Warning: Major spoilers for Netflix’s Beckett ahead.
Our television sets and laptop screens are truly becoming the real MVP during the Australian winter—particularly for those in lockdown.
So far, we’ve enjoyed light rom-com Resort To Love, creepy horror film Aftermath (alarmingly, loosely based on a true story), and we can’t forget television series The White Lotus, which has kept us on our toes (with the dulcet tones of Jennifer Coolidge to put our minds at ease).
Now, Netflix has gifted us with a new film to dig into—Beckett.
The fictional action crime film is based on an American tourist named Beckett who goes to Greece with his girlfriend for a holiday. When political unrest strikes the pair attempt to escape the coutnry, but a car accident leads to a shocking discovery: He is the target of a full-scale manhunt.
If you’ve already raced through the film, you might be left pondering a few points from its twist-filled ending. We’ve taken the humble task upon ourselves to clear it all up for you. Here, everything you need to know about Netflix’s Beckett.
What is Beckett about?
The film centres around a man named Beckett and his girlfriend April who attempt to flee Greece while on holiday due to political unrest in the country. While driving, Beckett falls asleep at the wheel and crashes into a house. As he stirs awake, he sees a woman hurrying a red-headed child out of a room. Beckett then realises that his wife April has died in the accident.
While being questioned by police, they tell him the house was empty, to which Beckett rejects, insisting he saw the woman and child. Terrified and depressed, he goes back to the scene of the accident, but he’s followed by the officer he told about the child. The officer then shoots at him and chaos ensues.
Between a series of heart-stopping encounters with the people trying to detain him, Beckett sees posters all across town of the young child he saw on the day his girlfriend died: The boy is the relative of a liberal politician and has been kidnapped by far-right extremists.
Beckett‘s ending explained
When Beckett finds out the child’s abduction is politically motivated, he asks two activists to be driven to Athens where he can provide information on the missing boy.
En route, the car is stopped at a police check, so Beckett bails and gets a train. He manages to get to the US embassy in Athens, but is stopped at the last minute by an agent, Steven Tynan. Just as Tynan goes to taser Beckett, the US tourist makes a break for it.
We then discover that the liberal politician has been killed, and the boy remains in the hands of the far-right extremists. While until then we’re to believe the kidnapping is politically motivated, it turns out the politician was deep in debt. Beckett was a scapegoat, they planned to blame the abduction on him to cover what was really happening.
Empowered by the unjust of it all, Beckett launches into hero mode. He dives on top of the car the child is being held in and saves him. The movie ends as Beckett looks at his hand and see’s a heart drawn on his palm by his girlfriend.
Who is in the cast of Beckett?
If the gripping narrative isn’t enough to lure you in, you’re guaranteed physical viewing glory with John David Washington starring as Beckett.
The formidable Alicia Vikander plays April, Beckett’s girlfriend, while Boyd Holbrook and Vicky Krieps play the agent and activist, respectively.
Where can I watch Beckett?
Beckett is available to stream on Netflix here. Given it’s already hit the ‘trending’ section of the streaming platform, you can bet you won’t be alone if you want to dissect the film in detail at a later date.