In Netflix’s 2025 Swedish release, An Honest Life, a young law student, Simon, starts questioning the purpose of his existence when he crosses paths with a gang of bandits. Simon had always wanted to be a writer, but he didn’t have anything interesting to write about. So, he decided to pursue the next best thing—law. He figured learning the rules of the world would at least help him get a well-paying job. But soon, he realized that the race to the top of the career ladder was already rigged, and no matter what he did, the seats to the best jobs and internships were reserved for the students who came from generational wealth. Compared to his life, the lives of bandits he saw stealing jewelry on his first day at Lund seemed liberating. Their purpose resonated with him, and when he noticed one of the members, Max, waiting outside his university, he decided to strike up a conversation.
Spoiler Alert
Why did Simon join the bandits?
Simon’s decision to live in an apartment he could barely afford so that he could avoid staying in a moldy dorm room suggested that he aspired to a life of abundance. Unlike his classmate, Fredde, who still had faith in the grind and the hustle, Simon couldn’t shrug off the idea that the game was already fixed. The apartment Simon had moved into was owned by Ludvig, the son of an investor. Ludvig and Victor, Ludvig’s friend and roommate, came from privilege—they were not just wealthy, they came from aristocracy. Simon wanted to live their lives, but it was evident that they never considered Simon a part of their circle. He was treated as a butler when Ludvig and Victor invited their friends to dinner. From setting the table to serving alcohol, Simon was expected to do it all simply because they believed that they did Simon a favor by offering a seat at their table. This was not the life Simon had envisioned for himself. He didn’t wish to spend the rest of his years in Lund catering to the whims and fancies of men like Ludvig and Victor in the hopes of getting just about an average job.
Simon was immediately drawn to Max when he saw her at the university library. He remembered Max—she was one of the bandits he crossed paths with on his first day at Lund. Instead of reporting them to the cops, Simon had warned them that the cops were approaching. He temporarily lost his vision after one of the cops pepper sprayed him. Max had applied a liquid on his eyes that helped him see clearly again. Even though they’d only shared a brief moment, Simon felt deeply attracted to her. So, when he noticed her waiting outside the university staring at him, he knew he had to speak to her. Max was a breath of fresh air in Simon’s mundane existence. She was everything that the people around him feared, and that attracted him to her all the more. She had an air of danger about her, and perhaps from the moment Max had told Simon that she had decided to kidnap him and take him to one of her favorite spots, he knew that he was about to be a part of an epic story. Simon soon learned that Max was from Spain and she had an elder sister, and they cared deeply for one another. After Simon had hurt himself while jumping off a cliff into a water body, Max called her sister, Dinah, for help, and they ended up bringing him to Charles’ house.
Charles was a retired political science professor who had opened the doors of his house to bandits like Max. He strongly believed in the power of political anarchy, and Max, Dinah, Gustaf, and Robin had become a part of his elaborate experiment, or so it seemed. Charles offered the youngsters guidance, though they mostly preferred doing what they pleased. Simon finally felt at home with his new friends. Unlike the dinner parties at Ludvig’s, here, everyone was equal, and they belonged together. As someone who didn’t come from a well-educated, financially privileged family, Simon chose to study law because he didn’t wish to lead a boring life, but after enrolling at the university, he’d come to realize that there was nothing interesting about learning a bunch of rules. But at Charles’ house, Simon finally felt that in the company of these seemingly dangerous ‘enlightened anarchist elites,’ he would never really get bored. The bandits swore by Victor Sage’s view of anarchism, and by opposing a life of servitude and taking money from those in power, they believed they were living their lives true to their beliefs. They never claimed to be revolutionaries; they were simply bandits.
Simon had been desperately searching for a place to belong to, and when Max repeatedly told him that they strongly felt that he had the potential to join them, he felt the earnest desire to prove her right. He no longer cared about his degree and education anymore; all he wanted was to spend time with Max. One day, Simon traveled with Max to Copenhagen, and he was instructed to steal some limited edition watches. The bandits had created a distraction, giving Simon the right window to get the job done. Simon initially hesitated, but he ultimately grabbed the watches and walked out of the store in a complete panic. The rest of the bandits joined him, and they asked Simon to stay low. After the adrenaline-inducing episode, Simon was told he’d passed the test, and that he was now a part of their gang.
Why did Max get physically intimate with Ludvig?
Spending time with the gang was a liberating experience for Simon. He finally felt seen and heard, especially because everyone in the room acknowledged how privilege always plays a decisive role in how one’s life takes shape regardless of how hard they worked or the level of their merit. Simon decided to move out of Ludvig’s apartment. He’d learned the importance of unapologetically speaking his mind, and he was no longer afraid of what his privileged roommates thought about him. While Simon assumed he’d finally found people who truly cared about him, Charles warned him to be careful. He reminded Simon that the gang was essentially a group of thieves and predators who used others to their advantage. Charles was well aware that the youngsters considered him nothing more than a failed academician, but they still had use for him, and that was perhaps the only reason why they hadn’t abandoned him yet. Charles hoped Simon would see beyond the farce and realize that it was not just systemic injustice that was driving them, but they also had a certain level of self-interest in doing what they did. Simon preferred not to think too much about it and spoil his happiness. But his illusion was soon broken when Simon spotted Max with Ludvig. He couldn’t believe his eyes, and in a moment of frustration, he got into a fight with Victor, and he was thrown out of the apartment. Simon didn’t know what to do with his life anymore—he barely attended classes, and his grades were below average. He decided to have a word with Max, and he learned that she’d slept with Ludvig to steal the keys to Ludvig’s parents’ house in Malmo. Since Ludvig’s father owned Rehnskiold Capital Management, he was the bandits’ next target. But that was not a good enough reason for Simon to justify Max sleeping with Ludvig. He stated that he would’ve stolen the keys if she’d asked him.
Charles was not comfortable with the choices the gang was making. The idea was to be as free as possible, but the more risks they took, the more danger they would get themselves into, and Charles was clear that, at his age, he was not ready to go to prison. The robbery didn’t go as planned; while they managed to steal the luxury cars, Robin ended up shooting the housekeeper. Max immediately tried to put pressure on the wound to stop blood loss. In the brief exchange, Max remembered seeing the housekeeper at Ludvig’s apartment, and she likely recognized him as well. Max was not ready to leave her in a bloody state, but Robin held a gun to his head, forcing him to leave. On their way back, a police car stopped them. Max pretended to be a regular college student, but the minute the cops demanded to check the trunk of her car, she knew it was over. While Robin planned on shooting the cops, Simon stopped him and instead sprayed the cops with a can of spray paint. They managed to make it to Charles’ house.
Why did Simon feel betrayed?
Charles had already learned about the shooting from an online portal, and he was extremely disappointed in them. Robin apologized for his mistake, though he didn’t seem too affected by it. They had already decided to part ways with Charles, and they offered him one hundred and fifty thousand krona from the five hundred and fifty that they got after selling the stolen cars. Charles couldn’t believe that, after everything he’d done for the youngsters, they were offering him money to cut ties. He accused them of trying to buy their freedom and walked away, defeated. Max instructed Simon to leave, and she handed him the keys to Ludvig’s parents house and asked him to put them back in Ludvig’s room. Simon tried to have a conversation, but Max made it very clear that she didn’t want to keep any ties with him, and if he dared to go against them, she had enough proof to get him arrested. Simon was surprised to see that Max had video recordings of Simon stealing the watches and also of him entering Ludvig’s parents’ house wearing a ski mask. While Simon thought they were in love, it soon became evident to him that he was simply used by the gang. Dinah added that Simon didn’t even know their real names, so he could not do any real damage to them. Simon figured out how calculative their friendship had always been, and realized he was too naive to have assumed that they were his friends.
Simon left the keys in Ludvig’s coat after he entered his apartment. He locked himself in the bathroom before Ludvig got suspicious. He washed the blood off his hands and removed his clothes. Simon acted completely surprised when Ludvig informed him that his housekeeper, Joyce, had been shot. She was in intensive care and it was pretty obvious that Simon was worried that Joyce might just discuss his involvement with the gang as soon as she regained consciousness. Simon didn’t know where he stood anymore ideologically; he knew that Joyce didn’t deserve to be shot, and he wondered if the violence used on the oppressed during the act of anarchy, taking from those who didn’t deserve what they had, was justified. Simon struggled to find meaning to his existence without Max by his side. He ended up knocking on Charles’ door, hoping to find an answer. Charles handed him the address of Henrik Jonsson; he didn’t know where the rest lived.
Who was Henrik Jonsson?
Henrik was a former member of the group, and when Simon arrived at the place he used to live in, he was told that Henrik was long gone. He was perceived as ‘weird’ by many, and one of the girls living there told Simon that Henrik was supposed to move in with his girlfriend before he went missing. She showed Simon photographs of them, and Simon realized that, just like him, Max had used Henrik as well. He’d left a library receipt that he’d asked the girl to hand over if someone came searching for him and had a connection with Charles. Simon got the ‘Memoirs of a Revolutionary’ from the university library, as was mentioned in the receipt. He realized that few of the pages were glued together, and when he tore at them, he found a note—a list of the actual names of the bandit gang members. Simon learned that Max’s real name was Lea Valverde and her sister’s name was Belinda. Robin was Axel, and Gustaf was Gabriel. Simon finally felt he had some power over the bandits. He knew their names, and if anything went wrong with him, he could expose them. Henrik clearly had been in the same position Max was in, and he was probably killed by the gang when he’d threatened to expose their operations to the public.
Why did Charles kill himself?
Simon went back to Charles’ to discuss what he’d just found, and he was shocked to see that the professor had shot himself. It felt almost as if, after handing Simon the address, Charles thought it was time for him to go. His experiment had failed, his beliefs proved to be idealistic, and he was disappointed with how things turned out in the end. He’d hoped the kids would learn how to be free, but instead they got caught up in the very system that they opposed. Charles death could also be interpreted as a murder that was framed as suicide, but considering that the film does not delve into the details, it suggests that the cops possibly didn’t come to such a conclusion.
Why were the bandits at the hotel?
Unexpectedly, Simon received a call from Max asking him to meet her at a hotel room she’d booked. Before arriving there, Simon left the list of names in his notebook, and he carefully tucked it away in the bookshelf of his house. He told his sister that if anything happened to him, she must take his Joyce and Faulkner collection; he’d hidden his notebook within the collection. His sister didn’t really understand what was going on, but she promised to oblige his request.
After hours of waiting in the hotel room, Simon finally heard a knock on the window, and Max greeted him. Even though she’d betrayed him, Simon was still obsessed with her. Soon, he realized that he was being used for the bandits’ next plan once again. They needed a room in the hotel that they could use, so they’d booked it for Simon and asked him to stay there. They targeted Maria Conti, a billionaire financier who was visiting Sweden to meet tech entrepreneurs and make investments. The bandits broke into her room, knocked out her bodyguards, and tied her up. They stole whatever they found in her locker. Soon they heard the hotel receptionist approaching them, and Robin shot him. Simon was on his way out when he saw the receptionist lying on the floor, wounded. Robin was about to shoot him, but Simon grabbed hold of his arms. He ended up pulling the trigger, and the bullet hit Gustaf. Things didn’t go according to their plan, and they were running out of time. Robin clearly wasn’t opposed to murdering people to serve his purpose, and when his own gang member was shot because of him, he didn’t know how to react. He wanted to kill Simon, but he figured Gustaf needed their help. They managed to walk Gustaf out of the hotel, and they loaded his body into their van. Dinah promised to take care of the situation and asked the rest to leave the van and scatter.
What does the final scene suggest?
Simon and Max changed their clothes in a public restroom. In An Honest Life’s ending, after Max handed Simon his phone, he took a picture of her and stated that he knew her actual name, and if he got caught up in their mess, then he would make sure that the rest of the gang too were sent behind bars. Max stared at him in surprise; when he mentioned Henrik, she rubbished his claim of her using Henrik and him for her benefit. She added that there was more to the story, but she didn’t expect him to believe her. Before leaving, she kissed Simon goodbye and told him that now he’d have a story to write. Max was in tears when she left, suggesting that the truth was not as simple as Simon had assumed. Maybe she too wanted to be free, but she was tied to the bandits because of her sister. Dinah was an addict who was knee-deep in the mess, and Max knew that her sister would be destroyed if she wasn’t with her constantly. Max believed in what the bandits did; maybe in some instances she thought differently, but her opinion was not taken into account, and that was why Henrik was likely killed. She must have protested, but no one listened to her. She was probably always reminded that their cause was bigger and more important than her emotions.
Meanwhile, Simon walked away with a story to tell—he had learned the hard way that his actions and opinions must always be in sync. He was done pretending and pleasing people around him. Considering that Joyce was in the hospital and might possibly regain consciousness, trouble was far from gone. Simon might end up in a mess if she chooses to name him, and the house of cards will come crumbling down. Considering he had already threatened to expose the gang, they might as well choose to kill him before it ever came to that. But considering Simon is the one narrating the story, we can only guess everything went in his favor and he stayed alive to narrate the tale.
