MovieChat Forums > Southbound (2016) Discussion > Can't understand why "accident" confuses...

Can't understand why "accident" confuses everyone (SPOILERS)


I freaking loved this film, I've watched it through a couple of times now. One thing that has struck me the whole time was all the confusion and questions around the ACCIDENT segment.

To me, the segment was very, very clear. The guy was a serial killer. He saw a girl on a dark deserted road, ran her over, picked her up and had his fun via his "operation". The voices on the phone were simply the voices in his head telling him what to do with her to entertain himself, and eventually, how to flee the scene. If you watch carefully, even when he has removed his headset towards the end he can still hear the laughter.

When he drives away in his new wheels, he passes a diner with a clear sign that says "TRAP" right in the middle. The whole film is about characters being trapped by their misdeeds.



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Except we clearly see one demon talking to him on the phone, so we know they were real and he was not making them up.

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Yes, but there are lots of things we see in the universe of this film that doesn't make complete sense (or any sense in some cases) and the linking of the stories together is more etheral than real. The fact that you see Mrs. Porky Pig at the end of the segements is just there to re-link the stories

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As for the demon being on the phone with him - That's like people claiming "The devil made me do it", isn't it?

I like your theory!!!

 <---Bella's "Kiss Me" Face

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I like that theory. I saw it as a simple hit and run. I think in reality he drove away when his wife called as its after that he calls 911 and everything starts going tits up. He was on his phone while driving and chose to drive away but he isn't actually a thoroughly evil person so the graphic way he has to try and save her is his punishment. He would have saved her but was more afraid of the consequences to his own life. If he chose to call 911 again at the end instead of leaving in a new car to restart the cycle he'd "win".

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Since I had no idea what was going on, I'll go with your story.

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Wow what a bunch of bullcrap. You are absolutely wrong and so off base.

He made the morally 'RIGHT' choices, that moment where he's deciding what to do and instead of fleeing he calls 911. Yeah he was neglectful driving, he hesitated to dial 911, didn't attend to her needs quick enough and was at least partially thinking of his sake but he does the right thing. He does his best, tries to save her life and she dies.

Unlike all the other characters, he seems to bypass the punishment of purgatory and death. I say seems because you never know, they may have been playing him still and had tortured him some more or for eternity.

As for the laughter, they're earphones dummy! of course he can still hear it if the sound coming from them is loud enough. I can hear mine if set them down and jack up the volume.

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If you weren't obviously an impotent, semi-literate troll I might take offence to being called a dummy. Fortunately I really don't care.

And just a P.S., headphones are not audible from 2-3 rooms away.

Signing off, so feel free to troll away in my absence.

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OP You're obviously an idiot who can't admit it when you're wrong and someone calls you on it. FYI not everyone you disagree with is a troll. *beep* retard.

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After looking at Wikipedia I think it's clear you are right. In sorry, but the guy claiming he's a serial killer and this is some fun thrilled event for him is DUMB!

As we now know about the movie, those creatures are judges, watching from afar (as you see in ever story) making their judgments on whether to drag you to hell or let you go on to heaven most likely.

I'm not going to claim to know what brought that guy into purgatory but whatever it was he repented for it and was allowed to move on, which is why he magically had new clothes and a new car waiting for him.

It's clear it was some kind of test. Who and why I'm not sure. But he's definitely NOT some serial killer bullcrap thing! These characters all have some moral dilemma they need to figure out and that is what put them in purgatory. Some repent and make it out, others don't and go to hell.

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I like how you say "as we now know..."
And HOW do we all know this now? Because you read a Wikipedia entry?! Lol
You do realize that Wikipedia is entirely written and edited by the general public, right?
I could go onto the Wikipedia page for Southbound right now and change everything you read to suit my own theories.

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This is spot on. Passer-by, made the correct moral judgement to try and help, and not flee the scene. Ergo, the demons/devil (whatever) have no longing for his soul.

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I read it as his hell/purgatory where he had to replay this accident. He probably ran into the girl in real life, saw that she was close to death and drove away. This is his penance or punishment in death. He tried to help her this time, even if he failed, so maybe he is changing and might atone for it?
That's my read on it. :)

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Spank and agent phantom have it right in my opinion.

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I agree with AgentPhantom's description above, although I would certainly have written the post more diplomatically. But that's just me, always hoping for Internet discourse that's more courteous and less insulting. I know, dream on, right? Still, one can always hope.

All that said, yes, the driver was the ONE guy in the film who did the right thing. He was in the middle of nowhere and he could have bolted, but he didn't. He does his short stint in purgatory, having to live with the moral consequences of his actions, having to suffer emotionally with the death of the girl, and then he gets to move on, otherwise unscathed. He's the only one who gets away in the end.

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Absolutely a correct interpretation (imo)...a lesson 'bout life....try your best to do the right thing in regards to your fellow man/woman and they'll let you go...might even reward you (not necessarily for sure tho). On the other hand, knowingly/willfully, follow the dark-path and you will be compensated accordingly ("compensation" being neither good or bad)

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I don't think the 'serial killer' explanation works all that well... particularly in the context of the rest of the movie. There's nothing to suggest the guy has killed before, or that he means the girl any harm or enjoys her suffering.
He's guilty of manslaughter... his selfish stupidity killed her... but if I allow the movie to be a tad less black/white moralistic than some seem to be taking it then I don't think he was 'let go' because he 'did the right thing'. The girl is still dead and its still his fault. The demons/whatever enjoyed toying with him and in the end he accepts their aid, including promises that no repercussions will come back on him. This suggests he's still a deeply selfish person, only looking out for himself.
Maybe I'm just kidding myself that the movie isn't so simplistic as the trite 'evil doers get punished and the repentant are allowed to leave' morality nonsense.

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He's guilty of manslaughter... his selfish stupidity killed her...


Not a very fair assessment. Its a pitch dark road in the middle of no where. She was kind of dumb for standing in front of it.

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She really is a dumb person. If she knew that the car is nearly close to her but hasn't even tried to stop or slow down, she should get away from the road. Not just stand there and wave your hand like you're invulnerable.

I knew that she's panicked at that time, but the car is far away at first, giving her some time to reduce her panic attack.

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He's guilty of manslaughter... his selfish stupidity killed her... but if I allow the movie to be a tad less black/white moralistic than some seem to be taking it then I don't think he was 'let go' because he 'did the right thing'. The girl is still dead and its still his fault. The demons/whatever enjoyed toying with him and in the end he accepts their aid, including promises that no repercussions will come back on him. This suggests he's still a deeply selfish person, only looking out for himself.
I agree. Him saying, "I don't deserve this," struck me as a very selfish thing to be thinking right after killing someone. He felt terrible about it in the moment, and did everything he could to help, but once she was dead, his repentance was over. It only went so deep.

It can't be a good idea to accept favors from Hell. His consequences are not finished, in my opinion. They'll collect when he dies.

If he'd finished as he began, genuinely repentant, and ready and willing to confess and accept consequences real-world, he might then have really saved himself. But he only did the thing halfway and then bailed.

"Look, Alex, we've done a bad thing, okay? Just try and enjoy it."

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I actually liked it(not enough to watch it straight a few times unless 10 years from now when I forgot about what is was).

Didn't like the end though our it would had been better.

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