Malheiros) lives with his mother, Ana, and two sisters, Odete and Cirlene, in a small house at the edge of Ariranha. Give him protection and guide him on the path ahead, Mateus relatives had prayed before he left, and the path 7 Prisoners guides him on is a humble-in-execution, devastating-in-impact journey that slips and slides between the rigid boundaries of what we consider freedom. The Company You Keep Recap & Episode 9 Ending, Explained: Did Daphne Redemption Herself? Still, 7 Prisoners unfolds satisfyingly, precisely by not offering us complete satisfaction or certainty. '7 Prisoners' Film Review: Brutal Brazilian Drama - TheWrap Kellers conviction and belief in his instincts force him to take some drastic steps. A few days later, the police find Joy to the delight of her parents. Here are our top 10 picks, Super Mario Bros. Movie hits $1 billion, is No. The futile efforts push Keller into guilt, and he reaches out to Alexs aunt, Holly Jones (Melissa Leo), seeking forgiveness. The families whose daughters go missing are Christian families, which links to Holly, her husband, Patrick Dunn, and God himself. Thor: Love And Thunder Ending, Mid-Credits And Post-Credits, Explained Who Does Zeus Recruit To Kill Thor? Prisoners reaches this endpoint through a series of twists and turns and leaves its ending purposely ambiguous. He feared that if Samuel ran away, his plans to earn luxury for his mother would be ruined forever. Unfortunately, the suspect, Bob Taylor, kills himself in the interrogation room, and Loki is thus pushed back to ground zero. For him, solving the maze is the pathway to finding Anna and Joy. In the scene in which Prisoners, directed by sci-fi movie master Denis Villeneuve, reveals that Holly was responsible for the kidnapping, it is also revealed that Taylor was a former victim of the Jones' that actually escaped, and Holly forgot he existed until he appeared in the news. Luca threatens that if they ever think of deserting him, he will make sure that his police friend Batista pays a visit to their respective families. Girl In The Picture Explained: What Happened To Michael? This explains the seeming plot hole of why he would implicate himself, despite not participating in the kidnapping of Anna and Joy himself. Editor Germano de Oliveira keeps the film light on its feet as we travel around Brazil, grasp the quid pro quo business relationships that transcend national boundaries, and inch out alongside Luca on the grimy precipices upon which he is operating. The countryside istranquil but empty, while the skyline of So Paolowith its endless skyscrapers and gigantic glass spearsis glittering but unwelcoming, full of sharp edges and unnatural textures. Prisoners: Why The Alternate Ending Wasn't Right For The Film Everything pays off, the main characters learn something, and our heroes ride off into the suns. As the days went by, Luca got fond of Mateus and tested his loyalty throughout. Luca had sent her the four grand, and their financial situation had improved. '7 Prisoners' Summary & Ending, Explained - Did Mateus Leave Luca's Kellers messianic figure faces his true adversity disguised in a garb of innocence. Isaque tries to escape, but two police officers bring him back. He is troubled by the scant evidence in hand, especially the maze, that keeps him preoccupied. Mateus wants to become an engineer, but he takes a low-paying job at a junkyard in So Paulo to support his family. Prisoners- Ending Explained. Hope you like it! A Symbolic 'Prisoners' Ending Explained: Does Loki find Anna in Unleashing furious anger over Alex, he inflicts severe pain and mental torture on him. Prisoners (2013) Ending Explained - Why do the Jones couple abduct the 7 Prisoners Explained | Ending Explained - YouTube Isaque tries to escape, but two police officers bring him back. Bianchi was an affluent politician. It is streaming on Netflix. 8) Magic Mike's Last Dance Ending Explained. Keller Dover, the father of Anna, one of the missing children, goes to a dark place in Prisoners, even kidnapping and torturing a person of his own, Alex Jones, in his search for answers. Mateus caught him and brought him back to the prison. Directed by Alexandre Moratto, the film explores the horrors of human trafficking and modern slavery in South American countries. From Black Ending, Explained: Was Noah Dead Or Alive? [SPOILER] PRISONERS - someone help me understand : r/movies - Reddit Rated R Prisoners Ending Explained: Captive To A Vicious Circle Of - MSN At first, Mateus and the crew battle to escape, but Mateus soon realizes that obedience and collusion with Luca may be the only path to freedom. "They move the car. Luca informs them that he has already paid an advance to their families. The film's central two characters, Keller Dover and Detective Loki played by Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal respectively, are then taken on a complex ride as both try to figure out the mystery through their own means. Watch: Why the Last 30 Seconds of 'Prisoners' is Perfect Storytelling Holly soon admits that she and her husband abducted children of Christian families as a "war on God" to avenge their son's death and force similar families to experience the pain of losing a child. Movie endings, they're usually pretty straight forward right? The cumulative sequence jumps from that initial material representation of their labor to transmission towers, and eventually to a sea of illuminated buildings at night. Symbolic enough, given that Bianchi was running a network of human trafficking and forced labor that was relegating the country to the dark ages. Meaning of the movie "Prisoners" and ending explained In 7 Prisoners, Mateus (Christian Malheiros) and his friends from Catanduva go to So Paolo to change their lives.They all belong to an economically indigent and hard-working class family. Once there, he ends up becoming a victim of a work system analogous to slavery. Following another lead, Loki searches the house of a pastor, where he finds a corpse in the basement having a maze pendant on it. They looked happy, and their happiness changed Mateus heart. Mateus didnt try to deny the reality of his life. Stumbling upon a masked man at a candlelight vigil for the missing children, Loki finds a new dimension of the case. The film's ending is quite ambiguous, concluding with Detective Loki faintly hearing Keller blowing his daughter's emergency whistle. Its here where Morattos film, heart-quickening as it is, wants for the character-based subtlety and sensitivity of his debut. Prisoners- Ending explained, Storyline & Cast details - OtakuKart Most people would agree that the ending of Prisoners is a sad one. He knew that his friend had been eaten up by greed. At the end of the film, Keller is left in the pit beneath the Jones' pick-up truck for days after Loki saves Anna from Holly. A full body orgasm at the L.A. Phil? 3) Hogwarts Legacy Game Review. Sherwood Ending, Explained: How Do 2 Murders Bring Out Age-Old Hatred In Nottinghamshires Ashfield. One of the best international films I've seen in a long time. Theyve never personally known their world to be so big, though within minutes of Brazilian-American director Alexandre Morattos accomplished, socially conscious thriller, itll grow smaller than they could ever have imagined. While catching Samuel, Mateus became extremely aggressive and grabbed Samuels neck. The 2013 film 'Prisoners' is now streaming on Netflix, and its divisive ending leaves fans wanting more. The Tank Ending, Explained: Did Ben, Jules, & Reia Survive? He is not obliged to pay them until and unless they clear their debts. It is revealed that this disability comes from the trauma of his own kidnapping by Holly, with her reasoning revealed to Keller later after he figures out Holly's crimes. Luca agreed, and Mateus speculated that they would be free from his clutches in 6 months. By solving the puzzle, Loki treads the path to salvation. Nothing seems miraculous, even if the story is studded with religious motifs and imagery. Later, Joy and Anna visit Loki in his hospital room and thank him. I did lots of research and thinking, and I think I've wrapped my head around the movie and the ending. Dover also fits these religious themes as God's follower who loses his faith and sacrifices his humanity through his kidnap and torture of Alex. Two of the producers, Ramin Bahrani and Fernando Meirelles, have made a fair number of these films, including 99 Homes, The White Tiger and City of God between them. '7 Prisoners' Summary & Ending, Explained - Did Mateus Leave Luca's He brought three more prisoners to the junkyard, bringing the total count to seven. A wave of wounded anguish percolates under Mateuss eyes, as his boss, Mr. Luca (Rodrigo Santoro) says, Your work powers the whole city. The camera shifts to electric train lines next to slums and the glittering skyline of the city lit up at night. Prisoners Ending, Explained: Does Loki Find Keller? - The Cinemaholic SPOILERS AHEAD. are to sleep. Mateus understood that it was impossible to run away from these men, and all he could do to survive and protect his family was to abide by their wishes. He is Mateus (Christian Malheiros), a human. Why is Frank McCourt really pushing it? The question hovers of whether Mateus can ever escape his prison altogether, or merely into one with more comfortable furniture. Loki shrugs the sound off, before hearing it again and seemingly going to investigate before the film cuts to black. Ripped from their rural hometowns with the promise of steady and well-remunerated work, a pack of young men without avenues for education head to the big city. AKA Ending, Explained: Did Moktar Al Tayeb Bomb The Hotel? He sneaks into Kellers old house, where Alex is incarcerated. She remembers very little but says she saw Keller and then it dawns on him: Holly Jones is the one who kidnapped Anna and Joy. ", superhero movie regular David Dastmalchian, ranked amongst Jake Gylenhaal's best performances, Jake Gyllenhaal's character as more villainous, Disney Finally Fixes Peter Pan's Controversial Tiger Lily Story After 70 Years, 8 Canceled DC Movies James Gunns DC Universe Should Revive, From Yoda To Huyang: The 10 Oldest Star Wars Characters. 7 Prisoners centers on a protagonist who becomes a slave to his employers wishes to survive. Mateus felt the power of money, and it slowly transformed him into the person he once hated. Mateus had a difficult choice to make. 7) The Whale Ending Explained. In the film, Loki visits a local priest and finds a decomposed body in his basement. Keller Dover WILL get pulled out of the pit. SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE DAILY NEWSLETTER, FIRST TAKE, All Is Forgiven Review: Mia Hansen-Lves Knockout Debut Finally Reaches the US, Finch Film Review: Tom Hanks Road-Trips the Apocalypse With a Robot Instead of a Volleyball, The Harder They Fall Film Review: Star-Studded Black Western Isnt Always Fully Loaded. Deep into 7 Prisoners, the protagonist stares up at the labyrinthine electrical cables of the transformers that power the city of So Paulo. After one week of laborious tasks, Mateus demands their pay. And its heavy metal gate clanks down with brutal finality, an ominous sound that signals the contract the young men thought they were getting isnt quite so generous. Luca revealed that he was never going to let them go, but he was fond of Mateus. Edited by Liz O. Baylen and Mike Benoist. Ripped from their rural hometowns with the promise of steady and well-remunerated work, a pack of young men without avenues for education head to the big city. Another victim is also revealed throughout the film, a man named Bob Taylor, played by superhero movie regular David Dastmalchian. It is an experience that invites us to peel off the layers and try to make meaning from its moving images. Witnesses offer conflicting accounts, Mars Voltas lead singer broke with Scientology and reunited with the band. Luca even takes away their mobile phones as collateral. Luca agreed, and Mateus speculated that they would be free from his clutches in 6 months. Upon insistence, Loki agrees to keep him in custody for a while longer but has to release him due to insufficient evidence. Prisoners Ending Explained: Exploring The Crime Thriller's Ambiguous Elsewhere, 7 Prisoners goes a little too easy on its audience, even as Joao Gabriel De Queirozs grimy, shadowed camerawork and the films nippy, jagged editing hold us at a cool distance. Luca revealed that he was never going to let them go, but he was fond of Mateus. The last thirty-odd seconds of the film leaves it for the viewers to analyze these different conjectures and come up with their own interpretation. This review of 7 Prisoners was first published on Sept. 6 after the films premiere at the Venice Film Festival. Lokis outburst at his work desk is a scene that surmises his state of mind effectively. The ending of Prisoners encapsulates Detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal)'s character, whose cornerstone is persistence. Before this, Alex took the girls for a joyride in his RV through seemingly innocent means due to his 10-year-old mental state, and the girls were only taken by Holly after returning to Alex's house. The promise of a better life is intoxicating and all-consuming, and thrives in locations of grand economic disparity. But in the real world, these fancy jobs arent for people who were raised in poverty. It immerses us so deeply in the what would you do aspect of its storytelling that what they do, and why, gets shorter shrift. The lady confesses to her crime, stating that the kidnappings were a way to delegitimize the presence of God. He confines Alex in his old house and tortures him. Clasping his artistic maw, Morattos concise firecracker of a movie is straightforward in its soul-crushing blows and an essential piece of social-realist cinema for our times. Alexandre Moratto's Netflix-backed follow-up to his celebrated debut 'Socrates' doesn't quite have that film's soulful depth of character, but it's urgent and involving.