Desire Ending Explained

Overview

"Desire" is a gripping mystery-drama that explores the dark consequences of intolerance and secret desires. The story follows Naim, a young man who moves to a religious town with his mother after his father's death. He soon finds himself caught in a hidden romance that unleashes a terrifying, unseen force, pushing him and those he cares about into a fight for survival against something truly inexplicable.

Cast

Ludwika PaletaLucero

José María YázpikFernando

Óscar CasasMatías

Pilar PascualViviana

Leonardo OrtizgrisMiguel

What Happens (Spoilers)

Okay, so let's get into the nitty-gritty of what goes down in "Desire." The movie kicks off with Naim Reid and his mother, Arlene, moving to a very religious Christian town in Victoria after Naim’s father passes away. Naim quickly meets Ryan Whelan, a local teenager, and they start a secret romance.

Things take a dark turn when Naim, feeling jealous after seeing Ryan kiss the pastor’s son, Hunter, decides to out both Ryan and Hunter to Hunter’s parents. This leads to Hunter’s parents bringing in a "deliverance healer" to perform a ritual on the boys, aiming to "purge" their homosexual desires. During this horrifying ritual, Ryan and Hunter suffer terribly, convulsing, vomiting, and screaming in agony.

Afterward, Naim tries to apologize to Ryan, but Ryan is completely withdrawn and pushes him away. Naim then starts seeing strange things. He witnesses Ryan talking to thin air and follows him to a roller rink. There, photo booth pictures print out showing Ryan kissing an invisible figure. When Naim pulls back the curtain, he sees Ryan being strangled by an unseen force. Ryan manages to escape and screams at Naim to stay away.

Terrified, Naim seeks out Hunter and witnesses him being attacked and dragged away by another invisible force. Hunter's decapitated head is later discovered, which is just horrifying. Naim, desperate to protect Ryan, goes to the police and tells a detective about his relationship with Ryan, pleading for help to stop this entity. But the detective dismisses him and, worse, informs Arlene about Naim’s relationship with Ryan.

Hoping to protect Naim from hatred, Arlene hires the same healer to perform the ritual on Naim. At Hunter's wake, Naim confronts Ryan outside, and they share a kiss. But then, "Ryan" violently attacks Naim. Naim runs back into the house and sees the real Ryan already inside, realizing he was just attacked by something else entirely. Hunter’s sister, Izzie, then tells them about Marnie, a girl from a nearby town who died mysteriously after she and her girlfriend Jessica underwent the same ritual.

Naim and Ryan visit Jessica in the hospital. She reveals crucial details: the entity takes the form of the person its victim desires most, only appears when the victim is alone, and grows stronger over time. She also says there's no way to stop it. On the bus ride home, Naim and Ryan kiss, and Ryan gives Naim a handjob. Desperate to protect them both, Naim tells Ryan he’s leaving town and begs him not to follow. But Ryan confesses that if the entity will follow them forever, he only wants it to appear as Naim.

The entity attacks Ryan in the school bathroom, mutilating his ear. Later, Izzie, blaming Ryan and Naim for her brother's death and her father's abandonment, lures them to an abandoned car park, pretending to help them find the healer. Instead, a group of teens who have been bullying Ryan arrive and assault them. Izzie then reveals that Naim was the one who outed Ryan and Hunter. Ryan fights off the attackers and helps Naim escape, but then furiously tells Naim he never wants to see him again.

Back home alone, the entity tries to break into Naim's house. Ryan then arrives at Naim’s back door, seemingly also running from the entity. They reconcile, but "Ryan"—actually the entity—breaks through the screen door and attacks Naim. Naim manages to ward it off with a lighter. The entity chases him to a derelict mill, which Naim bravely sets ablaze, trapping the entity inside.

Soon after, Ryan disappears, and Naim fears he might have mistakenly killed the real Ryan. Authorities confirm no trace of Ryan was found in the mill's ruins. Arlene then admits she knew the terrible consequences of the ritual but insisted she did what was necessary for Naim’s survival. Hurt and betrayed, Naim leaves Arlene at a gas station and heads to a bus stop to leave town. There, he finds Ryan, who also plans to leave, and the two board the bus together. As the bus drives away, Naim glimpses the entity outside, but he chooses to ignore it, suggesting that while they've escaped the town, the entity might still be a part of their lives.

What It Means

At its heart, "Desire" seems to be a powerful commentary on the destructive nature of religious intolerance and the lengths people go to suppress identity. It explores how fear and judgment can manifest into a monstrous, inescapable force, suggesting that true freedom comes from accepting oneself and confronting one's past.

Where to watch: Netflix (IN)

Plot facts sourced from Wikipedia (Leviticus (film)), used under CC BY-SA.