Available on Netflix since March 17, the film “Noise” quickly rose to the top 10 of the platform in France and internationally. A true psychological thriller, the film questions its end. Explanations.
Belgian film, shot in Flemish, Noise is a feature film that cultivates mystery. We follow an influencer, Matthias (Ward Kerremans), who immerses himself in a family secret when he returns to settle in the family home with his partner Liv (Sallie Harmsen) and their newborn baby.
He learns from his father Pol (Johan Leysen) that there was a mysterious accident several years earlier at the factory his father ran and which is now disused. Matthias then embarks on a disturbing investigation that leads him to fight the horrible memories of his own past.
A true psychological thriller, Noise leaves many questions unanswered at its conclusion, even if it provides enough elements for an almost conclusive interpretation.
What should we understand from the end?
At the very end of the film, Matthias has sunk into a real neurosis and seems to have completely lost his footing. He begins to dig the basement of his house, thinking he will find missing bodies there. The factory ones. After her conversation with Pol, Liv rushes home, fearful of losing her baby Julius like Pol lost his wife Michelle, lest Matthias try to do the same again. Namely, committing suicide.
Arriving home, Liv finds, to her relief, Julius in great shape. But in the basement, Matthias hit a pipe while digging the ground, causing the basement to flood. Liv tries to convince Matthias to come out, but is unsuccessful.
Fortunately for her, Pol arrives in the basement as if something had drawn him directly there. He finds Matthias and Liv struggling to get out of this waterlogged hole. Pol helps Liv out first. Then he helps Matthias, while having flashback images of his wife Michelle who drowned decades earlier. And he couldn’t save.
Fortunately for Pol, he manages to save his son and his companion this time. And when Liv wakes up the next day, she finds Matthias facing the lake. His face remains somewhat impassive and mysterious but it is clearly calmer compared to the days that preceded it.
Noise therefore ends on a rather mysterious note, like its plot. While for most of the film it feels like the plot revolves around the mysterious factory accident, it quickly deviates to focus on Matthias’ mental health issues. At the end of the film, the mystery of the factory is just the breaking point for Matthias, who suffered from a troubled childhood due to his mother’s suicide.
Nattida-Jayne Kanyachalao/Caviar/Netflix
From the opening scenes of the film, Matthias’ obsession with online stardom is quickly established. It becomes clear that Matthias is getting a sense of validation from his followers. For a man who has been neglected by his father, this validation becomes his driving force. However, as he deepens his investigation, the horrors of his childhood come back to him.
Ultimately, the conclusion of Matthias’ investigation is unclear. It is possible that his delusions fueled his suspicions, as much of his investigation began with the testimony of his father, who was not in his best shape and spirit. The man is visibly suffering from the onset of dementia.
Considering the impact the loss of Michelle would have had on Pol, it also becomes highly doubtful that he played any part in the tragedy that befell the factory, as he claims. It’s possible the film dropped the investigation angle towards the end to imply that most of it was supported by Matthias’ mental health tipping anyway.
This makes all of Matthias’ conclusions quite questionable. The only silver lining from Noise’s confusing ending is that Pol was able to save his son once again, and this time he won’t have any regrets.