Warning: Major spoilers ahead for Windfall.
The neo-noir thriller film Windfall delves into the void between envy and entitlement, with its ending holding a mirror up to society. Directed by Charlie McDowell, Windfall boasts a talented ensemble castincludingJason Segel, Lily Collins, and Jesse Plemons, who all shine in a deceiving home invasion. Although it begins with Segel's Nobody breaking into the CEO and Wife’s vacation home (Plemons and Collins), the film gradually reveals itself to be a commentary on class warfare, made possible by the actors’ engrossing performances.
Nobody’s plan of stealing the CEO’s money, watch, and gun gets derailed with the couple’s arrival. Merely a few minutes into Windfall, the Wife catches Nobody leaving. As the robbery turns into a hostage situation, the CEO hands over his secret stash of money and allows the burglar to escape. However, when Nobody notices a security camera within the property’s vicinity, he is forced to return to the château, intending to ask for more money from the CEO. While waiting for the ransom, the trio receives an unexpected visitor, played by Omar Leyva, one of Grey’s Anatomy character actors. With this addition, Windfall takes a darker turn.
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Windfallwas released on Netflix on March 18, 2022. Upon its premiere, most critics praised the film’s well-acted, character-driven narrative, while some have pointed out its lack of coherent tone and depth. Even with the inconsistency, there's a lot ot explore in the movie. Here is the ending of Windfall explained in detail.
Why Windfall's Characters Don't Have Real Names
Although Windfall’s story unfolds for an hour and a half, it does not bother to name its characters, revealing their identities through the end credits. Rather than their real names, they are only called by their general roles: the CEO, Wife, and Nobody. While omitting real character names is not unusual in literature, Windfall uses it to further its agenda: showing the disparity between the burglar and the victims. The CEO, portrayed by Jesse Plemons (who is coming off hispowerfulcharacter workinThe Power of the Dog) then becomes the face of the wealthy, detached from reality. Meanwhile, his Wife is called as such primarily because of how she is regarded throughout the film. She is simply seen as the extension of the CEO — nothing more, nothing less. And Nobody is written as a common man whose personal details are largely unknown to anyone in the film – emblematic of how the rich care so little about understanding the plight of the less fortunate. Furthermore, with its characters remaining nameless, Windfall urges its audience to focus instead on its themes while subtly hinting that the events of the film can happen to literally anyone fitting the descriptions.
Nobody's Motive In Windfall: Why He Broke Into CEO's House
Until the end of Windfall, Nobody’s real motive in breaking into the CEO’s home remains unexplained. Nevertheless, the movie drops hints as to why the burglar has committed such a crime. Personified by Jason Segel,who can also currently be spotted in thefourth-wall-breaking Winning Time, Nobody is heavily implied to be collateral damage to the CEO’s algorithm. Because of the said technology, Nobody’s services were no longer required, leaving him unemployed, broke, and desperate. However, it is revealed later on that his actions are driven by aspirational envy. He does not simply want to experience life through the CEO’s eyes; he also wonders if the tech mogul’s goodness is enough to justify their ever-increasing wealth gap. Nobody has almost reached his goal, learning more about the wealthy couple and getting away with half a million dollars — that is, until the Wife comesinto play.
Why Wife Killed Nobody In Windfall’s Ending
Itis established early on in Windfall that Nobody does not want to intentionally harm people. Based on his demeanor, he seems to be pulling off his crime merely out of desperation. This islikely why the CEO thinkshe can easily be seduced by the Wife, elegantly played by Emily in Paris’ titular character, Lily Collins. Burdened by pressure, the Wife attempts to get closer to the thief by striking up an intimate conversation. However, toward the end, Nobody throws ametaphoricalgrenade into the marriage by announcing that the Wife has no plans of building a family with the CEO. Just when she thinks she has found an empathetic ear, she gets betrayed. Ultimately, Nobody is only looking out for his own interestsand does not truly care about the woes of the unsatisfied Wife. Her awakening is fueled by her desire to reclaim her own narrative, and in doing so, she kills Nobody.
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Why Wife Was Taking Birth Control Pills
What starts out as a picture of a happy couple inWindfall gradually becomes a tension-filled relationship. Following theHollywood trend of exposing failing relationships, the cracks in the CEO and Wife’s marriage become more apparent as Windfall’s viewers spend more time with them. In response to theCEO’s repeated expressions of wanting to start a family, the Wife only awkwardly dodges the conversation. It then becomes evident that the CEO is overbearing, depriving her of independence. Her only means of rebellion, then, is taking birth control pills to avoid raising children with her husband. Her reasons are ambiguous. Perhaps she personally does not wantto have children. Or maybe she does want children, butnotwith a person as entitled and terrible as the CEO. Regardless, she is biding her time until she can devise a plan and leave him completely.
Why Wife Killed CEO In Windfall's Ending
The Wife is a representation of unhappy marriages, whichhave been similarly depicted in works like Scenes from a Marriage and Marriage Story. In her quest for security and luxury, she gives up her preferences, liberty, and identity. In fact, Windfall reveals she was even hesitant togo through with her wedding to the CEO, butultimately did because of her own mission. She tolerates the CEO’s adultery, as she findsout that he paid off “Debbie” just to leave the relationship.She also realizesthat her husband has a narcissistic view of the world. Because he arguably seesher as a freeloader who married into his wealth, she feels trapped and suffocated from all his demands. Fed up with her life, she kills the CEO, seemingly the only way she can gain the freedomfor which she longs.
The Real Meaning of Windfall’s Ending
Windfall ends with the Wife taking her first steps toward a life of her own — a move befittingly capping off a movie about choices. Granted, these choices are influenced by the characters’ lots in life, just like the robbers in Money Heist. Nobody chooses to break into and steal from the vacation home. The Wife chooses to marry the CEO, while the latter chooses to live with greed. Their decisions affect each other, whether intentional or not. Moreover, innocent lives can be impacted bytheir decisions, just like what happens with the Gardener. Hesimply makes the mistake of showing up to work at the wrong time, filled with passion and drive. Yet because of the trio’s choices, he dies helplessly, and the characters are too quick to wash their hands of his death.
In addition, Windfall spends most of its time barely paying attention to the Wife, other than her role in child-rearing. Instead, it captures the dynamics between the CEO and Nobody, which borders on the toxic masculinity tropes often found in Westerns. It's a dynamic that is instrumental in Windfall cleverly pulling off its twist. The film that continuously emphasizesthe Wife being trapped in her situation empowers her in the ending, allowing her to symbolically eliminate the gender that has shackled her. No matter what consequences she might face after the events of Windfall, one thing will always be certain: the Wife is now in control.
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