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While Fatale’s ending is a little messy, the Netflix movie’s story does all add up on a re-watch. Fatale is a psychological thriller released in 2020 and inspired by Fatal Attraction and Basic Instinct. The movie tells the story of a sports agent named Derrick, who runs an agency with his friend Rafe and is married to Tracie. Derrick becomes suspicious of his wife and convinced that she’s been unfaithful. Rafe encourages Derrick to cheat too, and on a whim, Derrick has a one-night stand with Valerie.
After Derrick returns home to Tracie, someone breaks into their house. Like the ending of the 2022 movie Shattered, also written by David Loughery, Fatale’s plot takes a turn for the convoluted here. The detective investigating the case is Valerie, who has lost custody of her daughter after an accident involving a firearm left the child paralyzed. Valerie continues to communicate with Derrick, leading him to a beach house where he discovers Rafe and Tracie having an affair together. When Rafe and Tracie turn up dead the next day, Derrick is arrested. Valerie offers to pin this crime on Derrick’s cousin if he kills her ex-husband, guaranteeing her full custody.
Valerie is revealed to be a mastermind who has been manipulating Derrick all along. She killed Rafe and Tracie to frame Derrick, and then frames Derrick for their murders. However, Derrick is not fooled and realizes that Valerie is behind everything. In the end, Derrick is able to outsmart Valerie and defeat her, but not before she stabs him repeatedly.
Valerie’s motivation for framing Derrick is to blackmail him into killing her ex-husband, Carter, a corrupt politician who wronged her in the past. However, Valerie’s plans are foiled when Derrick accidentally kills Carter while trying to warn him about her plot. In the end, Derrick is able to tape Valerie’s confession, which exonerates him of the murders.
The real meaning of Fatale’s ending is a warning against the dangers of infidelity and the consequences of cheating. The movie suggests that if people were to avoid indulging in extramarital affairs, they would avoid the troubles that Derrick faced. The ending is also a commentary on the destructive nature of infidelity and the devastating consequences it can have on relationships.
The final moments of Fatale were received poorly by critics, who found them lacking and uninspired. However, audiences responded positively to the twist-filled plot and the ending. Director Deon Taylor’s erotic thriller was a great entry into the genre for casual viewers, but those who are well-versed in the subgenre found it to be lacking. Despite its flaws, Fatale’s ending provides a thrilling and suspenseful conclusion to the story.
