'All Day and a Night' ending explained | Read to learn about the themes of the film

All Day and a Night is a brand new American crime drama film that was released  on the streaming platform, Netflix on May 1, 2020. The film is a hard-hitting story about a black man who ends up in the same prison as his father. The movie deals with life in the impoverished neighbourhoods of America and how men in such localities grow up surrounded by crime. The movie also follows three timelines, which can be confusing for viewers. Here is an explanation for All Day and a Night's ending as well as a look at the films various themes. 

All day and a Night ending explained

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At the beginning of the film, Jah (the protagonist) ends up incarcerated inside the same prison as his father, JD. The movie then switches between three timelines. The first timeline shows off Jah's childhood and reveals how he was brought up in an abusive home. JD was a drug addict and a poor father, who would constantly abuse Jah because he thought his son was a "weakling". 

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Despite support from his mother, Jah became a criminal in his later years. The timeline then switches to his adult years outside the prison. As an adult, Jah and his friend, TJ, would extort from people at gunpoint, just like many other criminals in the neighbourhood. Eventually, Jah's girlfriend gets pregnant, so he decides to leave behind his life of crime to support her. However, he is soon dejected by the rampant racism that he faces. 

Eventually, Jah is desperate enough to take a job from a drug lord, known as Big Stunna. Big Stunna hires Jah to murder his rival, Malcolm. While Jah succeeds at his job, he is soon arrested and sent to prison. However, Jah soon learns that his friend, TJ has also been arrested and is inside the same prison as him. 

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That is when the film reveals the connection between Jah, TJ, and Malcolm. While Jah is initially reluctant to murder Malcolm, he changes his mind when he realises that he has met Malcolm before. It is then revealed that Malcolm was the drug dealer who was supplying JD.

Jah knew that he could not convince JD to stop, so he confronted young Malcolm and asked him to stop selling drugs. However, Malcolm just laughed him off and said that JD was his best customer. This memory motivates Jah to go ahead with the murder. Once TJ enters the prison, Jah also learns that his "friend" was actually working for both sides. Moreover, Jah realizes that TJ has been sent to prison to kill him. This is the reason why Jah secretly kills TJ near the end of the film.

Finally, Jah resolves that he will stay in contact with his son while in prison. Jah then meets his girlfriend and baby son, promising to support them even while incarcerated. In the last scene of the film, Jah talks to his father, JD, who has softened up after his stay in prison. The two accept their mistakes in life, finally bonding with each other after several years. 

All Day and a Night explained

All Day and a Night explores the themes of systemic racism in America. Moreover, it also shows how an abusive household can ruin someone's life. Finally, the film takes a look at life in the hood/urban ghettos, delving into how these neighbourhoods are full of criminal activity due to the socio-economical discrimination faced by the African-American citizens of the US. 

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