The Ending Of The Postcard Killings Explained

2020’s film “The Postcard Killings” opens with a chilling double murder of a vacationing couple in Europe, and from there, the tale spirals into even greater darkness. This cinematic rendition, authored by James Patterson and Liza Marklund, stands out among adaptations that often tarnish their source material as it might even surpass the original novel. The film shares the same intricate plot as its foundation, but the acting prowess of Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Naomi Battrick, and Denis O’Hare, well-known from “American Horror Story,” imbues the narrative with a fresh dimension that was not present in the original story.

Although ‘The Postcard Killings’ didn’t receive much praise from critics at its debut, its intricate and unpredictable storyline makes it one of the underrated thrillers available on Netflix. Although some may argue that the characters could have been better developed, the movie’s gripping plot will leave you on the edge of your seat throughout its duration. You might think you’ve got the killers pinned down, but the film constantly throws in new, unexpected twists that change your entire perception of the villains. From the initial twist to the nail-biting conclusion, ‘The Postcard Killings’ is a rollercoaster ride that will keep you guessing, and we’re here to help clarify everything that unfolds in it.

What you need to remember about the plot of The Postcard Killings

Jacob Kanon (Morgan), an American detective, finds himself in Europe following the gruesome murder of his daughter and her husband during their honeymoon. Upon recognizing their lifeless bodies, Jacob employs his own investigative talents to track down the perpetrator responsible for the heinous crime. Initially encountering resistance from local law enforcement, Jacob manages to unearth evidence that connects his daughter’s murder to a string of homicides that have occurred throughout Europe.

As a seasoned gamer, I find myself drawn into a real-life mystery across Europe. I team up with my ex-wife Valerie, a formidable ally, along with Dessie Lombard, a tenacious reporter. We join forces with local law enforcement to untangle the intricate web of clues left behind at crime scenes. The cunning killers display their victims in tableaus reminiscent of world-renowned artworks, and they taunt us with enigmatic postcards sent to journalists – a chilling signature touch that gives this tale its name.

Throughout Jacob’s probe, the movie intermittently switches to depict a different young pair, Sylvia (Naomi Battrick) and Mac (Ruairi O’Connor) Randolph, seemingly enjoying a getaway or honeymoon. However, as the narrative unfolds, it’s revealed that beneath their innocent facade, this duo are actually the culprits. Despite apprehending them, Jacob and his team can’t substantiate a link between the Randolphs and the murders, forcing them to release the suspects.

What happened at the end of The Postcard Killings

Although there’s no concrete proof, Jacob strongly believes that the Randolphs are responsible for his daughter’s death. As he continues to investigate, he uncovers that “Sylvia” and “Mac” were false names. He turns to his former spouse for assistance, and she manages to shed light on the true identities – Marina and Simon Haysmith. Even more surprising is the discovery that they are siblings, raised by their father, Simon Haysmith Senior (O’Hare), who is currently imprisoned for murdering their mother, his own wife.

Through conversation with Mr. Haysmith, Jacob and his companions manage to paint a troubling portrait of Marina and Simon’s background. It appears that these siblings were controlled by their father before he discarded them upon discovering their mutual romantic feelings. In retaliation for the punishment, their father inflicted on them for being together, the siblings grew closer as adults and leveraged their father’s love for art and aggression to deliver a clear message – one that was aimed squarely at him.

As I finally unraveled the chilling mystery of their murderous rampage, I implore Dessie to collaborate on a ruse to draw out the elusive Haysmiths. She pens an article about our relationship, inadvertently becoming their next target for their twisted art project. In a desperate bid to save Dessie, I engage in a fatal confrontation with the Haysmiths, unintentionally taking Simon’s life and allowing Marina to seemingly slip away. By the film’s end, Jacob and I discover that the Haysmith siblings were adopted, leaving Mr. Haysmith’s motives shrouded in mystery. In a haunting finale, Marina phones her incarcerated father, but the audience remains unaware of their whispered secrets.

What was the real reason behind the killers’ M.O.?

Despite Marina and Simon asserting that their actions stem from love, the scenes they construct are undeniably disturbing. They preserve body parts from their victims to use in future acts, transforming them into likenesses akin to Renaissance artwork. If they aim to convey something about their affection, it seems they may not fully comprehend the gruesome nature of the message they’re transmitting.

It appears that the grisly murders were primarily influenced by Marina and Simon’s relationship with their father, rather than their romantic involvement. Their father, Mr. Haysmith, was deeply passionate about art and his frequent discussions about the art world served as a catalyst for Marina and Simon’s chosen methods. Moreover, there is strong evidence to suggest that Mr. Haysmith physically abused both his children and their mother, which may explain why the siblings chose violence instead of artistic expression to express their feelings towards him.

Due to a challenging and distorted upbringing, Marina and Simon perceive the world differently than most people. They hold the conviction that their father’s approval is essential for them to lead contented lives. In their minds, an artistic series of murders appears to be the sole means by which they can demonstrate the intensity and significance of their love for one another, in a desperate attempt to win his acceptance.

Were Marina and Simon really siblings?

The closing moments of “The Postcard Killings” introduce an additional layer of sorrow to the narrative. When the film discloses that Marina and Simon are siblings, it’s difficult not to feel repulsed. It’s clear they endured a troubled childhood, and their father’s abuse likely played a role in their descent into murder. However, the fact that they’ve spent their lives entangled in an incestuous relationship suggests they may have had a predisposition towards the perverse.

It turns out that contrary to what was suggested earlier, Marina and Simon aren’t blood relatives at all. In a casual conversation, Jacob and Dessie hint at their separate adoption backgrounds, but don’t delve into the darker implications of this revelation. What isn’t fully explored is that Mr. Haysmith, their adoptive father, manipulated them into believing they were blood-related and fostered their romantic feelings while also instilling in them a love for art and a tendency towards violence. Although he doesn’t feature prominently in the film, this twist underscores Mr. Haysmith as the true antagonist of the story.

How does Dessie’s role in the story change the meaning?

In the pursuit of solving the case, Jacob’s sorrow and determination could be key, yet he wouldn’t manage without Dessie’s assistance. An American living in Sweden, she is an investigative journalist with exceptional talents. She assists Jacob by applying her skills to his quest, often working alongside top-tier agents from Interpol. However, it’s her exceptional writing abilities that ultimately prove crucial in resolving the mystery.

Jacob and Dessie jointly discover that Marina and Simon share a romantic relationship, prompting them to devise a strategy to make the perpetrators reveal themselves. They come to understand that these siblings, in a distorted fashion, are attempting to find some kind of comprehension through their acts of violence. In her detailed composition, Dessie skillfully conveys empathy towards Marina and Simon’s love for one another while exposing their misconduct.

Through her writing, Dessie resonates strongly with Marina and Simon on an emotional plane. Reading Dessie’s work has almost convinced Simon to halt the murders, implying that Marina is using him in a similar manner as Mr. Haysmith had manipulated both of them. Ultimately, it is the profound human need for empathy and understanding that brings to light the fact that Marina and Simon are indeed serial killers.

Did Mr. Haysmith orchestrate the killings?

In the film “The Postcard Killings,” Mr. Haysmith is a central figure, though he avoids direct involvement in any wrongdoing. Raised as his own children, Marina and Simon, he wasn’t driven by kindness but rather spent his time alternating between abusing them and instilling in them an obsession with violence and art. However, the movie doesn’t delve into why Mr. Haysmith deceived his adopted children about their biological connection. Instead, we are left guessing at his motives for fabricating this false relationship.

In the movie, Mr. Haysmith is portrayed as a mysterious figure, like the “puppet master” controlling events from behind the scenes, although he’s imprisoned throughout the film and unable to directly orchestrate the murders committed by Marina and Simon. It’s evident that he raised his children with the aim of creating psychopaths just like him, and he likely takes pride in knowing the extent of their violent actions. However, it’s important to note that there’s no solid proof suggesting he had means to communicate with or manipulate his children from prison, nor any indication that he planned or set up the killings while incarcerated.

What will Jacob and Dessie do next?

Initially unacquainted, Jacob and Dessie formed an effective partnership in resolving the murders depicted in “The Postcard Killings.” Without Dessie’s knack for writing, it would have been impossible for Jacob to track down those responsible for his daughter’s death. Conversely, Dessie, with her tenacity, might not have solved the case on her own or even survived an attack by Marina and Simon had Jacob not been part of the team.

Throughout their investigation, we spend a considerable amount of time with Jacob and Dessie, but by the movie’s end, we don’t learn much about either character. Jacob is freshly divorced and has a rich history as a police officer in the U.S., while Dessie is a diligent Swedish journalist who experiences a professional upgrade following her survival of an encounter with two notorious European serial killers, even though this aspect isn’t fully delved into.

It appears that despite Jacob and Dessie working effectively together during their investigations, there isn’t much indication that they’ll collaborate again in the future. With Jacob likely returning to the U.S. after resolving this case and Dessie focusing on her career, it seems they might only maintain a correspondence, sharing updates about their separate lives unless another major crime reunites them.

How the ending changes the meaning of the postcards

In the course of their criminal acts, Marina and Simon have a unique signature:

1. They disfigure every victim, turning their bodies into macabre replicas of famous artworks.
2. After each crime, they mail a coded message to a journalist via a postcard. Initially perceived as taunts, these postcards later emerge as potential keys to understanding the true intentions of these killers.

Jacob and Dessie subsequently view the postcards not just as mocking gestures, but as possible puzzles that could uncover the motives behind the killings.

In the movie’s climax, the postcards are reinterpreted as a melancholic chapter in the tale of Marina and Simon. Upon discovering that Marina and Simon are siblings, the messages on the postcards become clearer as a distorted depiction of a romantic saga. It seems that the killers are attempting, albeit indirectly, to confess their love to the world. However, this interpretation is left uncertain. Once we uncover the heartrending truth – that Marina and Simon aren’t blood-related – the postcards assume an entirely different significance. The messages of affection and forbidden romance now resonate with a deeper sadness because we understand that all the anguish expressed by Marina and Simon was instigated by Mr. Haysmith’s deceit in raising them for his own perverse purposes. Essentially, the postcards carry Marina and Simon’s signature, but they were born out of Mr. Haysmith’s transgressions.

What does Marina’s phone call at the end of the movie mean?

At the film’s conclusion, a scene shows Mr. Haysmith getting a call in prison. He approaches the phone and speaks, with Marina’s voice echoing back from the receiver, saying “Hello.” The movie abruptly ends with the credits rolling, leaving us puzzled about why Marina decided to contact her father.

From what we’ve gathered about Marina and her father, there are two possible interpretations for her phone call. While Simon occasionally questions the serial killings, Marina has consistently been all-in on their scheme. This leads us to speculate that Marina might be boasting about the murders she and Simon have successfully carried out to her father. She could also be trying to win over Mr. Haysmith, hoping he’ll finally acknowledge her as his equal now that she’s demonstrated her own capacity for violence.

Instead of just appearing as if Marina and Simon were working independently, the film subtly suggests that Mr. Haysmith might have been collaborating with his daughter all along. While it seems like they’re acting individually, the movie underscores Mr. Haysmith’s intelligence and manipulative nature, implying a potential partnership between him and Marina for future murderous schemes. This final scene could be interpreted as setting up a sequel, hinting at more collaborative crimes between them.

How was the movie’s ending different from the book’s?

The movie ‘The Postcard Killings’ is based on a novel of the same name, written by James Patterson and Liza Marklund in 2010. If you’re a fan of Patterson’s novels, you’ll know they often make great movies. Patterson’s books are usually more plot-driven than character-driven, which means there’s plenty to keep you turning the pages. In ‘The Postcard Killings’, despite the collaboration with Marklund, it still follows that pattern.

In contrast to most book adaptations that stray far from their original content, “The Postcard Killings” by Patterson remarkably adheres closely to its source material. The story in the novel commences with the tragic death of Jacob’s daughter, initiating a series of serial killings. Interestingly, Dessie’s involvement in the investigation starts slightly earlier in the book compared to the movie. Beyond these differences, the film’s plot mirrors almost exactly the path taken by the book.

In contrast to the film, the book doesn’t conclude with Marina and her father having a talk. Instead, both of the young Haysmiths meet their demise in their clash against Jacob and Desses. The story wraps up in a conversation between Desses, Jacob, and a European investigator named Mr. Crebbs, effectively tying up all loose ends. Patterson and Marklund understood that their collaboration was a one-time event; the movie, on the other hand, intentionally leaves the possibility of a sequel open.

Was there supposed to be a sequel?

The novel “The Postcard Killers” by James Patterson and Liza Marklund didn’t seem to offer scope for a continuation, yet the movie adaptation deviates from this. The phone call made by Marina at the end of the film hints strongly at a sequel, but since “The Postcard Killings” was released in 2020, fans who have been waiting for more might have assumed that there wouldn’t be any further installments. However, recent developments suggest that we could be in store for a sequel despite the passage of time.

Highland Film Group has revealed that a new installment of “The Postcard Killings” is being prepared for production. Titled after the original book, this upcoming film will continue the narrative of detective Jacob Kanon’s investigations. In this sequel, Jacob is on a mission to rescue his former spouse who has been taken captive. Actresses Famke Janssen, Naomi Battrick, and Denis O’Hare are expected to reprise their roles. The plot hints that the kidnapper could be a new Postcard Killer, but there’s a possibility that the abductor might be Marina, forcing Jacob to seek Mr. Haysmith’s assistance once more in solving the case.

As of now, we don’t yet know when the movie will be officially released since production has not begun. For the moment, enthusiasts can check out some lesser-known treasures on Netflix as they patiently anticipate the sequel.

2025-01-05 15:30