‘The Ice Road’ ending explained: who dies and what does the license plate mean?

nme.com:

Liam Neeson’s 2021 film, The Ice Road, has arrived on Netflix, and viewers are talking about the film’s ending.As per a synopsis from Netflix, the film centres around the collapse of a “remote diamond mine…in far northern Canada.”A “‘big-rig’ ice road driver,” played by Neeson, must “lead an impossible rescue mission over a frozen ocean to save the trapped miners,” the synopsis adds.Neeson’s character must “contend with thawing waters and a massive storm, they discover the real threat is one they never saw coming.”Directed by Jonathan Hensleigh, the film’s life-or-death mission has captured audiences once more, with the film creeping up the streaming platform’s streaming charts in recent days.Here’s the ending to the film explained – warning: spoilers ahead!Initially Neeson’s character, Mike – an ice truck driver – and his mechanic brother Gurty (Marcus Thomas) think they’re simply on a mission to rescue some trapped miners from a collapsed Manitoba diamond mine.

They were hired by Jim Goldenrod (Laurence Fishburne) who tells them a methane explosion left the miners in mortal danger.Together with Goldenrod, Gurty, Tantoo (Amber Midthunder), and Varnay (Benjamin Walker), the small group must drive three heavy trucks across miles of frozen water that’s already starting to melt.

While that in itself is dangerous enough, they hadn’t banked on some other dubious characters showing up who have some ulterior motives to thwart the rescue attempt.It turns out the disaster wasn’t an accident but one caused by man-made actions after the mine’s owners paid off workers to close off some gas sensors in the mine in order to continue to mine diamonds despite knowing it was dangerous to do so.