Stillwater ending explained: An unintentional murder

The 2021 Tom McCarthy film Stillwater centers on a father-daughter relationship that isn't very close. Matt Damon plays the father, Bill Baker, while Abigail Breslin portrays the daughter, Allison Baker. When the story begins, Allison is a convict charged with murder and has already served five years of her nine-year sentence.

However, Bill believes his daughter is innocent and tries to help her get out of prison. Although his daughter doesn't fully trust him, he remains confident in her. By the end, it is revealed that she was indeed involved in the killing, but she never intended to kill the victim.

The film is said to draw inspiration from Amanda Knox's story, as she experienced something similar. She wasn't happy with this and even denounced the movie on Twitter (now X).

Who is the killer in Stillwater?

This is a complicated story that needs some untangling. But the real culprit is a man named Akim (Idir Azougli). He believed he was doing his job, but he wasn't. It was a miscommunication between him and Allison. Allison had a lover named Lina, who was unfaithful to her.

One day, Allison catches her cheating and decides to get rid of Lina. She hires Akim to handle it, but instead of removing her from the apartment, he ends up killing her for good. She explains all of this at the end of Stillwater to her father, who has always known that his daughter was wrongly convicted. However, she was an unintentional accomplice to the crime.

What did Bill do to Akim?

Matt Damon plays Bill Baker, the father, in the film. (Image via Focus Features)

As the story unfolds, Bill is determined to discover the truth, and during this process, he also develops a romance with a woman named Virginie (Camille Cottin). Virginie's daughter Maya (Lilou Siauvaud) also regards him as a father figure. He is living with them, which is a key plot point.

To find the real killer in Stillwater, Bill becomes an investigator, gathering information about what truly happened to Lina.

The first lead to Akim comes from Allison's defense lawyer, who tells Bill about a man who might be Lina's killer. Then, the connection develops, and finally, Akim's name is revealed as the suspect, living in a slum.

Later, he seizes an opportunity to abduct him and sends his hair for a DNA test, which of course matches. However, the problem arises when it is revealed in Stillwater that Bill is hiding Akim in the basement of Virginie and Maya's house. Someone tips off the police, who arrive in the basement later in the film. However, it's empty.

It isn't clear how Akim managed to free himself, but this creates a rift between Bill and Virginie, who ends her relationship with him. She cannot live with someone who poses a threat to her and her daughter's safety. Finally, Allison is exonerated, which occurs before she tells her father the truth about what truly happened.