Did nobody get the point of the end? (spoilers)

I was thinking the same thing. I didn't like it. I wanted to know that the baby was Gordo's.

Also I doubt Gordo even raped her. I don't think he would do that because it seemed like he respects her. He just gets off making Simon wonder whether or not he did.

I don't think the paternity test is that simple either...how does Simon explain to his wife why he wants a paternity test? He is stuck wondering for the rest of his life whether that's his kid or not...the ultimate *beep* you to Simon from gordo.

For those interested, the alternate ending on the Blu-ray spells everything out, replaying key moments entirely from Gordon's point of view. Gordo did not rape Robyn. After he stops recording on the camera, he stops short of doing anything else.

There is also a short clip of Gordo with Mister Bojangles; he did take the dog.

Edgerton says in the introduction that he felt the ending (rightfully) gives away too much information and breaks focus away from Simon. But it's still interesting to see.

[deleted]

Yeah duh. Thought that was obvious. Why? Did some people not get it?

Maybe so, but I saw the ending differently.

SPOILERS

I believe it goes back to what the Simon's chiropractor friend, Greg, said about a lie manifesting itself into something much bigger than it originally was intended to be.

Simon and Greg lied about catching Gordo with another man, spreading the rumor that he was a homosexual. Other strains of the story was that he was molested, as heard by Simon's sister. Both turned out to be false. Gordo, not being a star athlete, an overachiever or a brainiac, had it rough as a child - he didn't have anything to fall back on in terms of personal achievement; his dad tried to burn him due to Simon's lie, even. There is no doubt Gordo tried to tell his dad it was a lie, but his dad didn't believe him. Now the cards are turned.

The phrase "there's no place like home" has meaning here. Gordo still lives in the same area where he grew up, but he has bad memories of the place. Why he stays is a good question. He also hasn't been much of a success in his career, being a trivia host at an unknown LA bar. On the other hand Simon has succeeded, moved away from his hometown and found a wife and a career in Chicago. Robyn gets pregnant but in the end the baby did not survive (why else would they have baby stuff). In order to help move away from that tragedy, Simon takes a job in the general area where he grew up. In some ways it's returning home, but not entirely since he and Robyn live in a new house, in a new neighborhood unfamiliar to them. They want to create new memories, to erase the tragedy of the failure of having a child.

As the movie slowly tells us, Simon isn't completely honest. He was the main party that manifested a lie which emotionally and psychologically scarred Gordo. In part, Gordo's current state is because of Simon. Some of it is due to his upbringing with a less-than mentally stabled father. You might even say his father's "gift" to Gordo is his sociopathic ways.

Robyn is much more open minded towards Gordo, not really judging him on his behavior to get close to Simon and her. She sees his efforts as endearing. As she learns about her husband's past she sees Gordo as the victim. It comes to a point where Robyn wants Simon to apologize to him. As the movie shows, that attempt was a complete failure. Later Simon lies to Robyn that it all went well.

As Simon lied about Gordo during their childhood, Gordo's revenge is to lie about Simon. His failed apologize served as the perfect way to manifest the lie that Simon physically assaulted Gordo. His attempt is to make Simon into even a more bigger liar than he already was. This is part of Greg's "it's amazing how an idea can take hold" line as well as "I don't really know who you are," as said by Robyn to Simon.

Gordo appeared to Robyn as if Simon's apology turned out very wrong, which it did, but he manifested his actual injuries in the confrontation. Robyn now believes that her husband, who already indirectly sabotaged another person's career to get ahead, is not only a liar, but a liar who resorts to physical violence. That's Gordo's revenge. Gordo wants the one person that mean's the most to Simon to believe that he's the biggest jerk.

Another series of lines by Robyn is "when someone lies to you enough, you stop believing in what they say. All this time I thought I was crazy. But I'm not. And you led me," to Simon. This goes to part of the ending on whether or not the baby is Gordo's or Simon's. Gordo is leading Simon to believe that he raped Robyn. I believe he didn't. It's a way to play mind games, as well as emotional, with Simon.

Of course, some say that the aforementioned line might not play that way because if Simon showed Robyn the tape she wouldn't believe him. I think that Robyn would believe him. The way the tape was recorded would defeat common sense.

I think this ending, though thought provoking, is a major weakness of the film if not the sole iceberg that would sink it. It's one thing to lead on your bully play mind games if his wife's child is his or not, it's another to tape yourself supposedly raping her. The seed of doubt is planted, but Gordo's plan looses. Let's say Gordo did in fact rape Robyn and the baby is his - the evidence that he entered their home uninvited, built the narrative that he drugged her, and later raped her, again, would defeat the purpose of Gordo's revenge. Unless Gordo goes to their home and destroy's the disc the disc is the only evidence needed to put him jail.

So in the end, the whole mind game, borrowing from Rosemary's Baby, is a loose thread. In the end it doesn't really work unless Gordo's wants to be caught by the wrong people. As Simon told a lie to beat his competitor for a promotion, Gordo builds upon the already unsavory picture of Simon that Robyn has in her mind. Her "I don't want to go back to that house with you [Simon]," is the building block of lost trust that Gordo takes advantage of.

Note: They key that Gordo gives Simon, what's that about? I know it to a bedroom closet/door, but I didn't catch any door being not accessible. It could be a clue that maybe the house that Simon and Robyn moved into was Gordo's childhood home, after all he did compliment its architecture when he first visited the house to look for Simon.


2015: Slow West, Macbeth

When Robyn woke up, she would have known if she had sex. If so, she would have said something to Simon about F'g her while she was asleep.