The Black Demon (2023) Movie Ending Explained: Steven Spielberg’s Jaws hit the theatres in the summer of 1975. After that, it created history critically and commercially and was hailed as one of the greatest films ever. Since then, Hollywood producers have been trying to replicate that same formula over and over again. As a product, we get the films like the lackluster Jaws Sequels, Deep Blue Sea, The Meg, and many more.
The new film called The Black Demon is the same killer shark film we have been familiar with for so long. The movie ticks all the checkboxes containing the formula for a killer shark movie. And though the film contains some cringe-worthy acting and lousy writing, it can’t be denied that it is an enjoyable one-time watch.
This article is intended to talk about the film in detail. So, the readers are warned not to read any further if they are interested in checking this film out, as there will be spoilers.
The Black Demon (2023) Plot Summary and Movie Synopsis:
The Black Demon begins by introducing the tales of the mythical shark that lives off the Baja coast. We get to know that the gigantic Megalodon shark has affected the sanity of several fishermen, and it was termed “El Demonio Negro” by the locals. A family of four travels to the Baja Peninsula on a work vacation. Paul Sturges is a proud employee at Nixon Oil. He heads the security division and was on his way to check the conditions on the El Diamante oil rig. He hoped to revitalize the rig instead of decommissioning it.
After reaching Costa Azul, Paul, and Ines are surprised that the hotel had been shut down. The town looks empty in general, and the people there stare at Paul and his family suspiciously. Paul interacts with a few strangers, but they are not welcoming as they could be. When Paul mentions that he works for Nixon Oil and the company is responsible for building the place, the strangers became furious. He indirectly blames Nixon Oil for the damage to the place. Ines alleviates the situation and asks El Rey to help them locate an eatery. While walking to the eatery, they notice how deserted the town is. There is a dark secret that the town was hiding.
Upon reaching the food shack, Paul decides to get the inspection of the oil rig done and asks Ines to find a decent hotel for them. Even though Ines does not feel safe, she agrees to it, thinking it is only a matter of a few hours. Paul locates the boat that is assigned to take him to the rig, but after traveling halfway, Chocolatito refuses to go any further, stating that he can feel bad vibes. He offers Paul to travel in a different motorboat that he has kept ready. Paul travels to the oil rig alone and is shocked to see no one around.
Meanwhile, Ines, Tommy, and Audrey enjoy the sea view from the shack. Soon, a few men gather and start to harass Ines and Audrey. Ines knocks one of the men in the head with a glass bottle and walks away from the shack. The men continue to follow them, and with no other options in hand, Ines pays a fisherman and asks him to take them to the oil rig. While they manage to escape one danger, they are immediately forced to encounter the next big problem.
While traveling to the oil rig, Choco states that El Diamante has woken up the demon, which is why most of the villagers either flee or die. Paul dismisses the strange theory and laughs at it. But the moment he reaches the oil rig and finds it empty, he starts questioning his decisions. Paul finds a little dog at the rig, and immediately two men attempt to attack him. They do not expect someone from the company to visit them. When Paul explains who he is, Chato and Junior gradually explain what went wrong with El Diamante.
Meanwhile, Ines and her children sense a strange presence as they near the rig. When Audrey touches the water, her palm is covered in oil. Chato and Junior notice the megalodon shark going around the boat Ires and the kids are in, and they try to distract El Demonio by making noises. Panic starts to set in as they notice Paul’s boat go down. Ires, Audrey, and Tommy safely reach the rig. While returning to the town, the fisherman who brought Ires and her children to the rig are attacked and consumed by the colossal megalodon. Paul and his family now know what they are dealing with. Paul is not only responsible for revitalizing the rig but also for protecting his family from the creature.
Chato reveals that some lucky crew members escape while the rest are killed. He adds that the radio on the rig does not function, and the calls previously made to the company go ignored. Nixon Oil knows about the rampant spillage but never solves it. Later, Ines discovers the safety reports and notices that the warnings are ignored, and Paul signs the documents.
Ines realizes that her husband knew about the deteriorating conditions of the oil rig all along, but he choose to look the other way. When she confronts Paul, he admits his mistakes and adds that he did what he did to provide a better life for his family. His job would be at risk if he did not act according to the company’s interests. In a way, he is forced to sign the reports, and he regrets losing his moral conscience during that time.
Oil companies like Nixon Oil have developed self-inspection procedures to get away with everything. Paul remembers that it was a complete failure the first time he tested Diamante. He listed all the hazards and problems he noticed in his first report. The following day, he was threatened by the company. Since he was not ready to lose his well-paying job, from that day on, Paul learned to work solely in the company’s interest, even if it means lying in the reports.
Chato and Junior prepare to make an underwater run to bring back the power, and while doing so, they discuss the myth around El Demonio. When the oil rig was established, the people of Bahia Azul were hopeful about the future. Jobs were promised, and people aspired for a better standard of living. Things looked good initially, but gradually the company started to overlook the regulatory standards, and everything took a turn for the worse.
El Demonio is not just a megalodon; Chato believes the creature is a curse. The god of rain, Tlaloc, is considered the giver of life, and his tears make up the oceans, the rivers, and the lakes. When people take more than they need, Tlaloc punishes them. Chato believes that El Demonio is not just a creature but an extension of the old gods. The ocean is constantly polluted, and Tlaloc is not happy about it. El Demonio is sent to teach humanity a lesson. The ones who encounter the creature see vivid visions that the god wants them to see. Audrey sees dismembered bodies all around her when she falls into the water. According to Chato, this is god’s way of holding humans accountable for their mistakes.
Just then, Paul notices an underwater timer bomb attached to the leg of the rig. He realizes that Nixon Oil is planting the bomb to murder him while he is at the rig. The batteries used in the bomb are the ones the company uses for underwater demolition. Paul cannot help but laugh at the situation he is in. The people he tried to please all these years are conspiring to kill him.
Meanwhile, the oil spill is beyond control; the rig is almost nonfunctional, and it will all get reported sooner or later. They need someone to blame it on, and Paul is the perfect candidate. They have his signature on every security report, and they intend to use it to state that his negligence resulted in the spill. Paul is determined to right his wrongs, and he comes up with a plan that can save his family. He decides to stop the leak by using the repair valves and bomb El Demonio to end the torment. Even though it is risky, Paul knows there is no alternative.
Meanwhile, Audrey and Tommy come up with the idea of building a raft they could use.
Paul prepares to dive underwater to protect his family. Before leaving, the family prays together, along with Chato, hoping that Tlaloc will forgive them and allow them the chance to leave safely. While Paul works on executing his plan, Chato, Ines, Audrey, and Tommy board the makeshift raft. Paul goes halfway through his plan but has to devise an alternative after the black demon attacks him.
The bomb is ticking, and he does not have much time. At the end of The Black Demon, Paul contacts his family and says his last goodbyes. Paul hopes that Chato and the town’s residents will utilize the documents he left behind to pursue justice and hold Nixon Oil accountable for the harm. He leaves his watch for Tommy, who has always dreamed of becoming a pirate.
With the bomb attached to his body, Paul is consumed by El Demonio, and just as the bomb ticks, the creature is destroyed. His wife and children watch the bomb blow up from a distance. The fact that Paul is no longer alive starts to set in, and even though the danger is gone, losing him is almost unbearable. The rig collapses after the bombing. The family notices a motorboat coming towards them. El Rey and Choco help the family get on board. As the family travels to the shore, it starts to rain.
The Black Demon (2023) Movie Ending Explained:
What Does the drowning of the boat signify?
In the last shot of The Black Demon, we see a small wooden boat consisting of five small wooden figures drowning in the ocean. The same wooden boat Tommy earlier floats on the sea and asks forgiveness from Tlaloc’s (the god locals believe in) wrath for bringing the ‘Black Demon,’ a megalodon, into the ocean. Eventually, there are six figures on the boat, five of which signify the surviving members at the El Diamante oil rig, and one figure represents the god, Tlaloc itself. But as Tommy floats the boat, one figure drowns immediately.
This drowning signifies the eventual demise of Paul, Tommy’s father, at the film’s end. To protect his family and to eliminate the sea monster once and for all, Paul decides to get down to the sea and pulls out the bomb from one of the rig’s legs. Then when the megalodon attacks Paul, he intentionally gets devoured by it. And as soon as it finished him, the bomb eventually killed it.
When Paul is fighting with the giant sea monster, his family, with Chato, a worker in El Diamante, sets out for the shore in a housemade raft. When they are far enough from the rig, a speedboat comes to their rescue.
As they are rescued and the giant demon is killed simultaneously, one might think this is ultimately a happy ending. But as the speedboat moves forward, the camera captures the small wooden boat from earlier, consisting of five wooden figures signifying the four remaining members of the oil rig (Tommy, Audrey, Ines, and Chato) and Tlaloc. But we can see in the end that the wooden boat drowns in the ocean. From this, the danger for the survivors is likely not over yet, and on their way toward the shore, they may face a much more significant threat on this treacherous sea.
