Arka Mukhopadhyay
While some people want nothing but to drag you down, some will put their lives on the line to protect you from harm. It is better to recognize the people from the outset, but we are only too prone to make mistakes as humans. Created by Eric Newman and directed by Stephen Williams and Hanelle M. Culpepper, ‘True Story’ is a crime thriller series of hair-raising tension.
The noir-tinted tale follows celebrity comedian-actor Kid (Kevin Hart owns the role), who returns to his hometown, Philadelphia, for a performance. As he regroups with his obnoxious brother Carlton (Wesley Snipes of ‘Blade’ trilogy fame puts together a brilliant act), things spiral out of control. In a matter of days, Kid has two dead bodies on his conscience. The finale is a tough act to follow, and if you have had a hard time, let us help you out. SPOILERS AHEAD.
True Story Recap
Although Kid is going through a tough divorce, he is killing it in business. His superhero movie ‘Anti-verse’ is making a lot of money. After a quick stop at the Ellen Degeneres show, he flies straight to his hometown, Philadelphia, to present a stand-up comic act in front of an excited audience. Kid and his crew — Todd, Herschel, and Billie — stay at the Four Seasons Hotel in Philly. Kid gets the presidential suite, but another man is already present in the room with a blown-up sex doll. Ahead of the confusion, we come to know that the other man is Kid’s elder brother, Carlton.
Carlton’s restaurant business has taken a hit, and he wants some money from his brother. Kid knows better, as he has seen Carlton’s various stints going wrong. Kid advises Carlton to give up on the restaurant, but Carlton assures that he can make a comeback, thanks to his un-transferrable liquor license. He delivers a great stand-up act, and Carlton gathers some of his friends to throw an after-show party. Although sober for over six months, Kid drinks under pressure. Moreover, Kid gets cozy in the presence of a girl named Daphne, and the night blurs out of vision.
Late at night, Carlton wakes Kid up to inform him that Daphne is dead. Kid seeks to call an ambulance. However, Carlton dissuades him, and they call the Greek gangster Ari instead. With his twisted sense of humor, Ari asks them to order room service and directs Carlton to drive to the Cuthbert Street dumpster. Kid falls asleep, and by the time he wakes up, the body has vanished. However, Ari knows that Kid is a celebrity, and he asks for 500,000 every month for a year for the job, amounting to a total of 6 million dollars.
Kid calls his accountant Terry to “set Carlton up” but changes his mind later. He calls Ari back to his suite and suffocates Ari to death after extracting how to get the body out of the hotel. Carlton arrives shortly after, and he seems pretty nervous. He spends the next day trying to figure out how to get rid of the body while Kid is pissed off at everyone. Kid lashes out at a stan named Gene, and is eager to criticize Billie for her terrible jokes. Meanwhile, Carlton cannot get the body into the service tray because of the volume. A tense Kid cancels all his plans for the day, but he at least manages to get his road case into his hotel room.
However, he has a photography session in his suite, and the photographer crew reaches his room before he is there. Carlton manages to move the body to the bathtub, and after the session, they rush to get rid of the corpse. However, Carlton’s car cannot fit the case, and Kid needs his Sprinter. He goes to Herschel asking for the keys, and Herschel wants to join him in the act. However, that is not possible, and the brothers dissuade Herschel. After a friendly encounter with police fans, they dump the body when no one is watching. Kid decides to play basketball with two block kids afterward to give the police an alibi. However, Ari’s watch, wallet, and cellphone remain in possession of Carlton.
Moreover, Kid discovers that Carlton owes the Greeks six hundred thousand dollars (the exact amount Ari demands). Although he is agitated, Kid decides to record a video assuring the Greeks that they would get the money back. Carlton goes to meet Ari’s brothers, flaunting the video. The next day goes pretty smooth, until Kid finds out that Gene has the act of him dumping the body on tape. Gene becomes “Behind the Scenes Gene,” attending a charity event as Kid’s right-hand man. When Ari’s body is discovered from the dumpster, Carlton plans to make Gene look like the murderer. But you know what they say about karma.
True Story Ending: Is Daphne Dead or Alive?
Daphne’s presumed death sets the thriller in motion. After Carlton sets Gene up, the Greek gangsters beat Gene to death. With Gene’s untimely death, the brothers have seemingly covered all the tracks. Nothing can trace them back to Ari’s death. However, a surprise awaits Kid as he goes to meet Carlton in his out-of-order restaurant. Despite Kid’s reservations, the brothers get drunk like the old times and help each other to Carlton’s home. As Kid throws Carlton to the bed, Carlton’s phone drops on the floor.
Kid sees a girl named Simone texting Carlton, and when he uses Carlton’s face to unlock the phone, he is in for a shock. As it becomes apparent, Simone is Daphne, the seemingly dead girl. Not only is the girl alive, she asks Carlton for her share of the money. Adding two and two, it becomes clear to Kid that Simone, Carlton, and Ari teamed up to extract money from him. With some help from Julian, Kid’s cop friend, Kid can locate the residence of Simone. He follows her to extract a confession.
Although Kid wants to believe that Ari was behind the scam, Carlton turns out to be the central orchestrator. Frustrated with the information, Kid wreaks his hotel suite. When Carlton comes around, acting worried, Kid tells Carlton that a mishandled business deal angered him. Kid also books box tickets for him and Carlton for the Sixers game, where he hopes to confront Carlton about the betrayal. However, the death of Gene does not satisfy Ari’s ruthless brothers, and they ask Carlton how he got the information. Carlton has nothing to say because he is the one who planted Ari’s watch on Gene.
Well, Ari’s brothers have a hunch that something is wrong, and they start looking into Gene’s Instagram for clues. They stumble upon the video where Kid announces Gene as part of the circle and identify Carlton’s face. With the revelation, Ari’s brothers make a stop at Carlton’s house. Carlton is at the game with Kid. However, Simone, who wants to warn Carlton about her meeting with Kid, is there. Ari’s erratic brother Savvas quickly concludes that Simone is Carlton’s girlfriend, and he is even faster to pull the trigger. While the camera pans to spare the audience of the view, we can assume that Simone (or Daphne) is finally dead.
Is Kid Arrested? What Happens to Carlton?
After taking care of Simone, Ari’s brothers reach the venue of the game. Kid is on his way out after his heated conversation with Carlton. But Carlton detects the goons and prompts Kid to run with him. Like always, he seeks to drag Kid down in the mud, but Kid emerges unscathed in the final act. Herschel gets shot in his hand, which makes him fall behind. Savvas and Nikos corner Carlton and Kid, and finally, Carlton has the guts to accept his mistakes. Carlton asks the Greeks to keep Kid out of it, but they don’t seem moved by Carlton’s plea.
However, Kid comes to the rescue by two headshots – Savvas and Nikos die on the spot. Carlton thinks they are out of trouble, but he is the next to receive a bullet. Kid kills him because he cannot let Carlton use him forever. Then he stages the crime scene in a way that makes it look like Carlton died first, and then Kid assailed the goons to protect his brother. As the police reach the location, Kid breaks into tears for his dead brother. It seems to be an act.
But in the aftermath, Herschel reveals that he knows what is up. While Kid was arguing with Carlton in the box, Herschel overheard the conversation. Upon probing, Kid accepts all his crimes with Todd and Herschel in the room. But Herschel wants six million dollars, just like Carlton, to keep his mouth shut. Kid agrees to Herschel’s demands and then instructs Todd to extract the additional money from the producers (since he is making a compromise with his family time to be in the sequel). Therefore, with impeccable management skills, Kid saves himself from the wrath of the world.
Read More: Is True Story Based on Kevin Hart’s Life?
