Years after the Rapture, some of the survivors are so shaken up that they vow to give up even the simple act of speaking – that’s how much things have changed. This statement pretty much sums up E.L. Katz’s, “Azrael” (2024). The film takes place post-rapture, which, in Christian belief, is when, at the end of time, all the good-hearted people (both the living and the dead) are plucked up to the heavens, leaving behind the so-called sinners. Those left behind are stuck in a world where chaos, crime, and sin run wild. The film really drills into that idea of the breakdown of society, faith, and morality in a world abandoned by the righteous.
Azrael (2024) Plot Summary & Movie Synopsis:
Who is Azrael?
“Azrael” is about a fierce woman of the same name trying to survive in a post-rapture world gone completely mute. Yes, people have given up talking, believing speech itself is sinful now. Azrael’s in love with Kenan. But things go from bad to worse when they both get grabbed up by a wild cult of zealots. These fanatics follow the same no-talking rule. However, they’ve taken it up a notch, seeing themselves as some kind of self-proclaimed saviors. They think it’s their responsibility to clean up the world by wiping out anyone they see as a sinner.
On top of everything else, the world is crawling with zombies that this cult loves to use as their way of handling “sinners.” They call it an offering, but it’s just a death sentence. In Miriam and her gang’s eyes, Azrael and Kenan are just as guilty as anyone else. So, they tie them up, chanting these weird, screeching howls to lure in the ghouls. Just when it looks like Azrael’s about to be eaten, she takes out one of her captors and makes a break for the woods.
Even though Azrael has managed to escape, she can’t shake the fact that Kenan is still stuck with those cult members. So, she decides to head back to their settlement to save him. Following the tire tracks, she winds up in a camp deep in the woods, with makeshift tents and campfires everywhere, hinting she’s in the right spot. Azrael sneaks around and finds the bracelet she gave Kenan before they were captured. Azrael thinks that the cult probably fed him to the zombies.
Who is Miriam?
Miriam, the leader of the eerie mute cult, also runs their church. The church’s walls are scrawled with graffiti, laying out the strict rules her followers must follow. She’s dressed in white and is pregnant. When Josephine signals that Azrael has escaped, Miriam answers with a hard slap, clearly telling her to fix her mistake. Her flock follows her blindly, fearing her authority. They believe she’s like Mary, carrying a “savior” in her womb who will deliver them to heaven, where they’ll join the other believers and bask in the glory of God.
This could explain why Miriam orders her followers to hunt down anyone they label as a sinner and sacrifice them to the creatures lurking in the woods. It’s a reflection of how, in desperate times, people lose their way, believing that committing sins will somehow save them and secure their place in heaven. But even if Jesus were to be born post-rapture, it’s clear he wouldn’t come through the sacrifice of innocent people who’ve done no wrong. There’s also the possibility that this cult isn’t waiting for the Son of God at all but rather the birth of the Antichrist.
What Happens to Kenan?
After escaping the cult’s camp once again, Azrael crosses paths with a man who, to her surprise, actually speaks. This reveals that the no-talk rule is something only the cult and its followers obey. Azrael’s shock at hearing him talk suggests she hasn’t heard a voice in a long time, if ever. The man even turns on some music, trying to ease her. But just as Azrael begins to calm down, a bullet strikes the man, killing him and causing the car to crash. One of the cult members shows up to capture Azrael. However, this time, she fights back, making her first kill.
A little later, Azrael finds Kenan tied to a tree, likely used as bait to lure her in. But before the cult member can finish the job, the very same zombies the cult tried to feed Azrael, tear them apart. Once they’ve devoured the cult members, they turn on Kenan, ripping him open while Azrael watches. Fortunately, Azrael somehow manages to survive once again.
How does Azrael Become the Angel of Death?
Since Azrael used to be part of the same cult, she knew their tricks—like how they communicate with each other through coded whistles. Using that knowledge, she lures the cult members away from Miriam to kill her. But when she sees that Miriam is pregnant, Azrael hesitates. Miriam, however, shows no mercy and knocks Azrael down and orders her followers to bury her alive in a grave connected to one of the tunnels that the zombies use to move around.
A zombie tries to attack Azrael, but it stops after sniffing the blood on Azrael’s fingers, Miriam’s blood. Azrael escapes the tunnel, grabs a gun, and takes out several cult members, becoming Azrael—the angel of death. In the Bible, Azrael is known as the angel of death because he was the only one brave enough to descend to Earth, face the armies of the devil, and retrieve the materials God needed to create humankind.
Azrael (2024) Movie Ending Explained:
Whom Did Miriam Give Birth To?
After killing the entire camp, Azrael makes her way to the church to kill Miriam. She tries to fight back. But Azrael bites her in the neck. Also, during the struggle, Miriam’s water breaks, and she goes into labor. However, as soon as Miriam gives birth, she tries to get away from her newborn as if she has seen a ghost. Soon after, Miriam slashes open her neck with an axe.
This suggests that Miriam has given birth to the Antichrist, a being so powerful that even a sight of it could drive people to commit the ultimate sin, suicide. The cries of the baby start to attract hordes of zombies, likely drawn to the presence of the Antichrist. As the film reaches its climax, we find Azrael holding the baby with a smile that mirrors the imagery depicted in the church graffiti. It seems like Azrael will now take on the role of raising the child as her own.
