I Came By on Netflix: Ending explained and where was it filmed?

(Image credit: NICK WALL/NETFLIX)

last updated 27 September 2022

The ending of Netflix's latest thriller, I Came By, is ripe with unanswered questions, leaving viewers on the edge of their seats wondering, 'What happens at the end of I Came By?'. Read on for the I Came By on Netflix ending explained.

I Came By has gripped viewers with its cat and mouse storyline that guides watchers down twists and turns until they're utterly lost and confused, unsure of what exactly is happening at the end of the movie.

The story, written and directed by Babak Anvari, follows politically motivated graffiti artists, Toby, played by George MacKay, and his best friend Jay Agassi, Percelle Ascott. The pair regularly break into the homes of wealthy Londoners and scribe the titular phrase, 'I Came By' on their walls to protest inequality in the city.

But one routine break in leaves Toby's life hanging in the balance and viewers watch his life start to unravel after unwittingly uncovering a terrifying secret - the homeowner is holding a prisoner in the basement.

Downton Abbey’s Hugh Bonneville stars as the 'victim' of this fateful break in, Sir Hector Blake, a retired High Court judge with dark secrets that he is determined to keep hidden - no matter the cost.

Throughout the film Toby struggles to protect himself and do the right thing, but his discovery has terrifying consequences for him and those closest to him, including his mum Lizzie and his best friend, Jay.

I Came By on Netflix: Ending explained

The ending of Netflix's I Came By is set months after Toby and his mum Lizzie both go missing at the hands of Hector. With the authorities oblivious to where the mother and son are, or what exactly has happened to them, Toby's best friend Jay tracks down Hector and decides to get revenge.

Jay's plan does not go quite as smoothly as hoped, but he thankfully gets the upper hand in his fight with Hector and even manages to carry out Toby's original wish, freeing the prisoner, Ravi, from Hector's home.

At the very end of the film, the police arrive to see Ravi on the driveway waiting to be rescued. Inside Hector's home, Jay leaves the murderous judge bound and gagged, ready to be taken into custody and serve some serious, serious time. But Jay doesn't stick around, not wishing to be associated with such a horrendous happening, and instead makes himself scarce, hopefully going back to his girlfriend and their baby.

Just before the film ends, viewers see Hector taped up in the corner of the room with the words “I came by” graffitied on the wall.

While the police have the killer and one of his living victims in their hands, Hector's many friends on the police force may give him sway to avoid punishment for the many crimes he has committed. So what will happen to him and his victims? Currently, no one knows...

Does Lizzie die in I Came By?

It is assumed that Lizzie dies in I Came By but the fact cannot be pinned down - at the very least, something sinister definitely happened to her. After Toby vanishes, Lizzie, his mum, is determined to find out what has been going on in order to track down her son.

Lizzie, with some help from Jay, works out that Toby is linked to Hector and starts following the judge for clues. However, she does not realise how dangerous a game she is playing, and soon, she is added to Hector's hit list.

After a game of cat and mouse, mirroring the one her son went through, Lizzie finds herself in Hector's basement as the judge descends on her. Later in the film, viewers see Lizzie’s driving license burning, a signal that she has met a grisly fate, but whether that fate was death or some other sinister story, it is unclear.

Lizzie played by Kelly McDonald in a still from I Came By

Does Toby die in I Came By?

Yes, at the end of I Came By, Toby dies. Towards the end of Netflix's I Came By, Toby decides something must be done to save the life of the man in the basement. He decides to call the police and anonymously reports the sinister finding.

Much to Toby's dismay, the police go to investigate but fail to find anything of interest and leave. Unsatisfied and astonished at the police's lack of interest about the prisoner in Hector's basement, Toby decides he must intervene.

Toby breaks into Hector's home once again to get the man out, but Hector is wise to the plot and ends up killing the young graffiti artist. To solidify the fact Toby is dead, after he has murdered his victim, Hector places Toby's body into a pottery kiln and flushes the consequent ashes down the toilet.

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Could there be an I Came By sequel?

At the time of writing, there is no news of a sequel to I Came By. This lack of announcement is hardly surprising as the film only just came out on Netflix and its success is yet to be definitively determined.

Without disappointing people too much, it has to be pointed out that Hugh Bonneville, who's character is a massive part of this film, has a jam-packed schedule at the moment, with the actor currently working on four separate movie projects. The likelihood of him fitting in time for an I Came By sequel is highly unlikely.

However, there is potential for this story to continue. The way things end, with a lot of unanswered questions, there is an opportunity for further character development and storyline twists and turns. Jay may take up the mantle of Toby’s crown as the graffiti artist, or he may have to go on the run after fighting with Hector.

Hector's fate is also left up in the air at the end of I Came By, meaning a sequel could follow the killer's road to either wrong-placed redemption, prison, or even revenge.

Actor Percelle Ascott in a still from I Came By ending on Netflix

Where was I Came By filmed?

I Came By was filmed entirely in Greater London and Surrey. In an interview with Yahoo News UK, Percelle Ascott expressed his excitement for being able to shoot on familiar streets. Both he and his co-star George MacKay grew up in London and this enhanced their connections with their London-born characters.

Ascott said, “There was one particular location that was a school my grandfather went to, so again it was just nice to have that experience of filming in your London.

"We were talking about where these boys were from and finding that London, and really talking about the kind of graffiti background and all the kinds of choices that that make these characters, basically."

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George MacKay added, “London feels like the perfect setting because we all live on top of each other and intertwined. That melting pot feels particularly true of this city.”

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Charlie Elizabeth Culverhouse is a news writer for Goodtoknow, specialising in family content. She began her freelance journalism career after graduating from Nottingham Trent University with an MA in Magazine Journalism, receiving an NCTJ diploma, and earning a First Class BA (Hons) in Journalism at the British and Irish Modern Music Institute. She has also worked with BBC Good Food and The Independent.