Loki also becomes a prisoner to the case due to his obsession with finding the girls, and manages to escape the prison by saving Anna. A devout Catholic, Keller is a survivalist by nature, evident from his stacked basement with enough provisions to last an apocalypse. YOU'VE REACHED YOUR MONTHLY ARTICLE LIMIT. This is a narrative break brought by inducing a nihilist an allegory of the great evil. He initially ignores it, but when he hears it again, Loki turns around and stares at the yard. 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. Luca revealed that he was never going to let them go, but he was fond of Mateus. The lady confesses to her crime, stating that the kidnappings were a way to delegitimize the presence of God. Keller decides to take the matter into his own hands and kidnaps Alex to get the truth out of him. "7 Prisoners" is part of the long tradition of movies, plays and novels that call attention to real-world problems in this case, human trafficking and exploitation. He goes to Alexs house to inform his aunt about his finding. 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. He brought three more prisoners to the junkyard, bringing the total count to seven. With 7 Prisoners, the young director further demonstrates he is a worthy heir of this storytelling niche. An innate leader, Mateus, the one in the group with higher career aspirations (he dreams of being a pilot), soon realizes Luca has no intention of paying any wages or letting them quit. Luca handed over their responsibilities to Mateus. Contrary to what its title might imply, director Alexandre Morattos sophomore feature 7 Prisoners isnt set in a correctional facility or during an armed conflict, but in the underbelly of urban Sao Paolo, Brazil. The priest reveals that the man confessed to killing 16 children in a war against God, resulting in the priest killing the man in retaliation. So here is my explanation of the movie and the ending. 7 Prisoners (2021) An emotionally gruelling story about a deeply troubling reality in human trafficking. SPOILERS AHEAD. As the film probes at the human cost of so many broken promises and so many ruined lives, Malheiros expressive face becomes our anchor. I have been working in the Indian Film Industry for the past 8 years, majorly writing dialogues for various films and television shows. Luca teaches them to remove the copper from the rubber casing and segregate stainless steel from the scrap. All Images property of their respective owners. Isaque tries to escape, but two police officers bring him back. 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. As the lights shut off, Loki moves about before he hears a faint whistling sound. As 7 Prisoners traces lines of influence upward, we meet more exploited laborers, more brutal enforcers, more nouveau riche bosses, more people in the web who benefit from abuse and corruption. He reveals that he has incurred heavy expenses on their transport, room, and food, and they owe him a debt. 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. Original music by Dan Powell and . Mateus felt the power of money, and it slowly transformed him into the person he once hated. Whether Loki saves Dover is left to the audience's interpretation, however, an alternate ending for the film shot by Denis Villeneuve can provide some insight. 7 Prisoners examines how even the oppressed can fall into systems of oppression if it means survival and how these very systems are set up to support those at the top no matter what. By solving the puzzle, Loki treads the path to salvation. Two other friends, Ezequiel and Isaque, join them, and the lads from Catanduva reach So Paulo. He is troubled by the scant evidence in hand, especially the maze, that keeps him preoccupied. When they raise their concerns, the situation worsens, fully exposing the trafficking trap into which theyve stepped: The boys are stripped of their phones, locked into their dorm when not working under strict surveillance, and have their wages suspended until the vast alleged debt of their living expenses is cleared. Franklin and Nancy Birch (Terrence Howard and Viola Davis), Kellers friends, has a daughter named Joy (Kyla-Drew Simmons) of the same age as Anna. 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. The journey symbolizes that greed spares no one, and in the end, we all become slaves to richness and luxury. 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. 8) Magic Mike's Last Dance Ending Explained. The more the latter climbs the ladder towards some independence, leaving his comrades behind, the more their paths align. Luca later told Mateus that it was either him or them. That directors Fernando Meirelles and Ramin Bahrani have boarded Morattos two features so far as executive producers seems appropriate. Naturally gifted, Malheiros (who played a homeless gay teen in Socrates) exudes an irate fortitude in his demands for fairness. Near the beginning of 7 Prisoners, the illuminated high-rise skyline of So Paulo draws murmurs of admiration from a group of young rural Brazilians as a minivan ferries them into the city for the first time in their lives. Later, Joy and Anna visit Loki in his hospital room and thank him. The invisibility of exploitation that makes urban life possible becomes undeniably present thanks to this sequence, a startling visualization of the themes brought to light by 7 Prisoners. This causes Keller to torture Alex throughout the movie. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. 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. He is shaggily bearded, loose-limbed, quick with a slap and casual with a gun. The question hovers of whether Mateus can ever escape his prison altogether, or merely into one with more comfortable furniture. 7 Prisoners is produced by Fernando Meirelles, of City of God, and Ramin Bahrani, of The White Tiger, and both those filmmakers have crafted in their movies similar stories of top-down exploitation and the impossible weight placed upon the person on the bottom rung of that ladder. Once the police get involved, the story starts to gather momentum. He tried to revolt because it was against his conscience to rule men in cages. Their life is devastated when their daughter Anna goes missing. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. 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. Nevertheless, Bianchi commanded Luca to leave the junkyard and attend the campaigns daily operations. Bianchi was an affluent politician. Still, if 7 Prisoners sees Moratto stepping into a larger spotlight, its heartening to see him bringing a crucial past collaborator with him: Christian Malheiros, the young Brazilian newcomer whose mature, emotionally intuitive performance was so integral to the success of Socrates, and who once more assumes leading-man duties here with sturdy grace. Moratto and co-writer Thayna Mantesso give him fewer notes to play, however. These injuries would be difficult to survive, especially in the cold, unsanitary conditions of the pit. ", Interestingly, when it was pointed out that there was no way the determined Detective Loki would not investigate the noise further, Guzikowski suggested Loki might decide to leave Keller there rather than simply miss him. 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. Prisoners Ending Explained. A lean, unflinching and acutely topical peek at modern-day slavery sold as an opportunity for economic advancement, this naturalistic thriller concerns a victim coerced into becoming a victimizer for survival. He is not obliged to pay them until and unless they clear their debts. After one week of laborious tasks, Mateus demands their pay. The film's ending is quite ambiguous, concluding with Detective Loki faintly hearing Keller blowing his daughter's emergency whistle. 7 Prisoners is part of the long tradition of movies, plays and novels that call attention to real-world problems in this case, human trafficking and exploitation. If Loki does not save him, the likelihood is that Dover dies in the pit. With his English language debut, Villeneuve created a story layered with suspense, thrill, and excitement. Theyre now his property. In the end, Mateus became Luca and betrayed his fellow mates. The Prisoners ending adds to the highly complex and dark nature of the detective-thriller from Denis Villeneuve. One of these themes is the film's title which has often been subject to debate. Who Was Allyoursecrets? 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.". Sherwood Ending, Explained: How Do 2 Murders Bring Out Age-Old Hatred In Nottinghamshires Ashfield. 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 Explained | Ending Explained Lucas Blue 17.4K subscribers Subscribe 227 5.8K views 1 year ago I hope this 7 Prisoners Explained / 7 Prisoners Ending Explained / 7. The ending of the film sees Loki and Keller, the two protagonists, facing the consequences of becoming prisoners themselves. He knew that his friend had been eaten up by greed. Loki, on the other hand, doesnt seem to make headway in the case. The Prisoners ending adds to the highly complex and dark nature of the detective-thriller from Denis Villeneuve. Dover takes matters into his own hands by abducting a local unstable man, Alex Jones (Paul Dano). Throughout the film, Alex is shown to be intellectually disabled, having the IQ of a 10-year-old. When they returned to the junkyard, Mateus best friend, Samuel, tried to run. But after testing the film with the ending it has now, everyone decided that was definitely the way to go. But Luca turns the junkyard into a fenced prison and points a gun at them. He brought three more prisoners to the junkyard, bringing the total count to seven. Luca agreed, and Mateus speculated that they would be free from his clutches in 6 months. Mateus arrives in So Paulo with a few others from his village, in search of a better life. Are they really so different? It is likely that Dover blowing the whistle is his last attempt at being saved. Grace also goes to see Loki and accepts that Keller will be arrested if he's ever found, but that doesn't stop her from insisting her husband is a good man. 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 explained to Mateus that he had seen his fancy magazines and knew about his dream of becoming a pilot or an engineer. Here are our top 10 picks, Super Mario Bros. Movie hits $1 billion, is No. On Thanksgiving, Keller and his family are invited to their friends home. A scruffy Rodrigo Santoro, a Hollywood regular back in his home country, plays the callous Luca, who welcomes them to their live-in positions stripping copper and sorting steel. Nevertheless, Bianchi commanded Luca to leave the junkyard and attend the campaigns daily operations. Isaque tries to escape, but two police officers bring him back. The movies plot is a little thin, and its message quite blunt. After the global debut at the festival, 7 Prisoners will officially premiere later in 2021 on Netflix. But by this point, the adolescent has witnessed and been involuntarily complicit in unscrupulous acts affecting more than just his former peers. Muoi: The Curse Returns Ending, Explained: Did Hang Survive? Lokis suspicion of Keller increases as he sees through his instability and noncooperation with the police. His face contorts slightly and his brow furrows when he must swallow his pride, fearing violent retaliation. Hence, he used his wits against him. The ending of Prisoners encapsulates Detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal)'s character, whose cornerstone is persistence. I love hearing the opinions!Outro Song: Let GoListen here: http://smarturl.it/sonorouspletgoDirector: Alexandre MorattoCast: Christian Malheiros - Rodrigo Santoro document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); COPYRIGHT Digital Mafia Talkies | DMT. They are neither the first nor the last, but merely part of a large operation. In the end, Mateus became Luca and betrayed his fellow mates. Bianchi was an affluent politician. Still, the oppressive truth remains that there are few ways out for people considered disposable, other than climbing on the backs of those even weaker or becoming part of the vicious machinery of unchecked capitalism. Also, as Holly is introduced early in the film, things that are revealed about her when she is "innocent" in the eyes of the audience can be forgotten once the reveal of her true nature comes to light. 7 Prisoners premieres on Netflix November 2021. Mateus knew that he couldnt deal with Luca with force. However, the film reveals that Alex was not involved in the actual kidnapping of the girls, he was only present due to living in the same house as Holly. Detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal) hears Keller (Hugh Jackman, pictured) blowing the emergency whistle does he save him? He had to choose between a friend and his future. While playing together, both of the girls find an RV parked outside the house. At the same time, Koki listened to the sound of a whistle & ran off to see from where the sound was coming. The ending of Prisoners is a culmination of events that frames the narrative of the film. Luca informs them that he has already paid an advance to their families. ", 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. He sneaks into Kellers old house, where Alex is incarcerated. November 12, 2021 By Shikhar Agrawal Brazilian film 7 Prisoners depicts how young men from small villages are deceived into forced labor in the name of employment. Mateus caught him and brought him back to the prison. Taylor, suffering from similar trauma from his experiences as Alex, began emulating his memories of his own kidnapping by Holly and her husband. After torturing Alex (Dano) to within an inch of his life, beating him to a pulp and blistering him under a boiling shower, the discovery of Joy. Aided by Aaron Guzikowskis script and Roger Deakins gloomy and bleak vision of Pennsylvania suburbs, Prisoners takes us deep within the lives of its characters and their inner struggles. Throughout Prisoners, Dano's Alex Jones is one of the central characters in some harrowing ways. His anguish at his failure to protect his daughter fills him with vengeance. Mateus asked Luca if he would liberate his friends too. 7 Prisoners (Portuguese: 7 Prisioneiros) is a Brazilian drama film directed by Alexandre Moratto from a screenplay by Thayn Mantesso and Alexandre Moratto. The end of the film can be seen as Dover asking God for help, with Loki as the angel potentially saving him, freeing both of the prisons that Prisoners lends its title to. 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. In the film, Taylor is used as another red herring who breaks into the Dovers' house, is found with Anna and Joy's clothes covered in blood, and confesses to the kidnappings before committing suicide. There are hierarchies of power that control economies and labor forces, and there is exploitation built into those very hierarchies to maintain said power at the very top. Pandora: Beneath The Paradise Scandals, Explained: How Was HATCH Conducting The Human Trials?