The Ending Of 65 Explained
Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, co-writers of the first "A Quiet Place" film, deliver their third directed feature together with "65," a sci-fi action thriller that sees the future collide with the past. The film follows Mills (Adam Driver), a pilot whose mission to transport people is upended after asteroids damage his ship, causing him to crash on an unknown planet. Although Mills has no idea where he is, the film tells us that he has landed on Earth — albeit 65 million years ago when dinosaurs roamed the land and human civilization was nowhere in sight. With few options, Mills grabs Koa (Ariana Greenblatt) -– a young girl who's the only other survivor -– and begins traversing these dangerous lands in the hopes of reaching the other half of his ship to possibly escape.
"65" does its best to make dinosaurs scary again through its intense action and some of the creepier creatures that Mills and Koa come across. Along with some thrilling sci-fi action, the film delivers some interesting story beats for Mills and Koa as their personal struggles are touched on and they gain a stronger connection with one another. The film's finale is especially rich with story moments and action as the pair attempts to escape before a cataclysmic event keeps them in this prehistoric prison. With a lot happening in the film's final moments, let's delve into the fast-paced finale and nail-biter ending of "65."
Future meets past
While it might seem strange to see a futuristic soldier like Mills stuck in the middle of a prehistoric world, the film does delve into how he got there. Mills is actually from a distant planet whose people act and speak like human beings. The film never clarifies what species or race Mills people exactly are, so it's safe to assume that they must be humans too. Either way, Mills is tasked with transporting people to an undisclosed location, but his ship suffers severe damage from a cluster of asteroids, forcing him to crash-land on Earth.
So rather than Mills arriving on Earth through some kind of time-traveling or universe jumping, he simply exists 65 million years before our time. Mill's people are just so advanced that they've been able to develop the sophisticated technology and weapons that ultimately help him survive. Even with these tools, though, Mills faces fierce opposition from both the environment and creatures he's forced to fight against, leading to him nearly losing his life on more than one occasion. "65" is truly a future meets past scenario that pits futuristic tech against prehistoric beasts to see who's really dominant.
The meteor that killed the dinosaurs
Throughout the film, there is an obscure red-looking entity in the sky that seems like it's drifting closer to Earth. Koa is the first to see it when she notices a weird light phenomenon above her. However, when Mills sees it sometime later, it looks much more ominous and massive. At first, you can't help but hope that maybe it's just the rescue transport Mills called for coming down to Earth, but once Mills is able to get an actual read on what this strange entity is, it's much worse than expected.
Mills' scanner says that it's actually a gigantic meteor with the mass to cause cataclysmic destruction once it impacts Earth. Perhaps you are familiar with the idea that the dinosaurs were killed by a massive asteroid that caused a mass extinction event? Well, this is that meteor — and it surprisingly has a stronger connection to Mills' current situation.
The asteroid cluster that Mills encountered earlier, which ultimately caused the ship to crash, actually came from this world-ending meteor, and it looks like it's coming to finish the job. This meteor adds new stakes to Mills and Koa's escape and plays a big role in making the finale of "65" super intense and visually stunning.
Brought to the edge
Mills crashing into this rough survival situation has a deeper effect on him than initially expected and hints at a secret he hides throughout the film. Once he's able to get up after the crash, he sees that nearly all the passengers are dead and that half of his ship is missing. Even worse is that the part of the ship containing the escape pod is nowhere in sight, which means that there's virtually no way off the planet. After his first few steps outside, Mills also sees how dangerous the environment truly is. Rather than try to survive, he looks like he's ready to end things.
While he attempts to call for help at first, he eventually just tells them that he isn't worth looking for and prepares to end his own life right then and there. However, he soon finds Koa, and she gives him a reason to keep going. Given how harsh this environment is and how vicious the creatures are, it's hard not to blame Mills for thinking that things are over.
It later becomes clear that Mills' hopelessness stems from the death of his daughter, Nevine (Chloe Coleman). Mills' willingness to accept his fate after the crash is the first moment that hints at that.
If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by dialing 988 or by calling 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
Seeing something more
Mills' relationship with Koa starts on some rocky ground. Their inability to communicate — because they don't speak the same language — makes for some frustrating moments between the two, with Koa sometimes doing her own thing, which really gets under Mills' skin. However, Mills eventually warms up to Koa because he sees her as something more than just a helpless survivor — he almost begins to see her as a surrogate daughter. While it at first appears to annoy Mills, he definitely appreciates Koa's interest in learning about his daughter through video messages. They watch a hologram of her together in the cave and it feels like a real bonding moment between them.
Ultimately, Mills and Koa have some real father/daughter energy in some of their more light-hearted moments together. It's these moments, which connect back to Mills' daughter and the way that he does everything he can to protect her, that make it clear that he sees his daughter in Koa. Plus, once we learn that Mills already knows that his daughter is dead, it becomes obvious that he's trying to make up for what he couldn't do for Nevine.
Mills and Koa's bond is a central part of the film's heart and arguably the main thing that keeps them going over the course of their survival adventure.
Environmental horrors
The vicious dinosaurs in "65" are certainly enough to make surviving in this world a daunting task for Koa and Mills, but it's far from the only thing they have to worry about. While the big creatures are tough to deal with on their own, there are also some big nasty bugs that cause the pair some trouble in their journey. There's a gut-wrenching moment when one of the bugs crawls down Koa's throat while she's sleeping that is sure to leave a massive knot in your stomach. Beyond that, just looking at the sticky goo that comes from one of the bugs that Mills crushes makes you not want to touch an insect ever again.
Unfortunately, the environment is just as deadly as the creatures they find in it. As Mills learns, it's very easy to walk into deadly tar fields or quicksand. Mills and Koa's cave exploration nearly proves fatal when a cave-in occurs. Of course, there's also the geyser field that Mills first comes across after landing on the planet spews water so hot that it could melt skin.
"65" makes viewers thankful that Earth isn't like this anymore since it looks like a genuinely nightmarish world to try and survive.
Is there help?
Almost as soon as he crashes on Earth, Mills attempts to contact his people to try and organize a rescue for him and the other passengers. However, after realizing that all the passengers are dead, he deletes the help message and calls off help — largely because he thinks it's hopeless anyway. Once Mills finds Koa still alive, though, he creates a message that once again signals the need for assistance, and he's left wondering if anyone will come. So, does anyone pick up Mills' distress signal?
Luckily for him and Koa, his message manages to reach someone, but they're not exactly within easy reach. Based on what his scanner says, a ship will meet him at an interception point in space to take him and Koa home. However, the only way for Mills and Koa to get back to space is by finding a distant escape pod before the fast-approaching meteor strikes Earth.
It's a shame that no one can come and just scoop up Mills and Koa from this horrific situation, but the realization that there is a way home at least drives them to survive and push forward.
Koa's realization
Koa's main concern throughout the film is finding her parents. Mills initially tells her that her parents are at the top of the mountain where the escape pod is, but he only tells her this to get her to go on the journey with him. In reality, Mills knows that her parents are dead and only tells her otherwise to keep her motivated as they journey toward the escape pod. There's even a point where Mills becomes so frustrated by their situation and language barrier that he tells her that he lied. Unfortunately, since Koa can't understand him, she still doesn't know that her parents are dead until she finds the destroyed escape pods.
This realization that Mills has lied about her parents being dead understandably hurts her and she becomes furious with him. For Koa, the journey to the ship likely feels like it was for nothing now, and part of her would rather just stay on the planet and die rather than go on without her parents. It's a tough moment for Koa, and it almost seems like she's not going to go along with Mills to leave Earth.
However, he's able to get her back on his side by deeply opening up to her about what happened to his daughter.
The truth behind Mills' daughter
When Koa gets angry at Mills for lying about her parents, he decides it's a good time to tell her about what really happened to his daughter Nevine. When Mills first left, his daughter was set to go through a procedure that would cure her of a mysterious illness. This procedure would be paid for by this transport job Mills was completing when he crashlanded on Earth. Although he would be away from his daughter for two years while completing the trip, at least she would be healthy when he returned. Unfortunately, Nevine died while he was out doing this job — which means Mills never got to see her again after he left.
The death of Mills' daughter is hinted at throughout the film, and there are some key moments that show Mills' frustration. As noted earlier, his willingness to accept his fate at the start of the film shows the lingering pain he has from his daughter's death. The video messages from her also start to take a dour turn that matches the gut-wrenching feelings of some of the dreams Mills has about her. Further, the way Mills views Koa as a daughter and how he protects her also make more sense once it's clear that his daughter is gone.
Mills opens up to Koa about his lingering pain and how he felt that protecting her was a way for him to feel like he did something right. This admission helps Koa forgive Mills, and she decides to continue on with him to try and return to their home.
Botched launch
Now that Koa and Mills have unpacked some of their emotional baggage with one another, they have little time to spare. Fragments of the meteor are crashing all over the place, and there isn't much time left until the meteor collides with Earth. They quickly hop into the escape craft and start the launch sequence. Unfortunately, the fragments begin to impact the mountain they're on and cause the terrain to collapse, sending the ship hurtling toward the ground.
Miraculously, not only are Koa and Mills somehow not dead from that violent crash, but the escape pod is also still seemingly operable. However, they can't launch it right away because the ship has been flipped upside-down. As they scramble to deal with the inverted spacecraft, they soon realize they have bigger problems on their hands — two giant dinosaurs are approaching them, creating a deadly predicament. Although safety seems right in their grasp, this meteor once again causes Mills and Koa problems that could put the final nails in their coffins.
Sacrifices and rescues
Mills and Koa have a lot on their plate — an unflyable ship, a giant meteor racing towards them, and two dinosaurs looking to gobble them up — so Mills springs into action. He's able to distract the two dinosaurs away from the ship, but his gun is malfunctioning which leaves him a sitting duck. Everything seems hopeless for once again, but Koa is able to show him a hologram of his daughter that motivates him to kill the two dinosaurs. Even better, one of the dinosaurs has actually reoriented the ship by slamming into it, which means it can fly again.
However, before they can escape, the dinosaur Mills has wounded approaches them seeking revenge. To protect Koa, Mills sacrifices himself to lead the dinosaur away from the ship towards the hot geysers he came across at the start of the film.
At first, the geysers don't seem to do much damage to the dinosaur, and Mills' wounded leg makes him easy prey. Luckily, Koa is there to rescue him by stabbing the dinosaur in the eye with the makeshift weapon she crafted earlier. This causes the beast to fall into the geyser, where the intense heat causes its skin to melt and ultimately kills it. The big finale action sequence of "65" is full of emotional sacrifices and rescues that show how Mills and Koa have come together.
Off Earth
Having killed the dinosaur, Mills and Koa have one last thing to do -– escape!
With the world-ending meteor nearing impact and Mills severely injured, there's no time to waste. Koa helps Mills back to the escape ship and Mills launches the ship. They narrowly fly into space, just missing the meteor, and make their escape from this prehistoric hellscape. Mills and Koa even get some satisfaction knowing that all the dinosaurs that have been hunting them down have been wiped out by the meteor and will no longer roam Earth.
Mills and Koa's fates are never truly revealed, but they should be heading to the interception point, which implies that they will be rescued. Throughout the end credits, the film even shows what happens after the meteor causes the extinction of the dinosaurs and the evolution that eventually leads to human civilization. Although the climax of "65" kept Mills and Koa on the run and near death the entire time, they finally have a moment of well-earned rest.
Could there be a sequel?
There's no news on a sequel for "65" going into development and there likely won't be one. The film ends on a pretty conclusive note, with Mills and Koa escaping Earth before the meteor hits and the end credits show how humanity developed over time. The dinosaurs are gone and there are no hints that someone else crash-landed there beforehand, so a prequel isn't likely either. Not to mention, the box office predictions for "65" aren't looking too hot. The film faces stiff competition in "Scream VI" and is projected to earn just shy of $10 million in its opening weekend — which isn't great considering its $45 million budget.
If the film does better than expected or becomes a hit on streaming, there's certainly a chance that a sequel could happen. Although there are no hints that someone landed on Earth before Mills, it's possible that a prequel could go back further to show someone else having to fight for their life. In this case, "65" could turn into a bit of an anthology series that sees futuristic soldiers having to face off against dinosaurs in a battle for survival.
Sequel ambitions for "65" will likely be snuffed out by lackluster opening weekend box office results, but a cult following could change things.