Pratik Handore
‘Hypnotic’ is a mystery thriller film directed by Robert Rodriguez, starring Ben Affleck, Alice Braga, J. D. Pardo, Hala Finley, Dayo Okeniyi, and William Fichtner in the lead roles. The movie revolves around Danny Rourke, a detective whose search for his missing daughter leads him into the mystery of a series of reality-bending crimes. As Rourke gets close to the man who holds the answers about his daughter’s whereabouts, Rourke uncovers a greater conspiracy. If you watched the movie and were perplexed by the startling revelations in the final act, you must be seeking an explanation about the ending of ‘Hypnotic.’ SPOILERS AHEAD!
Hypnotic Plot Synopsis
‘Hypnotic’ opens with Danny Rourke, an Austin Police Department attending a therapy session where he drifts into memories of his daughter’s kidnapping. Some time ago, Rourke’s daughter, Minnie, was kidnapped by a stranger, and Rourke has been looking for her ever since despite news reports that Minnie might be dead. Rourke’s partner, Nicks, informs him of an anonymous tip about a bank robbery. When Rourke and Nicks go to stop the theft, they encounter a mysterious man who controls people and bends them to his will with his words. Roruke chases after the man and is led to a safety deposit box in the bank containing a picture of his daughter with the words “Find Lev Dellrayne.”
Roruke nearly catches up to the mysterious man, but the latter escapes after forcing two policemen to turn on Rourke and kill each other. Rourke believes that the heist and the mystery man are connected with his daughter’s disappearance. As a result, he starts an investigation which leads him to fortune teller Diana Cruz, who called in the tip about the robbery. After interacting with Cruz, Rourke learns about a secret government program, The Division, which trains Hypnotics, people with powerful minds who can use them to influence people’s actions and perception of reality. However, Rourke proves to be immune to this type of mind control.
Cruz reveals that Lev Dellrayne is the man who robbed the bank. He is seeking “Domino,” a powerful device that can control any Hypnotic. While gathering more information about Dellrayne’s plan, Rourke and Cruz are attacked by Dellrayne, leading to Rourke discovering his latent Hypnotic powers, which overpower Dellrayne. Rourke and Cruz seek help from River, a Division hacker, who searches the Division’s database and discovers Rourke’s wife, Vivian, was a part of the Division. Later, Rourke goes through the database and learns Cruz is actually Vivian, breaking the illusion crafted around him by Division using the power of Hypnotics.
Hypnotic Ending: Does Rourke Find His Daughter?
During the movie’s final act, Rourke discovers that he is inside a construct, a fake reality created by the powers of the Hypnotics who work for the Division. The privately funded government organization is led by the man we know as Dellrayne. However, all the events until this point in the story took place inside a constructed reality designed to discover Rourke’s daughter’s location. Rourke’s daughter, Dominque “Minnie” Rourke, is “Domino,” the most powerful Hypnotic who was born within the program. However, Rourke did not want his daughter to grow up in an experimental facility and made a plan to flee the Division.
After fleeing from the Division, Rourke escaped with Minnie and hid her at an unknown location. Later, Rourke wiped his memory, leaving only small triggers that could help him find his daughter. The first trigger is the photograph Rourke finds inside the safety deposit box. We also learn that Rourke has been subjected to repeating the constructed reality several times before he always figures out the truth, and the Division resets the timeline of events. Ultimately, Rourke’s daughter never went missing. Rourke had carefully hidden Minnie from the nefarious government organization so the Division could not use her powers for their own gain. In the final moments, Rourke and Vivian realize that the message in the photograph is actually not a person but Minnie’s location.
How Does Rourke Defeat the Division?
In the climax, Rourke arrives at a remote ranch where his daughter, Minnie, is looked after by his foster parents, Carl and Thelma. After reuniting with Minnie, who has gained complete control over her powers, Rourke reveals that the Division is coming for them. Soon, Dellrayne and his forces arrive at the ranch and demand Rourke hand over his daughter to the Division. However, Rourke had already planned for this exact moment. Minnie uses her powers to take down the Division, forcing its members to kill each other inside what turns out to be another construct. Ultimately, Minnie successfully kills the members of the Division, finally freeing her family from the evil government organization. In the final moments, Rourke explains his plan to a confused Vivian.
After Minnie’s birth, Rourke decided he did not want his daughter to become a test subject. As a result, he fled with Minnie and hid her with his foster parents before erasing his memories. Rourke was certain the Division would trick and torture him to extract Minnie’s location. Therefore, he sets a trap for the Division by repeating the events of their constructed reality until Minnie gains complete control over her powers. Once Minnie was ready, she sent Rourke the photograph, prompting him to lead the Division to the ranch where Minnie and Rourke could take down the organization with their powers. Despite being a long shot, Rourke’s plan works because of his faith in his family and their love for each other. As a result, the family’s love proves to be a power far stronger than anything the Divison could garner despite the host of Hypnotics at their disposal.
Does Vivian Get Her Memories Back?
In the movie, viewers are introduced to Rourke’s wife, Vivian, as Diana Cruz, a fortune teller with knowledge of the Hypnotics and the Division. She allies herself with Rourke after Dellrayne threatens her life for going against him. Eventually, viewers learn that Cruz is actually Vivian, Minnie’s mother. In the aftermath of the Division’s destruction, Rourke reveals that he had also wiped out Vivian’s memories. It was a part of the family’s plan to take down the Division by having Vivian consciously work for the government agency. However, in reality, her actions only helped Rourke stall for time until Minnie gained control of her powers.
Minnie uses her powers after the Division is demolished to restore Vivian’s memories. Thus, Vivian gets her memories back and reunites with the family. Her and Rourke’s memory loss was crucial to the family’s plan to achieve their freedom. Rourke, Vivian, and Minnie leave the ranch together, hopefully heading toward a future that is devoid of the Division’s mind control. As a result, the film ends on an optimistic note for Vivian and her family despite the tribulations they face in the movie. It makes for a rewarding moment for the characters as their love for each other leads them back together, emphasizing the power of family. However, a mid-credits scene reveals that the Divsion’s leader survived Minnie’s onslaught and will be coming after the family, hinting at a dark fate for Vivian and her family.
Read More: Best Action Thriller Movies
