Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels - Ending Explained

The intricate plot of "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" culminates in a series of violent and ironic twists of fate. After the four friends successfully rob Dog's gang, they find themselves in possession of a large sum of money and a trove of marijuana. Unbeknownst to them, the marijuana belongs to the ruthless gangster Rory Breaker, and the two antique shotguns they used for the robbery are the very same ones that "Hatchet" Harry had tasked two other criminals, Gary and Dean, to steal. This sets up a chaotic convergence of all the criminal factions. Rory Breaker's gang descends on the friends' apartment, only to be ambushed by Dog's crew, resulting in a bloody shootout that wipes out both gangs, with the exception of Dog and one of the cannabis growers, Winston. Big Chris then arrives to collect the debt for Harry and incapacitates Dog, taking both the money and the shotguns. Gary and Dean, who have been tracking the shotguns, follow Big Chris to Harry's office and, in a fatal misunderstanding, kill Harry and his enforcer, Barry the Baptist, before being killed themselves. The four friends then arrive at Harry's office to find a scene of carnage and their debt effectively erased. They take the money and leave. Big Chris, having seen Dog threaten his son, brutally kills Dog and keeps the money for himself, starting his own loan shark business. The final twist comes when the friends, celebrating in their local pub, learn from a catalog that the two antique shotguns they had asked Tom to dispose of are worth a fortune. The film ends on a cliffhanger, with Tom dangling over a bridge, his phone ringing in his mouth, as he tries to retrieve the shotguns he has just thrown away.

While the film is largely seen as a straightforward crime comedy, some interpretations delve deeper into its themes of fate and social class. One perspective is that the film is a modern-day morality play, where the characters' greed and poor choices lead to their downfall, while those who exhibit some form of a moral code (like Big Chris's devotion to his son) are the ones who ultimately succeed. The film's chaotic and coincidence-driven plot could also be interpreted as a commentary on the unpredictable nature of life, suggesting that no matter how much individuals try to control their destinies, they are ultimately at the mercy of chance. The ending, in particular, has been the subject of much debate. The cliffhanger can be seen as a final, darkly humorous statement on the film's themes of luck and uncertainty. It leaves the audience to ponder whether the protagonists will finally achieve their much-sought-after wealth or if their streak of bad luck will continue. It's a fittingly ambiguous conclusion to a film that revels in chaos and unpredictability.