Deep Water<\/a> \u2013 the first feature in 20 years from the master of the erotic thriller, Adrian Lyne.<\/p>\nThe film is adapted from a novel of the same name by Patricia Highsmith, and so it\u2019s no surprise that it packs all sorts of twists and turns into its runtime.<\/p>\n
The final act, in particular, includes some major developments \u2013 leading up to a thrilling climax that may well divide audiences. If you\u2019ve watched the film and need a bit of help unpacking those final shots, read on to have the Deep Water ending explained.<\/p>
Deep Water ending explained<\/h2>\n
Much of Deep Water\u2019s runtime follows a repeating pattern \u2013 Melinda (Ana de Armas) finds a new young man with whom to begin an affair, and does so gleefully in front of her husband Vic (Ben Affleck) before each of them soon meets a sticky end. This pattern begins with Martin McRae, who does not appear in the film but whom we are told had recently been reported missing.<\/p>\n
In an early scene, Vic tells Melinda\u2019s latest boyfriend that he was responsible for Martin\u2019s disappearance, claiming he murdered him. It\u2019s not clear at this point if Vic is telling the truth or just messing with his love rival, but it certainly spooks the young man, who soon makes his excuses and leaves town.<\/p>\n
Not much time passes, however, before Melinda has her eyes on another suitor \u2013 this time pianist Charlie De Lisle (played by Euphoria\u2019s Jacob Elordi). While at a private pool party one night, Charlie is found dead in the water, and suspicion falls firmly on Vic, who was the last person to have been in the pool with him. Two people in particular publicly accuse Vic \u2013 Melinda and Don Wilson (Tracy Letts), a novelist who recently moved into the area and has not taken much of a shine to Vic.<\/p>\n
Anyway, Vic is able to shrug off any police interest relatively easily, and soon Melinda has turned her attention to another love interest \u2013 this time a former boyfriend named Tony. One day Vic picks up Tony in his truck and tells him he\u2019s taking him to a building site that might interest him, but it very soon becomes apparent that he has rather less benevolent intentions. He takes him to the spot \u2013 where he and Melinda apparently used to spend much time \u2013 and beats him to death with a rock, before leaving his body in a nearby gorge.<\/p>\n