Sumith Prasad
Directed by Matthew Reilly, Netflix’s action film ‘Interceptor’ centers around Captain JJ Collins, who gets reappointed at SBX-1, one of the two US Army missile defense complexes. On her first day back at the base, she encounters a group that has joined several Russian terrorists to destroy the United States. Starring Elsa Pataky as Collins and Luke Bracey as the vicious Alexander Kessel, the film progresses through Collins’ efforts to protect her country. The edge-of-your-seat film ends with astounding developments concerning Collins and the United States’ fates. Let us decode the nuances of the same for you! SPOILERS AHEAD.
Interceptor Plot Synopsis
‘Interceptor’ begins with several soldiers hijacking Fort Greely, one of the two US Army missile defense complexes. Captain JJ Collins, meanwhile, gets reappointed at the other missile defense complex named SBX-1, situated at a classified location in the Pacific. On her first day back at the base, Colonel Marshall briefs her that they are tracking a Russian submarine. Collins meets Rahul Shah and Beaver Baker, her colleagues, along with Marshall and the four of them soon receive information that Fort Greely is down. In no time, Pentagon informs them about Russian missiles targeting sixteen United States cities.
Since SBX-1 is the only remaining active missile defense base, Collins and others prepare to defend the country from the impending missile attacks. While she suspects terrorists infiltrating the base, Alexander Kessel, who has been working at the base, and his group kill Marshall and reveal that they are the ones behind the Russian missile attacks. Collins manages to shut down the command center from Alexander and his group, only for Beaver to reveal that he is with the terrorists. Collins comes to know that Alexander is a former US military intelligence officer.
With the help of Beaver, Alexander and his group get into the command center and start a live feed to announce to the public that sixteen US cities will get destroyed soon. Alexander commands the launch of one missile as a start but Collins manages to destroy it with an interceptor before it hits Los Angeles. As a retaliation, Alexander opens the valves of the base to sink the complex. Shah attempts to close the valves but gets killed by Beaver while doing so. While Alexander talks to his allies, Collins perceives that he is a paid man and not the mastermind behind the attacks.
Interceptor Ending: Does Captain Collins Launch the Interceptors? Do Russian Missiles Hit the United States?
Captain Collins launches the interceptors before the Russian missiles could hit the United States. When Alexander opens the valves of SBX-1, the base starts to sink to the Pacific. Collins encounters the need of destroying fifteen Russian missiles before the base sinks to save her country. She realizes that the terrorists have the luxury to wait for the base to sink to attack the United States and the only way to not let that happen is to force them to launch the missiles at the earliest so that she can fire the interceptors before the base sinks as well. Upon receiving permission from the President, Collins tricks Alexander by letting him seize the control of the command center.
Collins believes that she can regain control of the center once Alexander commands the launch of the missiles to destroy them. Her plan works as Alexander commands the launch of the remaining fifteen missiles rather than waiting for the base to sink. He chooses to launch the missiles at the earliest to show his arrogance and potency to the world. Alexander, while boasting that he had seized the control of the command center, fails to understand that he had walked into Collins’ trick. She rushes back to the command center to launch the interceptors, only to find the launch button destroyed by acid.
Still, Collins manages to fire the interceptors by launching them through her laptop. She kills Beaver, gets into the roof of the base, connects the laptop to the launch system, and fires the interceptors. All fifteen missiles get destroyed by the interceptors before any hazard could occur. Collins’ courage to risk the lives of millions temporarily by letting Alexander get into the command center and approve the launch of the missiles helps her to save the same lives.
Why Do the Russians Kill Alexander Kessel? Why Don’t They Kill Captain Collins?
When Alexander Kessel introduces himself and his intentions to Captain Collins, he makes her believe that he is the mastermind behind the missile attacks. He informs her about his six years of hard work to seize SBX-1 and Fort Greely. In Collins’ eyes initially, Alexander is a vicious genius. However, he is nothing but a former intelligence officer, paid to fulfill the mission for the Russian terrorists. Alexander is not in charge of the attacks and he is accountable to the Russians who pay him. When he fails to fulfill the attacks, his life becomes the cost of his failure.
The Russian terrorists have orchestrated the missile attacks after overcoming several difficulties. They even attack the Tavlinka missile base in Russia for procuring the missiles for the attacks as the last step of their elaborated plan. Their plans go in vain when Alexander walks into Collins’ trick and commands the launch of missiles without waiting for the base to sink. After the failure of the attacks, Alexander is nothing but a valueless ally for the Russians and they kill him. While confirming the assassination of Alexander, the Russians consider killing Collins. However, they decide against killing her.
Killing Collins will not result in any advantage for the Russians. In addition, one of the superiors of the Russian group even tips his cap seemingly as an expression of recognition of her successful and courageous efforts to fight them and their missile attacks.
Is Captain Collins’ Father Alive? Who Saves Him?
Yes, Captain Collins’ father is alive. Before trying to seize the control of SBX-1, Alexander prepares well. He has already sent his men to the retirement home where Collins’ father stays. When she defends the command center, Alexander commands his men to hurt her father and shows her the same. Her father, a former soldier, asks Collins to defend her country rather than worry about him. When she makes it clear to Alexander that she is going to follow her father’s words, Alexander orders his men to kill Collins’ father and the video gets disconnected.
Collins continues to fight for her country also as a homage to her father, thinking that he is already dead. However, his army comrades arrive at his retirement home to his rescue and save him from Alexander’s men. He comes to visit his daughter when she gets admitted to a hospital after getting saved from the sinking base by a SWAT team.
Read More: Where Was Netflix’s Interceptor Filmed?
