‘The Longest Night’ (2022) revolves around a serial killer who is arrested and sent to a psychiatric facility to be held overnight, forcing the warden of the facility to face a scenario way above his pay grade. The series is now streaming on Netflix.
Warning: This article contains heavy spoilers
Plot summary
A serial killer by the name of Simón Lago is arrested on Christmas eve but before he’s taken in, someone calls to warn him and says that they have something planned to help.
He’s taken to the Baruca Hill Psychiatric Correctional facility. The director, Hugo, is called in and he decides to take his children along but his eldest daughter, Laura, is angry with the sudden change in plans and leaves to be on her own.
Hugo has a close relationship with one of the doctors at Baruca, Dr Elisa. He’s worried about Laura and keeps calling her as they decide what needs to be done with Simón.
The facility is split into two blocks, the green block has the women and less violent inmates while the red block houses the more dangerous inmates. The head of security, Bastos, is abusive towards some of the male inmates and beats them if they stray out of line.
A few of the inmates, Cherokee and Carmelo, have been planning a jailbreak by digging a hole that leads to the sewers. Another inmate, Manuela, just got her work release but she’s suffering from a dissociative identity disorder.
Hugo is sent a video with his daughter in distress holding up a sign that says she will die if he hands over Simón. Meanwhile, a group of armed men enter the compound and lay siege to the facility after setting up signal jammers and taking out the power.
Hugo is left in a conundrum and doesn’t give in to their demands of handing over Simón. This forces the hand of the attackers, led by Lennon and Ruso, who kill three of the inmates. They have a girl along with them named Sara, who is a former inmate at Baruca.
A new guard named Macarena Montes also joined the security that very night. She has very little time to see action and get a hold of the situation.
The armed men try and get into the green block where Hugo is holding Simón, but they’re constantly repelled back by the efforts of the people inside. They manage to get power by switching on the backup generator and even kill a few of the armed men.
In the red block, Cherokee carries out a revolt and gains control from the guards. He’s focused on breaking out and wants to wait for the right moment to escape. He even holds Hugo’s children as hostages to get the upper hand.
As the night rages on and tensions run high with losses on both sides, Hugo has to make sure Simón is safe much to the displeasure of the other inmates and some guards after they find out what the armed men are there for.
There are also glimpses into the past of a few people within the prison, exploring their history and how they go to be where they are.
There is a man on the outside who hears about Simón’s arrest and is worried about it. He’s the one who hired Lennon to carry out the job of getting him out. Laura is being held by a couple who aren’t very confident in what they’re doing.
After one of their attempts to get into the red block goes awry, the inmates and guards get their hands on some of the heavy-duty weapons that these men brought with them.
Cherokee has feelings for Manuela and wants to include her in his escape. She tells him the other doctor, Dr Espada, sexually abused her and this angers Cherokee. Elisa tells Cherokee that Manuela has DID which makes him doubt her story.
He pretends to kill Dr Espada and keeps him hidden inside a separate room. Eventually, it turns into us vs them scenario as Hugo tries to convince everyone inside to stand their ground.
One of the inmates, Rey, recognizes one of the armed men and remembers that they had framed him for a murder that sent him to Baruca in the first place. He tells the others that they’re cops.
The Longest Night (2022) ending explained in detail:
Calming things down
Macarena plans to hand over Simón and takes him to the roof after trapping Hugo. Hugo escapes and follows her to the roof and pushes her off. When the other guards ask him what happened to Macarena, Simón says that he was the one who pushed her off.
A look into Simón’s past and how he lived a pretty boring life until one day he just snapped and carried out his first kill. A few years later, he gets a wrapped package at his front door with a phone. As he switches it on, a stranger calls.
Cherokee tells all the other inmates about their hole into the sewers and asks them if they want to join in on their escape. Rey wants Sara’s help to prove that he was framed so she asks him to help her get away from Cherokee.
Lennon learns that Hugo’s daughter is being held somewhere and begins to wonder how Simón managed to get it done so quickly.
Trying to make a call
Simón tells Hugo that he has to make a call at 1 am to prove he’s still alive or else they’ll kill Laura. The couple holding Laura doesn’t know who Simón is and appears to be taking orders from someone else.
Hugo learns that he needs to get to a high enough altitude for the phones to work so he formulates a plan to get to the green block so that he can make the call to save his daughter.
Bastos learns that his actions against the inmates have been reported to a judge. Ruso and the other cops who have attacked know a lot of information about the people inside.
Someone else is pulling the strings
As Hugo rushes out in a car that was in the Red block, Lennon manages to gain control of that area and this derails Cherokee’s plan of escaping.
Hugo reaches the rooftop and says the phrase “Valentina is waiting” as required and then listens on as his daughter begins hyperventilating in the background. He remembers that last time that happened as the couple realize Laura has a heart issue.
It is then shown that the couple’s own daughter, Valentina, was kidnapped earlier that day which is why they were forced to kidnap Laura and follow orders.
The inmates rush back inside just as Cherokee is about to get the keys and that’s when Manuela finds out that Dr Espada is still alive. In all the chaos, Simón manages to sneak away from the crowd and later saves Elisa and Hugo’s other children.
Lennon tells Hugo that if he had just told them about his daughter, he could have helped him. The sounds of sirens fill the night as Hugo states that he called the emergency services but didn’t specify who attacked them so that he can make a deal.
Lennon tells Ruso to hold the line as they get ready to face the oncoming forces.
Lennon tells Hugo that Simón probably has some help from outside which is how Laura was kidnapped. Later on, it is revealed that the couple who kidnapped Laura has a picture with Hugo and the man who hired Lennon.
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