MovieChat Forums > The Ones Below (2016) Discussion > Another somewhat watchable film with a t...

Another somewhat watchable film with a terrible ending (spoilers)


SPOILERS AHEAD


This would have been a fine film had it not been so predictable and if the ending hadn't sucked so bad. I mean, really? The psycho neighbors steal their baby and live happily ever after? The entire narrative was pointing in that direction, just didn't expect the filmmakers to leave it at that. The kid's father should have either arrived at the psycho's new house in Germany with the police in tow, or shown up solo and handed out some much deserved street justice. My vote would have been for the latter. Instead, we're left with yet another film with an unsatisfying ending.




"There are no big words...just little heads." - Bud Bundy

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I agree...far too predictable...the other thing that I thought...would the police not dredge the canal for the babies body? And if they never found the body,do we really think they'd just leave it at that?

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I think the canal scene was staged for any eyewitnesses who could later testify that they saw the mother throw the baby (which was more than likely the cat they couldn't find) in the canal. That coupled with the father's testimony that he found the baby carriage tipped over would probably make it an open and shut case.



"There are no big words...just little heads." - Bud Bundy

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The cops would still want to find the body though.

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Oh I'm sure they would. But based on the available evidence, they would probably surmise that the body was washed out to sea.





"There are no big words...just little heads." - Bud Bundy

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Last time I checked, London isn't a coastal resort. A body dumped in the Thames could take weeks to be "washed out to sea". Assuming the police were alerted immediately they should have had no difficulty finding the baby's body in the river (had it been there).

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And then when they didn't, they would have assumed that the body did just that.




"There are no big words...just little heads." - Bud Bundy

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look, i understand that you feel the need for this film to be plausible, but sometimes it is just time to face the facts. there is nothing wrong with liking a flawed film.

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Did I say there was?




"There are no big words...just little heads." - Bud Bundy

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You are all debating a point about a fictions scenario. Yes in real life the police would have searched for the body; divers, dragging, everything. Depending on the investigators, when no body was found, the next step would be to dig further but considering the suicide was well staged and Teresa had done her Kate impersonation well enough so that even CCTV would not give away that it wasn't Kate (assuming there were cameras around), they probably would come to a conclusion that the body made it's way out to sea.

If there were no viable questions, remember the husband did not believe Kate about "the ones below" and dropped that blockbuster bit of info about her family's mental history (out of the blue that one), then there would be no reason to investigate further.

Yet again this is a movie.

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they would not just brush off a supposed murder suicide just like this. you may think the cops are fools, but that's a tad bit much.

also, well staged??????? she wore her clothes and apart from that did not look like her? it isn't that the film had some minor flaws. there were major logical errors.

"If there were no viable questions, remember the husband did not believe Kate about "the ones below""

yeeeah, that's another thing. so 2 strangers accuse you of being to blame for their childs death, move out and then move in again and out of a sudden things get weird. clearly you would blame your own wife without any hesitation or research??????

"then there would be no reason to investigate further. "

that's not how it works. otherweise no crime would be solved ever.

"Yet again this is a movie."

hollow statement. this was set in reality under the rules of reality. apart from that, even fantasy films need to make sense within the logic of their setting. so, even if this was set in narnia, it would not make up for it's flaws.


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Okay, I'll try and be concise as possible.

If there are no questions, legal questions, and all is what it appears to be (a woman with a family history of mental illness kills her baby and then herself)then there would be no reason for the police to investigate further.

The husband would not have told the police anything since he wasn't there for most of the strange stuff and obviously did not believe her about what she saw when snooping in the neighbors place. He believed she believed what she saw; which is very different from believing what she saw was real. Remember she also, in his eyes, was doing odd things like leaving the gas on and leaving the tub running (yes we the audience know it was the others setting her up to appear unhinged but hubby did not).

The accusation that the couple below made regarding the death of their unborn was never made to the police. The husband would not have said anything since it was shouted in passion and an apology was given. Again, no reason for the police to look at them for any reason other than to ask them if they heard\saw anything.

In the reality cold case TV shows where a detective stays with a case for years after it has been closed usually there are questions that cannot be readily answered. If the cops had watched the movie we watched, well, then lots of questions!! But they didn't. Right??

Get it now??

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"If there are no questions, legal questions, and all is what it appears to be (a woman with a family history of mental illness kills her baby and then herself)then there would be no reason for the police to investigate further. "

which in this case we don't have. first of all the story does not make sense. so she takes her baby for a walk, throws it into the canal and then goes home, takes an overdose and yet drowns. that alone would be enough. apart from that we have a supposed murder suicide here. you think they would not even check alibis? that's delusional. did the murder couple have alibis? nope. i could go on.

"The husband would not have told the police anything since he wasn't there for most of the strange stuff and obviously did not believe her about what she saw when snooping in the neighbors place. He believed she believed what she saw; which is very different from believing what she saw was real. Remember she also, in his eyes, was doing odd things like leaving the gas on and leaving the tub running (yes we the audience know it was the others setting her up to appear unhinged but hubby did not). "

again. what we have here from the POV of the husband is the word of his wife vs two random strangers that accused him and his wife of being to blame for their childs death. it is silly enough, that he would believe the couple, but even more silly would be believing that your wife is insane, but just pretend like nothing happend. nonsense.

"The accusation that the couple below made regarding the death of their unborn was never made to the police. "

so?

"The husband would not have said anything since it was shouted in passion and an apology was given. "

hahahaha. now you are just reaching for straws. c'mon, be serious for a second.

"Again, no reason for the police to look at them for any reason other than to ask them if they heard\saw anything. "

yeah, police is known for taking murder suicide lightly. in this day and age, who has time to ask questions and check alibis, right? xD

"In the reality cold case TV shows where a detective stays with a case for years after it has been closed usually there are questions that cannot be readily answered."

abnd in this case they are: what does the cctv show? exactly who was there, but with different clothes. did they have an alibi? no. did they have a motive? yes. did they have the chance? yes ....etc.

"If the cops had watched the movie we watched, well, then lots of questions!! But they didn't. Right??"

you are fading more and more away from reality. so, fictional characters watching a movie that they are also part of? how meta of you.

"But they didn't. Right?? "

in your mind ... who knows. i mean its playing in a world where cops don't question people and people just trust random creepy strangers over their wifes.

"Get it now??"

hahaha. cute.

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Never mind. I tried. But you're determined to have the "last word" and getting into pissing contest with a skunk is not my idea of fun.

So f-off.

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I'm not sure what a fictions scenario is, but yeah, we're talking about a movie. And now so are you. ;)




"There are no big words...just little heads." - Bud Bundy

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I believe a "fictions scenario" is a typo. Of course I could be wrong and I could have meant fictions as in Dr. Robert Fictions who wrote famously about a number of criminology topics.

Yes I got sucked into the discussion. Someone challenged me and I could not help it! Oh well... that is what the IMDB board is for; to discuss events depicted in a fictitious scenario!

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if not, then why defend the undefendable?

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Also, newborns have tiny bones. They would be lucky to find the skull.

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No way, what a joke. No rational person who saw a mother throw a baby in the canal would just stand by, shrug their shoulders, and wait for later possible question. I understand that this isn't set in America. This is Britain and I admit I've only ever visited London once, years ago, but I refuse to believe all Brits lack hearts and consciences. Any bystander who saw such a thing would immediately dial emergency services from their cell phone. I'd even go so far as saying SOMEBODY would very likely jump in. Or at least try! And if they couldn't or wouldn't, they'd at least follow the baby or watch the spot where it was thrown, waiting for the baby to surface, as they were on the phone with emergency services. It's a baby we're talking about! Have some faith in your fellow human beings lol. Even in a really dangerous situation, you'd be surprised how difficult some people may it to not follow their instincts to rush in to try and help a drowning baby. I sure couldn't just stand by! I'd jump in for sure if I could and if it was too risky I'd stay right there and do whatever I else I could until police arrived.


Even if people didn't see an actual infant being thrown in, it's pretty clear something is terribly wrong - a mom walking along a canal... pushing a stroller....suddenly stops...reaches in to the stroller....grabs a bundle wrapped in blankets..and tosses that bundle in to the canal...hello! Would that not get your attention?! Would you not run over? Call 911? Ask the mom what's going on?! Even if you weren't 100% sure what the heck just happened, things would become very clear when the mom then turned around and started quickly rushing away....leaving her stroller!!

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