If you are into psychological murder mysteries, Solace is surely a thing for you. Critics might love it or hate it, but the film managed to grab the eyeballs. The mind-blowing twists and turns make it a worthwhile watch.
The film is a creation of Brazilian writer and director Afonso Poyart. The American thriller film released in 2016 comes up with a quirky concept. The film initiates the conversation about an untouched issue. If you have watched it, don’t scratch your head in confusion because we are here to explain the ending of Solace.
But, before talking about that, let’s recall the plot quickly.
Solace – Plot Summary
The film starts with a murder scene. This killing follows the pattern of the previous murders. FBI agent Joseph Merriwether is handling the case along with agent Katherine Cowles. Joseph seeks the help of his colleague and old friend Dr. John Clancy.
Clancy has special psychic abilities by which he can envision past and future events. However, Clancy was reluctant to join Joseph. He has been spending his days alone for two years now. Post his daughter’s death, Clancy’s wife left him. The trauma made their relationship sour. Dr. Clancy was not in the mood to take part in the investigation, but he saw visions of Joseph and Katherine’s death. Ultimately, he had to join them.
The series of breathtaking turns start when Clancy comes to know that the killer also has psychic powers. And his powers were more advanced than Clancy’s. The conflict gets brutal here. Clancy also finds out a common link between all the murders.
All the victims were suffering from a terminal illness. Why was the killer praying on people who were already dealing with so much? Joseph and Clancy put all their energies into finding out the serial killer. But, Alas! Joseph gets shot down by one of the suspects.
- Solace Movie Scene (Credits- The Hollywood Reporter)
Before his death, Joseph reveals that he is also diagnosed with a terminal illness, Cancer. This was another shocking twist. Clancy was sitting in a bar and was trying to solve the mystery. A man named Charles Ambrose comes up and sits across Clancy.
He accepts that all the murders, including Joseph’s, were executed by him. He did this to free them from the pain and suffering of a fatal illness. According to him, it was an act of mercy.
Solace Ending Explained
The killer, Ambrose, asked Clancy to continue his job of killing people with fatal diseases to relieve them. But why is it so? Because Clancy had once followed Ambrose’s path of mercy killing. He killed his own daughter. Yes, you read it right. Clancy’s daughter had Leukaemia. The poor father couldn’t see her suffering. Hence, he intoxicated her.
- Colin Farrell as Charles Ambrose ( Credits- The Playlist)
And Ambrose knew about this through his Physic powers. The movie shows that the supposed hero and the supposed villain were actually on the same page. So, the murder mystery was a journey of self-realization for Clancy. He understood that no matter how much you love someone, no matter what your intentions are, nobody has the right to take away someone’s life.
Meanwhile, Clancy also develops a close bonding with his fellow agent Cowles. He found his daughter in her. And what about Clancy’s vision of Katherine’s death? Well, it was about to happen when Ambrose confronted Clancy.
He threatened to take Katherine’s life if he did not agree to offer mercy killing to people. But Clancy fired a bullet at Ambrose and saved Katherine. Clancy also got repeated visions of a couple walking on the road. The couple was Clancy and his wife, Elizabeth.
After the murder mystery, Clancy wrote a letter to his wife. They even met and sorted out their differences. And ultimately, this vision, too, came true.
Also Read: Top Films With Twist Ending That Will Blow Your Mind
Solace – Cast, Characters, and Production Facts
Solace had a critically acclaimed star cast. The Oscar-winning actor Anthony Hopkins starred as John Clancy. The Irish actor Colin Farrell played the role of Charles Ambrose. Jeffrey Dean Morgan is seen as Joseph Merriwether alongside Abbie Cornish as agent Katherine Cowles.
The film gives a vibe of ‘Silence of the lambs’ and ‘Se7en’. Initially, it was written as a sequel to the movie Se7en. However, David Fincher (the director of Se7en) did not like the idea. Hence, it was developed as an individual project. The American thriller is written by Ted Griffin and Sean Bailey. James Vanderbilt and Peter Morgan also worked on the script, but they were not given any credit for the same.
