The 2015 psychological thriller Adulterers, written and directed by H.M. Coakley, presents a gripping tale of betrayal, jealousy, and revenge. The film’s shocking twist ending has left many viewers perplexed, wondering did Sam really murder Ashley and Damien..
Was Shooting Ashley and Damien Sam’s Imagination?
The movie opens on the one-year wedding anniversary of Samuel and Ashley Dueprey. Sam, a devoted husband, decides to surprise Ashley by coming home early from his hardware store job with flowers and chocolates. However, when he enters the bedroom, he finds Ashley in bed with another man, Damien.
Devastated and enraged by this ultimate betrayal, Sam’s first instinct is to grab his guns and shoot both Ashley and Damien dead on the spot. But after this violent outburst, the film takes an unexpected turn. Sam suddenly finds himself back downstairs, and it appears the murders only took place in his imagination.
How Did Sam Take Revenge From Ashley and Damien?
In the “real” chain of events that unfolds, Sam confronts Ashley and Damien at gunpoint in the bedroom. He interrogates them intensely about their affair. We learn Damien is a wealthy serial cheater who met Ashley online and has been seeing her for six weeks behind his own wife’s back.
Sam forces Damien to call his pregnant wife Jasmine and confess to the affair on speakerphone. In a twist, Jasmine then comes over to the house and she and Sam get intimate in front of their cheating spouses as an act of revenge. Ashley, though angry at Sam’s infidelity, still tries to convince him they can work through this and begs him to end the hostage situation.
What Happened During the Russian Roulette?
In the climax, Sam gives Ashley the chance to save herself by killing Damien, but stops her at the last second, content that she was willing to do it. He then empties all but one bullet from his gun and points it at Damien in a game of Russian roulette. The gun goes off, killing Damien.
Ashley and Sam then seemingly reconcile. She enjoys the chocolates he brought her as they dig a grave in the backyard to bury Damien’s body. However, Ashley then suddenly disappears from the scene…
Did Sam Really Murder Ashley and Damien? Adulterers 2015 Ending Explained
With Ashley gone, Sam blinks and finds himself back in his living room, but with a horrifying realization – the initial murders of Ashley and Damien that opened the film were real. Everything that happened after – the hostage crisis, Jasmine’s visit, the Russian roulette – was simply a dark revenge fantasy playing out in Sam’s fractured mind.
Unable to cope with his wife’s betrayal, Sam’s immediate reaction really was to kill Ashley and her lover in a crime of passion. The rest of the movie’s events were his imagination of how else the scenario could have played out as he worked through his feelings of hurt and rage.
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Adulterers is a gripping psychological thriller that keeps viewers guessing until its final gut-punch reveal. Though some may find the ending confusing on first viewing, piecing together what really happened is central to appreciating the story’s complex themes and emotional impact.
Ultimately, the film serves as a provocative cautionary tale about adultery, honesty, and the dangerous temptation of acting on our darkest impulses in the face of heartbreak. The Adulterers ending challenges us to reflect on how we might respond in Sam’s unthinkable situation – and the destructive power of those choices, both real and imagined.