Sylwester Jakimow’s “Inheritance” (“Spadek,” 2024) is a comedic murder mystery film with a big ensemble. From the get-go, it seems inspired by Rian Johnson’s “Knives Out.” It unfolds in a desolate mansion of a wealthy person who was immensely popular in the past. He expects his relatives to be present in person to learn about his will. What seems like an easy way to get wealthy turns into a wild adventure for all of them. Filled with twists and turns, Lukasz Sychowicz’s plot-driven screenplay is designed to keep the viewers intrigued by its mystery.
Spoilers Ahead
Inheritance (Spadek, 2024) Plot Summary & Movie Synopsis:
Written by Lukasz Sychowicz & directed by Sylwester Jakimow, “Inheritance” (“Spadek”) is a Polish murder mystery drama that feels heavily inspired by Rian Johnson’s “Knives Out.” It stars Maciej Stuhr, Gabriela Msukala, Franek Slominski, Jozefina Karnkowska, Joanna Trzepiecinska, Piotr Pacek, and Jan Peszek.
What is ‘Inheritance’ on Netflix about?
“Inheritance” on Netflix follows a family getting together to inherit the enormous fortune of their uncle Wladyslaw. In the past, Wladyslaw was a popular inventor and a game show host. He wanted his entire family to attend the reading of his will in person. For decades, they had not come to meet him or met each other. But since it is a matter of easy money, they rush to Wladyslaw’s remote mansion.
The Family Dynamic
The family consists of a married couple, Dawid & Zosia, their children 16-year-old Jozefina/ Jozie & 13-year-old Henryk, Dawid’s cousin, Natalia and her much younger boyfriend Gustaw, and the other cousin, Karol Fortuna & his same-name partner. Dawid is a school teacher, whereas Zosia is a tax collector. Natalia is a popular crime novelist, whereas Gustaw is a freeloader. Karol Fortuna works in marketing at a small company whereas his partner is an Uber driver.
Before reaching the mansion, they meet each other at a gas station and have an awkward interaction. At the mansion, Uncle Wladyslaw’s butler tells them about a possible snowstorm. While having dinner, they all share what they want to do with their share of the inheritance. Zosia says she wants a house with a balcony. Natalia claims she wants to buy a yacht. Karols thinks of adopting a baby. Hearing that, Jozefina pitches in with her teenage wisdom about wealth distribution. Overall, they all have fairly predictable desires.
The Private Discussions
After dinner, the couples and the kids go to their rooms. While Natalia starts a homophobic rant against the Karols, Zosia gossips about Natalia & Gustaw. Zosia thinks Gustaw is with Natalia just for money, but Dawid is one of those people who think all people are inherently good. The next day, Wladyslaw’s butler reads out Wladyslaw’s will, where he gives away a considerable chunk of his wealth to an orphanage. In addition, he has prepared a game for his family members to win the rights to all his inventions, trademarks, and patents. Right after, Wladyslaw gives them another surprise: he is not dead.
Wladyslaw shows up in the room and shares details about the game. Then, he stabs himself in the chest repeatedly to show his recent invention of a thin, bullet-proof vest. Since the game is due the next day, the couples decide to be on Wladyslaw’s good side. The next morning, they find Wladyslaw dead in the kitchen. So, they call the police. Shortly after, two men arrive to investigate the case. Since there is no chance of outside entry in the snowstorm, they believe one of the family members killed the uncle. Everyone denies the blame and tries to find the culprit.
The Game
The family members plan to play the game Wladyslaw planned for them. The first riddle is to find who or what drives Wladyslaw the most. While they try to find the answer, the two guests invite the family members one by one to ask about Wladyslaw and his patents. The night before the murder, Wladyslaw also spoke with the family members one by one. At the time, he revealed his knowledge of Zasia’s affair with her boss. To divert the blame, she mentions that she heard Karol shouting at the uncle. Karol reveals that he was angry at his uncle for not giving him millions for his future. He diverts the blame to Natalia.
Natalia reveals that she needed Wladyslaw’s money to recover from her recent ill-conceived financial decisions. Dawid spoke with Wladyslaw about his financial issues. Meanwhile, Dawid solves the first puzzle, which leads the entire family to Wladyslaw’s old game show set. To reach the next stage, the family members need to answer some questions about each other. Since they know very little, they struggle with it. But they start winning after they help out each other. They understand that the point of the game was for them to help & learn things about each other.
Inheritance (Spadek, 2024) Movie Ending Explained:
Who were the two male guests?
While the two men confiscated everyone’s phones, Jozie concealed her second phone. Because of it, she and Henryk realize that the two men aren’t cops. The actual cops couldn’t make it because of the snowstorm. Jozie tells Natalia about it. Natalia tells Jozie to hide this from others. Then, Henryk uses a secret route to log into Wladyslaw’s computer to find more details about the game. Meanwhile, Natalia joins Jozie for the fake cops’ questioning. The fake cops soon discover Jozie’s hidden phone. Now that the cat’s out of the bag, they admit that they are not cops and are there for Wladyslaw’s patents.
The family members reunite for the next part of their game. On the way, Dawid finds a box of chocolates and eats 7 of them. Then, the butler reveals that it was one of Wladyslaw’s experiments. Some drugs were added to the chocolates that make people too candid. So, Dawid starts hallucinating stuff and gets honest about his marriage. Zosia reveals that she is pregnant. While the two men kidnap Henryk, other family members enter a maze to find the answer. They manage to get out by ‘finding themselves.’ After they escape the maze, the fake cop tries to shoot them. Henryk uses his judo skills to fight this man. Then, the real cops come to arrest the fake cops.
What was Wladyslaw’s patent?
After the fake cops get arrested, the family members unlock the last puzzle to learn about the elusive patent. They learn that the patents and inventions were just in Wladyslaw’s head. At least, Wladyslaw claims they are only in his brain. Eventually, the family gets over their hunger for money and starts cherishing their time together. While they decide to leave the mansion, a cop shows up and handcuffs Natalia. That’s when the family learns about the culprit behind Wladyslaw’s murder.
Who was behind Wladyslaw’s death?
In the past, Wladyslaw’s game show was shut down because of a shocking incident. One of his female contestants killed herself after failing to give the correct answer. Turns out, Gustaw was that woman’s grandson. So, he blamed Wladyslaw for misleading his grandmother during the game, which led to her deteriorating health and his life in an orphanage. So, the night Wladyslaw asked to meet everyone, one by one, Gustaw stabbed him, thinking he was wearing his thin, bullet-proof vest. Henryk figured out an issue with Gustaw’s behavior, called the cops and got him arrested. Although Henryk’s parents couldn’t fulfill their wishes, he found a pen drive that might be a key to his patents.
