I Came By ending explained on Netflix (2024)

I Came By was a major hit on Netflix and gave viewers lots to discuss after watching it, not least for its numerous major twists. On its surface, I Came By appeared to be a simple thriller about a graffiti artist named Toby (George MacKay) who stumbles on the sinister secret of retired judge Sir Hector Blake (Hugh Bonneville), aka "St Blake", and decides to expose it.

However, the film is far less straightforward than that thanks to director and co-writer Babak Anvari, whose game-changing twist that happens shortly into I Came By, upends any expectations we had.

This all builds to a dramatic climax, via some other dark twists, and it's a finale that could leave a big question hanging over it. (And no, we don't mean why the movie features nods to both The Great British Bake Off and Rick and Morty.)

We asked Anvari himself to clear up any confusion, so we're about to delve into all the major reveals of I Came By.

I Came By ending explained: Who is the prisoner?

The first time that Toby breaks into Hector's home, he sees some compromising photos of a beaten-up young man and wrist ties in the basem*nt. But that is nothing compared to what he sees when he looks through the peephole of a hidden metal door.

We don't see what it is until the next time that Toby breaks in, having failed to get Jay's help as he's now expecting a baby. The police were also no good as Hector uses his connection to the local superintendent to scare them off. So Toby takes it into his own hands – to devastating effects.

It turns out that Hector has a young man held captive in his secret room and Toby tries to help him escape. Hector returns mid-rescue and Toby's attempt to attack Hector ends up with him slipping on the floor. Hector hits him with a cricket bat and the next scene we see is Hector burning the bat and his clothes.

Worried about Toby's absence, Lizzie (Kelly Macdonald) starts to investigate Hector and eventually sees Hector spending the evening with young Iranian masseur Omid (Yazdan Qafouri).

Lizzie is waiting outside when Omid stumbles out of Hector's home after he realises he's been spiked by Hector, with Lizzie helping Omid escape.

But why is Hector going after immigrants despite the fact he used to help them in his career? The answer comes in a conversation he has with Omid as he's waiting for the drugs to take effect.

Hector tells him that their family used to have a young Parsi helper called Ravi who his father took under his wing. Hector's father then invited Ravi to live with them and, eventually, slept with him. Hector's mother took her own life after being "banished to the guest room", with Hector discovering her body.

Hector was sent away to boarding school and harboured a resentment for Ravi as he "replaced my mother and me". One summer, Hector attacked Ravi like a "savage beast" to the extent he thought he'd killed him. "It was so liberating, so empowering. Almost transcendental," Hector tells Omid.

It seems Hector is using the prisoners he takes as a substitute for Ravi, punishing 'him' for what happened to his mother. It's either that or the events of Hector's youth just awakened something dark in him. Whatever it is, it certainly suggests Hector used his work with immigrants for another nefarious reason.

Omid refuses to talk to the police about his experience as he's an asylum seeker, despite Lizzie's insistence. Hector eventually captures Omid again by threatening him about his application for permanent residence.

When Omid goes missing, Lizzie decides to investigate herself. It ends just as well for Lizzie as it did for Toby. Before Hector kills her, he tells her that he killed Toby and "flushed his ashes down the toilet". Lizzie and Omid both meet the same dark fate.

After not hearing from Lizzie for a week (having refused to help her with Hector), Jay (Percelle Ascott) starts to investigate and discovers Hector's home has been cleared out and put up for sale.

Luckily for Jay, his ex Naz (Varada Sethu) is having her dissertation read by Hector as a favour from her professor, who went to school with Hector.

Because of this, Jay knows that Hector is being honoured at the tercentenary celebrations at Hector's old school. Jay follows Hector from the event to his new home and after a brief fight, overpowers Hector and leaves him bound for the police to find.

In the basem*nt, Jay finds another hidden room and Hector has managed to get another prisoner inside. It seems Hector wasted no time in continuing his dark hobby after his move, but this time, Jay is able to free the new prisoner.

Given we get such quick glimpses of both prisoners in Hector's home, you might be wondering if it's the same prisoner or, perhaps, even Ravi himself who might have been kept for years by Hector as punishment.

Co-writer and director Babak Anvari confirmed to Digital Spy that they're different prisoners, with Hector having to clean house after Toby discovered his secret and Ravi, likely, long dead.

Omid was set to be the replacement for his previous prisoner before Lizzie got involved, and both Lizzie and Toby just happened to be in the wrong place at the very wrong time.

Still, at least Hector will finally get his comeuppance, right? RIGHT?

I Came By is available to watch now on Netflix.