Netflix’s latest short film offering, Jed Shepherd’s time-traveling horror movie Flashback (2023) focuses on a yoga teacher, who sees her life flash before her eyes. In a race against time, she must warn her future boyfriend of his impending doom in these unpredictable flashback sequences. But can Jess save her partner and herself, by changing her own past? Allow us to unpack the ending of the horror short Flashback.
This article contains major spoilers.
Flashback (2023) Ending Explained
The Netflix horror short Flashback kicks into gear in one of its earliest scenes. Jess (Jemma Moore) and her boyfriend Scott (Amar Chadha-Patel) are talking together in bed. They discuss Jess’ cuddly toy, which is a doll version of Doctor Bones, a childhood urban legend. Jess says that the doll comforts her and keeps her safe.
Scott then turns the conversation onto the subject of children, heavily implying that he wants to start a family of his own. Jess agrees, she is ready to have children too. Scott decides now is the perfect time to propose to Jess, but he is then interrupted by a strange noise. Jess urges Scott to go and investigate these strange noises alone.
Why does Jess’ life flash before her eyes?
Seconds later, Jess hears gunfire. Scott has been shot and killed by an intruder. This thief apologizes for killing Jess’s boyfriend and then goes and shoots Jess for good measure. As Jess is hit by the bullet, which is sure to kill her, her entire life flashes before her very eyes, taking her back to her earliest memories.
Panicked by the situation, Jess tries to calm herself and steady her erratic breathing as she hurtles through time. Thankfully the yoga teacher is a pro at doing just that. Her childhood memories whiz by, until she manages to get her breathing under control. As she calms, the memories do likewise, slowing down, until Jess finds herself living in 2008 once again.
She finds herself at her own thirteenth birthday party, inhabiting her teen body (Maya Graham). Jess quickly finds her future boyfriend Scott at her laser quest party. She warns Scott about the future events, stating that they will both be shot and killed many years from now by a home invader. Jess tells Scott to stay away from her, for both of their sakes.
How does Jess stop Scott from dating her?
Jess is then visited by Doctor Bones, who whisks her back to the present. Before leaving, Jess says a final goodbye to Scott, kissing her partner and then slapping him across the face. Hopefully, this odd turn of events will stop Scott from pursuing Jess as his lover in the future. She’s had to warn him and then get a little violent, all to stop him from dating her.
How does Jess save Scott’s life?
Back in the present, Jess is alive and single. The drastic measures seem to have worked. Jess goes back to her yoga teaching and has no more visions of Doctor Bones. One day, she sees Scott again. He’s happily in a relationship now, ironically with Jess’ old best friend Lily (Haley Bishop), and the couple appear to have had a baby together. Jess’ plan has worked, she has saved Scott’s life and her own in the process.
Jess is happy for Scott, but of course, saddened by her own situation. As Scott walks by he glances down at Jess, and it looks like he recognizes her in that moment. Jess narrates over the ending, stating that she still has time to find her own happy ending and will one day find the love of her life once again.
And then in the tongue-in-cheek mid-credits sequence, we see a children’s TV program where Doctor Bones is dancing with a group of children. The skeletal vulture creature even has his own children’s song.
What did you think of the ending of Flashback (2023)? Comment below.
