Kate (2021) summary and ending explained

Kate on Netflix is an action thriller movie about a dying assassin who has less than 24 hours to find her killer. It has been directed by Cedric Nicolas Troyan and written by Umair Aleem. Kate released on Netflix on September 10.

Kate (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) is an assassin working for Varrick (Woody Harrelson) since a very young age. For her last assignment before retirement, Kate has to finish Kijima’s (Jun Kunimura) family as they are the biggest crime family in Japan.

The movie begins in Osaka, where Kate kills Kentaro, the brother of Kijima. She shoots Kentaro in front of his daughter Ani (Miku Martineau).

10 months later, Kate is in Tokyo and her final assignment is to kill Kijima. Before she can kill him, Kate is poisoned with Polonium 204 and suffers from Acute Radiation Syndrome (ARS). The doctor informs her that she has less than 24 hours left to live. In that time, she has to find out who poisoned her and kill them.

Kate finds Ani, who is the niece of Kijima and decides to use her to get to Kijima. Ani tells Kate that the only way to talk to Kijima is through Renji (Tadanobu Asano).

Renji sees an opportunity to kill Ani and finish the bloodline of Kijima, so he can take over the family. Kate saves Ani from Renji’s men and a friendship develops between the two. Ani promises to help Kate in finding Kijima, as she blames him for her father’s death.

Ani leads Kate to her family house where Kijima is. Kate calls Varrick to inform him about her plan to kill Kijima and to say goodbye to him.

Will Kate kill Kijima? What will happen to Ani? What is the truth behind Varrick?

Kate ending explained in detail:

Kijima’s fate

Kate finds Kijima alone and unarmed in the house. She asks him if he poisoned her to avenge his brother’s death. Kijima tells her that he was not the one who poisoned her and she is not who he seeks revenge against because she is merely an assassin.

He then tells her that it was Renji and his ambitions to become king that led him to put out a hit on Kentaro, where Varrick helped Renji. And it was Renji who poisoned Kate on the orders of Varrick.

He informs Kate about the ways in which Varrick has used her to achieve his own ends. Kate is devastated and angry with the revelation.

Kijima accepts his death and turns around waiting for Kate to pull the trigger. Kate’s hands begin shaking but then we hear a loud gunshot as she comes out of the house.

However, later we see Kijima also coming out of the house. Kate didn’t kill Kijima as he is Ani’s only hope for a normal and safe life.

Varrick’s truth

When Varrick learns that Kate is headed to Kijima’s house, he realises that she will come to know the truth behind her poisoning. He reaches the house and finds Ani sitting outside.

He takes Ani and goes to Renji’s. There, it is revealed that it was Varrick helping Renji to become the head by removing Kijima and his family line.

But Varrick didn’t have anything to do with Kate’s poisoning. He knew that he couldn’t let Kate retire and told Renji that if she does retire, then he will have to kill Kate.

But Renji takes the step by himself and poisons Kate without telling Varrick.

Kate’s revenge

Ani shoots Kate when she finds out that it was Kate who killed her father. As Kate falls down, it seems all but certain that she is dead. Kijima comes out of the house with Kate’s medicine which will help Kate live for another hour.

Kate and Kijima go to find Renji and Varrick so they can save Ani from them. Kijima finds Renji and challenges him to a sword fight to decide who will take over the family.

Renji is killed by Kijima in the fight. Kate finds Varrick with a gun to Ani’s head. He tells Kate that he loves her and he didn’t have any part to play in her poisoning.

Kate and Varrick shoot at each other at the same time. Varrick dies immediately while Ani rushes to Kate. She tells Kate that it is okay and soon the pain will end as the movie ends with Kate moments away from death.


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