'I Care a Lot Ending' Explained: Does Marla die? What is the plot twist?

I Care A Lot is a rewarding dark comedy that everybody must catch up to on Netflix. Written and directed by J Blakeson, the film follows Marla Grayson (Rosamund Pike), a shady legal guardian whose livelihood involves cheating the elderly into trusting her with their assets, which she eventually sells off for money. But her seemingly clever plan goes down the gutter when she encounters a powerful gangster. The movie is equipped with dozens of plot twists that will be explained here.

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I Care A Lot Ending Explained

The opening scene of I Care A Lot catches Marla and her facility straight into their hideous act while she gives the viewers an insightful "I am a lioness" monologue in the background. Technically, there's nothing illegal about what she's, in fact, a court-appointed guardian who's entrusted with the responsibility of taking care of the elderly's assets when they're unfit to do so themselves. A horde of people work alongside her to run this system. That includes a shady doctor and her business partner/girlfriend Fran among others.

A few more scenes of Marla's cunning charms basking in full glory and soon, viewers are introduced to her first-ever all-marks-ticked victim. Jennifer Peterson (Dianne Wiest) is what can be called a perfect victim with no family of her own but a ton of wealth lying inside her bank. What's more? The poor lady suffers from a declining memory. Of course, Marla has her eyes on her and is willing to go to any extent to have her. Only, she's oblivious to one fact i.e. Jennifer actually does have a family and they're no short of scary. Roman Lunyov (Peter Dinklage), an infamous Russian mafia boss and a loving son had kept his mother Jennifer into hiding over the fear that his connections would put her in harm. Now that he's retired, he plans on getting her back but with Marla standing in his way, the outcome becomes triple times more exhilarating.

Roman gives Marla quite a long rope though as he is even willing to pay her $300,000 in exchange for his mother. But Marla being Marla stomps her foot on the deal and proceeds her way. An exhaustive court battle, an unsuccessful break-in attempt and half an hour of a few more gimmicks later, a frustrated Roman realises that the best way to cut a deal is to cut the counterpart itself, literally. He sets off to kill both Marla and her girlfriend, one by drowning and the other with sticks and stones. But he remains unsuccessful and sees his death nearing instead as it's Marla who's the predator now.

The next thing you know, he's in the hospital bed with Marla sitting beside him. She informs him that she's his legal guardian now and has won the battle like the lioness she is. Just when we think the movie is over with her savagely exiting the hospital room, he offers her a glossy deal that makes them each other's business partners and also, super-wealthy. She nonchalantly accepts the offer.

Everything is sunshine and rainbows afterwards. In the final scene, Marla is seen leaving the sets of a talk show with her now-wife Fran. Marla is a successful CEO now who's living her dream of seeing herself on TV and in magazines. She's many things, except for one, invincible. Moments later, we see a bullet piercing through her chest as she springs down with blood gushing out of her. But the movie doesn't end here, not before she flashes her infamous sly smile, the same smile that was captured in the ending shot of Gone Girl.

Does Marla die?

As for who kills Marla, he's a familiar face. The man who was seen in bits of the first act begging to see his mother that Marla wouldn't let. But does Marla die? The movie never tries to explain the aftermath of her death. It's up to the viewers' imagination to believe or not to believe. However, a perfect hit at the chest does seem like a straight gateway to hell.

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