Netflix’s Filipino action-drama film, The Ride, is about a single day in the life of a criminal. Running for just over an hour, the film focuses mostly on the trouble that the criminal, Barry, finds himself in, and the bond he shares with his son, Leo. We are warned from the very beginning that something extreme is about to unfold in Barry’s life, and he will either kill or be killed in the process. Barry is a longtime criminal, and as a result, he barely had any time for his family. The gang he worked for was involved in stealing high-end vehicles, but lately he felt frustrated working under his boss, Vince. Even for the smallest mistakes, Vince didn’t spare them, and Barry was tired of doing small jobs and having no control over his life. So, he planned a coup d’état to replace Vince and work directly with Windsor. Executing the plan wasn’t easy, because Vince had loyalists too. So, what happened to Barry? Let’s find out!
Spoiler Alert
What happened to Barry’s coup d’état plan?
Windsor had almost agreed to work with Barry, but only if he managed to handle the Vince situation. As long as he got his supply of illegal vehicles, he didn’t have any problem working with Barry, although he couldn’t help but wonder if someday Barry would end up stabbing him in the back as well. Barry managed to convince Anton to join his team, and he fixed a meeting with Windsor to come up with a plan. But on the day of the meeting, Barry decided to meet Leo’s mother, Sally, since it was her birthday. Even though they weren’t together anymore, Barry wanted to respect Sally’s wish of seeing Leo and his father together before she went in for surgery. Sally had been diagnosed with cancer, and she was determined to fix Barry and Leo’s relationship. Leo, a hot-headed young man who indulged in illegal car racing, despised his father. Barry had mostly been absent from his life, and he had barely any respect for his father. So, when his mother insisted he bring his father along and spend her birthday together, he wasn’t enthusiastic about it.
Barry met Leo, and together they embarked on a road trip to Sally’s. On their way, they stopped by a market to buy dragon fruits; Leo believed that dragon fruits brought good luck. Soon, Barry received a call from Windsor, and he asked for updates. Barry had instructed Anton to head to Windsor’s place by himself, and he explained to Windsor that it was a strategic move. Soon after he disconnected the call, Barry found himself in a tough spot. He was in the washroom when he heard Vince’s men discuss that they’d been instructed by their boss to get Barry alive. Barry sneaked up behind one of them and drowned him. Soon, there was a shootout in the market; Barry was up against Vince’s gangsters. Leo too got caught up in the chaos, and he was surprised to see his father in action. He had no idea what was going on. Barry took down as many men as he could, and when he came face-to-face with Jules, his subordinate whom he’d introduced to the business, he couldn’t pull the trigger on him. Jules begged Barry to just have a word with Vince, but Barry was well aware that he would be tortured and killed if he surrendered. Leo came out of nowhere and struck Jules in the head; he’d figured that their conversation wouldn’t have amounted to anything fruitful, and his father simply needed to escape from the situation. Barry and Leo managed to make it to their car, and they drove away.
By the time Barry arrived at Windsor’s place, he discovered that Anton had been murdered. Barry had asked Leo to stay in the car, and he had left him with a gun, but Leo decided to follow his father anyway. Barry also found Windsor’s lifeless body there. Vince had gotten a hint of their plan, and he was ready to kill anyone who dared to go against him. Barry blamed himself for Anton’s death, and before he could even grieve the loss, Vince’s men turned up at the spot. Barry discovered that one of the gangsters Anton had considered working with was actually a Vince loyalist, and he was likely the one who’d told his boss about the coup d’état plan. Barry and Leo decided to hit the road and spend the night at Barry’s hideout.
Did Barry kill Vince?
Leo was concerned when he found out that his father was knee-deep in trouble. When they arrived at the safe house, Leo looked around and was surprised by all the arrangements his father had made in case intruders ended up at the property. Barry asked Leo to rest inside the house while he stepped out for a smoke. Within minutes, Leo found himself surrounded by Vince’s men. Vince had also arrived at the hideout, and he demanded to know how Leo was related to Barry. He also asked Leo where Barry was, but the young man refused to answer his question. Leo did something brave instead; he punched the guy standing behind him and managed to escape from the room, although in the process he got shot in the arm. Barry heard the gunshots, and he immediately knew Leo was in trouble. One by one, Barry took down Vince’s men. He kicked the gangster who dared to betray Anton, and when he begged Barry for mercy, he rejected his plea and shot him. This was not the kind of thrill Leo ever wanted to experience. For the first time in his life, he’d experienced how it felt to have a bullet graze his arm, and along with the unbearable pain, he also had to be on the lookout, because there were gangsters hunting for him and his father. When a gangster held a gun to his head, Leo figured he was living in a nightmare, but thankfully he had his father by his side. Barry came out of nowhere and shot down the gangster.
During The Ride’s ending, Vince had lost all his men, but he was still determined to seek revenge against his betrayer. When Vince and Barry came face-to-face, they exchanged shots, and Barry fell to the ground. Vince attempted to shoot Leo, but Barry managed to grab hold of him and pushed him aside. The two got into a fistfight, and Vince intentionally put pressure on Barry’s bullet wounds. Vince had Barry pinned to the ground, and he started attacking him relentlessly. Barry realized that it was now or never, so he gathered all his strength and pushed Vince into the spiked pit that he’d made for intruders. In the end, Barry and Leo left the hideout after successfully taking down Vince and his men.
Did the journey help Barry and Leo overcome their differences?
Although Barry and Leo’s day together turned out to be unpredictable and violent, somehow, in the face of death, the son and father bonded. Leo thought he didn’t care about his father, but that was before he saw him in a truly deadly spot. He tried his best to save Barry in any way he could. He was a young man who had dabbled in petty crimes like illegal racing, but by spending a day with his father, he had realized how much worse the criminal life could get. There was no respite for Barry; he was always in trouble, and it was very difficult for him to have a stable family life. Barry blamed himself for Leo’s temper, because he knew that his absence was the reason why his son had turned violent and angry. Barry knew that he wasn’t a good man or a good father, but he hoped to at least convince his son to not make the same mistakes he did. He didn’t want Leo to become a criminal like him and live a life where blood and guns were the only constant.
How Did Barry Die?
Leo wanted to drive his father to the hospital since he was bleeding from his bullet wounds, but Barry insisted that they visit Sally. He knew that seeing them together was Sally’s only wish, and he wanted to fulfill it. He asked Leo to drive to the dock so that they could take a ferry to Sally’s place. He assumed that she’d already had her surgery, and seeing them together would instantly brighten her mood. By the time they arrived at the dock, there were cops waiting for Barry and Leo. They instructed the duo to drop their weapons and surrender themselves. The cops had identified them from the market shootout, and they’d successfully tracked the father and son down.
Barry knew that if they were arrested, they wouldn’t be able to meet Sally for quite some time, and he couldn’t afford to let that happen. He initially pretended to surrender, and so did Leo, although Leo honestly didn’t have any idea what his father’s plan was. Leo suddenly grabbed hold of Leo and held him at gunpoint. He cautioned the police that if Leo was harmed on his way home they would be responsible. All he wanted was for his son to make it to the ferry and meet his mother without any interruption from the cops. He also begged Leo to promise him that no matter what, he would not live a criminal life and instead focus on building a life with dignity. Barry finally let go of Leo and asked him to run to the cops.
In The Ride’s ending, Barry was shot down by the cops, and Leo watched his father die right before his eyes. In the end, he realized how deeply Barry cared about him. He could’ve escaped without taking any responsibility for his son, but until the very end, Barry chose to protect him. He knew he had failed as a father, but in the final moments of his life, he chose to somewhat redeem himself. Leo was devastated; perhaps he regretted not trying to know his father a little better when he still had the time. Hopefully, Leo will abide by the promise he’d made to Barry and live a dignified life.
