What Keeps You Alive

At the film’s climax, Jackie, who has revealed herself to be a killer with a dark past, continues her murderous spree in the woods, motivated by a twisted belief that killing keeps her alive, as her father once told her. She has murdered multiple women before Jules, including her childhood friend Jenny, whose death she caused during a past lake incident. When Jackie pushes Jules off a cliff and begins mimicking her screams of distress, it’s clear she has an underlying motive: to eliminate her wife and claim her life insurance, just as she did with her previous wives. However, Jules fights back and manages to kill Jackie by mixing hydrogen peroxide with her insulin, causing her to suffer a fatal stroke—an act of revenge that persists even after her death. This twist highlights the film’s theme of survival through murder, as Jules’s own demise becomes her act of vengeance.

In the final moments, Jackie, now dying in the woods, searches for help but succumbs to a stroke, disoriented and defeated. The symbolic image of a bear she once shot when it was innocent underscores her senseless violence since childhood and her inability to truly stay alive, despite her killings. The scene’s mysterious sound of Jules gasping for air raises questions—did she survive her fall or not? Given her severe injuries, it’s unlikely, and the scene leaves it open to interpretation. It suggests that Jules, having lost her fight against Jackie, might be suffering painfully in the woods, unable to get aid, just as the animal she shot was left to suffer. The film’s ending is layered with symbolism, emphasizing themes of self-destruction, the illusion of survival, and the tragic cycle of violence. The twists, especially Jackie’s murderous past and Jules’s revenge, make the story a haunting examination of how the desire to survive can lead to destructive consequences for everyone involved.

Last Updated: June 25, 2025 at 09:00