Vasilis Katsoupis’ psychological thriller “Inside” takes viewers on a harrowing journey through the eyes of Nemo (Willem Dafoe), an art thief trapped in a luxurious New York penthouse after a heist gone wrong.
How Did Nemo Get Trapped In Penthouse?
The film opens with Nemo breaking into the penthouse, guided by an accomplice over a radio, to steal valuable artwork, including a coveted Egon Schiele self-portrait. However, things quickly go awry when Nemo accidentally triggers the security system, locking him inside the high-tech apartment with no means of escape.
As the penthouse transforms from a lavish abode into a gilded cage, Nemo faces a series of escalating challenges. The temperature fluctuates between scorching heat and freezing cold, the water supply is cut off, and food becomes increasingly scarce. Trapped and isolated, Nemo’s sole companions are the priceless artworks adorning the walls, a cruel irony for a man who values art above all else.
What Impact Does Isolation Have on Nemo?
Dafoe’s masterful performance captures Nemo’s gradual descent into madness as the days stretch into an indeterminate amount of time. Hallucinations and delusions begin to blur the lines between reality and fantasy, with Nemo conversing with the building’s staff through security footage and imagining conversations with the penthouse’s unseen owner.
As Nemo’s mental state deteriorates, he becomes increasingly obsessed with escaping his opulent prison, constructing elaborate structures and contraptions in a desperate bid for freedom. His fixation on reaching the skylight above becomes an all-consuming obsession, a symbolic ascent towards salvation or perhaps oblivion.
Inside Ending Interpretations Explained
In the film’s climactic moments, Nemo finally manages to dislodge the skylight’s glass panel, sending it crashing to the ground below. However, the camera lingers on the empty room, bathed in a harmonious light streaming through the open skylight, leaving Nemo’s ultimate fate ambiguous.
This open-ended conclusion invites multiple interpretations. One possibility is that Nemo successfully escaped through the skylight, either to be rescued or to meet an uncertain fate outside the penthouse’s confines.
Alternatively, the ending could represent Nemo’s death and spiritual ascension, with the light symbolizing a higher plane of existence or a metaphorical “heaven” he has finally reached after his ordeal.
Another interpretation suggests that Nemo’s escape is less literal and more symbolic, representing his journey towards artistic enlightenment. Throughout the film, Nemo’s interactions with the artworks and his own creative endeavors hint at a deeper exploration of the nature of art and its relationship to human existence.
In one poignant scene, Nemo reads aloud a passage that speaks of the necessity of destruction for creation, echoing the film’s overarching message. “There is no creation without destruction,” he muses, perhaps referring not only to the physical destruction of the penthouse but also to the deconstruction of his own psyche and preconceptions about life.
Also Read: A Lot of Nothing Ending Explained
Inside’s ending ambiguity allows for multiple interpretations of Nemo’s journey, leaving viewers to ponder whether his ordeal represents a literal escape or a rebirth as an artist. While some may find the ambiguous ending frustrating, it is a testament to the film’s artistic ambition and its willingness to leave room for interpretation.
