Netflix's Windfall ending explained: Why did the Wife kill the CEO?

Windfall was released on Netflix on March 18, 2022. (Image via IMDb)
Windfall was released on Netflix on March 18, 2022. (Image via IMDb)

This article contains major spoilers

Neo-noir thriller Windfall explores the gap between jealousy and entitlement, with its ending holding up a mirror to society. The movie, directed by Charlie McDowell, features a talented ensemble cast that includes Jason Segel, Lily Collins, and Jesse Plemons, all of whom shine in the deceptive house invasion feature.

Netflix released Windfall on March 18, 2022. Most reviews complimented the film's well-acted, character-driven plot upon its release, but some criticized its lack of cohesive tone and depth. Even with the inconsistencies, the film has a lot to offer. Here is a detailed explanation of the movie's ending.

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Why was the CEO killed by the Wife at the end of Windfall?

Windfall concludes with the Wife taking her first steps towards a life of her own, a fitting conclusion to a film about choices. To be sure, these decisions are influenced by the protagonists' lot in life, just like the criminals in Money Heist.

Nobody chooses to break into a vacation property and steal from it. The Wife chooses to marry the CEO, who chooses to live with greed. Their decisions, whether intended or not, have an impact on one another.

It was established at the beginning of the movie that Nobody is a criminal who does not purposely harm people. Based on his behavior, he appears to be doing the crime out of desperation.

This is probably why the CEO believes that the Wife can easily seduce him. Under duress, the Wife engages in an intimate chat with the robber to grow closer to him.

Nobody, however, throws a metaphorical grenade into the marriage near the end by disclosing that the Wife has no plans to start a family with the CEO. She is betrayed just when she thinks she has found an understanding ear.

Nobody, in the end, is simply concerned with his interests and is indifferent about the miseries of the dissatisfied Wife. Her awakening is driven by her determination to regain her own story, and she murders Nobody in the process.

She also murders her husband, the CEO, to become free of her toxic marriage.

Aside from her function in care-giving, the movie spends the majority of its time ignoring the Wife and concentrating on the toxic relationship between the two men.

She puts up with the CEO's infidelity, and her only form of defiance is to use birth control pills to prevent having children with him.

The film, which highlights the Wife's plight throughout, empowers her in the end, allowing her to symbolically free herself from the gender that has bound her. Regardless of the penalties the Wife may face as a result of the events of Windfall, one thing is certain: she is in charge now.

Windfall was released on Netflix on March 18, 2022.

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Edited by Saman