What Happened to Monday

Year: 2017

Runtime: 123 min

Language: English

Director: Tommy Wirkola

ActionAdventureSci-FiDramaMysteryThrillerCrime

In a dystopian future grappling with severe overpopulation, seven identical sisters are raised in secrecy to survive a system that denies children the right to exist. To avoid detection, they ingeniously take turns living as a single person named Karen Settman. Noomi Rapace portrays all seven sisters in this suspenseful story. When one of them, Monday, goes missing, the elaborate deception unravels, forcing the remaining sisters to risk everything to find her and confront the Child Allocation Bureau, led by the formidable Nicolette Cayman.

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What Happened to Monday (2017) – Ending Explained & Final Scene Breakdown

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In the final scenes of What Happened to Monday, after a tense struggle with the Child Allocation Bureau (CAB) and the revelation of their brutal practices, Monday’s sister Thursday manages to expose the truth by broadcasting evidence of the CAB’s atrocities. During the chaos, Monday is shot and mortally wounded, but it’s later revealed that her twins are safe, growing in an artificial womb. With Cayman’s corrupt regime dismantled and her facing the death penalty, it seems like justice has been served. However, the movie ends with a stark visual: the camera pans from Monday’s twins to a hospital ward filled with hundreds of newborn babies. This haunting image underscores the grim reality—the overpopulation crisis that sparked the one-child policy has not been solved. Despite their moral victory and the lifting of oppressive rules, the world remains overwhelmed and unsustainable, implying that humanity’s problems are far from over and that the planet’s future remains bleak. The ending suggests that while some individuals might find hope or redemption, the broader environmental and societal collapse persists, leaving the viewer with a sobering vision of an overburdened planet.

Last Updated: June 25, 2025 at 08:44

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High-stakes action in a broken world where individuals defy totalitarian control.If you liked the high-stakes fight against the system in What Happened to Monday, you'll enjoy these movies. This list features similar dystopian action thrillers where characters risk everything to challenge a corrupt and controlling regime, filled with tension and gripping survival stories.

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Narrative Summary

Stories in this thread typically begin with a protagonist or group living under an oppressive regime. A catalyst event forces them into open rebellion, leading to a series of chases, confrontations, and sacrifices. The plot is driven by the central goal of exposing or overthrowing the corrupt system, often culminating in a final, decisive confrontation.

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A dangerous secret identity is threatened, forcing a frantic race against time.Fans of the secret sister identity premise in What Happened to Monday will appreciate these films. Discover movies with similar suspenseful plots where a character's life depends on a dangerous secret, leading to paranoia, betrayal, and a gripping race against time when their deception starts to unravel.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern revolves around a protagonist living a double life or hiding a crucial secret. The equilibrium is shattered when an external threat or internal betrayal puts the deception at risk. This triggers a domino effect of close calls, investigations, and escalating danger as the character fights to protect their secret and their life before time runs out.

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