Looper Explained [Contains Spoilers]

Warning: Do not, we repeat, DO NOT watch this video or read this post if you haven’t seen Looper yet. Don’t come complaining to us if it’s spoilt because you ignored our warning!! If, however, you have watched the film and need Looper explained, read on!

To read out Looper review, click here.

We’re sure many of you came out of Looper scratching your heads. Explaining the premise of Rian Johnson’s impressive sci-fi thriller to friends is no easy task. Mixing new mind powers, a semi-dystopian future as well as time travel the film manages to pack a lot into its short run time. Its exploration of time travel has raised some questions amongst viewers, afterall, involving lots of intricate timey wimey stuff will undoubtedly open a film to questions regarding timelines and the like.

After much discussion we here on the Farm were left with a few questions… [Remember we have warned you not to read any further if you haven’t seen the film… still going to read on? On your own head be it – may your future self appear and shake their head at you in disdain!]

How does the Rainmaker from Old Joe (Willis)’s present (ie the future) turn out to be such a bastard if young Joe (Gordon-Levitt) sacrifices himself to save him from his future? Surely the fact that Old Joe doesn’t kill Sara means that his mind isn’t filled with evil thoughts that cause him to go on a rampage against all loopers (a rampage decades in the making). If his being a baddie is totally surpassed then why would Old Joe come back with the intent of seeking revenge for the killing of a wife that surely would have been saved from the evil whims of the future Rainmaker. If we’re really going to go down this confusing bumpy path then there’s also the little fact that if Young Joe kills himself then there’s no future Joe to even get married, the non future Joe would never have lost a wife and subsequently would never come back looking for vengeance, meaning that there was (hopefully) no moral wrongdoing against the Rainmaker in the first place (whenever that may be).

Did we lose you? Good, because we think we lost ourselves somewhere in the mix there too.

Anyway, if you braved with us this far, here’s a video where the director explains (almost) all. Still have questions? Pose them to us on Twitter or in the comments feed below!