Let’s break down The Postcard Killings’ ending for those who just watched the movie.
The film follows Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s Jacob Kanon and Famke Janssen’s Valerie Kanon, a divorced couple who are thrown into tragedy when their daughter and her husband are brutally murdered while honeymooning in London. It quickly becomes evident that the murder is the work of a vicious serial killer, one who is not close to being done.
The movie is based on a 2010 novel by the same name written by James Patterson and Liza Marklund.
The Postcard Killings' Ending Explained
Throughout most of The Postcard Killings, Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s retired police officer is trying to find the person responsible for his daughter’s death. Turns out it is not just one person but two.
Sylvia and Mac, the two tourists that the story first positioned as innocents (and potential victims) are, in fact, the murderous duo. Not only that, but their real names are Simon and Marina Haysmith.
These two are in an incestuous relationship and feel shunned by society. Their vicious crimes are a cry for attention, so to speak, and a plea for understanding.
The siblings came from a rough upbringing with an abusive dad with unconventional teachings—one who is currently incarcerated for embezzling hundreds of millions of dollars from his clients.
He also heavily educated his children in art history, a trait they use in their open acts of rebellion. Each pair of victims they kill and mutilate is posed to match a famous piece of art on display in the city where the murder occurs.
Jacob Kanon works with journalist Jessie Lombard to publish a feature article about the killers, telling them they are seen and their motives understood. This is also meant to draw the killer duo out, which it does successfully—but with the unintentional side effect of them choosing Lombard as their final victim.
Simon and Marina kidnap Lombard, but before they can kill and pose her, Jacob catches up. In the following struggle, Simon is shot as Jacob helps Lombard.
While Simon and Marina get away from Jacob, he is confident the duo has nowhere to run to. From the looks of it, Simon does not get very far, as he dies in Marina’s arms.
Are Simon and Marina Really Dead?
At the end of the day, Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s Jacob Kanon finds some peace—or at least as much as one can after having their daughter brutally murdered, mutilated, and posed. He also finds out the siblings did not have any blood relation to each other; both were adopted.
Despite the ending of The Postcard Killings solving the case, neither of the killers is ever caught, not even their bodies.
While it's probably safe to assume that Ruairi O’Connor’s Simon Haysmith passed away from his injuries, Naomi Battrick’s Marina Haysmith is still out there. This is confirmed when, in the final scene of the film, Denis O’Hare’s Simon Haysmith (the killer duo’s father) gets a call from Marina herself.
It seems the writers wanted to set the stage for some sort of continuation, but it currently doesn't seem like that’ll be happening. Audiences will have to leave what happens next up to their imaginations.
Whatever happens, though, it probably won’t turn out well for the currently incarcerated Simon Haysmith.
As of writing, The Postcard Killings is now streaming on Netflix.
