Timur Movie Ending Explained And Full Story: Is Sila Dead?

Sci-fi may be my comfort genre when it comes to picking movies, but you know what never disappoints me? Military-style action films that mostly take place inside a dense and hostile rainforest. No wonder movies like “Rambo (First Blood),” “Predator,” “Kong: Skull Island,” tops my list of favorites because you can get the same element in all of them. Director Iko Uwais’ “Timur” made me feel the same intrigue and tension throughout, especially when a group of commandos fight against a swarm of militants, right in the middle of a terrain that’s completely unknown to them. “Timur” ensures to maintain a flawless array of action sequences (that’s what makes it more compelling, and watch-worthy). I know there’s not much twists in this movie, but the overall cinematography, camera work and the intense plot does the work well enough.

Spoilers Ahead

What Happens In The Film?

A group of researchers have settled in the outskirts of a village in Indonesia to carry out their work amidst nature. Apart from the four Indonesians -Adinda, Navy, Matheis and Daniel, the team also has Martha and Mark who are international scholars. Yakobus, the local village head, accompanies the researchers alongside Apolo and Yoseph, local guides of the area. Things go smoothly until one afternoon, Apolo starts acting weird all of a sudden. That night, after the researchers return inside their camp, a group of terrorists arrive and one of the guys, Frans, threatens to kill them. Soon, the team understands that Apolo and Frans are traitors because they belong to this terrorist group. When Tobias, the head of the terrorist group steps inside the room, he orders the researchers to work for him and takes them hostages. While the team leave the base, trembling with fear, Frans shoots Yakobus dead and torches the place. The news of their abduction quickly reaches the Indonesian Military Headquarters and they recruit a team to rescue the researchers as soon as possible.

Who Is Timur?

Timur is our protagonist who happens to be a highly trained commando under the Indonesian Military. He used to live in Indonesia when he was a child but has not returned to his motherland for years. In the military, he fights against terrorists in the front lines and his records make him a valued and dependable soldier. After learning about the mission and Tobias’ presence, Timur grows worried because of how troublesome the mob boss is. He also knows that it is not going to be a walk in the park for his commandos as well because they will be stepping into uncharted territory. However, Timur’s wife, Maya, doesn’t get much worried upon learning about the mission because she knows how skilled her husband is. As he leads his team into the vast wilderness, Timur’s plan works perfectly since he is a seasoned soldier. His sniper takes out the terrorist observer,giving the entire team clearance to enter into Tobias’ territories. However, one of Tobias’ informers spots them from a distance and runs to spread the news of the strike.

What Makes Yoseph Betray Tobias?

Tobias employed some men to be his guards and Yoseph was one of them. He used to live in a small village nearby with his father and his sister, Eli. Things were normal for days after Tobias captured the researchers and took the hostages in a hideout. However, when the informant tells him about the military’s arrival, Tobias sends his goons to conquer the nearby village. They attack innocent villagers and one of them rummages into Yoseph’s house, leaving his father and Eli scared to death. The poor girl takes shelter under the bed but Yosep’s father gets killed by the goon in no time. He even tries to catch Eli but luckily, Timur, Sila, and other commandos attack the newly-formed terrorist base, killing all the terrorists. The sounds of gunfire alerts Tobias’ informer and after receiving intel from him, Tobias sends his men to kill Timur’s commandos. Yoseph also arrives along with other men and attacks the military before Eli lets him know about their father’s tragic fate. It enrages Yoseph to the point where he goes against Tobias and opens fire on his own squadmates to avenge his father’s death but ends up dead in the crossfire.

Why Does Apolo Hate Timur?

Back in the days, Timur, Apolo and Sila were foster children who used to stay together. While growing up, Timur was always attracted to the military which surprised Sila and Apolo. The three of them were like brothers until a family in Java decided to adopt Timur and it broke Apolo’s heart the most. He knew that it meant he would probably never see Timur again and slowly, Apolo got consumed by grief. Growing up, Apolo could not befriend anyone else because Sila also left after Timur.Apolo’s loneliness, frustration and economic status ultimately turned his sadness into a strong resentment towards Timur. Apolo never considered how helpless Timur felt while leaving and instead, blamed him for abandoning him. Both Sila and Timur noticed Apolo during the debrief session but weren’t aware of his involvement with Tobias. Initially, both of them thought that Apolo might be a helpless hostage under the terrorists and Timur wanted to rescue his childhood best friend. One day, when the commandos gear up for ambushing the terrorists, Timur abandons his squad after he spots Apolo. He introduces himself, talks about his family because Timur knows Apolo is a hostage and he wants to rescue him. However, the meeting ends on a bitter note after Apolo lashes out and his vile words leave Timur in tears.

Is Sila Dead?

When Timur returns after his ill-fated confrontation with Apolo, Sila tries his best to comfort his friend after getting to know that their old friend is now a part of Tobias’ men. He knows that in a warzone, it will be a hassle to let emotions stand in-between and that’s why, Sila jumps right back into action. He gets severely injured in an ambush in the forest where the terrorists leave him with cuts all over his body. Timur loses all of the commandos in the sudden attack and after the terrorists are dead, he patches up Sila. While they start moving towards a safe location, a vengeful Apolo attacks them,  but gives up after a short fight. Sila and Timur ask the Headquarters for help because they are in no condition to put up a fight against Tobias’ men. When more commandos arrive, they try to ambush the terrorists’ camp where hostages are being kept. Sila meets Apolo in one of the rooms without realizing they have walked into a trap. Timur tries to rescue Adinda but gets attacked by Frans. A violent ambush ensues where Sila gets heavily injured by Frans and Tobias’ men. Ultimately, Sila sacrifices his life to hold the militants back while Timur, Apolo and Adinda escape from the terrorist holdout. 

What Happens To Timur And Apolo?

After Apolo retreated from the fight against Timur and Sila that day, Frans noticed all of it. He always suspected Apolo because he was not ruthless and emotionless like the other goons. He was disturbed by Yakobus’ murder in the beginning and did everything in his power to keep the hostages safe. When Tobias demanded ransom and supplies for the hostages from the military, they fulfilled the demands while secretly hiding trackers inside sanitary napkins. When Adinda found it and tried hiding it from Frans, Apolo tried to guard her but failed. Later, Tobias challenged Apolo to prove his trust by killing off Timur with his own hands but he did not listen. Apolo hated Timur but he saw how cruel Tobias and his men were. They did not help Daniel during his sickness, which caused his death. Martha was sick due to malaria but she got no treatment after her fever spiked. When the military attacked the hostage holdout, Tobias’ men killed Navy and Matheis just to set an example for the rest. Considering all these innocent deaths, Apolo could not stay by Tobias’ side anymore and agreed to help Timur.

Upon coming out of the terrorist base, Apolo and Timur get attacked by some militants and they win that fight. As Timur drags Apolo to the extraction point another group of military secures Adinda, Mark and Martha. Back at the base, Tobias and his men get gunned down by the soldiers with extreme prejudice. Timur takes everyone onto the rescue chopper and tries to convince Apolo but he stays behind, ultimately getting killed by gunshots in the forest. The scene breaks Timur’s heart and as the chopper flies above, Apolo’s lifeless body triggers all those childhood memories. With a heavy heart, Timur returns to the Military Headquarters where his family and seniors surprise him with a warm greeting. The ending of “Timur” is a bittersweet one; Timur gets back to his loved ones, his success brightens Indonesian Military’s name but at the cost of the lives of his two best friends. 

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