The Tiger's Tail

The Tiger's Tail

Year: 2008

Runtime: 107 min

Language: English

Director: John Boorman

DramaMysteryThrillerComedyCrime

Liam O'Leary, a successful real estate developer in Dublin, faces a sudden downfall when his plans for a new stadium are denied, leading to financial ruin. As his life spirals out of control, Liam becomes increasingly obsessed with a mysterious look-alike he believes is threatening to steal his identity and destroy everything he's built. He struggles to maintain his grip on reality as the lines between his own life and the doppelganger's become blurred.

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The Tiger's Tail (2008) – Full Plot Summary & Ending Explained

Read the complete plot breakdown of The Tiger's Tail (2008), including all key story events, major twists, and the ending explained in detail. Discover what really happened—and what it all means.

Director John Boorman, known for films like Deliverance and The General, presents The Tiger’s Tail, a captivating tale centered on Liam O’Leary, played by Brendan Gleeson. Liam is an Irish property developer whose origins are humble, yet he has amassed wealth and power during the unprecedented economic surge in Ireland, often referred to as the “Celtic Tiger.” However, his pride leads him into an ambitious project to construct a national stadium, only to face sabotage from a rival developer.

As the market begins to decline, Liam’s overextension leaves him on the brink of collapse. The mounting stress drives him towards madness, culminating in a shocking encounter with his Double. This eerie doppelgänger raises troubling questions—who is this man? Is he merely a figment of Liam’s imagination, or does he symbolize an impending doom?

Amidst his turmoil, Liam’s neglected wife, Jane (played by Kim Cattrall), and his overlooked son, Connor (portrayed by Briain Gleeson), come to see his claims as mere hallucinations, adding to the family’s distress. Only his sister Oona (Sinead Cusack) and childhood friend Andy (Ciaran Hinds), who is also a priest, offer their belief in his troubling vision.

As Liam confronts his Double, he unravels a shocking secret about his past, prompting deep introspection that echoes the existential query: > “who am I?” This journey through identity, family, and the pressures of success underscores the fragile nature of his reality against the backdrop of a rapidly changing world.

Last Updated: October 25, 2024 at 10:03

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Paranoid Identity Thrillers like The Tiger's Tail

Thrillers where characters lose their grip on reality, questioning who they truly are.Explore movies similar to The Tiger's Tail, featuring stories of doppelgängers, psychological breakdowns, and characters confronting a crumbling sense of self. If you enjoyed the tense, gripping atmosphere of a man battling his double, you'll find more films with this unsettling, introspective vibe here.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative typically follows a single protagonist, often successful or established, whose life begins to fracture. An external catalyst—a double, a secret, or a sudden downfall—triggers an internal investigation that quickly spirals into obsession. The plot methodically dismantles the character's reality, forcing them to confront dark secrets about their past or their own nature.

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Movies in this thread share a core focus on the fragility of identity. They create a cohesive experience through a tense, claustrophobic tone, a steady pacing that builds psychological pressure, and a heavy emotional weight derived from existential dread and the threat of personal annihilation.

Stories of Bittersweet Downfall like The Tiger's Tail

Stories of dramatic ruin that lead to a painful but necessary understanding of the self.Find movies like The Tiger's Tail that explore themes of economic ruin, family estrangement, and a protagonist's downfall. These films often end on a bittersweet note, where the loss leads to a profound, if painful, self-realization. If you appreciated the heavy emotional weight and complex ending, explore this collection.

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Narrative Summary

The story arc follows a character's precipitous fall from grace, often due to their own flaws or external pressures. As their external world crumbles, they are forced into a period of deep introspection. The conflict is both external (saving their life) and internal (saving their soul), culminating in an ending that mixes loss with a hard-won, transformative insight.

Why These Movies?

These films are grouped by their shared emotional journey: a heavy, tense descent that results in a bittersweet resolution. They balance high-stakes external drama with deep internal melancholy, creating a specific emotional mix of dread, sadness, and eventual, qualified acceptance.

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Characters, Settings & Themes in The Tiger's Tail

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Characters, Settings & Themes in The Tiger's Tail

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More About The Tiger's Tail

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