Inception’s dream thief Cobb is one of Nolan’s best protagonists. The director explained (via Collider) that he spent months talking through and rewriting the script alongside lead actor Leonardo DiCaprio “to make sure that the emotional journey of his character was the […] driving force of the movie.” The effort certainly pays off; Cobb’s yearning to return home and be reunited with his kids provides clear and affecting emotional stakes to the cerebral sci-fi heist thriller. However, with so much exposition and explanation layered into the complex screenplay, it’s easy for some key details, such as the reason for Cobb’s exile, to slip through the cracks.

Cobb Can't Go Home Because He's Wanted

As his tragic phone calls demonstrate in Inception, Cobb would like nothing more than to go home and see his kids again. However, his late wife Mal made this impossible. Cobb reveals that Mal, after having spent years in the unreal dream state of Limbo, became convinced that nothing was real. Believing her and Cobb’s life to be a dream, she made plans to “leave the dream” by jumping from a tall building. Wanting Cobb to do the same, she tried to force his hand by staging a crime scene to make it look like he had murdered her, so that “this” reality would be unlivable for him.

Unfortunately, Mal’s frame-up worked. Cobb became wanted for his wife’s murder in the U.S., forcing him to flee the country and leave his kids with their grandparents. When he’s first introduced in Inception, Cobb is taking odd extraction jobs around the world, with no real way of getting back to his family. He can’t fly his children out to meet him, as this would lead the authorities right to him. Cobb’s only hope is to somehow have his name cleared.

How Cobb Finally Goes Home At The End Of Inception

At the end of Inception, Cobb finally gets to go home and see his kids thanks to one phone call from the man who hired him, Saito. Since the act of inception is extremely difficult and dangerous, the only thing that can coerce Cobb into taking on the job is the prospect of his freedom. As a vastly influential energy magnate, Saito has the means and connections to make this happen. Once they land in L.A., having successfully pulled off the job, Saito makes the call, and Cobb is welcomed through customs with no problem.

Related: Christopher Nolan Explains Inception's Ending Meaning, Clarifies Intent 13 Years Later

Of course, this is only one interpretation of Inception’s enigmatic ending. Another popular theory is that Cobb never goes home at all. When Saito dies in the dream and is sent into the infinite subconsciousness of Limbo, Cobb goes in to retrieve him. The film states how easy it is to get lost in Limbo; one can easily lose touch with reality and become convinced that the dream is real. The film’s final moments show Cobb returning home, but the final shot in Inception of Cobb’s spinning top keeps things ambiguous. Cobb may have made it home, or he may still be in the dream; ultimately, it’s up to the viewer’s interpretation.

Source: Collider