SPOILER WARNING: The following article contains major spoilers for Reptile. If you have yet to watch the crime thriller, please proceed at your own risk!
There have been a lot of crime thrillers with shocking endings over the years, finales that make us want to immediately go back and watch a movie we just finished to look for clues along the way. This has been the case for classics like The Usual Suspects, Seven, Psycho, and countless others over the years, and it can also be said for Grant Singer’s Reptile, a new 2023 Netflix movie with all kinds of twists and turns.
The movie, which sees Benicio del Toro play a hardened detective named Tom Nichols as he investigates the brutal murder of real estate agent Summer Elswick (Matilda Lutz), is one of those anxiety-inducing dramas that leaves you guessing at every turn. In fact, as it’s revealed along the way, the mysterious killing at the beginning of the story is just the tip of the iceberg. But before breaking that down, let’s refresh our memory on what happens during the Reptile ending.
What Happens At The End Of Reptile
About halfway through Reptile, Tom Nichols discovers that the murder of Summer Elswick isn’t as simple as her ex-husband, Sam Gifford (Karl Glusman) getting back at her for the dissolution of her marriage, Eli Phillips (Michael Pitt) killing her as revenge against her boyfriend, Will Grady (Justin Timberlake), for bringing ruin to his family, or Will doing the deed out of frustration after Summer doesn’t show up at one of his presentations the day before her death. In fact, it goes much deeper than that…
As his investigation continues, Tom uncovers that not only is Summer’s murder connected to corruption within the local community, pretty much everyone he knows is part of a large criminal conspiracy, including his boss, Robert Allen (Eric Bogosian), and best friend, Wally (Domenick Lombardozzi), who’s running a lucrative side-business. Upon deciding to confront the two of their involvement in the large conspiracy, Tom enlists the help of Chief Marty Graeber (Mike Pniewski), who, surprise surprise, is also a major player.
On the day of the confrontation, Wally shoots and kills Robert in his own home and Tom takes out Marty before shooting and paralyzing Wally. In the final moments of the movie, Will is seen being surrounded by FBI agents on a golf course, presumably for his role in his girlfriend’s murder and the massive conspiracy entangling all the major players in the Scarborough community.
How Tom Nichols Discovers The Elswick Murder Is Just Part Of The Story
As mentioned above, the murder of Summer Elswick seems like a fairly simple open-and-shut case, especially after Sam Gifford’s DNA was found on her (it is revealed they were still sleeping with one another). But after Tom shoots and kills Sam when serving him a warrant for his arrest, 13 kilos of heroin are found in his house, one of which is covered with some unique duct tape.
Later on, while Tom is on administrative leave following the shooting, he sees a news broadcast of a drug bust containing the same bundles he saw at Sam’s house, bundles that were supposedly sent to be destroyed. Upon further investigation, Tom learns that Will Grudy’s real estate company and Wally’s side business, Active Duty Security Consulting, were pulling off an impressive drug scam through a shell company known as White Fish.
Tom, who is confused that Summer never received any commissions for her various real estate transactions, then discovers that she had been talking with the FBI in the months leading to her murder, during which time she was providing information to bring down a wide-reaching scheme where Wally would plant drugs in properties and Will would buy them on the cheap to make killer profits. Summer’s murder, which was meant to take the pressure off, ends up bringing the whole thing down…
Who Was Ultimately Responsible For Summer's Murder
While it is never revealed exactly who stabbed Summer to death, it is heavily implied that Will Grady was the person who called for her vicious murder to silence her once and for all. There is a flashback about 94 minutes into the movie that revisits Will finding Summer’s body in the empty home, but with some key differences that suggest Will’s involvement exceeded calling on someone to do the deed.
When Will discovers the scene the first time around, Summer is already dead on the floor, but when we go back to that moment later on, she is still breathing and on the verge of dying when her boyfriend enters the room. With Will having been upset with Summer for not attending his presentation the night before, as well as his fear she was going to blow up the entire operation, there’s a case to be made for him killing her in such a gruesome manner.
Another theory is that Will had Wally or Marty do the deed due to their connections with the White Fish scheme and possibility that one of them was with him the night he confronted Eli Phillips about the case. Regardless, Will is the one who was ultimately responsible for the killing, no matter if he plunged the knife into her or not, as he’s arrested in the closing moments of Reptile.
What Happens To Each Of The Main Characters In Reptile
Okay, so now that we know that Will Grady was responsible for Summer Elswick’s murder (either directly or indirectly), the only thing that is left to do is briefly break down what happened to the other main characters in the Reptile ending.
Tom Nichols and his wife, Judy Nichols (Alicia Silverstone) make it through the twist and turns of the Elswick murder investigation and finally see the completion of their massive kitchen renovation going on throughout the movie. Though we’re left with a lot of unanswered questions about their future, they come out of the ordeal alive and well.
As mentioned above, Will Grady is arrested on the golf course after being confronted by FBI agents. With various crimes being tied to him and his operation, Will is going away for a long time if not the rest of his life.
Eli Phillips, Michael Pitt’s mysterious loner who is one of the prime suspects early on, is one the big unknowns of the Reptile ending, as it is never fully revealed what happened the night Will and that mysterious figure confronted him at his house. No mentions of his death are made, so it’s reasonable to think he’s still alive.
With the deaths of Robert Allen and Marty Graeber, the status of the Scarborough Police Department is left up in the air, especially after it’s revealed that multiple cops in the precinct were involved in the White Fish scheme. And while Wally survives the encounter with Tom in the final shootout, he’s left paralyzed and disgraced, and most likely going to prison for his role in everything.
Reptile is now available to stream with a Netflix subscription, which will also give you access to several more upcoming releases on the 2023 movie schedule. And don't forget to check out some of the other great movies on Netflix upon revisiting the new thriller.
