Stalker (2022) Ending Explained – Rose’s Plan & The Phone Recording
Movie Details: Director: Steve Johnson | Runtime: 1h 32m | Release Date: 2022 | Star Rating: 2.5/5 Stars
Welcome to Knockout Horror and to our Stalker (2022) Ending Explained article. We checked this movie out a little while ago and found it to be a tale of two halves. It’s a claustrophobic thriller that builds a decent head of steam before being heavily let down by poor writing, some glaring continuity issues, and a messy finale. Today, we are going to unpick that ending and explain why Rose’s “master plan” is actually a forensic nightmare. If you haven’t watched the movie yet, you should check out our review of Stalker first.
⚠️ Warning: Major spoilers follow below.
The Ending in Brief
The TL;DR: Rose is not the victim; she is a sociopathic actor who murdered the film’s original lead, Alice, to steal her role. She trapped Daniel in the lift to frame him for Alice’s murder and his “attempted rape”. In the finale, she mutilates and kills Daniel, intending to play the part of a traumatised survivor for the police. However, Daniel recorded her entire villainous monologue on his phone, ensuring her “performance” will end in a life sentence.
Who was the stalker? Technically, Daniel was a voyeuristic stalker who filmed Rose and Alice. However, Rose was the “Apex Stalker” who followed Daniel to learn his habits so she could frame him for her crimes.
Why did Rose kill Alice? Professional jealousy. Rose was the original choice for the starring role, but she was replaced by the more famous Alice. Rose murdered her in the very same hotel freight lift to “earn” her spot back.
The Resolution: Rose spends nearly two minutes “rehearsing” her crying face for the police after killing Daniel. She believes she has won, but the blinking light on Daniel’s phone confirms he caught her confession on record. The “Final Girl” is actually the Final Convict.
Good to Know: The movie features wrestling legend Bret “The Hitman” Hart as the director, providing the most surreal cameo in low-budget horror history. He’s a much better wrestler than actor, by the way…
Table of Contents
Stalker (2022) Ending Explained
The premise of Stalker is simple: two strangers are trapped in a malfunctioning lift. Rose (Sophie Skelton) is an actor, and Daniel (Stuart Brennan) is a camera operator. For the first hour, writer Chris Watt wants you to believe this is a standard “damsel in distress” scenario. We are led to believe Daniel is a dangerous predator who has already done away with the film’s previous star, Alice. That’s not at all true, though.
The Reveal: The “Meddling” Cameraman
Let’s make no mistake here, Daniel is a stalker and has been stalking Rose. He did previously stalk Alice, as well. Let’s leave that in no doubt. He follows Rose around and films her whenever he can. He filmed Rose going one on one with ‘The Hitman’ Bret Hart over the topless scene and now he just so happens to be hanging out in the hotel she is staying at. It’s not a coincidence but it is a massive red herring.
In the final act, the script flips. Daniel is indeed a “saddo perv” who films B-roll and creeps on the female cast members, but he’s no killer. The real monster is Rose. She didn’t just happen to get the part after Alice went missing – she created the vacancy.
Rose followed Daniel while he was stalking Alice, realised his patterns, and used the cover of his voyeurism to murder her rival fully expecting that he would get the blame.
The Tech Logic: Controlling a Lift via iPhone?
One of the most baffling plot points in Stalker is Rose’s control over the freight lift. She claims to have stopped the lift herself using a smartphone app.
In the real world, an ancient freight lift in a three-star hotel would rely on hardwired relays and mechanical safety interlocks. The idea that a 1970s lift is “smart” enough to be hacked by a third-party app, and that this app could override the physical emergency controls, is pure fantasy.
This is a classic “Tubi-ism” where the plot requires a character to be omnipotent, so the writers just invent a magical app to bridge the gap in logic.
The Stolen Spotlight: Why and How Rose Killed Alice
To understand Rose’s ultimate goal, we have to look back at the “disappearance” of the film’s original star, Alice. Rose wasn’t just a lucky understudy who stepped into a vacancy; she was the architect of the opening.
Her motive was the oldest one in Hollywood: professional jealousy and ambition. Rose believed the role of “The Final Girl” was rightfully hers, and she viewed Alice not as a colleague, but as an obstacle to her inevitable superstardom. An obstacle that she was all too willing to remove with prejudice.
The Mechanics of Murder: The Lift Trap
Rose’s plan to eliminate Alice was as cold-blooded as it was calculated. Here is how she pulled it off:
1. Stalking the Stalker: Rose noticed that Daniel was already obsessed with Alice. She began following him to learn his patterns. She realised that Daniel was too socially inept to actually approach Alice, preferring to film her from the shadows. This provided Rose with the perfect scapegoat.
2. The Execution: On the night of the murder, Rose followed Alice to the hotel’s freight lift. Knowing the building’s layout and the lift’s vulnerabilities (and apparently possessing that magical smartphone hacking app), she intercepted Alice. In the isolation of the freight lift, Rose murdered her rival.
3. Disposal and Souvenirs: This is where the writing gets truly farcical. Rose claims to have dragged Alice’s body out of the hotel, across town, and buried it in Daniel’s own garden without being spotted by a single soul or a CCTV camera. She also took Alice’s ring – not as a memento of the kill, but as a “smoking gun” to later plant on Daniel.
The Goal: By killing Alice, Rose forced the director, Grant (played by Bret Hart), to give her the lead. By framing Daniel, she intended to create a media circus around her “survival,” ensuring she would become a household name overnight.
The Frame-Up and the Mutilation
Rose’s plan is as convoluted as it is cruel. She lures Daniel into following her by “performing” for him – showering with the door open, changing in front of him etc. She knows he’s recording so she gives him plenty of content. By the time they enter the lift, Daniel’s bag is full of incriminating footage of both Alice and Rose.
She drugs Daniel with a spiked drink (and some Viagra for added narrative “proof” of intent), ties him up, and prepares the crime scene. She intends to tell the police that Daniel attacked her, Alice’s ring (which she planted on him) is proof he killed the previous actor, and that she killed Daniel in self-defense during an attempted rape. To sell the story, she brutally mutilates him (in the dick and balls area) and slits his throat.
Forensic Reality: Why Rose’s Plan Fails
Rose expects the UK police to buy her story of a struggle, but any first-year forensics student would dismantle her defense in minutes.
1. Restraint Marks: Daniel was tied up with duct tape while unconscious. Forensics would find no “struggle” marks on his wrists that match a live abduction; instead, they’d find evidence he was stationary when bound.
2. Lack of DNA: If Daniel “attacked” Rose, there would be defensive wounds, skin under his fingernails, or her DNA on his person. Instead, her clothes aren’t even torn, and there is zero physical evidence of a sexual assault.
3. Reasonable Defence: Even if she convinces the cops that he attacked her, he was restrained when she killed him which would go way beyond reasonable defence.
4. The Monologue: Rose spends fifteen minutes explaining her plan like a Bond villain. This isn’t just bad writing; it’s her legal death warrant, as Daniel’s phone was recording the entire confession.
What was the twist? The Final “Performance”
The twist at the end of Stalker is that Rose had no idea that Daniel had been filming the entire encounter, full confession and all, on his mobile phone.
The movie ends with a painfully long scene – over 90 Goddamn, cringe inducing seconds – of Rose “gurning” at the camera. She is practicing her “victim face”, forcing herself to cry so she looks the part when the lift doors finally open. It’s a moment of directorial self-indulgence that highlights Rose’s sociopathy: even her grief is an overly rehearsed performance.
But the twist is the camera was rolling the whole time. Daniel, the voyeur to the end, had his phone running. The police won’t just find a dead stalker and a crying star; they’ll find a digital confession that details exactly how Rose murdered Alice and how she planned to frame Daniel. Her career isn’t going to the A-list; it’s going to a high-security wing of the criminal nut house.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Rose kill Alice in Stalker?
Yes. Rose murdered Alice, the original lead actor, because she felt the role belonged to her. She followed Daniel while he was stalking Alice and used a freight lift to commit the crime, intending to eventually pin the murder on Daniel.
Was Daniel actually a “Stalker”?
Yes. Daniel was a voyeuristic predator who filmed women without their consent. However, in the context of the murders, he was an innocent man framed by a much more dangerous sociopath.
Does Rose get caught at the end of Stalker?
The movie implies she will be caught. While she successfully kills Daniel and prepares her “victim” performance, Daniel recorded her entire confession on his phone, providing the police with undeniable evidence of her crimes.
Why was Bret Hart in this movie?
The “Hitman” appears as the film-within-a-film’s director, Grant. It’s a bizarre bit of casting that adds a layer of surrealism to the production, though he doesn’t factor into the final lift confrontation. I actually kind of enjoyed seeing him. Rose and Daniel definitely deserved a Sharpshooter!
Is Stalker Based on a True Story?
No, Stalker is a fictional thriller. It plays on the real-world fears of voyeurism and the dark side of the film industry but is not based on specific events.
Final Thoughts – Acting Baby!!
Stalker is a frustrating watch because it starts so strong. The chemistry between Skelton and Brennan is palpable, and for a while, you really care about the mystery. Unfortunately, the ending is dishwater dull and relies on Rose being a “super-villain” who can control lifts with apps and drag bodies across town without being seen. It’s a silly finale that undermines an otherwise decent thriller. Thanks for reading!
Looking for more? If you enjoyed this breakdown, check out our review of Stalker or browse our Horror Movie Lists.
A Note on Ending Explanations
While we aim to provide comprehensive explanations based on the events on screen, film analysis is inherently subjective. The theories and conclusions presented in this "Ending Explained" feature are personal interpretations of the material and may differ from the director's original intent or your own understanding. That's the beauty of horror, right? Sometimes the scariest version is the one you build in your own head.
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