Warning: This article contains spoilers to Amazon’s I Care A Lot.
There are many facets of the world that leave us itching with excitement. However, nothing gets us quite as excited as Rosamund Pike’s blunt bob and chilling voice-overs à la Gone Girl.
But thankfully, we don’t have to rewatch the Gillian Flynn book adaptation for the thousandth time to get our fix of villainous Pike—enter, I Care A Lot.
Her latest foray in controversial character work sees Pike become Marla Grayson, a successful con-artist who tricks the state into awarding her legal guardianship for senior citizens, leaving her to easily steal their life savings.
And while this film is a rollercoaster from start to finish, it was *that* twist ending that left the internet divided. And while we continue to mentally digest what took place on-screen, Pike was more than satisfied with how the film concluded.
“I love the ending of this film because it gives you everything,” she told USA Today. “You sort of want to see Marla win. You want to see the giddy heights of success… the idea of care homes all over the country with her name on them.”
“In like a couple of years, this whole shady business is going to be washed clean and she’s going to be a pillar of industry making hefty bequests to charitable organisations. She’s going to be Saint Marla. People like that get away with it all the time. That is how it goes. And then of course (the movie) doesn’t let her get away with it.”
Of course, the film’s intense twists and turns were enough to give us motion sickness, but alas, it only makes sense that we unpack how the film wrapped up.
WATCH BELOW: Amazon’s I Care A Lot Trailer
Why Does Roman Lunyov Offer A Partnership To Marla In The End?
Naturally, after Marla realises that Ms. Preston’s son, Roman Lunyov, is the boss of a Russian mob, she becomes as determined as ever to preserve her guardianship, no matter what. Following a string of sequences that only intensify the tussle between the pair, Marla wins the battle after successfully kidnapping Lunyov and leaving him drugged and naked in the middle of nowhere, to then be found by the state come morning.
Since they can’t figure out his identity, the state classifies Lunyov as John Doe, placing him under the guardianship of Marla who can’t help but relish the thought of being in charge of his health and well-being. Now, Lunyov is completely helpless under Marla’s legal guardianship but rather than plot his revenge, he chooses to offer her a business proposition.
The pair work together to expand upon Marla’s con-artist side hustle and create a flourishing empire built upon the exploitation of the elderly, seeing Marla become CEO and garner enormous success. As for Ms. Peterson, she is finally released as per their mutually-beneficial agreement, but the cost of this partnership is unforgivable. It sees thousands of elderly people forced to part with their hard-earned income and personal freedom, spending the remainder of their lives in state-backed captivity.
Does Marla Survive At The End Of The Film?
In the film’s final moments, it looks as if Marla has achieved success, evolving into a lucrative public figure. But all of that changes with the arrival of Mr. Feldstrom, whose mother was a victim of Marla’s crimes at the beginning of the film. He shoots her point-blank in a fit of grief-driven rage, after revealing that his mother had died alone in the care facility, unable to visit her loved ones before she passed.
Instantly taken away by authorities, the audience can see that Mr. Feldstronm shot Marla near her heart and she begins to lose a substantial amount of blood from the incident. This leaves the audience assuming that she doesn’t survive the shot and most likely dies in Fran’s arms.
However, while Marla is seemingly dead, it leaves some serious questions floating in the air. After all, her company is bound to continue since there are numerous players in her game who are still willing to profit off the plight of the elderly. When it comes to Mr. Feldstrom, what will the repercussions be for his actions? And regarding Marla, she is far from the only con-artist in existence, perhaps I Care A Lot does more than tell her story, and rather presents Marla as a representation of the many Marlas that infiltrate the guardianship system.
Either way, you can check out (or re-watch) I Care A Lot on Amazon Prime.
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