Netflix’s Outside Ending Explained: Is Francis Really Dead?

The stage is set for Outside (2024), which is not just a horror drama but also explores the human psyche within a zombie apocalypse.

The horror is not limited to the undead; it also stems from the psychological and emotional turmoil that pulls apart a family striving to stay together.

The movie follows Iris, Francis, and their children, who are under constant external threats while dealing with internal conflicts.

1. What Leads to Francis’ Desperation?

To escape the zombie apocalypse, Francis and his family seek shelter in his childhood home, hoping the threat will eventually fade.

However, the house triggers flashbacks of traumatic memories, particularly from the abuse Francis suffered at the hands of his father. Despite Iris’s reluctance to stay, Francis insists that the house is the safest option given the dire situation.

While trying to remain composed, Francis eventually succumbs to his traumatic memories. His behavior towards his family starts to mirror his father’s controlling tendencies, undermining the family’s efforts to stick together.

2. Why Does Francis Reject Leaving for the Camp?

Francis is adamant about staying in the house, despite his family’s continuous pleas to leave. His fear of the outside world is magnified by the traumatic memories of his childhood and with his deep insecurity that Iris might leave him.

Francis’s desire to keep his family confined to the house becomes obsessive, as he is consumed by the fear that Iris will abandon him once they leave.

His jealousy of Diego—whom Francis suspects Iris once loved—adds to his fear of losing her, causing him to tighten his grip on a control that is rapidly slipping away.

3. What Drives Josh to Leave?

Josh, a teenager growing increasingly frustrated with his father’s controlling behavior, becomes desperate to experience life beyond the walls of the house. He longs to reconnect with friends and build lasting memories in the outside world.

Meanwhile, both Iris and Josh notice that the zombie threat seems to be weakening, leading them to believe it might be safe to leave.

This glimmer of hope starkly contrasts with Francis’s increasingly desperate attempts to convince his family that the outside world is still too dangerous.

4. Is Francis Killed in the End?

In a heartbreaking climax, Francis confronts Diego, now a zombie, and kills him in a misguided attempt to protect his family.

However, his growing madness leads him to blame Iris for the disintegration of the family. In his distorted mind, Iris is the reason for all their misfortune. Just as Francis is about to harm Iris, Lucas calls for help, revealing that he has been bitten by a zombie.

Incredible courage is exhibited by Iris (a nurse), amputating Lucas’s arm to keep the infection from becoming fatal for him. On the other hand, Francis is still struggling with the situation, and decides to head toward the bridge, only to encounter Josh there.

As things go darker, Josh shoots his father dead, being aware that only this could free his family members from Francis’s increasingly threatening tendencies.

5. What Does the Ending Mean for Iris, Lucas, and Josh?

Before Francis finally succumbs to the bullet wound, he calls Josh his son, underscoring his affection for him despite all the circumstances that have evidently been against their well-being.

While Iris, Lucas, and Josh are preparing to leave, a ray of hope arrives in the form of a car; help seems to have finally arrived!

6. Does the Finale Mean Something Deeper?

The endnote of Outside implies a ray of hope for the three, as they appear to have found rescue from the mortal peril they were facing.

However, the story also hints at the tragic arc of Francis’s character, suggesting how life isn’t just about staying alive – it is about overcoming the past.

7. Final Thoughts

“One cannot drive a car looking at the rear view mirror all the time”, and Outside sets a great story to support this modern adage.

Although an end was seen to be put on the physical ordeals that the characters had to face, the psychological scars that were left behind could return later to haunt them.

The downfall of Francis serves as an alarming reminder of the perils of allowing past trauma to control one’s actions, while the trio’s escape stands as a metaphor for hope and healing in the most difficult situations.

8. About Outside

Outside is a Philippine post-apocalyptic drama horror film written and directed by Carlo Ledesma. It stars Sid Lucero, Beauty Gonzalez, Marco Masa, and Aiden Tyler Patdu. The film tells the story of a family trying to outrun a zombie outbreak by returning to the father’s childhood farmhouse.

The Abel family, composed of Francis, his wife Iris, and their sons Joshua and Lucas, flee a zombie outbreak in the city. Arriving at Francis’ parents’ mansion on a sugarcane plantation, Francis finds his father and a servant having committed suicide after being infected and his mother reanimated as a zombie. After killing his mother, Francis and his family settle in the house.