In Matt Osterman ’s 2016 sci - fi mystery400 day , four aspiring astronaut embark on a simulated deep blank travel mission that command them to remain aboard a mock spacecraft underground for 400 days , but the400 Daysending left the audience disorient . The crew faces troubling office one after the other until they are forced to go forth the ship into a ostensibly post - apocalyptic domain . They are increasingly ineffective to determine what ’s substantial and what ’s not , and the unfeigned function of their military mission elude them . By the end of the film , audiences are left with more question than answer .

As expected , the gang grapple with the psychosocial effects of their isolation . The crew members all suffer from personal issues , hallucination , and hidden secrets from each other . On top of that , the ship ’s doctor seems to know more about the mission than she claims . Also , as expected , they must deal with unforeseen problem , include the loss of contact with deputation control , the disruption of their power and atomic number 8 supply , and more . They usurp that each obstruction is part of the pretending until Emily has a good - death experience and a sickly intruder mysteriously appears and vanish . At that item , they happen upon a post - apocalyptic world aboveground and see Zell ( Tom Cavanagh ) , the odd owner of a dining compartment in a barren town .

Was It All A Simulation?

Sadly , by400 Daysending , the resultant is unknown . The picture show ’s issue were either all a pretence , which would make it extremely unethical , or a cataclysmic outcome really did come about . Due to its capable - concluded nature , audiences have to be at peace with not knowing , which is the whole gunpoint of the flick . In the film , as in life , some things are just out of orbit . The ash grey lining is that viewers get the opportunity to decide . Despite the fact that the400 Daysending is n’t made concise or exculpated as far as on the button what happen in the movie , it ’s possible to ascertain consolation in the fact that speculating is just as entertaining as knowing the truth .

What Was The Mission’s True Purpose?

The true intent of the mission is one of the400 Daysending ’s fundamental mysteries . Here , again , audiences are bequeath with very few reply . The ending allow them to either take the mission ’s state purpose at human face value or assume it was an detailed artifice with a cryptical , hidden objective . If it ’s take at face value , it seems poorly conceive . As audiences get to cognize the work party , they reveal aspects of themselves that would in all likelihood unfit them from such a charge .

For example , Theo woke up on launch day with a katzenjammer because he childishly go on a four - day bender , and his relationship with Emily ( who may be addicted to pills ) is an obvious conflict of interest . Bug has clear go through some kind of personnel casualty or trauma . Cole is a sexual predatory animal who has anger matter . How these characters qualified for the mission is puzzle , unless , of course , the delegation ’s rightful use was hold in from the starting line .

The Real Meaning Of 400 Days: Who Can We Trust?

If one go looking for answers , the film ’s characters are no aid . As Zell says in the diner , it ’s impossible to trust anybody . Each member of the crew seems to be hiding something , with the possible exception of Theo , though he is clearly irresponsible . Cole and Bug are losing their minds . Emily is keeping at least one arcanum , and Walter warn them that their vocation will be over if they quit the mission early , which seems not only unethical but also extremely unscientific . Then , there is the question of thepossibility of a post - revelatory smart set .

In a film so mired in uncertainty , it ’s nice to be certain of something . The certainty stem from the real meaning behind the pic ; in the scientific pursuit of knowledge , many people are often willing to sacrifice the very thing that compels them to hand for the headliner — our humanity . The400 Daysending roleplay as a warning . The willingness to quest after noesis at any monetary value will be humanity ’s downfall , whether the actual events depict are a simulation or not .

How Director Matt Osterman Explains The 400 Days Ending

Director Matt Osterman has verbalise about his moving picture at length , and he touched on what he sees as the400 Daysending and what it all could mean . When directly asked about the ending and its meaning ( viaBorrowing Tape ) , Osterman said , " I ’d be give it all aside if I put it together for the audience , but the clue are all there if they require to find an answer ! The actual ending to me is when Theo and Emily hold hands . " As Osterman believes , it is n’t so much the mystery of the real man that matters in his narration , but the story of Theo and Emily and their relationship .

Osterman also allow in that the400 Daysending was controversial , but he feels that helped his independent movie get more eyes on it . When sing about lure in acast that include Caity Lotz , Brandon Routh , Ben Feldman , and Dane Cook , he enunciate they sleep with the playscript and saw something peculiar in it ( viaSci - Fi Pulse ) . " The ending is a bit controversial , but I think that ’s what made it particular . The account respects the audience enough to allow them believe for themselves and I remember the role player were take out to that . "

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400 Days Movie Cover Art

Brandon Routh In 400 Days Movie

400 Days Movie Cast

400 Days Movie Brandon Routh Close Up

Brandon Routh and Caity Lotz play together on 400 Days