The Postcard Killings (2020) Ending Explained – Final Scene & Meaning

At the end of "The Postcard Killings," the true villains are revealed to be siblings Simon and Marina, who are actually the children of a wealthy but abusive man, Simon Haysmith Sr. They were adopted by him but kept their true origins hidden. Their disturbing past, marked by strict and traumatizing upbringing, fueled their desire for rebellion and love, which they expressed through a series of murders. Each kill was carefully staged to mimic famous artworks, and the postcards they sent served as cryptic messages about their motives and their history, tying their crimes to their troubled childhood and their need for freedom from their oppressive past.

The investigation leads detective Kanon to believe early on that Pieter and Nienke, a couple he encounters, are the killers, but it turns out they are innocent and become victims themselves. The real killers, Simon and Marina, are eventually uncovered as siblings who had a complex and incestuous relationship due to their abusive upbringing. They considered themselves in love and sought to challenge their father’s oppressive control by demanding acceptance of their relationship and their desire to love freely.

The final act culminates in a confrontation where Kanon devises a clever plan to lure them out. Marina, who is last seen dragging her wounded brother through the snow, plans to escape to Russia, hoping they will be safe there. Simon dies from his wounds, but Marina manages to disappear, hinting that she might have hidden her brother’s body or escaped elsewhere. Meanwhile, Simon Haysmith Sr., the abusive father, remains in prison and is unaware of his children's crimes, receiving a call from Marina in Russian, implying she is still alive and plotting. This leaves the door open for a sequel, should it ever be made, where Marina’s character could continue her story of rebellion and vengeance. As the film ends, the audience is left with the unsettling realization that the cycle of trauma and violence persists beyond the killers' deaths, with Marina surviving and possibly seeking justice on her own terms.