Danny A. Abeckaser’s new film is titled “The Engineer,” a pulse-pounding action-thriller movie that is based on true events. This film expertly blends real-time broadcasts and advanced filmmaking techniques to recreate the suicide bus bombings, achieving documentary-style archival clips of significant and distressing incidents that happened between 1993 and 1996. While a few adjustments in execution, casting, and posturing could further improve its overall impact, we still can’t deny its importance to the history of the Israeli people.
The plot revolves around two parallel teams hunting down a man behind all the bombings and eventually crossing paths as they look for the man known as “The Engineer.” This film has received quite a bit of criticism, mainly because of its inaccurate portrayal of what really unfolded. Despite the criticisms, different viewpoints come together that will give everyone a hopeful impression. Here, I will provide you with a summary of the film and its ending. Please note that this article contains spoilers.
The Engineer (2023) Plot Summary & Movie Synopsis :
The film opens in Israel, where a suicide bombing occurs. Unfortunately, one of the victims is the daughter of the influential US Senator David Adler. There are two different teams: one is from Israeli Intelligence, and the other is from Adler’s ex-Mossad team. Even though they are two parallel teams, they unknowingly come together to track down the mastermind behind the bombings, known as “The Engineer.”
When Senator Adler discovers that his daughter has been one of the victims of the bombing, he wants to seek revenge against the mastermind. He uses his power as a senator and his resources. Subsequently, he finds and manages to convince a former Mossad agent in the US named Avi to return to Israel with him.
Meanwhile, Etan, who is part of the Israeli intelligence agency Shin-Bet is suspended for brutally torturing prisoners. But when the bombings start, he is brought back to locate Yahya Ayyash, The Engineer. Both Avi and Etan are suitable for the task. Avi returns and communicates with his team while Etan rejoins his old crew to begin the search.
Etan is hesitant to leave his family again for a mission and is reconsidering joining the same team after being suspended. When Etan is on the mission, he gives his total commitment, which is why he would do anything to obtain information through any means. He has never been a failure in his job; he is always in control.
Still, he had to be suspended for what he had done. Etan plans not to go back after he is suspended, but the bombings are destroying the lives of Israeli people. Moreover, he believes he can catch Yahya. The moment his superior comes to his door and begs him to return, he moves his family outside Israel for their safety and returns to his duty. Their team is currently keeping surveillance on Yahya’s wife. Etan’s team also includes Fanni, Eli, and Tomas. They’re keeping their eyes on Yahya’s wife as they expect him to contact his wife at some point.
On the other side, Avi relied greatly on his previous Mossad crew to help him. He was told to go back to Israel to locate Yahya. While Etan’s team has eyes on Yahya’s wife, Adler has eyes on ex-Israeli agents currently living in America. Adler needs help from Avi to locate the man accountable for his daughter’s death and the same man who is initiating a violent and widespread terror campaign that is affecting the lives of ordinary Israelis.
Avi is living well in America, away from his country, and hasn’t been helping Israelis for a long time. He knows that this is going to be his last chance. In fact, he commits himself to this mission and starts contacting every ex-agent currently in hiding to enlist their help to take down Yahya. The first person he makes contact with is Levi, who gives him access to stay in touch with Gili.
Emile Hirsch and Oshri Cohen in The Engineer (2023)And they all go to Gaza together. Gili tells Avi that everyone in Palestine supports Yahya and sees him as a hero. The three of them: Avi, Gili, and Levi, work together to locate a man behind transporting one of the suicide bombers into Tel Aviv, named Khader, as they’re sure he has a lead on where they can find Yahya. Etan, along with his team, is trying to track down information that leads them to a man named Abdel Nasser Issa, the man responsible for creating explosives.
They are determined to catch him and extract information from him about who the explosives are for. Two parallel teams have different members targeting the same goal: to catch Yahya. Sooner or later, their paths are meant to cross. While Avi searches for Khader, he becomes involved in a gunfight. Meanwhile, Senator Adler finally arrives in Palestine with fury in his heart, desiring to kill Yahya. The mission they’re undertaking has its risks, and it’s absurd for Adler to be with them. It’s also dangerous for Avi’s crew to be seen with an American, yet they must keep him hidden.
The Engineer (2023) Movie Ending, Explained:
What happened to both teams?
When Avi finds Khader, he reveals he has no clue where Yahya is. The only thing he says that helps them is that Yahya’s wife is pregnant, so they might find him there. Meanwhile, Etan manages to catch Abdel Nasser Issa. Abdel admits that he was the one who made bombs for Yahya. However, he doesn’t have enough information about where he is. He also gives them the information that Yahya’s wife is pregnant, so both teams go to search the house. Etan and his team arrive earlier than Avi’s team and search the house, yet there’s no sign of Yahya’s presence.
Fanni monitors Yahya’s wife’s home and sees Avi’s team enter right after Etan and his team leave. When Etan notices them, he immediately follows, thinking they are Yahya’s accomplices. It reveals that there is another fellow Israeli team working under the radar to hunt down Yahya. Etan contemplates whether to join forces with Avi in this mission. But before he can even decide, the Israeli Prime Minister is reportedly killed. This makes them even more pressed to find Yahya, and they consider enlisting Avi and his team to help in the search.
Did they manage to find Yahya?
It’s difficult for either team to locate Yahya because they haven’t been able to find him with his wife or any relatives. Fanni decides to check the records of Yahya’s former schoolmates, considering he might be staying with one of them. Fanni’s shrewd thinking yields positive results as they discover that Yahya is indeed staying at his school friend Osama’s place. It turns out that Osama’s uncle used to be an informant for Shin-Bet. Osama’s uncle helps them replace Osama’s phone, which he uses to help Yahya communicate with his father.
Avi and Etan hear enough information from Yahya. Osama’s uncle finally switches the telephone and gives Osama a phone with a small bomb inside, which Eli can control from the headquarters. Etan confirms that Yahya is using the phone, and Eli controls the bomb, making it explode. They are able to kill Yahya on the spot, and they have to get away from there as soon as possible. But before they can escape, Avi and Gili are hit. Unfortunately, Gili dies; no matter how hard Etan tries to save Avi, he can’t. Luckily enough, he is survived by his wife and daughter.
How does the Engineer end?
The engineer’s ending shows us an older woman sitting on the bus who turns out to be a suicide bomber. It makes us realize that Yahya is just a regular person who was influenced by extremely violent beliefs in his life. And that Yahya is not alone; there are many people just like him who continue to kill in the name of freedom and keep on killing innocent lives.
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Trailer:
The Engineer (2023) Movie Links: IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes
The Cast of The Engineer (2023) Movie: Emile Hirsch, Daniel A. Abeckaser, Tsahi Halevi, Angel Bonanni, and Adam Haloon
The Engineer (2023) Movie Genre: Mystery & thriller/Action, Runtime: 1h 33m
Where to watch The Engineer
