Balestra

Joanne’s final showdown hinges on the Halo, a transcranial magnetic‑stimulation device that lets her spend hours of perfect training in a single night of sleep. In the dream world she meets Elliot – a projection of her own subconscious – and through him she regains the confidence and skill that once made her a world‑champion. When Raph, her husband‑coach, tries to take the Halo away and threatens to expose the secret pact that covered up her violent outburst in Cairo, Joanne’s subconscious turns lethal: she sabotages his medication, stabs him with her own epee, and watches him die in a gruesome, blood‑spattered collapse. She then buries the body and convinces Dr Sutro to give her the Halo back, sealing the murder as a dark but decisive act of self‑preservation.

The fallout is immediate. Police begin to investigate Raph’s disappearance, and Audie Zimmer – the young fencer Raph now trains – grows suspicious. She discovers Joanne’s secret coder, hacks into Raph’s phone, and, just before the Olympic final, confronts Joanne with the evidence. Rather than flee with the fake passport she has prepared, Joanne chooses to stay, determined to win the gold medal that Raph had always wanted for her. In the climactic bout she fends off Audie by a razor‑thin 15‑14, the victory feeling like the only justification for everything she has done.

The film ends with Joanne standing on the Olympic podium, gold medal glinting around her neck, while police cars line the perimeter of the arena. Her triumph is complete, but the looming presence of law enforcement makes clear that justice will soon catch up with her. The final image leaves the audience with a haunting mix of triumph and inevitable retribution.

Last Updated: October 13, 2025 at 19:15