‘Jingle Bell Heist’ Ending Explained: The Twist That Wasn’t a Heist
WARNING: THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS MAJOR SPOILERS
Let’s get the first spoiler out in the open. Jingle Bell Heist, technically, has no heist. And the plot twist surrounding it isn’t all that exciting. But before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s take a step back to the start.
Two Strangers on the Brink
Nick and Sophia are two strangers living in London who are both financially struggling. Nick previously spent two years in jail after robbing the Sterling Family. This resulted in his wife divorcing him and moving on with their daughter. Nick’s ex-wife is threatening to take his daughter, Maddie, away unless he can prove he can provide safety and a home for her. So Nick needs to find money FAST, or he loses access to his daughter (a storyline I absolutely despised).
The plot twist in Nick’s story is that he didn’t commit the crime in the first place – he was, in fact, framed.
Sophia, on the other hand, needs money after she is told that her mother needs special cancer treatment immediately. She is informed that the NHS waitlist is too long and dangerous to wait for, and is advised to go private and pay the price.
The plot twist in Sophia’s story is that Maxwell Sterling is Sophia’s estranged father, who abandoned her and her mother at a young age.
A Moment of True Heart
In my review, I mentioned one moment in the movie that was profoundly beautiful. As Sophia goes to visit her mother in the hospital, exhausted and weak from her cancer battle, she awakes as Sophia arrives and immediately asks about her – explaining that she is more worried about her than anything else.
To me, this was a beautiful example of motherhood. To be a mother means that, no matter what is happening, the children’s well-being will always be a priority. Show your children strength and courage. Though I would never wish this situation upon a person, I pray to be a mother, should I be blessed, who can be facing hell but will be more concerned about the effects on the children than myself.
Anyway, as I mentioned earlier, there was no heist in the end, since none was needed. And what do I mean by that?
The Twist: A Heist in Reverse
Towards the end of the movie, Nick and Sophia develop a plan to trick Cynthia Sterling into getting the keyfob, which will allow them to enter Maxwell’s secret safe! But little did the duo know, Cynthia also wanted to bring down her cheating and ill-tempered husband. She wanted what she believed was hers.
The duo turns into a trio, and they all plot together how Cynthia can receive financial compensation for the exposure of Maxwell and, thereafter, pay off Nick and Sophia for their contributions.
Though, for the time being, we are continually led to believe that Nick and Sophia have broken into the Maxwell safe to steal jewellery, when in fact they are placing jewellery back.
And this particular jewellery was important because it was not only used to frame Nick but also allowed Maxwell to claim insurance on them too. Meaning he not only kept his precious diamonds but received a HUGE payout for their “loss.”
The Aftermath
At the very end, Maxwell was arrested, and all his estate and money were transferred to Cynthia Sterling. The trio’s plan was a complete success! Sophia got her money for her mother’s treatment. Nick got money for his own apartment and therefore kept a relationship with his daughter. And Sophia and Nick “fell in love.”
So what can we take away from the ending of this movie? Nothing all that profound. Jingle Bell Heist isn’t a Christmas movie that incorporates the typical themes found at the heart of Christmas movies. It’s purely surface-level and shallow apart from that one special moment between Sophia and her mother.