The Fanatic Ending Explained: Does Moose Survive?

‘The Fanatic’ revolves around the trials and tribulations of an autistic street hustler named Moose, who frequents the streets of Hollywood. He is dangerously obsessed with a middle-aged movie star named Hunter Dunbar. Moose collects memorabilia related to Hunter’s movies and also purchases collectibles from thrift shops to feed his obsession. His only dream in life is to meet Hunter and get his autograph. He is also helped in this quest by his friend Leah, who is his only true friend. What seems like a monotonous life soon spirals into chaos.

When Moose gets the opportunity to finally earn Hunter’s autograph, his request is arrogantly rejected by the film star. Feeling insulted and hopeless, the obsessed fan makes up his mind to trap Hunter and make him suffer the consequences of his arrogance. The conflict between the celebrity and the fan becomes toxic, as they try to outdo one another in a twisted battle of egos. Towards the end of the story, the fan and the celebrity face off in unexpected ways. SPOILERS AHEAD.

The Fanatic Plot Synopsis

Moose is a man of vivid imagination and love for cinema. He hustles and performs acts in the streets of Hollywood to earn a living, while also being autistic. He is particularly obsessed with a movie star named Hunter Dunbar, who is known for his gritty roles in the past. Moose also uses his hard-earned money to buy collectibles related to Hunter’s movies. His physical media collection of the film star’s movies also gives him a sense of inspiration. The only real friend he has is a paparazzi named Leah, who gives him insights about the reality of Hollywood. When he finds out that Hunter will be at a party, he fakes an invitation and buys a vintage jacket from one of Hunter’s past movies. However, the actor doesn’t turn up at the event. Later, he attempts to get an autograph from Hunter during a book signing event.

Moose’s only dream is to get Hunter’s autograph, which is something he has waited his whole life for. But Hunter’s former wife interrupts the flow of the event, leading him to arrogantly reject Moose’s request. This makes Moose feel extremely insulted, especially after hearing Hunter hurl verbal abuses. Later, Leah tells Moose about an app that can locate the houses of film stars and celebrities. Moose gets excited and uses the app to find out Hunter’s address. He stands outside Hunter’s huge residence and is spotted by the actor and his son, who are returning from a jog. Hunter insults Moose yet again, compounding his frustration and anger.

Moose tries again to infiltrate Hunter’s compound, but he is stopped by the maid Dora, who has an affair with the film star. As he returns to the streets, he is overwhelmed by the bullying of another street performer named Todd. He has a physical confrontation with the bully, which unleashes his stronger physical side. He returns to Hunter’s neighborhood and leaves a letter for him in the backyard. When Dora mistakenly finds it, he attempts to read it. Seeing this, Moose tries to stop the maid from reading it, which causes an unintended altercation with her.

In the ensuing chaos, Dora is mistakenly killed by Moose when she hits her head on the fountain. He is then able to enter Hunter’s house and examine its contents. He also spots Hunter taking a nap and takes selfies with him, without the actor realizing. When he returns home, Leah tries to warn him against his dangerous obsession with Hunter. Moose gets overwhelmed and asks Leah to stay away from him.

The Fanatic Ending: Does Moose Survive? How?

Moose’s obsession with Hunter turns dangerously toxic after his harsh encounters. The paranoid fan also distances himself from Leah, who just wanted to help him get over his feelings. Once he kicks Leah out of his house, Moose becomes frustrated, hoping to establish his presence in Hunter’s life once again. He breaks into the celebrity’s house during the night with ease. Hunter experiences the extremity of Moose’s toxic fandom when he finds himself tied to his own bed. Moose is now in a different mindset and is no longer a slave to Hunter’s supposed greatness. The fan in Moose changes into a vengeful person due to Hunter’s arrogance. Hunter gravely underestimated Moose in the past, which ultimately led to greater chaos. Moose puts on a killer-like mask and scares the movie star by giving him minor cuts.

Despite Hunter pleading, the fan doesn’t appear to be ready to let him go. Moose just wants to be recognized by Hunter once and not be treated like a loser. The movie star also agrees to give his fan an autograph. He also says that without the fans, he is nothing. However, things take a turn when Moose becomes emotional and says that he is scared. He appeals to Moose’s kindness and swears that he will never report him to the cops. Seeing Hunter’s vulnerability makes Moose calm. The fan places his head on the movie star’s chest and shares a bed with him. Using this moment, Hunter says they will be friends and asks him to untie him. Moose feels happy and unties Hunter’s hands. However, Hunter shockingly punches Moose and takes out his gun. He shoots Moose’s right hand fingers off clean and also stabs one of his eyes.

Moose finally realizes that Hunter doesn’t deserve fandom. The fan lies down helplessly. At this point, Hunter lets him go to avoid further violence. He takes a piece of cloth and temporarily stops the bleeding on Moose’s right hand. Moose is able to stay alive despite being brutally attacked by Hunter. He loses all the fingers of his right hand and also an eye. He continues to bleed over the streets of LA as onlookers mistake his blood for makeup. He is spotted by Leah while she is driving her car. She helps him walk and says in the voice-over that he will look at the injuries as a badge of honor. Later, a painting shows Moose wearing a pirate patch on his right eye and sharing happy memories with Leah. Ultimately, despite his dangerous behavior and encounter with Hunter, he survives to forge his own destiny.

Why is Hunter Arrested?

Hunter Dunbar’s arrogance is his most fragile quality, which causes his eventual downfall. After hurting and torturing Moose, Hunter does not have the courage to go all the way and kill him. He decides to let the obsessive fan go and assumes that he has taken care of everything. Hunter’s past mistakes with Dora come back to haunt him unexpectedly. The narrative establishes the fact that he was attracted to his maid Dora and even had an affair with her. But she no longer felt it was right for them to be lovers. Dora is mistakenly killed by Moose when he breaks into Hunter’s compound. However, this goes unseen by Hunter, who tortures Moose, while Dora’s corpse still lies in the backyard. Even after letting Moose go, the movie star has no clue about his maid’s ordeal.

Hunter’s gardener also has some clues about his affair with Dora, which proves consequential. Hunter opens his door to find the cops and the gardener. The unassuming gardener points towards Hunter, indicating that he was the one who murdered Dora. Despite the movie star having nothing to do with her death, it is pinned on him due to the circumstances. Hunter’s arrogance makes him believe that he is beyond the realm of commoners. This ultimately leads him to suffer the consequences for a crime he didn’t even commit. All in all, the narrative ensures a twisted kind of spiritual justice by punishing Hunter for his superiority complex and an attitude of exclusivity.

Will Moose Continue to Stalk Hunter?

Moose is a complex man with mysterious feelings about the individuals he encounters. His obsession with Hunter reaches toxic levels when he breaks into the film star’s house. Towards the end of the story, he is still friends with Leah, who is probably the only person who genuinely cares about him. While the narrative establishes the fact that he and Leah will continue to be friends, it doesn’t talk about the future possibilities between Hunter and Moose. Since Hunter will most likely be incarcerated for his alleged murder of Dora, he will presumably develop some humility to finally understand where Moose is coming from. He will also be forced to think like a common man, which will presumably give him a new perspective on his life. Moose goes from obsession to revenge in his pursuit of Hunter’s autograph.

He has now gained a new perspective on life and friendship. While the story doesn’t talk about the potential future relationship between Hunter and Moose, it can be assumed that Moose will get over his toxic fandom. He has possibly realized that Hunter will never be his friend, as they come from very different worlds. Hunter will no longer hold the same influence on Moose’s mind, as he now has Leah to support him. Moose’s romantic fascination with Hunter is destroyed. The idea of “never meet your heroes” becomes much more pronounced in Moose’s case, as he will presumably try to find a new sense of purpose in his life. In conclusion, Moose will no longer be burdened by his obsession with Hunter.

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