The ending of Netflix’s latest psychological thriller Spiderhead kept me thinking for long, as it left many questions unanswered and open to interpretation. The Chris Hemsworth starrer is based on “Escape from Spiderhead”, a 2010 short story by George Saunders.
Director Joseph Kosinski introduced quite a few changes in the film as compared to the original short story, but the premise of the film remained the same. The changes, though, are quite drastic – including a major change in Abnesti’s motive, Jeff’s background and introduction of the character of Lizzy.
If you also had a lot of questions after watching the film and needed to talk about it with a friend, you’re at the right place. Here’s everything I made out of the ending and more!
What is the Function of B-6?
In the end, Jeff realizes that Abnesti had not marked two drugs with a gold star – the Luvactin and B-6. There was no clear test for the B-6 and yet it was being used on everyone, by being plugged into their MobiPak. According to Mark, the red liquid was actually placebo.
But the truth is a little different from Mark’s official explanation.
The B-6 was a drug to completely remove a person’s free will and make them almost into a slave. If it worked properly, the B-6 could make an individual so obedient that they may be susceptible to follow any orders – even if it includes killing a loved one or committing a crime.
Though the drug was still in development, it was used on every inmate in the prison to some extent. So, we can surely say that every inmate was controlled by Steve Abnesti to an extent. This also explains why the prison could keep such dangerous criminals with minimal security.
Naturally, due to the effect of B-6, they did not have any free will and so could be easily controlled and given instructions which they would surely follow.
What Was Steve Abnesti’s Motive?
Steve Abnesti cared about only one drug out of all those which were being tested on the prisoners in the cells. In fact, he was putting so much effort in testing the N- 40 or the love drug (the function of which was to make a person fall in love) so that the B-6 could be adequately tested.
Steve Abnesti’s main motive was to test the drug B-6 properly and confirm its effects on a subject. He wanted to find out if B-6 could actually remove an individual’s subject and make them obedient to his commands.
By using N-40, he was trying to make his subjects (in this case, Jeff) fall in love. Once they were confirmed to be in love, he could test the effects of B-6 by making sure they could kill a loved one, irrespective of their free will.
Though it was never made crystal clear why Abnesti wants to create such a drug, it was mostly because he felt it was a moral duty. After being abandoned by his own father when he was eight, he felt extremely wronged.
So, he wanted to make sure no other human being ever made such a bad decision again.
Did Steve Abnesti Die at The End?
Steve Abnesti’s dead body was not shown in the film. But, in the end, he was seen trying to pilot an aircraft, which hit a mountain and exploded. So, Abnesti most likely died in the end of the film.
After having his MobiPack and controller destroyed, Abnesti was injected with a variety of drugs, including the B-6, which eliminated free will. This is why his last few minutes in the film did not make much sense.
When Mark finally arrived with the police, Abnesti tried to save himself one last time by flying out of the island though he was not able to pilot the airplane properly. As a result, the aircraft hit the mountain and exploded, causing Abnesti’s death in the end.
What Happened to Jeff and Lizzy?
When Jeff and Lizzy escape the prison, they took a boat to get out of the island. What’s important is that neither of them was supposed to be in jail anymore, so there was no problem with them going back to the real world.
Jeff was on a parole, while Lizzy was given a pardon. So, both were actually free to leave the prison and the island, which they do in the end. However, their testimonies would be vital in the investigation of the Abnesti company, so the police would need to reach out to them later on.
I would guess both Lizzy and Jeff were facing some amount of after-effects of the drugs that were used on them. But it seemed to be quite negligible.
If you notice, Lizzy uses the word ‘nice’ in the scene. This is the same word which Steve scolds Jeff for using earlier in the film. So, Lizzy using the world actually indicates that they are significantly (if not completely) out of the effect of the drugs and free to lead their own lives.
They also seem to be having free will now, considering the effects of B-6 are out of their system.
About Spiderhead
Spiderhead is an upcoming American science fiction thriller film directed by Joseph Kosinski, with a screenplay by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, based on the dystopian short story “Escape from Spiderhead” by George Saunders. The film stars Chris Hemsworth, Miles Teller, and Jurnee Smollett. Hemsworth is also a producer on the film. Principal photography took place in Australia, during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
Spiderhead is scheduled to be released on Netflix on June 17, 2022.
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