Soundproof (2023) Movie Ending, Explained - Why did Izzy salute Tom at the end?

Trauma shapes the personality of an individual in drastically complex ways. The effect it has on the recipient’s mind and their life choices has been a favorite theme of filmmakers since time immemorial. It is difficult to shed some new light on it within the set-up of a mysterious and suspenseful pursuit. Many filmmakers have dabbled in it, ranging from little to extreme success. Soundproof (2023), directed by Mark Hayman and Margaret Rogerson, falls somewhere in the middle. It has an interesting premise with some inflammable ingredients slowly added to the boiling pot. Some explode, others just fizzle away.

But overall, we are left with some burning questions and a twist at the end, which makes us rethink the entire film. So, I will dissect the plot, themes, and events in detail.

Soundproof (2023) Plot Summary and Movie Synopsis :

It starts with Kevin and Jo walking out in a parking lot. Jo discusses her fear of aging with Kevin and invites him to her place to have sex. They are about to leave in a car when a muscular bald guy in a car beside him calls him to take some money for a deal. Kevin returns with a rucksack that he places in the backseat. As the car moves, they hit another car in the vicinity. The man in that car yells at him, and he gets out, hitting him in front of his family. This behavior annoys Jo, and she is furious at him.

Back in their apartment, Jo‘s kids Dylan and Izzy, shut the door of their room when Kevin and Jo enter, arguing about his unnecessary spat. He keeps doing drugs and tries to forcefully have sex with Jo dismissing her protestations. Suddenly Izzy hits him with a desk drawer from behind, knocking him unconscious. The mother realizes he is dead and, fearing the consequences, decides to run away for some time on the advice of a friend, Milan.

Kevin’s brother Pete discovers his death and kidnaps Milan to trace Jo’s whereabouts. Milan tells him that some dealer probably killed Kevin, and Jo ran away to save her life. Pete refuses to believe her and keeps on his trail.

Meanwhile, Jo offers a lift to a stranger, Tom, who repairs their car. Milan, wary of Pete, resists divulging any information about Jo, but he confiscates her phone, reading the messages sent to Jo. But Jo’s landlady tells her that Pete has kidnapped Milan and is coming after her, which leads her to break off communication with Milan.

Tom starts lurking around their caravan in the woods, which makes Izzy suspicious and rattled. Dylan takes a liking to Tom and starts spending time with him, learning swimming and other stuff. After Dylan nearly drowns when Tom pushes him into the water, Izzy warns her mother about Tom, suspecting he is a dangerous person hiding something. She makes her promise not to let him in the caravan.

Pete enlists the help of Milan to bury Kevin and reveals that he wants the rucksack of money for Jo and has no intention of revenge. Milan tries to convince him that Jo has no idea about the money, which Pete refuses to believe.

Izzy starts messaging Milan out of anxiety and fear after she discovers Tom talking to himself in the middle of the night. They all go on a boat trip to the other side of the shore, where Tom grows close to his mother.

After a while, they all start dancing. Suddenly, Tom starts shaking in one corner, disturbed by the noise, and Izzy has a nervous breakdown – seeing images of Kevin in place of Tom. They suspect the rucksack belongs to Tom, who is hiding something from them.

Milan tries to evade Pete by hiding the phone in the room while leaving, but Pete discovers this at the restaurant. He returns to the hotel room, frantically searching for the phone, which opens his wounds. Milan tries to calm him down and cleans the blood.

Back at the caravan, Tom and Jo play a guessing game, after which they have sex. Tom reveals his military background to Jo and his experiences in Afghanistan. He tells about his condition suffering from PTSD, where he has nightmares and hears sounds that throw him off-balance.

The next morning, Izzy finds them in bed with Jo, which infuriates her. She calls Dylan, who enters the room, causing Jo to lash out at him. All this noise triggers Tom, who rushes out where Izzy hands over the rucksack and tells him she murdered Jo’s ex-boyfriend.

Pete arrives with Milan and demands his money back. Jo tells him it is in the back of the car, but Milan and Dylan do not find anything. Furious, he holds Izzy at gunpoint and threatens to shoot her when Tom launches an arrow into his feet and gives him the rucksack. She orders both men to leave, and when Pete accuses Jo of murdering Kevin, Izzy defends her and reveals she murdered him not only for attempting to rape her mom but also for raping her.

Pete throws some money behind, which Jo throws back at his windscreen. Later he dies from bleeding while on the road with the rucksack beside him. Afterward, on their way back, Izzy spots Tom at the roadside. She steps out and salutes him.

Soundproof (2023) Movie Ending, Explained:

Why did Izzy kill Kevin?

The answer may sound simple – to defend her mother. But as we come to know, it was not only her mother she was defending, but it was also herself. Kevin was a child molester who presumably abused Izzy in the past, which propelled her to take charge and hit him when she found him doing the same thing to her mother.

Who exactly is Tom?

Tom is ex-military personnel who served in Afghanistan and is suffering from PTSD. He has nightmares and cannot tolerate noise and shouting, which causes him to flip. That’s why he carried a bow, arrow, and rifle, knew how to shoot the rabbit, and made a boat out of that damaged vessel. He was trained to be alert and on the watch at all times. Mental and emotional crises blanketed his efforts to get back into civilian life. He was trying to put himself together and return to a normal life after experiencing severely distressful events on the battlefield.

Why was Izzy suspicious of Tom throughout?

Jo’s boyfriend, Kevin, abused Izzy, which developed a general mistrust of any man her mother showed interest in. Tom’s sudden impulsive rage, like when he tells her to keep her hands inside, terrorizes her. She grew more suspicious the more she found out about her. She did not want her mother or her to suffer the same fate they endured with Kevin. The rabbit, the news of a boy beaten up near the store, his lair, and the bag full of money all hinted at predatory behavior for her.

Why did Izzy salute Tom at the end?

The money belonged to Pete, which they mistook for Tom. When Pete got his money back, Izzy revealed the abuse she went through at the hands of Kevin. This subsequently left her mother distraught as she blamed herself for Izyy’s predicament.

Throughout the movie, we get hints that the mother has had relationships with many dangerous men, which disturbs the kids. They disapproved of their mother’s penchant for getting herself, and consequently them, into trouble with her careless choices. The pressure of single parenting makes Jo question herself while being comforted by Milan. Pete also gets his comeuppance as he dies from bleeding even after getting the money.

As they leave, Izzy steps out of the car and salutes Tom. Presumably, she learned about Tom’s military background and understood that he was not a dangerous fiend. He was going through the same after-effects of the traumatic experience that Izzy had to go through because of Kevin.

She understood that he meant well and his erratic behavior was due to his disturbed psychological state and not because he meant to hurt them. Furthermore, his mental state became clear to her, being a survivor of abuse herself. So, she salutes him to signify the mutual understanding of their shared pain and make amends for any harm caused. Tom salutes back to show his acceptance of her forgiveness and forge a bond over their suffering.

They may not be completely healed, but knowing each other, they may fare better in the path ahead as they go their separate ways.

Soundproof (2023) Movie Ending, Explained – Why did Izzy salute Tom at the end?

Soundproof (2023) Plot Summary and Movie Synopsis :