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Disclaimer: spoilers ahead!
Lokesh Kanagaraj's latest movie, Leo, pays homage to David Cronenberg's A History of Violence (2005). The Tamil film revolves around a familiar tale of a good man with a dark past, but what sets it apart from the rest is the main lead - Parthiban, portrayed by Thalapathy Vijay. Known for his ability to portray complex characters with ease, Vijay delivers another captivating performance that elevates the movie to greater heights.
Known for directing action-packed movies like Kaithi (2019) and Vikram (2022), Kanagaraj's latest offering, Leo, is filled with high-octane action sequences. But this time, the South Indian filmmaker attempted something different and added an emotional touch to the plot. The film has all the essential elements of a mass entertainer — a complex protagonist, thrilling action sequences, foot-tapping music, and a battle between good and evil. In addition to these, the one question that keeps the audience on the edge of their seats is Who is Leo Das?
Thalapathy Vijay's Leo post-credit scene and ending explained: Is Leo Das the villain or hero of this action thriller?
Set in Theog, a small town in Himachal Pradesh, the movie begins by introducing Parthiban, an animal rescuer and cafe owner who lives with his wife Sathya (Trisha), teenage son Siddharth (Mathew Thomas), and daughter Mathi (Iyal). Director Kanagaraj doesn't waste much time in setting up Parthiban as a heroic figure after the dangerous face-off with a hyena. However, the scene just sets the tone for a nerve-wracking action sequence where Parthiban is forced to pick up a weapon to save his daughter from a group of dangerous goons.
Interestingly, the main antagonists have not been introduced yet, but the tension keeps building around Parthiban. As news of his heroics spreads across the country, Kanagaraj brings out the big guns — Arjun Sarja (Harold Das) and Sanjay Dutt (Anthony Das) — two notorious gangsters from Telangana, who assumed Parthiban for Leo Das, the latter's estranged son, and this is when the real story begins, full of intrigue, mystery, emotions, and action.
Harold and Anthony Das are surprised to find out that Leo Das is still alive. The latter decides to meet him in person to confirm the news. When he meets Parthiban, Anthony Das is convinced that he is his estranged son Leo Das, whom he had assumed to be dead. However, Parthiban denies being Leo. The situation gets more complicated when the former tells Sathya that she is married to Leo Das, who is a mass murderer, which prompts her to investigate Parthiban's past.
On the other hand, Parthiban faces a difficult situation when Anthony Das kidnaps his son and threatens to harm him in a similar fashion he sacrificed his own daughter and Leo's twin sister Elisa (Madonna Sebastian). A confrontation between the two ends with Anthony Das' death but Parthiban is still not able to find his son. Hearing his brother's death news, Harold Das offers to return Siddharth if Parthiban delivers Anthony's body to him. Parthiban agrees and goes to Harold's factory to rescue his son, where he engages in a brutal fight with Harold Das and his men. Despite the odds, Parthiban emerges victorious. However, just before killing Das and destroying his empire, Parthiban finally admits that he is Leo Das.
In the epilogue, Parthiban receives an unexpected call from a mysterious man who addresses him as Leo and informs him that destroying his family's factory isn't enough and that they must work together to combat drug cartels in the country. Interestingly, the man also reveals that Parthiban recognizes his voice and identifies him, with Kamal Haasan's Vikram movie music playing in the background. The post-credit scene confirms that Leo is a part of Lokesh Kanagaraj's Cinematic Universe and Thalapathy Vijay may soon reprise his role as Parthiban/Leo Das in the near future.
