Quasi is a satirical comedy based on the character of Quasimodo, who is the protagonist of Victor Hugo’s 1831 novel The Hunchback of Notre-Dame. The film is now streaming on Hulu.
Warning: This article contains heavy spoilers
Plot summary
Quasimodo aka Quasi is a hunchback who serves as the torturer for the King of France, who married a new woman named Katherine from a royal family to strengthen his alliance.
The King is always at odds with the Pope and they cannot stand each other’s presence. Katherine is always undermined by the King and does not let her interfere in matters despite her wisdom.
One day, the Queen notices the strong personality of Quasi when he rallies his mates in the torture chamber. She is left impressed.
Quasi joins his friends, including Duchamp, at a lottery. The winner is supposed to get an attendance with the Pope himself.
Duchamp gives Quasi his lottery ticket out of sympathy but is shocked when Quasi ends up winning, and a bit envious. The King asks Quasi to meet him.
After sending Katherine away, he gives Quasi the task of killing the Pope when they meet. His men have hidden a dagger under the bench at the confessional. If Quasi does not go through with it, he will execute him.
The Pope gives a visit to the torture chamber and then reaches the confessional. Quasi finds the dagger and asks the Pope for guidance. To his shock, the Pope asks him to murder the King and had also hidden a dagger under the bench.
The King is disappointed at Quasi’s failure, but the latter claims he couldn’t find the dagger. He gives him one more chance to carry out the task when the Pope has an audience.
Quasi is conflicted about what to do. Katherine approaches him and tells him about her own fears. She believes the King will kill her just like he did with his former wife.
But first, she offers to help solve his problem. They conspire together and come up with a plan that will end up making Duchamp a hero.
During the audience, Quasi climbs on the stage with two daggers. Duchamp intervenes and they perform an act where he kills Quasi.
The next part of the plan includes Quasi hiding in a cave for one year. But Duchamp is disappointed when the people still consider Quasi the hero.
He also witnesses Katherine laughing with the cave and his envy only grows. One day, when drunk, he tells one of the King’s men that Quasi is still alive.
The King sends his men to capture Quasi and he is tied to his own torture machine. Katherine decides to save him and run away with him.
Quasi ending explained in detail:
What is Quasi’s true identity?
When Katherine arrives to save Quasi, she talks about how she had a cousin who was deformed and thus, thrown away when only a child.
She begins to doubt whether that person is Quasi. Upon inspecting his hump, she realises that he has the same mark of a crown as her.
The two are cousins. But this does not stop their attraction and, in fact, only fuels it. They end up having sex but the King’s men arrive and Quasi flees.
Does Quasi save Duchamp?
Quasi tries to save Duchamp after realising everyone knows the truth. But he is shocked when Duchamp confesses that he was the one who exposed him.
They have a fight and later Duchamp is captured by the King’s men because they believe he is his best friend. He does not give away his location and only insults Quasi.
Katherine gives him a horse to escape but tells him she cannot join him now as that would expose their alliance. She does plan to eventually.
Quasi is about to escape, but his friend Michel suggests that Duchamp did not give away his location because they are actually best friends. Quasi changes his plans.
Why do the King and the Pope kill each other?
Duchamp is about to be executed for being a traitor in the most terrible way; by cutting off his scrotum.
Quasi arrives just in time to save his friend and his friends, along with Katherine, fight against the King and the Pope. Michel ends up getting killed.
When on the brink of being executed, Quasi tells the two the truth about the murder attempts. This causes a fight between the two.
The King and the Pope end up killing each other but it turns out their hatred stemmed from the fact that they had dated each other in the past. They still loved each other.
What is Quasi’s fate at the end?
Quasi is made the new King, not because of his royal blood but because the citizens love him. He makes the kingdom happier.
In a mid-credits scene, Quasi tries to bury Michel but the grave is too small for him. They make it bigger but he still doesn’t fit. He passes off the attempt as close enough.
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