movie review the last son

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The last son, common sense media reviewers.

Beautifully composed but bloody, clunky Western.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

The main takeaway here is that "violence begets vi

Flawed characters who make iffy choices. The craft

All of the characters with agency are White men. T

Guns and shooting. Many bloody, brutal killings. C

Sex scene shows one charater on top of another bef

Strong language includes "f--k," "motherf----r," "

Background/social drinking in saloons. Pipe smokin

Parents need to know that The Last Son is a brutal Western about a man (Sam Worthington) who tries to kill all of his children to prevent a prophecy that one of them will kill him. Graphic violence includes guns and shooting, a Gatling gun, stabbing and slicing, many characters killed, dead bodies, blood…

Positive Messages

The main takeaway here is that "violence begets violence," although the last person standing (who also shoots and kills) goes on to have a peaceful life with no consequences, according to the end narration.

Positive Role Models

Flawed characters who make iffy choices. The craftiest character is a 16-year-old girl, but she's also morally compromised. One character, Army officer Solomon, comes across as fairly level-headed and duty-bound, but even he's flawed and pays a cruel price.

Diverse Representations

All of the characters with agency are White men. The sole Black character is shot and killed partway through.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Violence & Scariness

Guns and shooting. Many bloody, brutal killings. Characters are shot in the head, stabbed, and have throats sliced. Blood spurts, pools of blood, and blood spatters. Minor characters are viciously mowed down by Gatling gun. Many dead bodies. Eye-gouging, bloody eye sockets. Man smashes woman's hand on dressing table; she briefly displays the bloody hand, missing a thumb. Hurled axe lands in character's back. Punching, fighting. Man rips woman's top off, roughly throws her down on bed. Dead fox in trap. Shrunken head. Displays of anger, rage.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Sex scene shows one charater on top of another before they're interrupted. Fairly brief glimpses of naked breasts in more than one scene. Naked bottom seen briefly and out of focus. Kissing. Several women are sex workers.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Strong language includes "f--k," "motherf----r," "son of a bitch," "whore/son of a whore," and "hell."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Background/social drinking in saloons. Pipe smoking.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that The Last Son is a brutal Western about a man ( Sam Worthington ) who tries to kill all of his children to prevent a prophecy that one of them will kill him. Graphic violence includes guns and shooting, a Gatling gun, stabbing and slicing, many characters killed, dead bodies, blood spurts, spatters, and pools, eye-gouging, punching, a man ripping a woman's thumb off, and more. Characters are sex workers, and there's kissing, bare breasts/bottom, and an interrupted sex scene that shows one character atop another, with thrusting. Language isn't frequent but includes uses of "f--k," "motherf----r," "bitch," and "whore." There's background/social drinking in saloons, and a man smokes a pipe. The movie makes good use of space, sound, and snow, but it's a little too predictable and confusing. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

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Community Reviews

• Parents say (1)

Based on 1 parent review

Horrible Storyline

What's the story.

In THE LAST SON, Isaac Lamay ( Sam Worthington ) is said to have received a curse from a chief of the Cheyenne people: He will be killed by one of his own children. So Lamay heads out on a deadly odyssey to kill all of his offspring, all of whom were born to sex workers. After several killings, the rumors of Lamay's dark quest start spreaading. He visits a 16-year-old daughter, Megan (Emily Marie Palmer), and determines that she won't kill him, but he kills her father before he departs. Then he visits a sex worker named Anna ( Heather Graham ) and demands to know the whereabouts of her son, Cal (Colson Baker, a.k.a. Machine Gun Kelly ), snapping off her thumb in the process. Cal himself is a killer and a thief, having stolen a Gatling gun from the U.S. Army. An officer, Solomon ( Thomas Jane ), is after him. Before long, all parties descend upon a snowy main street for a final showdown.

Is It Any Good?

This Western, which has hints of the Oedipus story, is elegantly composed and quietly paced, though the slower beats tend to work against the more predictable bits, as well as its confusing parts. The Last Son positively luxuriates in its Western setting and sounds -- the snow gradually falls and builds as the movie goes -- and it has some of the coolest cowboy costumes in a while. The pacing often lovingly emphasizes the movie's atmosphere. But at other times, it lets loose with a sudden surprise, such as a scene in a bar, when a loudmouth makes a rude comment about Cal's mother; we expect the typical punch in the face, leading to the typical barroom brawl, but instead, Cal stabs the man repeatedly, to stunned silence.

There are other surprises, too, as when characters whom we expect to survive are suddenly cut down. But the ending is far from a surprise, and, in fact, the movie telegraphs it so obviously and so far in advance that you have to wonder why. Other parts are just baffling, as when Cal creepily rips his mother's lingerie from her shoulders, revealing her breasts (it's Oedipal ... but why?). In another scene, Lamay -- who's more frequently referred to as "the Devil" -- lies bleeding and beaten by the side of the road, and comes face to face with Cal; the scene comes to nothing, but a few minutes later, the Devil is back up, setting traps and killing several people. All in all, The Last Son is great to look at but not so great to watch.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about The Last Son 's violence . How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?

How do you feel about the ending? Does Megan do the right thing? Should she face consequences? Why, or why not?

What makes the Western genre compelling? How are stories of the Old West tell us relevant today?

Movie Details

• In theaters : December 10, 2021
• On DVD or streaming : January 18, 2022
• Cast : Colson Baker , Heather Graham , Sam Worthington , Thomas Jane
• Director : Tim Sutton
• Inclusion Information : Female actors
• Studio : Redbox Entertainment
• Genre : Western
• Run time : 98 minutes
• MPAA rating : R
• MPAA explanation : violence throughout, some sexual content, nudity and language
• Last updated : December 1, 2022

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

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The Last Son Reviews

The Last Son is a one-and-done viewing experience even for the hardcore western fan.

Full Review | Aug 19, 2022

Tim Sutton has taken Greg Johnson’s simple, yet interesting premise and produced a slow-burning, grim and gritty film that barely scratches the surface of its potential.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Aug 9, 2022

Mossman’s score and the filtered, painterly cinematography by David Gallego are by some distance the film’s most interesting features; the rest of the drama is in fact a slog, full of ponderous long takes and somewhat tinny dialogue.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Aug 2, 2022

It can be viewed as a high-concept Western, but with a scenario that's darker than most Westerns.

Full Review | Original Score: B | Dec 31, 2021

... features some striking imagery, but behind the brooding and macho posturing, there's not much suspense or incentive for emotional investment.

Full Review | Dec 16, 2021

An anemic, shallow and forgettable Western that lacks palpable thrills, excitement and emotional resonance. It ultimately bites off more than it could chew.

Full Review | Original Score: 5.22348810429/10 | Dec 16, 2021

A genuinely gritty premise paired with a 90-minute runtime is a recipe for success, but The Last Son never becomes the movie it's capable of being.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Dec 14, 2021

This Western, which has hints of the Oedipus story, is elegantly composed and quietly paced, though the slower beats tend to work against the more predictable bits, as well as its confusing parts.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Dec 11, 2021

For a tale that's the classically heavy stuff of Greek tragedy, The Last Son offers woefully little suspense or momentum.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Dec 10, 2021

The Last Son knows what it wants to say, but doesn't really know how to say it; it hops around different perspectives hoping to find some throughline that never emerges.

Full Review | Dec 10, 2021

Worthington has been inconsistent in the past, but he's solid in a role that emphasizes his physical presence while only calling on him to speak when absolutely necessary.

Full Review | Dec 9, 2021

‘The Last Son’ Review: Everyone Wears Black Hats in Moody, Misfired Western

There’s a lot to like in Tim Sutton’s latest — which stars Sam Worthington, Thomas Jane and Machine Gun Kelly — but a lot to question as well.

By Michael Nordine

Michael Nordine

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Switching gears from contemporary drama (“Funny Face,” “Dark Night”) to what Variety once dubbed “oaters,” Tim Sutton ’s “The Last Son” finds fresh life in a well-worn genre: Its striking visuals are accompanied by an oddly appropriate score led by droning, heavily distorted guitars; its occasional narration is winsome in a way that Westerns do best; and its evocation of an endlessly mythologized era feels authentic. But then Sutton goes and overplays his hand, the effects of which aren’t as disastrous as being caught cheating in a poker saloon, but they do leave you wondering what might have been.

“The Last Son” opens with lyrical narration and airy background music courtesy of Phil Mossman that brings to mind “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford,” though the comparisons mostly end there: Sutton’s movie isn’t elegiac so much as brutal. The voiceover returns to add mood and context from time to time, as well as a third-act surprise that lends the film much of its retrospective heft — something it could have used more of throughout.

For you see, there’s a rumor going ’round these parts that a man from the plains has taken to killing his own kin — his own kin, reader — which naturally don’t sit right with the folks just trying to go about their business in this here community. And wouldn’t you know it, the man responsible for said filicide just happens to be one of our protagonists — but there’s more to his story than the clucking hens would have you believe. For while it’s true enough that ol’ Isaac LeMay ( Sam Worthington ) has taken to offing his own offspring, he’s doing so to prevent a most frightful prophecy: that he himself will be murdered at the hands of his own child. Because he doesn’t know which of them will be his end, he’s decided to throw out the baby with the bathwater. (If it makes you feel better, which it probably won’t and shouldn’t, all of the sons and daughters he’s killed were mothered by women of the night and Isaac doesn’t seem to have had an actual relationship with any of them.)

Popular on Variety

Isaac is gruff, laconic and looks like he took his entire look from the 1885 edition of Mountain Man Weekly. Worthington has been inconsistent in the past, but he’s solid in a role that emphasizes his physical presence while only calling on him to speak when absolutely necessary. His sins aren’t the only ones staining this land, however. Machine Gun Kelly (né Colson Baker), in a rare act of nominative determinism, plays Isaac’s outlaw son Cal, who has such an affinity for literal machine guns that he’s stolen one from the military in order to kill the father he hates so very much. With few exceptions, the character’s as ruthless as he is boring. He prefers animals to people (relatable, honestly), however, hence his decision to bury a dead fox he comes across moments before mowing down an entire army encampment with his ill-gotten Gatling gun.

Between the two of them, Isaac is somehow less objectionable — he seems to genuinely believe he has no choice in the matter, his hands having long ago been tied by fate and prophecy, not that his actions are any less reprehensible for that belief. Cal, meanwhile, delights in violence and is as single-minded in his violent quest as his father is. Maybe the apple really doesn’t fall far from the tree.

On the other side of the law is Solomon ( Thomas Jane ), a lieutenant who was raised by the Cheyenne, as evidenced by his superior tracking skills, the tattoo adorning his chin and halfhearted attempt at an accent that would be more prominent if he ever raised his voice above a mumble. As is so often the case, no actual Native Americans are given much to do here.

Solomon doesn’t factor into this bizarre hate triangle as much as you might expect, essentially leading to a showdown between a man who kills his children and another man who kills everyone else — not exactly a confrontation with much of a rooting interest on the audience’s part. One exception is Anna (Heather Graham), the prostitute who gave birth to Cal, maintains a close relationship with him despite his rumored misdeeds, and just so happens to be entangled with Jane; another is the narrator, whose part to play shan’t be revealed here.

The dialogue is all omens and portents, with biblical evocations and proclamations that one or both of these men is the devil himself, but “The Last Son” is at its most compelling in the spaces between these overwrought words. Sutton is working from a Black List script by Greg Johnson that seems caught between understated moodiness and on-the-nose dialogue that should have been put out to pasture (“I just wanna know why.” “Why what?” “Why the devil won’t leave us alone”). It at times feels a rough cut of a more accomplished film, with most of the pieces in place but a few crucial ones ever so slightly askew.

Reviewed online, Dec. 8, 2021. MPAA Rating: R. Running time: 98 MIN.

• Production: A Redbox Entertainment release of a VMI Worldwide, Source M+P, Renegade Entertainment, Deano Prods. production. Producers: Steven Luke, Todd Lundbohm, Jib Polhemus, Andre Relis, Gore Verbinski.
• Crew: Director: Tim Sutton. Screenwriter: Greg Johnson. Camera: David Gallego. Editor: Kate Abernathy. Music by: Phil Mossman.
• With: Sam Worthington, Colson Baker, Heather Graham, Thomas Jane, Emily Marie Palmer, James Landry Hébert, Alex Meraz, Kim DeLonghi, Jeremy Gauna, Hiram A. Murray.

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The Last Son (2021)

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‘the last son’ review: surprisingly good western with unique premise.

Interesting Western.

The Last Son has one of the most interesting premises for a Western in years. Isaac LeMay (Sam Worthington) is an outlaw living under a deadly curse. It has been foretold that one of his children will end his life. In order to prevent the prophecy from being fulfilled, he decides to hunt down all of his children. Along the way, bounty hunters and the law pursue him.  

This is not the type of film that has clear cut good guys and bad guys. Even to say it is painted in shades of grey is not entirely correct. The Last Son is a harsh story that makes it hard to root for any of the characters. Even for a Western, this is a risky storytelling choice.   Strong performances make this a non issue. Cinema history is filled with poor acting turns from talented musicians. There are more Mariah Careys than there are Lady Gagas. Because of this, it would be easy to dismiss the inclusion of Machine Gun Kelly as LeMay’s son, Cal.

It turns outs that MGK (credited under his real name of Colson Baker) does a great job. The performance is especially good since he has to hold his own with Worthington and Thomas Jane. Overall, The Last Son is a well acted film. It is a shame that the story does not always keep up.  

The Last Son lacks depth at times. There is a lot of room here for an emotionally deep story that is never explored. The pacing is also erratic with too many long quiet scenes. Director Tim Sutton tries to make up for this by making sure the story never gets too complicated, but there is always the sense that something is missing.

Still, in an age where there are plenty of mediocre Westerns and not enough good ones, the film stands out. Its plot remains interesting the whole time. Fans of the genre will definitely get a kick out of The Last Son .

The Last Son  comes to select theaters and on demand December 10

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Flickering Myth

Geek Culture | Movies, TV, Comic Books & Video Games

Movie Review – The Last Son (2021)

August 18, 2022 by admin

The Last Son , 2021.

Directed by Tim Sutton. Starring Sam Worthington, Colson Baker, Thomas Jane, Heather Graham, Emily Marie Palmer, and Kim DeLonghi.

An outlaw believes he is cursed to be killed by one of his children, and so sets about killing them before the prophecy can be fulfilled.

In The Last Son , Sam Worthington stars as Isaac LeMay, a gun-toting outlaw who is told by a Native American elder that he is destined to be killed by one of his numerous children. Isaac has several children by several different women – mainly sex workers – and at the beginning of the movie we see him following his son Lionel (Colson Baker, a.k.a. Machine Gun Kelly) before shooting him dead and moving on to find Megan (Emily Marie Palmer), his daughter from another woman.

Lionel’s mother is Anna (Heather Graham), a sex worker who tells Isaac that ‘there is no twin’, which angers Isaac and makes him cut off Anna’s thumb in a fit of rage. Turns out there is a twin, his name is Cal (also played by Colson Baker) and he is also a reprehensible so-and-so like his father, and once Isaac is convinced that Megan is not the child who will murder him he goes on the hunt for Cal as Cal goes on the hunt for his murderous father, all the while a group of bounty hunters – led by Anna’s lover Solomon (Thomas Jane) – are gathering their resources to hunt down and kill the ruthless LeMay.

A classic Western plot played out with a dense and moody arthouse sensibility, The Last Son has all the right ingredients for a modern update on a familiar story – a solid cast, spectacular cinematography, brutal violence, archetypal characters, ominous score – but somehow it just doesn’t come together to form anything as exciting as its premise would suggest.

Sam Worthington plays Isaac LeMay as a quiet, intense type and Colson Baker plays Cal a little broader and more vocal in his approach, but unless they are both onscreen together there is very little in the way of drama or suspense, which is a shame when the plot is rife for exploring the characters more and creating some thrilling action. Instead, the action is well shot and violent but doesn’t seem to generate the necessary levels of excitement that Sergio Leone would no doubt bring to it if he were directing.

The slow pace may give the audience time to look at the stunning vistas and sweeping scenery but the uneventful and occasionally uneven nature of the writing – yes, we know that Isaac is a bad man and his children are scattered around but several characters are randomly introduced and we have to put the pieces together to try and make out who is who and how they are connected – doesn’t add the necessary firepower to make The Last Son hold up as anything more than an underwhelming experience that never lives up to its promise.

But those gorgeous visuals are something to behold in such a low-key movie, and The Last Son will likely hold some limited appeal to Western aficionados looking to cross off any new titles from their watchlists as there are glimpses of what could have been peppered throughout the (deliberately) lethargic direction. Ultimately, however, The Last Son is a one-and-done viewing experience even for the hardcore, and for casual viewers looking for something on the streaming services that they haven’t seen before, it may not even make one complete watch before it gets swapped for something a little more gripping.

Flickering Myth Rating  – Film ★ ★ / Movie ★ ★

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Westerns seem to be back in style and The Last Son certainly offers plenty of style, but not enough substance to make a mark. Directed by Tim Sutton ( Donnybrook , Funny Face ) and written by Greg Johnson, this slow-burn story has neither the gravitas to be an epic Western nor the flash to be an enjoyable shoot ‘em up flick. That being said, composer Phil Mossman’s chilling score elevates every scene and is underused. Cinematographer David Gallego does a lovely job framing the actors, pulling the audience in with some well-timed and poignant tracking shots. But The Last Son offers little more in the way of hallmark genre fare.

When a soothsayer prophesies an outlaw’s death at the hands of one of his kin, he decides to hunt them down first. The opening of  The Last Son sees Issac (Sam Worthington) face-to-face with one of his sons in the dead of night, gun drawn. Next on his list is his only daughter, Megan (Emily Marie Palmer), who is just as stunned by Isaac's existence as she is by his plan. Word travels fast and son Cal (Colson Baker, aka Machine Gun Kelly) halts his plans to run away with a prostitute, Anna (Heather Graham), to end things with his father once and for all. When Cal steals a military gatling gun, Solomon (Thomas Jane) is the lawman tasked with getting it back. Hot on the trail of Cal, Solomon comes across Isaac and they both use each other to get to Cal.

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The plot is so simple and to the point that it’s almost confusing when The Last Son meanders in terms of narrative. Too much time passes between Worthington killing people and the audience is frequently left watching him stare blankly into the camera. If anyone came in skeptical of Baker as a gunslinger, fear not, the most distracting acting in this film is far and away Thomas Jane, whose character was raised by Native Americans. Jane does not shy away from the voice work, a choice the movie might live to regret. Worthington has always been a bit underwhelming as a leading man, yet he seems to be channeling the likes of Ethan Hawke in the best possible sense as Isaac, a man who is lost, but has extreme purpose.

Framed in picturesque wide shots, the mountains of Montana are the perfect backdrop to convey both his loneliness and the scope of his undertaking. Worthington is, without a doubt, putting his best foot forward, but the script holds him and the film back from greatness. Unfortunately, The Last Son (or as it was previously titled The Last Son of Isaac Lemay ) suffers from a lack of vision. Make no mistake, all the pieces are there to make an engaging film but they are not the sum of their parts. Worthington is hunting his own kids, but the film routinely makes it unclear if he is engaged in that quest or is just being a jerk to random townsmen. Baker turns in a solid performance, but when his character is faced with one of the truly uncomfortable and climactic moments of the film, the cracks in his acting start to show and the film begins to crumble.

Worthington is perhaps the most consistent force in the film talent-wise, but he never really goes on the murderous rampage promised by the film's premise. Ironically, it sometimes feels like Baker is the one truly on the path for vengeance. Between mowing down army camps with gatling guns and ending lives in bar fights, he even finds time to squeeze in a kill during a bank robbery. And while Baker's bank robbery is likely the high point of the film, that can seldom be said about scenes with just Worthington. Save for Thomas Jane, everyone in front of and behind the camera has the right idea but there is just no glue to hold the film together cohesively. A genuinely gritty premise paired with a 90-minute runtime is typically a recipe for success, but The Last Son never becomes the movie it's capable of being.

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The Last Son is in select theaters and on-demand as of December 10. The film is 96 minutes long and rated R for violence throughout, some sexual content, nudity and language.

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The Last Son (Drama, Western) (2021)

Director: Tim Sutton

Writer: Greg Johnson

Stars: Sam Worthington, Machine Gun Kelly, Thomas Jane, Heather Graham

After receiving a bone-chilling prophecy, Isaac LeMay (Sam Worthington) tries to prevent his own death by murdering his remaining children, who are said to be the purveyors of his demise.

By the hands of Tim Sutton and writer Greg Johnson comes ‘’The Last Son’’ creating a different take on the typical revenge western. Shot entirely on-location in Montana, the film was produced by actor Thomas Jane and Courtney Lauren Penn, an executive at Renegade Entertainment. Other production companies were Blind Wink Productions, DECAL and VMI Worldwide, and distributing was solely done by Redbox Entertainment and VMI Worldwide.

While challenging to achieve positively, ‘’The Last Son’’ decently balances three primary characters in Worthington, Jane and MGK roles, with the viewer likely to stay alert due to their appearance alone. It’s relatively easy to follow, the only problem being the gloomy nature of the entire film never quite capturing all of your invested time in a satisfactory manner, Jane is perhaps the most likeable in his role as a U.S. Marshall that has been raised by the Cherokee, yet it lacks enough incentive to care about this man and his native intonation. Additionally, Female roles only seem to be there for some emotional tones, creating a soul-sucking void of empathy in the characters surrounding them.

Short-sighted differences cannot diversify this western enough, leaving my urge for good westerns starving, only with breadcrumbs to keep me satiated.

Maybe it’s best that this is the last son.

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Florian Zeller ’s “ The Father ” was a searing portrait of a man struggling with dementia. It took us inside his increasingly shaky perception of the world with profound empathy, and Sir Anthony Hopkins ’ performance won an Oscar. He returns to Zeller’s disappointing “ The Son ” for a brief, bracing scene to let us know that the title character in this film is not the troubled teenager but the man who is both father and son. That man is Peter, played here by Hugh Jackman . 

That scene, almost a full story in itself, is in sharp contrast to the rest of the film, which is well-intentioned but poorly constructed, counting on sympathy for characters who seem to be living in an alternate universe where teenagers have never struggled with mental illness. It zig-zags for no apparent purpose. There are repeated shots of characters not being present in what is happening because they are thinking about something else and repeated shots of a washing machine running and then still, a useless metaphor.

Peter is a highly successful professional who has important meetings about financial matters in a big office with impressive views of the Manhattan skyline. He is married to Beth ( Vanessa Kirby ) and they have a baby named Theo. They live in a beautiful apartment with tastefully exposed brick walls. As the movie begins, Beth is soothing Theo to sleep with a lullaby and Peter is smiling at them. They are a perfect, happy family. But then Kate ( Laura Dern ) rings the doorbell. She is Peter’s first wife and she has bad news about their 17-year-old son Nicholas ( Zen McGrath ). For the past month, he has not shown up at school. 

Nicholas moves in with Peter, Beth, and Theo and starts at a new school. Peter is convinced that things are turning around for Nicholas. They are not. 

There is nothing more painful than having a child who is suffering, and perhaps it is understandable that Peter and Kate are in denial about how severe the struggle is for Nicholas. But in 21st-century Manhattan it is unimaginable that wealthy parents would be so clueless, self-involved, and disconnected from the available resources to bungle their response so badly. There are some affecting scenes, especially one where Kate, with Dern heartbreakingly vulnerable, tells Peter she feels that she has failed. And Hopkins, as Peter’s icy father, is intriguingly narcissistic. 

The scene is intended to connect to the rest of the story and illuminate Peter’s conflicts and his tendency to view his son as a barometer of his success. But it falls short. The film does occasionally give us a sense of the relentless impact of mental illness on caregivers; how a sick family member, especially a child, crushes the spirit of those who care the most. When he finally loses his temper, though, it is more about his feelings than Nicholas’ and his desperate attempts to essentially order his son to get better are portrayed with more sympathy from Zeller than they deserve from us.

"The Son" also touches on the feral cleverness of some people with mental illness and their skill at finding the right vulnerable places to distract us from seeing what's going on with them or insisting on treatment. Nicholas knows Peter’s contempt for his own father’s neglect makes him especially sensitive to the suggestion that he has not been fully present, or that his leaving Kate for Beth and replacing not only his wife but his child makes it possible to divert his attention from the seriousness of Nicholas’ symptoms. Peter needs to think he is a good father so much—and needs to think that Nicholas thinks that—that he underestimates how desperately ill his son is, lulled by Nicholas’ one-two punch of recrimination and false assurance. 

However, most of the power of these moments comes from our strong feelings about the issues, not from what we see, as the screenplay is superficial and manipulative. And there is a final non-twisty twist that is nearly an affront to us and the real-life families facing this pain, thankfully more sensitively portrayed in better movies.

Now playing in theaters. 

Nell Minow is the Contributing Editor at RogerEbert.com.

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The Son (2023)

Rated PG-13 for mature thematic content involving suicide, and strong language.

123 minutes

Hugh Jackman as Peter

Zen McGrath as Nicholas

Laura Dern as Kate

Vanessa Kirby as Beth

Anthony Hopkins as Peter’s Father

William Hope as Andrew

George Cobell as Young Nicholas

Isaura Barbé-Brown as Sophia

Mercedes Bahleda as Mary

• Florian Zeller

Writer (based on the play by)

• Christopher Hampton

Cinematographer

• Ben Smithard
• Yorgos Lamprinos
• Hans Zimmer

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Netflix’s ‘The Son’ Ending Explained: Did Nicholas Die?

Where to stream:.

• The Son (2022)
• Hugh Jackman

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First premiering in 2022, The Son is an emotional drama that features a controversial and twisty ending. The movie is a prequel to Florian Zeller’s The Father , which won the Academy Award for Best Actor and Best Adapted Script, and follows two divorced parents as they struggle to care for their teenager. The emotional movie recently found its way to Netflix on May 20, 2023 after a limited theatrical release and world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival. 

The drama flick stars Hugh Jackman, Laura Dern , Vanessa Kirby and newcomer Zen McGrath, along with a brief cameo by Anthony Hopkins , who led the predecessor. As of now, the movie is climbing Netflix’s Top 10 charts after failing to garner attention during its theatrical release and subsequent awards cycle.

As there are many new eyes watching this flick, we’re here to break down the ending — which many critics dubbed “emotionally manipulative.” However, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure — and boy, do I think the movie offers an ending for the ages. Here’s everything you need to know about the ending of The Son .

The Son on Netflix Ending Explained:

The Son follows Peter Miller (Jackman) as he welcomes his teenage son, Nicholas Miller (McGrath), into his blended home, which he shares with his wife Beth (Kirby) and their newly-born child. Beforehand, Nicholas lived with his mother, Kate Miller (Dern), but she asked Peter to take him in because his behavior was unmanageable and she was fearful of his aggression.

Nicholas, while a studious child, shows no interest in school or socializing and is battling major depression. His father finds himself in unfamiliar territory. He works hard to discipline his son and understand his withdrawn behavior. Additionally, Beth grows untrusting of Nicholas and restricts his alone time with his baby brother and, once, suspects him of stealing her jewelry. Needless to say, Nicholas is not receiving the support he needs. 

His father has an outburst after figuring out that Nicholas has been skipping school and the young boy attempts suicide. He is placed in an inpatient facility and during supervised visits, he begs his parents to sign him out, insisting that he’s recovered. Peter and Kate are heavily advised to not take Nicholas out of the facility, but they cave into his demands and do so anyway. 

The final moments of the movie are highly emotional and show Nicholas and his parents spending time together, which is a rare occurrence. They arrive at Peter’s home from the institution and Nicholas dots around, making them tea. The parents plan to constantly supervise the teenager with Kate agreeing to let Nicholas move back to her house and Peter deciding to turn down his promotion and have Nicholas join him at work as an intern.

In the final moments, Nicholas delivers tea to his parents and then joins them on the couch. They plan to see a movie, and Nicholas apologizes to his parents and they exchange “I love yous.” The teen excuses himself to take a shower but ventures into the laundry room where Peter keeps a gun, which was established earlier in the movie to be a gift from his father. Nicholas uses the gun to shoot himself dead.

But here’s where it gets confusing. Before it is revealed that Nicholas is dead, the movie has a flashback scene of Peter teaching Nicholas how to swim, which segues into a dream sequence where Peter pictures his son alive. As an unreliable narrator, Peter pictures Nicholas as the author of a book called Death Can Wait . He tells Nicholas, “I’m proud of you,” and looks him in the eyes as they stand across from each other.

Then, the camera pans and shows Peter standing alone in a room. His wife enters and asks him, “What’s the matter? Were you thinking about Nicholas?” As Peter expresses his regrets, Beth reassures him, “You did the best you could at the time.” He breaks down crying while his wife tells him “life goes on.”

The Son is currently streaming on Netflix.

If you or someone you know are experiencing suicidal thoughts, call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 988.

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