In this section of our Colossus Movie Guide for Hypnotic, we will explain the film’s ending.
Cast
- Danny Rourke – Ben Affleck
- Diana Cruz / Vivian – Alice Braga
- Minnie – Hala Finley
- Dellrayne – William Fichtner
- Nicks – J.D. Pardo
- River – Dayo Okeniyi
- Carl – Jeff Fahey
- Jeremiah – Jackie Earle Haley
- Written by – Robert Rodriguez | Max Borenstein
- Directed by – Robert Rodriguez
The end of Hypnotic explained
Recap
Hypnotic ends at a shed in a valley. It’s there that Danny hid his young daughter, Minnie, from the Division. For three years, Minnie has honed her powers as a Hypnotic under the care of Danny’s foster parents. Danny arrives a few minutes before the Division. He and Minnie get to share a moment of reconnection. Then Diana, Dellrayne, and the rest of the Division soldiers arrive. An initial confrontation turns out to merely be a hypnotic construct used to trick the Division agents.
After Minnie unlocks Diana’s memories, reuniting mother, father, and daughter, the family of Hypnotics annihilates the entirety of the Division. This was the plan all along. By luring the entirety of the Division to Minnie after giving her time to come into her own, it means the Rourke family is free. Everyone who knew about Danny, Diana, and Minnie is gone. Now they can live their life on their own terms, without the Division trying to turn them into psyops tools. It’s a happy ending.
During the credits, we get a scene. Carl tells his wife, Danny, Diana, and Minnie to leave on the helicopter and he’ll meet up with them after disposing of the bodies. The helicopter takes off and disappears. Carl then morphs into Dellrayne. We see Carl’s corpse on the ground.
Meaning
Hypnotic is ultimately about individuals standing up to the government. Individualism trumps government control. Freedom is more important than being of service when that service comes at the cost of your family’s health, happiness, and future. When the choice is “let the Division turn Minnie into a psyops weapon” or “Minnie gets to live a normal life” any decent parent will fight for the latter. This is, of course, hyperbolic for dramatic effect. That’s not a situation people will ever find themselves in. But it becomes representative of a larger tension between citizens and their government. Of course “hypnotic constructs” aren’t a real thing. But they’re not far off from the way in which propaganda from the government (or a political party) can warp the way people see the world.
The end of Hypnotic is a bit of an indulgence for anyone who dreams of individual rights winning out over governmental overreach. The citizens win. The government loses. In that way, it’s a very Texas-y movie made by one of Texas’s most famous directors. Yet it’s crafted carefully enough to not lean politically one way or the other, allowing people across all political spectrums to see themselves in Danny and his family and the Division as whatever monster they wish.
The twist comes with Dellrayne surviving. We’re told several times that the heroes need to eradicate the entirety of the Division. If anyone survives, that means the Rourkes aren’t safe. Sure enough, someone does. Not even just someone. The leader. A random Division member might just say “screw it” and move on. But Dellrayne is the worst person to survive. That means the heroes aren’t safe. The Division will regroup. Then, probably, try again to get Minnie.
Thematically, this makes sense. As nice as it is to have this fantasy of the individuals defeating the government. The government is huge. A snake with seemingly infinite heads. Even politically in America right now. If both parties suddenly put aside all of their differences and started working together, ushering in a time of political peace and immense progress, there’s always some bug in the system. Some facet of disharmony and discord that will slowly turn cancerous. That’s what Dellrayne embodies. That notion that there’s always going to be another issue. We’re never truly safe or free.
As bleak as that is, it can be a positive thing. A reminder to not take the good times for granted. To stay vigilant but continue to live your life. To be proactive and help shape the world you want to be part of rather than being oblivious until it’s too late. That’s how Danny, Diana, and Minnie won in the first place. It’s unfortunate that we can’t just ignore the government. But we can’t. You don’t have to, nor should you, create such an elaborate counter measure. But by just voting and being aware of what’s going on, you can do a lot.
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