Netflix’s British psychological thriller Unchosen arrived on April 21, 2026, and viewers cannot stop talking about its dark turns. The six-episode series follows Rosie (Molly Windsor) and Adam (Asa Butterfield), a married couple living inside a strict religious group called the Fellowship of the Divine. When a stranger named Sam (Fra Fee) saves their daughter from drowning, he slowly works his way into their lives. But Sam has a violent past, and his arrival leads to devastating results for one character in particular: Isaac. The show does not hold back when it comes to Isaac’s story. He becomes the first major character to die, and his death changes everything for the remaining episodes.
Isaac Tries to Escape the Fellowship and Warn His Family
Isaac, played by Aston McAuley, is Adam’s younger brother. From the beginning, the Fellowship treats Isaac harshly. He gets caught with a mobile phone, which is completely banned inside the group. The leaders see technology as a sin. On top of that, Isaac has a relationship with someone outside the Fellowship, someone they call “unchosen.” For these violations, Adam forces Isaac to drink large amounts of alcohol as punishment and locks him in a room. Isaac eventually escapes the compound. Once he is free, he sees news reports about Sam. He learns that Sam is actually an escaped convict wanted for violent crimes. Isaac immediately understands the danger. Sam has been getting close to Rosie and Adam, and Isaac knows his family has no idea who this man really is. He contacts Rosie and sets up a meeting at a park to tell her the truth about Sam. But Sam finds out about the plan before Isaac can get there.
Sam Kills Isaac and Frames Someone Else for the Crime
Sam does not hesitate. He first knocks out Mr. Phillips (Christopher Eccleston), the Fellowship’s alcoholic leader. Then he tracks down Isaac and forces his van off the road. Isaac dies in the crash. Sam makes sure Isaac is dead, then drags the unconscious Mr. Phillips into the driver’s seat. He puts a flask in Mr. Phillips’ hand to make it look like a drunk driving accident. When Mr. Phillips wakes up, he is confused and has a head injury. He does not remember what happened at first. But later, his memory comes back. He realizes Sam was driving and that Sam killed Isaac. However, no one believes him. Everyone knows Mr. Phillips drinks too much, so they think he caused the crash himself and is lying to cover it up.
“Isaac’s death is the moment in Unchosen that makes it impossible to view Sam as simply a complicated or morally grey figure anymore. Killing Isaac removes any ambiguity.” — Showrunner Julie Gearey
Sam later attacks Mr. Phillips again, trying to strangle him. Grace, Rosie and Adam’s daughter, sees the whole thing through a window. Sam threatens to hurt Grace and her mother if she tells anyone. Terrified, Grace keeps quiet at first. Eventually, she breaks down and tells Rosie everything.
Isaac’s Death Shows Exactly Who Sam Really Is
Before Isaac dies, the show keeps Sam somewhat mysterious. Viewers see him as charming and broken, someone who maybe wants to change. But killing Isaac changes that completely. Sam does not kill out of self-defense or in a moment of rage. He plans the murder carefully. He makes sure Isaac cannot expose his past, and he sets up an innocent man to take the blame. The most disturbing part? Sam never faces any consequences for Isaac’s murder. The police do not charge him. The Fellowship does not punish him. In fact, the show jumps forward one year in the final episode, and Sam has become the new leader of the Fellowship. He stands at the front of the church, preaching to the congregation. Adam’s fate remains unclear. Adam has video footage of Adam performing a sexual act with him, which he uses to blackmail Adam and keep him quiet. Adam tries to shoot Sam at one point, but Sam threatens to release the video and ruin him. Adam eventually leaves the cult, but the show does not confirm exactly what happens to him after that.
The show’s creator, Julie Gearey, told Netflix that the ending was intentional. She wanted to show how systems, whether religious or otherwise, often protect men with power instead of punishing them. Sam walks into a closed community, murders someone, and ends up running the whole operation within a year. Rosie and Grace escape and go to stay with Mrs. Phillips, who has reunited with her son outside the cult. But Sam remains in control, and Isaac’s death is never solved.
Unchosen is streaming now on Netflix in all regions including the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and India.
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