The Adam Project ending explained: What really happens in the Netflix film?

16 March 2022, 14:55 | Updated: 16 March 2022, 15:13

By Jenny Mensah

As Netflix''s time travelling film - starring Ryan Reynolds, Jennifer Garner and Zoe Saldaña - trends we take a look at its ending.

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The Adam Project is the latest film taking Netflix by storm, leaving some fans in tears and others furiously googling its ending.

The time travelling sci-fi adventure, starring Ryan Reynolds as the titular character, has topped the streaming giant's most-watched list, but due to its multiple intertwining timelines, some watchers are being left slightly confused by its ending.

Watch the trailer for The Adam Project here and find out what actually happened in our spoiler-laden rundown.

The Adam Project | Official Teaser | Netflix

**** SPOILER ALERT: THIS PIECE CONTAINS MAJOR SPOILERS AND PLOT EXPLANATIONS FROM THE FILM ****

What is The Adam Project about?

The Adam Project tells the story of a world in which time travel exists and its controlled by the evil billionaire Maya Sorian (Cathereine Keener) in the year 2050. One of her pilots, Adam Reed (played by Ryan Reynolds) suspects her of killing his wife Laura (Zoe Saldana), so steals a time jet to travel back to the time she died on a mission in 2018.

The Adam Project ending explained:

In 2018, both old and young Adam fail to get help from their dad Louis (Mark Ruffalo) who invented time travel. He refuses to destroy it on scientific and ethical grounds, leading them to find a plan B.

Using older Adam's technology, they then head to the 2018 version of Maya's company, Sorian Technology, to destroy a hard drive within the building's particle accelerator. It's soon revealed that 2050 Maya is working with her 2018 self, which hints she may have already used time travel to her advantage to become a billionaire.

Both of the Mayas and her henchmen are now battling against the two Adams alongside Louis, who has had a change of heart. This sends the particle accelerator into an electromagnetic overload. Young Maya is killed in the battle, which deletes her timeline, erasing her older self and her henchmen with her. Meanwhile both Adams and Louis escape the explosion.

Now that time travel is destroyed, both Adams try to warn Louis about his untimely death, but he stops them already suspecting his fate and not wanting to alter it. The three share a heartwarming game of catch before both versions of Adam become erased.

Despite no longer existing, their adventures seem to have had a lasting impact. We see young Adam has seemed to let go of his resentment to his mother in 2022. The older Adam also is seen at university, where he meets his wife Laura anyway in a way which mirrors their meeting at the military academy.

It's not explicit what happens to make this come together. Perhaps the timeline corrected itself or perhaps they were always supposed to marry regardless. What the film seems to hint at, however, is that Laura and Adam were destined to meet, no matter the timeline.

The Adam Project is available to watch on Netflix.