Chris Hemsworth’s new Netflix thriller Extraction has been viewed approximately a bazillion times according to Netflix and the film’s producers, Joe and Anthony Russo. Netflix, which doesn’t release streaming numbers to the public, said the film is on track to becoming the biggest ever film premier for the service. Netflix is projecting about 90 million streams in the next four weeks, which is staggering.
Now, considering the film has been out for a little over two weeks and it seems like millions of people have already seen it, it’s time to talk about that ending. Again, if the headline of the post hasn’t already clued you in, there are massive spoilers ahead, so be warned.
At first, the ending of the film seems pretty cut and dry with Hemsworth’s character Rake meeting a watery demise after being shot approximately 8,000 times and falling off of a bridge. But, in the final scene, the young boy Rake was tasked with saving, Ovi (played by Rudhraksh Jaiswal) emerges from a pool and behind him stands a shadowy figure who looks VERY MUCH LIKE RAKE. What could it mean?
Let’s explore the theories, of which there are three.
1. Rake survived and is still protecting Ovi
Is this theory plausible? Not really, but then again, action films like this count on the implausibility of the hero’s survival to move the action forward. Rake should’ve died a million times over before they even get to the climatic battle on the bridge, but he doesn’t.
Another thing that makes this theory more credible is that the film has already established at the start that Rake is a champion at holding his breath underwater. So, there’s a very, very slim possibility he was able to hold his breath and then miraculously survive being shot in the neck.
In an interview with Collider, director Sam Hargrave mentioned that during early screenings a lot of people actually wanted Rake to live. Plus, the movie industry loves franchises. It would make sense then, that regardless of how implausible it would be, there’s at least the possibility that Hemsworth’s character survives.
2. Rake is dead, Ovi just has a vision.
It’s clear early in the film that Rake’s character is dealing with a ton of unresolved trauma stemming from his chosen profession. He’s also grieving the death of his son and the guilt over not being present when he passed. Rake has a ton of stuff going on in that old noggin’ and it’s indicated that he has visions and memories of his son kind of quietly floating around in his brain. It makes him feel connected to his son, and establishes that even though his son has died, Rake still maintains a kind of emotional and spiritual connection.
It makes much more narrative sense then that Ovi would still feel connected to Rake after everything they went through, and see him hovering around, like some kindly paramilitary ghost, rather than be actually alive. Hargrave has also said that the original ending of the film had Rake dying, but that it didn’t feel like as emotionally satisfying.
3. That’s not Rake, but a new bodyguard
This is the least satisfying theory, though it is by far the most practical. Ovi is going to have a target on his back for much of his life, and, being the kid of a drug kingpin, he’ll need constant protection. Where Rake died doing his job, someone else is more than willing to step in. Again, this theory pretty much sucks because audiences aren’t interested in a new Tyler Rake, they either want Hemsworth or nothing at all. The film’s producer Joe Russo also didn’t lend any credence to this theory, saying they always thought of it as an either/or situation.
“It is meant to represent hope…but you can interpret it any way you want, you can interpret it that he’s alive and you can interpret it that he’s a figment of his imagination,” Russo told Collider.
Out of all of these theories, which one is likely going to end up being true? Well, it’s a good bet that Rake survived. It’s narratively implausible, but whatever, who cares. Let Rake live! Hemsworth has also indicated that he’d be “stoked” to jump back into the role, and with the massive numbers the movie did, the chances of us getting a sequel or prequel are pretty high.