The Virtuoso Plot Synopsis
The Virtuoso’s plot revolves around a mysterious assassin, known simply as The Virtuoso. Haunted by “collateral damage” in an earlier mission, Virtuoso is given a new mission by his mentor; to hunt down and kill a rogue hitman. However, there’s a catch. All our protagonist is given is a time and location; 5pm at a diner on the outskirts of a sleepy town. When he arrives, Virtuoso immediately finds himself with several different suspects and very little else to work with. From here, he begins methodically working out who everyone is.
Who is the real target?
The real target is actually The Virtuoso himself. The big twist revealed late on is that The Mentor orchestrated all of this from the beginning. He was concerned that Virtuoso would no longer be a “good soldier” (a throwback to his earlier speech in the movie) and thought the man was going soft. The Mentor sent Virtuoso off on this dead-end investigation – one that’s to be his last. He hired Blanca Rios (aka. Dee) to go after him along with several other hitmen. At the diner, the “suspects” were in fact hitmen too but Blanca (going by the alias of The Waitress at this point) called off the other hitmen. She wanted to pursue him personally.
What does White Rivers mean? Who is it referencing?
Throughout the movie, The Virtuoso asks numerous people what White Rivers means. Well, it actually means nothing – at least in the context of the movie. In Spanish, White Rivers translates to Blanca Rios*, which could well be the reason it was given as a code word for our Virtuoso. A fun little Easter egg of sorts. (*Thanks Ron for the extra info in the comments!)
How does The Virtuoso end?
After making love to Dee, The Virtuoso seizes an opportunity to check the waitress’ passport. There, he discovers her true name. Blanca pulls a gun on him while he’s in bed. She admits to killing the real waitress and the chef at the diner, stuffing them in the basement. She waited for the clock to turn 5pm, knowing that the Virtuoso would show up. The Mentor wanted The Virtuoso to be happy and content before he dies; a symbol that the old man has some affection for him. This is why she made love to him and grew close to the man. Facing the inevitable, Virtuoso asks her to check the trunk of his car. Blanca kills Virtuoso and heads out to the car. There, she finds dog food which she uses to feed the dog up at Virtuoso’s secluded cabin. She thinks twice about killing the mutt and instead takes Virtuoso’s place as The Mentor’s golden employee. She narrates her journey and prepares to leave. As she does, her phone buzzes with another job.
Is Blanca on a path of redemption?
The film essentially ends where it began, with the cycle continuing anew with Blanca Rios taking The Virtuoso’s place. The merciful way Blanca refuses to kill The Virtuoso’s dog hints that there are glimmers of humanity still left with her. Will she end up being a target herself when The Mentor is done with her? We’re left to ponder this as the final credits roll. To read our full thoughts on this movie, check out our spoiler-free review HERE!) Thanks for reading our Ending Explained article! What did you think of The Virtuoso’s ending? Did you guess the ending? Let us know in the comments below!
Click Here To Go Back To Our Movie Reviews
