In The Fire (2023) Movie Ending Explained: Does Martin possess Supernatural Abilities?

You don’t believe in miracles unless you witness one with your own eyes. Conor Allyn, in his recent release In The Fire (2023), starring Amber Heard, has conveyed something like this. It is a story set in a very small village in the early 1980s, where a father is compelled to protect his son from the prejudice that drives the villagers to consider killing him. But why? The simplest explanation is that the boy brings death wherever he goes, and everyone would undoubtedly want to rid themselves of him. But is it really that simple? Let’s see. Spoilers Ahead!

In The Fire (2023) Plot Summary & Movie Synopsis:

The film starts with Father Gavira, who unwillingly murders a young boy by drowning him in the water. This haunts him in his nightmares as he wakes up and prays. He regrets his actions and questions God why he makes his followers suffer this much. It is understandable from the scenario that Gavira believes that God has spoken to him and told him about the children who carry bad luck with them. This is the reason why Gavira kills those boys in the first place.

Later, we are introduced to Doctor Grace Burnham, a psychologist from Nueva York (New York), who has come at the request of Isabelle. Isabelle has written to her about the illness of her son, Martin Marquez. She has asked her to come and visit them at Marquez Ranch. In the village, they are the powerful people with a vast farming land. At that time, the more land you own, the more powerful you become, but still, the most powerful entity remains the church, the religion.

What is Grace’s first impression upon seeing the Marquez family?

When Grace enters the Marquez Ranch, she feels an eerie atmosphere in the air. The crops in the field are mostly destroyed because of the locusts. No one around seems to be happy about anything, as it seems like a shadow of darkness has fallen upon their lives. As Grace meets Maria, one of the caretakers of the Marquez house, she is guided into her room. She wishes to see Martin first. But Maria insists that she talk to Nicolas first, the owner of the Ranch and the father of Martin Marquez.

Later that night, Grace meets Nicolas, and he tells her to leave the next morning as they do not require a nurse. Grace confronts him, and Father Antonio intervenes between them. Antonio talks to Nicolas and makes him realize that the train comes only once a week, so Grace will have to stay. Nicolas agrees to the proposition. Grace thinks that Nicolas is very conservative, and his unwillingness to reason creates a bad impression on her. She believes that his mind is clouded with prejudice rather than focused on his son’s ailment.

What is Grace’s initial diagnosis of Martin?

When Father Antonio guides her to Martin’s room, she notices that his door is kept locked from the outside. When she inquires about the reason behind such cruelty, Father Antonio explains that it’s for the greater good. Grace struggles to understand his reasoning when she meets Martin for the first time. He appears to be a very obedient young boy who enjoys playing the violin and aspires to see Buffalo Bill one day. He shares his stories with Grace, and she feels that Martin doesn’t seem to be anything like what she had expected to see.

However, as time passes and Grace discusses Martin’s mother, Isabelle, she uncovers the dark force of nature. Martin initially talks about her casually and suddenly reveals that he has killed his mother. Grace is quite surprised, wondering why a boy of his age would say something like that. She confronts Nicolas, and he confirms that Martin is telling the truth.

At first, it appeared to be an accident, but soon Nicolas realized the truth. On the day Isabelle was killed, Martin was so engrossed in riding his horse that he didn’t even notice that his mother died screaming in pain because he didn’t stop the horse. Isabelle was holding the rope tied to the horse. Nonetheless, Grace tells him that, irrespective of the circumstances, Martin should not be burdened with such guilt. Nicolas also tells her about an incident where Martin brings up her deceased sister because he doesn’t want to see Isabelle sad.

Grace believes that these are signs of ‘Savant Syndrome,’ where the patient suffers from not only one but numerous sources of trauma. They can have multiple disorders simultaneously. Grace prefers to emphasize science over prejudice, no matter how reluctant everyone around her may be. Nicolas and Father Antonio try to warn her about what she’s dealing with, but she has already made up her mind until she meets Father Gavira.

What happens when Grace confronts Father Gavira?

The following day, Grace takes Martin to visit her mother’s grave, ignoring Father Antonio’s warnings. Antonio accompanies them when Father Gavira arrives. He wants to apprehend Martin, but Antonio and Grace intervene. Meanwhile, Martin somehow manages to communicate with one of the horses, and Gavira orders his men to capture him. Antonio somehow helps Martin and Grace escape from that situation. However, later that night, Nicolas brings him home with severe injuries. Grace knows that Gavira will not cease his pursuit of Martin. Now she starts to understand why they prefer locking him inside his room so that he doesn’t get into any trouble. Grace goes to confront Gavira and shows him the books that mention the disease.

However, the timing is not right. Grace approaches him in the middle of a funeral where two little boys die because of consuming the chocolate that Martin had given to them the previous day. Although the cause may be different, Gavira and the people tend to believe that it happened because of Martin. So, the anger persists as they hold Grace, and Gavira starts to chastise her for siding with Martin, whom they consider to be the devil. Luckily, Nicolas arrives with his men to rescue Grace from them.

As Grace opens up to Martin, the dynamics between the father and the son begin to change. They start talking with each other again and even spend time together. Nicolas sees the impact Grace has on Martin. The adults draw closer to each other, and along with Father Antonio and Martin, they sit at the dinner table. The family seems to be finding light after a long period of darkness.

In The Fire (2023) Movie Ending Explained:

Why does Father Gavira attack the Ranch?

One night, the father of the two deceased sons comes to Marquez Ranch seeking revenge. He sets fire to the stable and injures Nicolas and Grace. He nearly strikes Martin, but when he aims at him, a burning piece of wood falls from above. The man perishes, and Nicolas carries him in broad daylight, leaving him in front of the church. Subsequently, the villagers salt Nicolas’s lands to prevent him from farming ever again. However, that night puts Grace in a position where she begins to doubt whether the prejudice might be correct. She confides in Father Antonio and reveals that she witnessed what Martin did to the man in the stable.

Father Antonio implores her to assist Martin in such a dire situation. Meanwhile, Martin contemplates a better place where his father and other villagers can start farming. The entire village believes that Martin is to blame for the ruined crops and dead animals. Even a plague starts claiming the lives of the villagers. They turn to Father Gavira for help, and he decides to kill Martin, even if it means wiping out the rest of the family. He, along with other men from the village, assaults Marquez Ranch.

Does Martin possess Supernatural Abilities?

Nicolas attempts to hold them off for a while but fails to complete his task. Everyone on the ranch perishes while protecting Martin and Grace from the villagers. Ultimately, Gavira takes them hostage, but Nicolas, bleeding from head to toe, arrives to rescue Martin and Grace. Some villagers attack him, and at that precise moment, something supernatural occurs. Grace observes Martin screaming for Nicolas, and then he performs something with his hands that keeps the villagers away from Nicolas. A man even immolates himself when Father Gavira attempts to shoot Martin from behind.

Grace shouts at him, and Martin turns around. Miraculously, the gun discharges in reverse, killing Father Gavira. Every remaining individual flees after witnessing this otherworldly event. Grace, Martin, and Nicolas reach the station. They are on the verge of leaving the village for good when Nicolas informs Grace that regardless of what happens, she must always remember that it was he who killed those men, not Martin. Grace pledges to keep Martin safe, always. The two of them board the train as Martin gazes at his deceased father, possibly for the last time ever.

Read More: The Fangs of Fear: Exploring Horror and Dread in ‘Jaws’ (1975)

Trailer:

In The Fire (2023) Movie Links: IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, Wikipedia, Letterboxd
The Cast of In The Fire (2023) Movie: Amber Heard, Eduardo Noriega, Lorenzo McGovern Zaini
In The Fire (2023) Movie Genre: Mystery & thriller, Runtime: 1h 27m

Where to watch In the Fire