Ever since the dawn of time, psychological thrillers have found a way to dig their claws into the minds and hearts of people, leaving them with an insatiable hunger for more of the genre. Be it books or movies, and there’s enough suspense, mystery, and blood-curdling thrill for anyone who seeks it. One such enigma is the recently released and well-acclaimed film God’s Crooked Lines, also known as Los ringtones torcidos de Dios.
The film hit the theatres on the 22nd of September 2022 and soon became the talk of the town because of its nerve-racking plot. God’s Crooked Lines has quite a long duration of two hours and thirty-five minutes, although it does not feel that long when you are watching it, as it constantly keeps you on your toes.
However, no matter how attentive one may be, there will always be something that will go unnoticed and uncomprehended. Fret not, for we are here to help. This article strives to help you understand the ending and specific details you might have missed. So, tighten your seatbelts and get ready for a mind-boggling reveal.
God’s Crooked Lines: Cast
Bárbara Lennie plays the role of the protagonist Alice Gould, while Eduard Fernández plays Dr. Samuel Alvar, and Dr. Montserrat Castell is played by Loreto Mauleón. Dr. César Arellano is portrayed by Javier Beltrán, and the actor Pablo Derqui plays Ignacio Urquieta.
Furthermore, Francisco Javier Pastor plays Ojeda’s protector- the Elephant Man, whereas David Selvas plays Heliodoro, Alice Gould’s husband. Joan Crosas enacts the role of García del Olmo, and Samuel Soler plays the dual roles of the twins Rómulo / Remo throughout the entirety of the film. Meanwhile, Lluís Soler plays the role of Dr. Donadío as well as the fake Del Olmo.
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God’s Crooked Lines: Synopsis
The film begins with Alice Gould arriving at a psychiatric institution. Gould is a chic woman and is dressed to kill. Once inside, the doctors there go through her papers, including a letter of consent sent by her husband, Heliodoro, and a letter of admission from a doctor, Donadío.
It is revealed that Gould is a victim of acute paranoia and that the reason behind sending her to the facility was that she had tried poisoning her husband on several occasions. Donadio also writes a warning for her doctors, stating that Gould tends to manipulate those who aren’t intellectually gifted with the help of her smart wit.
Gould manages to win over the sympathy of deputy director Dr. Castell the moment they meet, and she lets Gould keep one of her personal belongings, namely a book on Gould’s kind request. But what Dr. Castell is not aware of is that Gould has newspaper clippings hidden within the book about a former patient of the facility- a boy named Damian García del Olmo, whose death was shrouded in mystery.
Gould tries to make the facility believe that it was her husband who had kidnapped her just so he could dig his claws into her wealth and become the sole proprietor. She is interrogated and asked a lot of questions, to which she shoots answers without a moment of hesitation.
We then find ourselves in an unknown timeline. Although the setting remains the same, there is chaos everywhere as fire has broken out and all the patients cause havoc. The doctors of the facility try their best to bring back order and, in doing so, chance upon a young boy’s dead body. The viewers also get to see a scared-looking man with blood on his hands watching from behind a door.
Back to the present timeline, Gould becomes friends with Ignacio Urquieta and the twins Rómulo and Remo. Ignatio helps Gould by telling her all the peculiarities of the inmates like Remo is mute, Rómulo would go to any extent to protect a young girl he thinks is his sister, Luis Ojeda, who tries to sexually harass everyone and the “Elephant Man” who protects Ojeda.
Moving to the other timeline, we find the doctors debating about the boy’s murderer. They thoroughly interrogate the patients, and it is revealed that the man with the bloody hands is Ignacio. The doctors find traces of blood on his hands and but in his defence, he states that he was just trying to help the young boy.
Coming back to the present timeline, Dr Arellano, a psychiatrist, has grown affectionate towards Gould which she uses to her advantage, tricking him into giving her access to the staff toilet. Gould sets a plan in motion and can go through the facility’s archives, where she can narrow her suspects down to Ojeda and Ignacio. In addition, Gould also believes that the murderer is a victim of schizophrenia.
When Gould confirms that Ignacio isn’t schizophrenic, she reveals her reason for being in the facility to him, disclosing that she had made a promise to Damian’s father, García del Olmo, that she would uncover the truth and that she had help from Dr. Alvar in doing so. Gould focuses on her next suspect: Ojeda, who tries to molest her and knocks her unconscious.
When she regains consciousness, she finds herself detained, and Dr. Arellano accuses her of murdering Ojeda. However, Gould does not remember anything and proceeds to reveal her true motive, which the doctor refuses to accept. She requested Dr. Arellano to speak to Dr. Alvar, who would confirm her statements. However, Dr. Alvar denies it is, stating that Gould is delusional.
Alice Gould is put to trial in front of the medical board, and the board members get divided upon what to believe. García del Olmo is called forth for verification. However, the man who appears is unrecognizable to Gould, which confirms that she is indeed a victim of paranoia and hence, is sentenced to shock treatment and sedation.
After a couple of days, when Gould regains consciousness, she receives a visit from Dr. Castell, who discloses that all of it is her husband Heliodoro’s deception. Upon further investigation, it is revealed that Heliodoro had paid double the amount for Gould’s admission and that their family home lay abandoned.
God’s Crooked Lines Ending Explained
Alice Gould devises her escape with the help of Ignacio. She starts a fire in the facility while Ignacio runs around unlocking the doors of other patients. This is revealed to be the merging of both timelines. Amidst the mayhem, Gould makes her safe escape outside the facility, whereas Ignacio discovers a hurt Rómulo and tries to help him in vain. The doctors then find Rómulo’s body, and we are taken back to the prior scene from a different timeline.
On her way out, Gould crosses paths with the coroner, who questions her about Rómulo’s cell. This discovery makes Gould hesitant to leave. She weakens the coroner and puts on her clothes, walking back into the facility to investigate Rómulo’s body.
The attendants report that they found Gould, although Alvar states that she is not Gould after looking at her. The woman is then recognized to be the coroner.
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Why Was Rómulo Murdered and Who Killed Him?
After Gould finishes examining the body, she reveals that it was the “Elephant Man” who had murdered Rómulo. She further provides evidence by putting forward the fact that the dead body is mangled because of a lot of weight. The doctors catch hold of the elephant man and observe gashes in his hands. The Elephant Man discloses that as he was the protector of Ojeda, he sought revenge on Rómulo for killing him while Ojeda was trying to rape Gould.
Is Alice Gould Genuinely Delusional?
The day after, a meeting is held by the medical board. Gould is pronounced sane and Alvar hands in his resignation. Although before making his exit, Alvar reveals that Dr. Donadio had texted him back and would be dropping by the facility to shed light upon the confusion.
We see the man Gould declared as García del Olmo walking in and a spell-bound Alice Gould. He seems to be concerned for her as he asks her what kind of trouble she’s gotten herself into this time around, and the screen goes black.
This brings the viewers, as well as Gould, to believe that there is something quite wrong with her. However, being exposed to the multiple twists and turns throughout the movie, it cannot be ruled out that this scene could also be an act of deception.
God’s Crooked Lines: The Message Behind
To write God’s Crooked Lines, Torcuato Luca de Tena drew inspiration from his own experiences as a volunteer working in a psychiatric hospital. Although nearly everyone ignores the pleas of the psychiatric facility patients, the author believes that everyone has a story to tell and hence, should be given the opportunity to convey their side of the story.
God’s Crooked Lines is an honorary tribute to all the healthcare professionals who put in their blood, sweat, and tears on a daily basis, trying to provide the best care for their patients.
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