Plot Summary
5lbs of Pressure stars Luke Evans as Adam DeSalvo, a man fresh out of prison and looking for a chance at redemption. When he returns to his old neighbourhood, he manages to connect with his son, who has no previous recollection of him.
But as Adam starts to rebuild his life, various pressures cause his life to crumble again. His ex-wife doesn’t want him back on the scene, his parole officer makes life difficult for him, and the brother of the man he killed is looking for revenge.
In one of the movie’s final scenes, Adam is forced to reckon with his past. In this ending explained article for 5lbs of Pressure, we ask the question: Is Adam dead at the end of the movie?
Why was Adam in prison?
Adam was in prison for killing the older brother of a man named Eli. He regrets his actions now but this isn’t enough to appease Eli who confronts Adam at the end of the film.
Who is Eli?
Eli is a young man whose brother was killed by Adam. He is angered when he hears of Adam’s release from prison, but like Adam, he is also trying to move on with his life so decides not to pursue him.
Unfortunately, Eli begins to spiral downwards when he catches his friend Mike having sex with his girlfriend. This sends Eli into a rage that later has fatal consequences.
Who is Mike?
Like Adam and Eli, Mike is trying his best to get along in the world. He has dreams of a music career but these are waylaid by his uncle who has led him into a life of crime.
Towards the end of the film, Mike is in desperate need of cash due to a debt he owes. After robbing a convenience store he then enters the bar where Adam is working.
How does Adam meet his son?
Adam hasn’t seen Jimmy, his son, since the kid was very young. But when his friend Jabar tells him where his son hangs out – a local basketball court – Adam heads there to meet him.
Adam doesn’t let Jimmy know that he is his dad. However, he is still able to offer some fatherly guidance when he tells Jimmy to control his rage after a fight breaks out on the court.
Later in the movie, Adam meets Jimmy in the park and he teaches him how to draw. When Jimmy’s mom Donna sees the picture he has drawn, she recognizes the image as being similar to something Adam used to sketch. This prompts her to tell Jimmy that Adam is his father.
When Jimmy sees Adam again, he is angry at his father for abandoning the family all those years ago. But he eventually “calms his rage” when Adam explains the reason he left was because he ended up in prison.
What happens at the end of the film?
At the end of the film, Adam, Mike, and Eli find themselves in the same bar.
Adam is in the bar because he works there. It’s just after closing time, so he is alone, except for Eli, who has been drinking at the bar for a while.
Eli is no longer able to hold onto his rage. Not only is he angry about his girlfriend betraying him but he now also blames Adam for putting his mother in hospital, after she suffered heart failure after seeing him in the street. When he and Adam are alone, he confronts him at gunpoint and demands to know why he killed his brother.
Moments later, Mike shows up. Previously, Eli had also confronted Mike at gunpoint after finding him in bed with his girlfriend. As such, he’s already angry with his former friend when he turns up at the bar.
Mike is in the bar to rob the place. His goal is to hold Adam at gunpoint but it’s Eli he points the gun at when Eli also points his gun at him.
Suddenly, the lights go out momentarily. Gunshots ring out in the darkness and when the lights come on again, we see that Eli has killed Mike.
Adam offers Eli a deal. He will tell the police that Mike tried to rob the place and that Eli saved the day. As Eli considers what Adam is saying, we cut to outside the bar. We then hear another gunshot.
Is Adam dead?
Unfortunately, that final gunshot was the sound of Eli killing Adam. This is confirmed when information pertaining to Adam’s death is broadcast on the news.
Adam’s death is a sad one, more so for his son who had just met his father for the first time in years. There is further sadness to come when Jimmy looks through his dead dad’s sketchbook and discovers a picture his father had drawn of him.
The moral of this story? Crime does not pay! This is something Jimmy hopefully discovered after his experiences with his father.
Read More: 5lbs of Pressure – Movie Review