Leaving Them Guessing, a Review of ‘Extraction’

Everyone knows that Netflix’s hit movie ‘Extraction’ starring Chris Hemsworth ended ambiguously by leaving the audience guessing as to whether Hemsworth's character the mercenary Tyler Rake had died or if the blurred figure by the edge of the pool was Rake.

In my household, the conclusion was that Rake faked his death to free himself and the young Ovi Mahajan (Rudhraksh Jaiswal), of the wrathful vengeful of the mafia drug lord, Amir Asif (Priyanshu Painyuli). If Mahajan believed Rake to be dead that would leave Rake and his team were free the kill Mahajan and his many assassins.

During the opening scene with Rake lost in a memory of a child the beach, which we learn later is his dead son. From that, we got the feel of the scene from the film Gladiator where the main character Maximus longs for death but doesn’t die until his mission is done. Like Maximus, Tyler Rake is a broken man, and we as the audience get the strong impression he is a man who knows that he is on a suicide mission and that he would welcome death. That is until he has rescued Ovi.

As their relationship grows a strong bond is formed between Rake and Ovi. This bond is enough to make Rake want to live and save Ovi at all costs while everyone else has either given up on the rescue or insanely wants the boy dead.

Chris Hemsworth and Rudhraksh Jaiswal in Extraction (2020)

Priyanshu Painyuli

In the movie, Hemsworth’s Rake was the most brutal and tense character he has played to date and he shows himself to be a true action hero.

As stated above the ending of ‘Extraction’ was ambiguous. That blurred figure? We wanted to know whether or not Rake was the man at the pool. Well, apparently he is, and ‘Extraction’ is setting streaming records for Netflix, so much so that once a deal is made with Netflix there will be an ‘Extraction 2” with Chris Hemsworth reviving his role as the mercenary Tyler Rake.