*Warning: Contains major spoilers for Don’t Move.*
Thriller and horror aficionados are in for a true spine-tingler with Netflix’s fresh release, Don’t Move, though the hidden message in the film’s climactic final scene will have viewers dissecting its meaning for days to come.
Dropped on October 25, this gripping tale chronicles the harrowing plight of a woman hunted by a menacing serial killer. Narrowly escaping his clutches at first, she soon discovers he’s administered a paralysing agent, leaving her a mere twenty minutes before total bodily shutdown.
Leading the cast is Yellowstone sensation Kelsey Asbille, embodying victim Iris, with Finn Wittrock delivering chills as Richard, the murderer on her trail.
The final scene sees a bound Iris forced onto a small craft, as Richard aims to propel both out to sea where he intends to end her life, reports the Mirror.
Unexpectedly, Iris tricks Richard and stabs him, followed up with a gunshot, and casts him into the depths.
However, their boat begins to sink due to the damage from the gunfire, and a partially immobilised Iris musters the strength to swim ashore. Despite deep injuries, Richard emerges from the water too.
Watching Richard slowly die, Iris utters a simple “Thank you”. But what lurks behind her gratitude? Here’s our analysis of the enigmatic subtext of this thrilling chase for survival.
What lies beneath the overt narrative of the film?
Don’t Move can be interpreted as a poignant commentary on the value of life.
Iris is first seen in a state of sorrow, lying in bed with her gaze settling on a red toy boat that once belonged to her deceased son. Awakening from her sadness, she fetches a knife from the kitchen and heads for a cliff located deep within a forest her intention is to leap off.
As Iris reaches the precipice, Richard disruptively enters the scene, striking up a conversation that, while initially seeming like a reprieve for viewers knowing Iris was close to self-harm, takes a sinister turn when he assaults and restrains her.
Originally starting the film with a desire to cease her existence, Iris is compelled into a desperate struggle for survival as an unrelenting assailant pursues her, prompting her to rediscover a tenacious will to live.
Why did Iris thank Richard?
In a revelation received amidst the danger, Iris acknowledges her wish to continue living, expressing gratitude with a simple “Thank you”.
Earlier encounters between the characters show Richard grappling with the loss of his girlfriend Chloe, who perished in an accident just before his University milestone. He discloses the unsettling fact that their last exchange was an argument, regretfully admitting: “I don’t want to tell you what my last words to her were.”
The truth eventually unravels to Iris; Richard’s final spoken sentiment to Chloe was none other than “Thank you” – a statement he now explains was born from a grim epiphany at Chloe’s demise, granting him a perverse sense of omnipotence.
Richard’s murderous rampage began soon after Chloe’s demise, as he sought to replicate that potent sensation. He persuades Iris not to leap off the cliff because he desires to be her executioner, to experience a god-like power.
Upon her eventual escape, Iris attains a newfound appreciation for her existence. Her harrowing encounter with Richard reignites her zest for life, leading her to express gratitude towards him.
Don’t Move is available to stream now on Netflix