'Black Box' ending explained: Who survived in the end, Nolan or Thomas?

Black Box is Blumhouse studio's brand new Sci-Fi horror movie that released on Amazon Prime Video on October 6, 2020. The movie featured Mamoudou Athie in the lead role as Nolan. The movie told the story of a man who lost his memory during a car accident. However, things get worse for him when he is forced to undergo an experimental treatment. This treatment further makes him question reality and his own self-identity. 

Black Box's horror is mostly focused around the themes of memory and loss of self-identity. Alongside Athie, the movie also featured Phylicia Rashad, Amanda Christine, and Tosin Morohunfola. Here is a look at the ending of Black Box. 

Black Box ending explained

Also Read | Ghost Ship Ending Explained: Who Was The Killer In Ghost Ship?

Black Box tells the story of Nolan, a man who has lost all his memories. Nolan undergoes a treatment that lets him relive all his past memories. This treatment helps him remember his past life in clear detail. However, reliving his memories help him discover some strange details about his life that leads to a horrifying reveal. 

During the first stage of the treatment, Nolan is unable to recognize any faces as they are all blurred. Moreover, he is attacked by an unknown entity, forcing him to flee deeper into his memories. There he sees a woman who he thinks is his dead wife. Nolan also sees a faceless man fall down a flight of stairs in a painful flashback. 

Also Read | Where Was The Movie 'Gunga Din' Filmed? See All The Movie Filming Locations

Nolan's brother, Gary, learns that Nolan was actually brain dead before he was treated by Dr Brooks. Somehow, Dr Brooks revived Nolan within just three days. In the next stage of his treatment, Nolan once again sees the creepy entity and a woman who he realizes is not his wife. Nolan is also able to see faces clearly now. Eventually, Nolan realizes that he is not really Nolan at all, instead, he is Dr Brooks son Thomas who died after falling down a flight of stairs. 

Dr Brooks tells Thomas that she transplanted him memories into Nolan as Nolan was completely braindead. Now in Nolan's body, Thomas decides to return to his old life. He abandons Nolan's daughter Ava as she is not really his child. Thomas then goes back to his own wife and daughter. He tries to convince them that he is really Thomas in Nolan's body, however, they refuse to believe him. 

This enrages Thomas who tries to attack them. Thomas' wife attacks him and knocks him out. When he wakes up, Thomas finds himself in Nolan's house alongside Gary and Ava. Thomas runs away from Nolan's house and goes back to Dr Brooks. Brooks revealed that Thomas went to Nolan's house because of Nolan's body instincts. Dr Brooks further tells Thomas to kill the creepy entity as it is the last remnants of Nolan, who is not completely dead. 

Also Read | 'Name That Tune' Host Tom Kennedy Passes Away At The Age Of 93

Thomas wins his fight against Nolan and is about to kill the latter. However, Thomas remembers that he died after his wife pushed him off the stairs. Thomas then recalls that he was attacking his daughter, and his wife only killed him in self-defence. Thomas stops himself from killing Nolan as he realizes that he is the bad guy. He then moves out of Nolan's consciousness and goes into the dark. 

At the end of the film, Nolan is back in his own body and reunited with his brother and daughter. Dr Brooks is heartbroken over the loss of her son, but she still has a backup plan. Brooks retrieves Thomas' memory data and the movie implies that she will try to use the Black Box once again to revive her child. 

Also Read | Charlie's Angels Star Cheryl Rebelled Against Revealing Scenes By Wearing 'tiniest' Bikini

[image source: Black Box trailer]