This article discusses the ending of the Netflix film Godspeed (2022) which will contain spoilers.
Ready Steady Cut writer, Adam Lock, called Godspeed “sentimental drivel with a surprisingly shocking twist ending.”
Godspeed focuses on two retired soldiers, who travel across country in the hopes of stopping a forced wedding from taking place. War veteran Salih leads this expedition, but it is his friend and sidekick Kerim who is romantically connected to the bride Elif. Through flashbacks, it is established that Kerim asked Elif’s father for his daughter’s hand in marriage, yet he was fervently rejected. After this, he enlisted in the military to win the father’s affections, so he could marry the girl of his dreams. Whilst serving in the army he met Captain Salih and the two became lifelong friends. In the present, Salih breaks out of hospital and the wanted men head for the wedding. However, there is a major twist awaiting all at that hallowed venue.
On arrival, Salih exits the car alone and crashes the party with his gun raised into the air. He fires into the sky and drags Elif away from the disturbed guests. Elif’s father explains how she was feeling suicidal and that they didn’t know they had chosen such an awfully timed wedding date. Salih throws Elif into the car and Kerim just sits there, silently on the backseat. It’s an odd situation to start with, but the silence from Kerim only adds to the absurdity, making for the most unusual reaction imaginable, or so you’d think. Through the whole movie, Kerim has been quite muted on the plan. He doesn’t push matters, he doesn’t seem to desperately want to crash the wedding and he doesn’t even attempt to interact with his lover when Elif steps foot into the vehicle. Something isn’t quite right.
Netflix film Godspeed (2022) ending explained
Elif and Salih sit in the front and Kerim in the back. As the conversation splits between the bride and the manic, gun-wielding Captain, the camera angles differ slightly, with Elif’s shots revealing an empty back seat, whilst from Salih’s point of view Kerim is sat with the dead partridge on his lap. Those clever enough to figure it out won’t need any further prompting, but it should slowly sink in over the next few moments, the realization that Kerim is actually dead and was a figment of Salih’s imagination the whole time. Like Fight Club, when the twist sets in, you start to think back to every interaction, replaying the scenes over in your head, checking everything adds up. And it all becomes a lot clearer from here on out.
A further flashback reveals how Kerim died and how poor Salih actually lost his leg in combat. During a military operation, Kerim was attacked from behind by an enemy soldier. Salih saw this altercation taking place and attempted to snipe the foe from afar, yet accidentally shot Kerim instead. He ran down the hill after his friend and stood on a mine in the process. Kerim later died in hospital and Salih started the long road to recovery, guilt-ridden. In the end, Elif (wearing her wedding dress) and Salih join Kerim’s family at his funeral, which is on the same day as the wedding! Salih tries to kill himself, but wife Duygu manages to convince him otherwise, stating that she is pregnant. The film fast forwards to years later, where Salih is fishing with his son, who he has fittingly named Kerim.
Did anyone see that twist ending coming, does it improve the overall quality of the film? Please comment below.
