In the end, Nocturnal Animals barely feels like a film made by a human being. You could just dub it a “stylish exercise” and call it a day. But I just can’t shake the fact that Ford somehow wants it to be more. The movie feels glazed and remote, a surface with all the identifying fingerprints polished off. What would it look like if Ford had left them on?
-Stephanie Zacharek, TIME
The somewhat enigmatic ending of the film annoyed some of the people around me at the press screening — and I confess I’ll probably need to sit with it for a while to fully understand what Ford was going for with it — but “Nocturnal Animals” packs a real punch and confirms that “A Single Man” was no fluke.
-Alonso Duralde, THE WRAP
I included the first quote because it’s frustrating. And the second quote because I want this piece to help clarify the end of Nocturnal Animals.
A lot of viewers and critics have rightly pointed out the metaphor that is Edward Sheffield’s novel. The story of Tony Hastings represents how Edward felt about what happened between him and Susan (Amy Adams)—another man came and took Susan from him. Content aside, our main clue is that Jake Gyllenhaal plays both Edward and Tony.
In the film’s middle, Susan has flashbacks to her time with Edward, when they were in their 20s. During one flashback, she reads a draft of a story and tells Edward that he needs to not write about himself. Which could seem harsh but… Think about where he was and who he was at the time: a struggling writer in NYC. Given her criticism, he probably had been writing about a struggling writer in NYC. That can work, but it’s also too easy. And has been done to death.
At this point, two or more decades later, Edward has managed to write about himself in a way that would, to anyone who didn’t know him, seem completely fictional. That is, to me, absolutely a sign of mastery—when you can make the real into the surreal and the surreal resonate with someone else’s reality.
Ostensibly, Edward’s using the story of Tony to not only express and exorcise the pain he felt at losing Susan but also fantasize about the revenge he would take on her husband/his replacement, Hutton Morrow (Armie Hammer). The novel is an act of catharsis, as most art is.
With that said, let’s dive into that enigmatic final scene.
The ending
Susan has asked Edward to get dinner with her. Edward says some nice guy thing in the vein of, “Name the time and place and I’m there”. We see Susan get dressed up. She does her make-up. Then arrives at the restaurant. This fancy, fancy place. She enters. The sever sits her at an empty table.
She waits.
Has a drink.
Waits more.
We hear a hostess say, “This way, sir,” and Susan smiles, thinking it’s Edward, but the person goes to another table. Time passes. The tables clear. She drinks more. And Edward never shows up. THE END.
There are two meanings to take away from this ending. Let’s start with what might be the simpler of the two.
Edward’s novel was a classic revenge plot that the 90s and Mel Gibson would be proud of. You’ve probably seen a revenge movie before. The Crow, I Spit On Your Grave, Kill Bill, Payback, Braveheart, Apocalypto, Mad Max, Edge of Darkness, The Lion King, Taken, John Wick. Essentially, in the first 20 minutes someone is killed or kidnapped or the main character gets attacked and left for dead or barely escapes a murder attempt. The main character ends up being really sad then decides to get revenge. Most of the narrative deals with the machinations of revenge, usually ending with the main character winning and moving on, or winning then dying, or winning and reuniting with whoever was kidnapped.
In reality, most of us won’t, can’t, and don’t seek physical payback. If my girlfriend cheats on me with some jerk, I’m going to write a mean text message, delete her from Facebook, be sad, drink a lot of milkshakes, and that’s that. I may hate them, but I’m not going to slash either of their tires or steal his dog or even fight him. That’s why revenge stories can make for such great cinema or literature. We get to safely and vicariously experience someone else taking extreme retribution against people so evil they deserve it. Those stories tap into not only the anger we’ve felt at some point in our life but also the powerlessness.
Nocturnal Animals actually juxtaposes the difference between revenge in fiction and revenge in reality. By having the novel-within-a-movie it makes Susan’s and Edward’s “reality” seem closer to our own, and Tony’s all the more distant. Tony’s story deals with this very emotional and heightened tale of terror, survival, and revenge. Where all we see with Susan is her at work, at a boring party, sitting at home, her at work again, a lot of baths, and then alone at a restaurant.
Edward’s character Tony can end up murdering the killer of his wife and daughter, since Tony is a work of fiction. But all Edward (who, in the movie, is “real” when compared to Tony) gets to do is write a book, send it to his ex, and then stand her up. Compare how one makes you feel to how the other makes you feel. For most of us, Tony’s form of vengeance is visceral and feels like justice. Where Edward’s is kind of petty, especially when we know how awful Susan already feels about her life. It’s just another loss for Susan. Edward’s act is far less dramatic. But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t satisfying.
If Nocturnal Animals‘s theme of revenge wasn’t evident enough in Edward’s novel, we have the scene where Susan’s at work and stops before a giant picture that says:
Cinema has always been a medium of symbolic meaning, and here that symbolism is pretty strong. It not only reinforces that this is a film about revenge but offers a suggestion for how we should look at the act. Not as a singular thing, but as something fractured and protracted.
It may not seem all that climactic that Edward stood Susan up. But Susan is miserable. Her marriage sucks. We see she gets no joy from her job. She doesn’t sleep. Her daughter is off somewhere. It feels like she isn’t living in a house so much as a mausoleum. The one moment of joy we see her have is when she thought her and Hutton might go to the beach. Then Hutton shuts her down and leaves for NYC to spend time with some other woman. Because Susan’s life is so miserable, she ends up seeking refuge in Edward’s novel, because Edward’s novel is a connection to Edward, which is a connection to something outside of her current life. That’s why we get those flashbacks. She’s caught up in the nostalgia of her relationship with Edward, what had been, what could have been, and what wasn’t.
So when Edward agrees to meet Susan, that’s like…the first meaningful thing that’s happened for her in the movie. We can tell she’s hopeful. Through her flashbacks, we know she saw Edward as the nice guy, the sensitive soul. After she’s spent around two decades with Mr. Business Man, building this empty, debilitating life—Edward is such a promise of warmth, of humanity. And here she’s read this book that is so obviously about how much the loss of her crushed him. That means he must still love her, right?
So as she puts on her green dress, puts on the make up, prepares to go meet Edward, she must have such a sense of hope. But beyond that, satisfaction. Early in the movie, she tells Hutton that Edward never re-married and that’s sad. We can tell she pities Edward. He loved her. She left him, broke him. In her mind she’s always had power over Edward. She even inspired this great work of fiction, a book dedicated to her and her alone, even titled after the nickname she had because she could never fall asleep. She must think she’s going to do Edward a favor by having dinner with him.
Imagine the ego boost that must have been for her?
If, at that dinner, Edward had told her to run away with him…she might have.
Except Edward never shows up. And that crushes Susan, because it destroys the fantasy she had. The one where she still meant something to Edward. Where she still meant something to anyone. Without Edward she has no one. At least before he reached out to her, she could think to herself that, no matter how bad things were with Hutton, at least one person out there still desired her.
With that context, Edward not showing up is actually brutal. It’s not the physical act of vengeance most of us crave. It’s the much more diabolical mental and spiritual fatality, that “I’m going to take away every last bit of hope you have and leave you with absolutely nothing so that life has no meaning to you whatsoever. F*ck you.”
And that’s where we get into what’s probably the more complicated dynamic of the final scene.
Through Edward’s arc, Nocturnal Animals gets at the role emotion plays in creating art and the role creating art plays in emotion.
When Edward was happy with his life, his writing was, according to Susan’s judgment, mediocre. And it seems from the success she eventually had in the world of art that she had a strong eye. After Susan destroyed Edward’s heart, he used that pain, transmuting the very common and mundane acts of infidelity and divorce that happened in NYC into a thrilling revenge narrative set in West Texas. That’s the inspiring role emotion plays in creating art.
After writing the novel, Edward sends it to Susan, the first communication they’ve had in years. He felt empowered to do that. He felt so empowered that he then stood Susan up. Where Susan saw the book as a statement of how much Edward still cared about her, the novel was actually a sign that Edward had finally come to terms with what had happened between them. All those emotions inside of him became words on a page. That’s the cathartic role creating art plays in emotion.
Creating art draws from the abstract and ethereal and complicated sea of emotion inside of us and pours that emotion into a form outside of us. That’s one of the powers of art, to help us not only process our emotions but to get rid of them. It’s like when you finally take the time to do the dishes that have been piling up, to take out the garbage, wash those clothes, and throw out some of the things you know you haven’t needed or wanted for years. After doing those things, the sense of relief is massive. You feel a weight is off your shoulders and your home looks better and feels better to exist in.
Except Susan doesn’t have that. Multiple times, Susan says that she isn’t creative, that she can’t create. That’s why she switched from being an art major to art history. That’s why she manages a gallery and helps other artists. She can’t express her feelings. All of her fear, her pain, her stress, etc., it all stays inside of her. When it became too much with Edward, she bolted for Hutton. And even though she has all this money, all this success, she’s miserable. She has no means of catharsis. For anything she feels. That’s the equivalent of never cleaning the dishes, of never taking the trash out, and never washing clothes. What would that home look like?
This is why she can’t sleep, why she is a nocturnal animal. There’s too much on her mind.
So where Edward could work through his emotions and find, eventually, closure…that probably won’t happen for Susan. In all likelihood, things will not improve for her. Which makes Nocturnal Animals an existential revenge film. Edward doesn’t physically hurt Susan. He just destroys any hope she had for her still finding happiness.
Alonso was right to say Nocturnal Animals “packs a punch”. It’s as much a story of triumph as it is annihilation of heart and soul and psyche. That does take time to process, to unpack and appreciate. And that’s why the first quote frustrated me so much. There’s nothing glazed or remote or barely human about Nocturnal Animals. It’s dealing with the core of what humanizes and dehumanizes us, of the forces that erode and those which heal.
Update: The Concept of Forgiveness
I talked with my friend and fellow film fanatic, Jo Ro, and she made a great point about Susan, one that Vela Roland and Shakira Wade also discussed in the comments (see the bottom of the page). I had completely missed the concept of forgiveness and closure in Nocturnal Animals.
It’s funny because there’s an interview Tom Ford did where he said that he thought the film’s ending signified change and hope for Susan. At the time, I had laughed because it seemed ridiculous. I had already written this article about how tragic the end was. I had legitimately thought, “If that’s what Ford was going for, I don’t think he hit his mark.” But then talks with Jo and comments like Vela’s and Shakira’s really echoed what Ford had said.
I had initially viewed Susan reminiscing about the rise and fall of her relationship with Edward as a means of romanticizing what they had in order to transition from her dead life with Hutton to a rekindled love with Edward. I saw it as an act of an unhappy person who operated like a hermit crab, moving from one shell to another. That’s why the end of the movie would be so tragic—Susan now had no where to go. Hutton didn’t want her. And the first love she thought she could recapture: also a no go.
But the reminiscing isn’t just romanticizing the past, it’s understanding the pain you caused someone and feeling guilty about that pain. In that context, Susan isn’t reaching out to Edward for validation or hope for a rekindled romance—all she wants is to alleviate the guilt. She doesn’t want to feel responsible for having broken him or ruined him. So her e-mails aren’t necessarily romantic gestures. They would be an olive branch. Same with the dinner. It’s not about her wooing Edward, it’s about apologizing, seeing he’s okay, and finding closure. The same kind of closure we see Tony trying to gain in Edward’s novel.
Edward not showing up becomes a bittersweet victory for Susan. On the one hand, it’s brutal because she’s been stood up. On the other hand, it’s Edward’s first relatively cruel act to Susan. He had the confidence and the backbone to stand her up. He wasn’t weak. As petty of an action as that is, it’s a strong action for Edward to take and something that Edward 20 years ago would have never done. Add this in with him having written a novel Susan found impressive…and it seems like Edward has moved on to a new chapter. One where he doesn’t need her. The assumption here is that Susan can forgive herself, because even though she hurt Edward, she didn’t destroy him. He’s alive. He’s writing. He’s confident enough to stand her up. That’s enough for Susan to find closure in what happened between them. No longer worried about her past, Susan has the potential to focus on improving her present.
I think most of us can relate to that on some level. Forgiveness and closure, together, can be great. But getting forgiveness doesn’t always mean you get closure, and getting closure doesn’t always mean getting forgiveness.
Update 2: Romantic Interest?
After my first update, Barkley Obar commented about Susan removing her wedding ring and still dressing up for her dinner with Edward. Barkley saw these as signs of romantic interest, not just in forgiveness. I agree with that.
In the first Update, I had meant to show there’s an argument to be made for reading the end as Susan dealing with forgiveness and guilt. Instead, it seems more like I changed my stance entirely. Not the case. I think the truth is somewhere between my initial woo-and-doom scenario and the guilt-forgiveness situation.
I think if Edward had shown up and been his charming self, told Susan he still loves her, asked her to leave with him—she would have. I think she did have expectations that something could happen between them. But reality dashed that hope. Edward is done with her. His “you can’t get it back again” line proved prophetic. Yes, Susan would be saddened by this and hurt by this, however I no longer see her as totally doomed. I think she does have a better sense of closure, and while Edward hasn’t forgiven her, the novel puts to rest what had transpired between them. I think she probably does feel a weight off her shoulders. With her wedding ring removed, we could extrapolate she’ll leave Hutton and draw on some inner strength she’s denied herself because of her guilt? Or she could still be doomed. I’m okay with the vagueness because I think that’s part of interacting with art—we supply some of the meaning. Depending on your own life, you could read the end as hopeful. You could read the end as tragic. You could think Edward killed himself and Susan will do the same. The important thing at this point isn’t the right answer. It’s your answer. And the fact that the end could mean something new and important to you every year of your life. That’s pretty cool.
My interpretation on Edward writting the Nocturnal Animals novel is that he may have written this super tragic story ironically and dedicated to Susan as a way of dismissing her idea that art has to be tragic (hence all the art in the gallery is so tragic and “violent”), in opposition as the novel he made her read when they were together in the past. And what I mean by saying he wrote the novel ironically, is that he may never publish this novel because he wrote it exclusivelly to crush her as she did to him, (using the metaphores of his daughter dying/abortion, and Ray as the cause of it all reminding us of the role Susan played in his life). And I came to this conclussion because it is not his way of writing, it is not how he is (or at least it isn’t the Edward Susan remembers from the past (the only Edward we are shown in the movie is from her memories)). I know it may seem extreme to write such a novel to never publish it, and maybe in real life it wouldn’t happen, but after all this is a movie and I interpret this as how his life has been: all about her leaving him, and holding the grudge for 19 years. And maybe this “revenge writting” is after all this what motivates him to write.
And the stood up at the ending, I interpret it like you, such a sad a lonely feeling for Susan, who had not only taken her wedding ring, but also using color on her clothes, using her hair more freely, not painting her nails black and taking off her lipstick, making you (and her) remind the Susan from the past, which is the Susan that didn’t hurt Edward (yet). His last way of showing the betrayal he has gone through is by leaving her alone (same as she did to him), after having her remembering all their past together and making a novel she would consider powerfull to make drawn her to him on purpose.
I hope this makes sense!
Hi Chris,
Not sure if it’s already been mentioned, but in your piece you mention that Susan has “nothing”… But, she has a daughter! Remember? She calls her once to check in with her when the book scares her. I’m not entirely sure who the father is or what she symbolises really, but this might give the “reconciliation/new chapter” theory for susan a little more backbone perhaps.
Indeed, I did also think the placement of the bodies wasn’t consistent with who these monsters were. But then again, it’s fiction right? The book sequences almost feel a little dreamy at times. Shannon’s character with his “nothing to lose” situation and all those sunny West Texas landscape shots of him. He’s like a lost dog, guiding us through this dark, dark tale. Anyhoo, thanks for your summary. A stylish and bold second feature from Ford indeed, with some killer performances particularly from the kid from Kick Ass who really comes of age here, and Shannon who is always brilliant. Cheers
In the novel, he loses both his wife and his daughter at the hands of another man, just like in his reality (obviously exaggerated). He was too “weak” to save them. “I didn’t see it coming” – as he explained to the sheriff. This mirrors Edwards life with Susan and him being portrayed as being too “weak” or sensitive to be with Susan or have the baby Susan aborted – “ to save his wife and daughter”. I thought it was a great movie!
I felt that instead of Edward feeling like he lost Susan to another man like Tony lost his wife and child to evil men, the parallel is that Edward feels as if he lost his wife and unborn child to things completely beyond his control because he was too weak to stop them from happening much like Tony was too weak to fight off the evil men.
I also don’t feel that the movie draws parallels between Hutton and Ray, it is more that Hutton represents something taking away his love, his life, something he was too WEAK to stop. Its Edwards comments on the view that Susan had of him.
I agree with all of that! I wrote the piece a couple of years ago, haven’t re-read it since November 2016. If I said “Ray is Hutton” and left it at that then I definitely didn’t get it righht.
Tony’s weakness was definitely a major point, and was moreso the issue than Hutton. From what we see in the novel, Edward seems self-aware enough to know Hutton wasn’t the main problem. At this point, I think the parallel is between Ray and Susan. I mean, I’m sure Edward wasn’t dismissing Hutton entirely—Susan still left Edward for Hutton. But I think Ray is that side of Susan that you described, the side Edward was scared of, weak around, unable to figure out. The side of Susan that eventually ruined the life Edward thought he’d have. All because he was too weak to handle her.
I was surprised you didn’t mention the abortion Susan went through with. The hatred Edward must have felt towards Susan for taking away his chance at a family. Now Edward is alone with no family. Also the actor who plays the wife in the novel is a striking resemblance to Susan? Coincidence? I think not. Hutton even takes her to abort Edwards child. Hutton was literally there for the murder of Susan and Edwards child. Hence the relation between Hutton and Ray. Edward shows up with tears in his eyes because he knows what just happened. Same look Tony has when he found his wife and daughter. Deep down he knows what has happened. Something that puzzles me is why we’re the bodies placed the way they were? We can tell from Ray’s actions when they were all on the side of the road that he hated these woman and how “rich and snobby” they were. So why place the bodies on a couch, wrapped around each other like they were hugging? It seems like they were placed with care. Just seems odd and I can’t quite put my finger on why exactly they were found like that.
Hey Sydney! Definitely not coincidence! Though…I think someone could argue that how we see the book could be “how Susan imagines the book”. So she’d see Tony as Edward, see the wife as being close to herself, etc. But that doesn’t change how I’d interpret the scene, just the source of why the character looks that way.
I think Ray is actually supposed to symbolize Susan and how she was leading this double life by cheating on Edward—there’s the Susan with Edward, then the Susan who’s actively ruining their relationship by cheating/having an abortion. Tony’s wife is symbolic of the relationship he thought he had, where Ray is the Susan who wrecked Tony’s life/Edward’s life.
We know Susan came from money and had a resentment for the life she came from, but she also ended up running away from the simpler life that Edward offered. So that fits, as Edward was essentially calling out her insecurity and hypocrisy.
I think the bodies hugging would be more of a symbolic choice to visually capture the innocence of the slain mother/daughter? You could maybe try forming an argument around the idea that Ray is Susan so how would Susan leave that past version of herself and the daughter? But I think that scene is vague enough that it’s difficult to make a definitive conclusion about why. Though we have enough evidence to put forth theories like the one above.
Does that help?
Chris, I have been struggling with the ending as well, and none of the speculations so far left me comfortable.
But *this* interpretation, seeing different aspects of Susan in the roles of the wife and in Ray really resonates!
Now everything makes sense, and *I* can finally go to sleep!
Thank you.
Really happy to hear that!! Whenever you have questions, we’re here to help!
I’ve been playing with the idea that Rey is Susan in Edward’s mind as well. In my mind Rey put the bodies that way because to him they are objects, beautiful empty objects. One and the same. Just as for Susan( and her class probably) some people are seen more as objects than as human beings. Like the obese, naked women dancing in the opening scene. Susan sells that as art. The bodies of the women put on display, not moving, empty , like Tony’s wife and daughter in that scene. Maybe he thinks of her as a monster too. An animal in the real sense.
I just watched the movie and wondered about how the dead mom and daughters were placed. There is alot of nudity specifically naked women. Particularly the nude behind her desk. I believe the pose in the picture resembled the wife’s pose on the couch??
Also has anyone discussed the opening of the film with all of the naked overweight women dancing. I am trying to figure that one out.
Cheryl
In Canada.
I am a Psychologist so maybe I am biased but the movie screamed mommy issues. She does in fact do as her mother predicted and then aborts her child with Edward. Hutton taking her and being observed by Edward literally sealed her deal to get out of her marriage. The retelling of the death of the wife/daughter with the ending in which Tony overcomes his weakness but dies as well is interesting. He “Edward/Tony” accomplished what she had wanted for him but dies in the process. Her relationship with her own daughter is ambiguous. And we have no idea how she feels about it. The wiping off of the lipstick was a good moment; she was channeling her mother as she got ready to meet Edward. I saw taking the ring off as a sign of shame but agreed she would have gone away with him if she had the chance. I later saw it as an admission to herself that this part of her life was over. I think forgiveness is something we tell ourselves we need in order to move on but I thought the lack of redemption was much more honest. I saw her sitting there drinking as again a reference to her own mother and the vacuous life she led. The non arrival of Edward was the most empowering ending for Susan. She now has the choice to change her life without needing a man. Wedding ring off, daughter grown and rethinking how she defines art gives her an opportunity to transcend the life she had and essentially reinvent herself as Edward did.
Very well said! It was nice to read through the flow of thought you had.
I like your two ending meaning projection, however I want to talk about the comparison you’ve made between what happened to Tony and his family. The fact that you are assuming that “most of us won’t seek revenge” after an act like that is misleading I believe. In a way that what happened to Tony cannot be compared to being cheated by his girlfriend…because Tony was not only the only witness, also a victim of the aggression. First, Tony and his family were harassed by 3 random guy in the night; that’s frightening for most people. Then, then he saw his wife and daughter being kidnapped in front of him and he felt powerless to prevent that from happening ( lots of culpability), and then he was left out of nowhere in the dark by the other guy, knowing that something terrible has happen to his missing family. All kind of emotions he going through like fear and anger that cannot be compared to someone being cheated, at least not on the same level. From that on, being victim of that kind despicable act, I believe it’s the thing that most people would like to have is: revenge. Especially physical right after the incident occurred. It may be different after time have passed, but when the emotions and bad memories of the incident come back freshly in mind, physical revenge it most likely something he felt doing. Let’s be honest here, your wife and kids are raped and murdered, and you were felt powerless…it’s most likely payback on those scums.
Yo! Thank you!. Yeah, I definitely think nearly everyone would consider physical retaliation and desire it. I just don’t think many would pursue it to the extent Tony does. Tony’s pursuit of it does probably show Edward desired the same thing. The question becomes how someone thinks of Tony’s fate. Do they think of it as symbolic for, “Once you get revenge, that part of you dies, allowing you to move on,” or “Seeking revenge can lead you to your own demise.”
I have a problem with the idea that Edward was getting some great revenge by writing the book, sending it to his ex, and then standing her up for a dinner. This seems mostly based on our information about Susan’s life. We know her life is shallow, loveless, and devoid of happiness. Most people then conclude that the stand up at the restaurant is so brutal to her because it was a hope for rekindling love and happiness.
That may be the case, but Edward does not know anything about her current life. They have not spoke in years. This tells me that Edward never did get over her. He spent the last 20 years writing a book about his relationship with Susan. He wants her to read the book and know the pain she caused him. This does not sound like somebody that is moving on with life.
His story arc probably more closely aligns with Tony’s. He finally stands her up in the end like Tony standing up for himself, but he is probably alone, miserable, dying inside, and may very well commit suicide. Tragic ending is how I see it.
Hey Joe! I think that’s a fair reading! At the end of the day, we don’t have enough information about modern day Edward to come to a solid conclusion. He’s kind of like a glass of water. Is he half-full? Half-empty? That lack of information makes the character a bit more self-reflective for the viewer because we have to decide how we think his life is at this point. Is he satisfied and moving on? Is his trajectory much more tragic?
Hi, I would like to make a quick comment. I actually think there’s a good balance between both of the messages of hope and strength for Susan and the original proposed theme of tragedy/sadness in the article. In her scene while she’s getting prepared to go to meet Edward she’s initially wearing lipstick without her ring, removes the lipstick, moves to put on her ring and then decided against it. In my mind this suggests that her thought train is initially ‘try to rekindle things with Edward’ then once the lipstick is removed she decided against it and goes to put on her ring, but then deciding not to wear the ring and the lipstick is symbolic of her moving on from her current situation with Hutton, be it with Edward or not. You could also imply that Edwards revenge is on Hutton as well as in Tony’s confrontation scene with Ray he says something along the lines of ‘you don’t get to get away with what you do to people’ (not accurate I know and I apologise – but this ties in with the idea that Ray symbolises Hutton which was suggested in the article above). I apologise again if this comment isn’t in the right place
what I got from the film is that Edward HAD moved on but wanted her to come to the awareness of what she gave up, ‘you have to take care of love bc you might not get it back’ was telling. I don’t see it so much as revenge as proving he was right, that what they had was something rare and he warned her to not throw it away. Now he is a successful writer and she is living an empty, shallow, life void of meaning or true connection. Edward knew her better than she knew herself, he knew if she followed her shallow impulses, not being her true self, she’d end up unhappy.
I don’t think he committed suicide, I saw it as he was free and healed, moved on and now was able to prove to her at that point in her life how wrong she had been with her choices.
Hi Joe. This is exactly how i see it too.
I am still not sold that the abortion took place. The age of the daughter seems to indicate Susan had her quite young. I don’t think she would have turned around and instantly gotten pregnant with Hutton’s baby after getting an abortion. I think Susan thought that Hutton would be more financially stable. It seems like it correlates better with the “fictional” story, as well. When I saw the movie, I thought the ending indicated that Edward killed himself, and Susan realized that she destroyed their love and regretted it. I wonder what that says about me?
just dvr’d this movie this week and watched this morning, then did a quick search for the end and found this. article from 2016 yet all comments are from this week, that seems quite strange.
Hey! We just re-launched the website, moving from Wix to WordPress. So none of the old comments carried over. I think the previous one had like…150? Which is a shame because there was some great discussion.
Did you like the movie?
Hi ! Thus is what U have found too) . I watched the movie today, looked for tge ending explanation afterwards and then noticed that the all the comments are new. It may be related to the fact that the movie has been added to Netflix just recently.
I read the whole thing lol “taking a lot of baths” killed me
Haha, thank you! It was so many baths!
I’m surprised you didn’t mention the connection between not only his wife being taken from him but also his child (Susan getting the abortion in “real life”).
Yeah, good question. I wrote the piece way back when the movie came out, over 2 years ago. I think, at the time, my thinking was that everyone gets how huge a deal the abortion would have been for Edward… We know what happens to the daughter in the novel is symbolic of the abortion. With it being so clear, it wasn’t that necessary for me to get into as I was aiming to explain what wasn’t clear.
I think? I could have just been so caught up in the explanation of the plot/themes that I just forgot to mention it, though!
How do you feel the abortion played into it all? I felt as though the fictional family, obviously the daughter, being taken from him was somewhat symbolic. Great movie.
Especially since we see the daughter begging for her father in the back window. But we don’t see the wife.
Yo! Yeah, I think you’re write on about the daughter being taken being symbolic. The structure of the movie is such that they hide the abortion until near the end, giving it the weight of a climactic moment. With that being the intention, I think it’s safe to say they wanted to show how the abortion was a huuuuuuuuuge deal. It’s poetically painful, because when the fictional daughter dies, we think have the safety of knowing, “Well at least it isn’t real.” But then when we find out about the abortion….it’s a gut punch to the viewer, which mirrors the shock Edward also felt.
I think you missed something. She never goes through with the abortion. She has a beautiful daughter (also with red hair, like the fictional family of Tony) Edward lost his daughter and Susan in real life and The book is a metaphor for that. Not showing up at dinner was to say … I’m not weak anymore
Simple. I love films and it is fun to GUESS on what is GONNA happen after the last reel plays. After the film ends. That guessing game is fun. But this film is not a film that NEEDS that game played. Its all there in its beautiful simplicity.
So, let’s just go by what the director shows us. And not what we WISH would happen. Would that be ok with you and everyone? Also did you make films or do yoy make films? Just curious.
l think you had it right the first time. What you wrote originally, is extremely close to what the director was trying to say with this film. This other stuff is nonsensical. Not trying to he cruel. It is just a fact
This is film is CLEAR CUT. It is not one of those open eneded films. It is very deep, simple and brilliant.
She Threw away true love and any potential for happiness, she aborted the child of the husband for whom she still loved, for comfort. She sold out her husband and there child and her soul really, for MONEY AND COMFORT. That is not disputed.
She had the sad like her mother. Well, She was JUST like her mother. As I said, I agree with your original comments on Revenge and the obviousness of the parallels of the novel, losing a wife and child, and how his heart got broken. He turned his pain into art. He wrote the book and dedicated it to her as if he was saying, you want me to write about myself, Ok, now read this. He wanted to show her that she destroyed BOTH there lives. And they will never be the same.
There is hope for all people. And, you can go on and on with maybe this, and maybe that and, blah, blah, blah. Or, you can WATCH the movie. Its doesn’t show any of the wishful thinking that people want it to have. I don’t know what happens after he leaves her stranded, NO ON DOES. The film is saying, life has consequences. She ruined both their lives. Like he says, “you can’t get it back”.
She took off the ring, fixed her makeup and hair the way he would like it. Her acting suggests she is Hoping inside that they will get their love back and he will hold her, like she imagines he does, the night before they are supposed to meet.
He doesn’t show. He is, maybe, back on his feet after 18 years. Able to stand her up. Able to write a well written novel and Stand on his feet. So we know that much.
We also know, she is in a loveless marriage with a man that cheats. She lives in a superficial world plastic world. And she cannot get back, real love. She can get back unconditional love. She is lost at the end. And his revenge is showing her that. There is no hope for her except maybe the realization that she is lost.
What the characters do after the what we see ends. We will never no. What we do know is that Fords statement on true meaningful love is tragic and beautiful and heartbreaking and important.
I’m late to the party having just watched this on Netflix. I thought it was great and found this article after reading several to unpack the symbolism and catch things I missed, and I really enjoy your take and updates. But I agree with the other commenter somewhere in here that I don’t think she did have the ab***ion – or at least I don’t understand the timing. She tells her coworker she hasn’t spoken with Edward since leaving him 19 years ago. But when we see her daughter she seems to be around 19 or maybe even a little older, so I’m wondering if she just never told Edward he had a daughter? Also the daughter is kind of pointless otherwise – knowing she exists changes and adds nothing to the story unless she’s relevant to the story of Edward and Susan.
Glad you enjoyed the piece! And the comments have been great and led to a lot of interesting discussions.
In terms of your question. I just skimmed back through the movie and didn’t see anywhere where Susan specifically says she left Edward 19 years ago. But I googled it and a bunch of places say the 19 years thing. So it must be true? I watched the scene with her assistant, but there she only says she was married for a few years in grad school.
Regardless, there’s potential she never had the ab***ion (censoring for ad filters). But it’s also likely Susan and Hutton got pregnant right away. I feel like if the daughter was Edward’s child, then they would have hinted at it a little more strongly? Like Susan almost tells her daughter or almost tells Edward or just reflects on how Hutton responded to the pregnancy. With none of those things happening, it leads me to believe that she did go through with the ab***ion.
In terms of what the daughter adds, I think she reinforces how alone Susan is. She’s in this loveless marriage with Hutton. Then their daughter is also distant. She’s relevant in the sense of what could her life have been with Edward? Would there be more love from both him and the child she gave up? There’s probably also something about Susan’s relationship with her mom? I guess what I’m saying is that I think there’s still thematic relevancy to the daughter, even if she doesn’t add much to the story itself. And movies like this will include things for their thematic impact even if there’s no story impact.
When Susan is talking to Sutton in the kitchen about receiving the manuscript from Edward, Sutton asks “Have you guys even talked in 20 years?” and Susan says “19”.
Thank you!
All so very sad. I found myself empathizing with Susan. She isn’t an awful person, she’s a flawed product of her environment like the rest of us. Her mother’s daughter.
Very much so. What a great but sad movie.
Yes, but she had a daughter in real life, same age as in novel. Edward’s child or Hutton’s?
I feel the abortion had a lot of subliminal or “other” precursors to the storyline itself.. somehow I see the abortion significantly tying in with the entire plot/story.. Also the part where Edward is referred to as “too weak” by her mother and I believe, by Susan herself, is signified several times within the book…?
Hmmm. It is extremely difficult to analyze a single scenario regarding the meaning, or interpretation of the movie and the ending.. I guess that is what makes it pretty decent, as there is no “politically“ correct answer, as it’s up to your imagination to assume what is what and that’s where the whole art theme itself is tied in. Interesting indeed…
She seemed somewhat forgetful too. I’m unsure if it was due to lack of sleep or???
But the scene where she sees the “REVENGE” display and the girl who shows her the baby on her phone with her new app, etc., reminds her (Susan) that she gave it or sent it to them as a gift, of sorts.. Then Susan drops phone and stands there seemingly not recalling doing such.. So I thought maybe Edward sent it to them saying it making it appear as it was from Susan, which all tied into the storyline in his book???
I don’t know??
Many if’s…
I just found out about this film this evening while listening to Alex Korzeniowski’s music online, and I am glad that I did. My first impression of the ending was “sadness,” especially when the camera panned to a close-up of her eyes. Remember, Edward distinctly told Susan he felt she had “sad” eyes. They didn’t just gloss over that, but took their time to express what he felt her eyes represented. “Beautiful, but sad,” just like her mother…and in the end didn’t she end up just like her mother. Another thought crossed my mind, being a woman who has been in a similar situation. When a man is still in love with a woman it is difficult for him go back to that place for fear of being hurt or rejected again. Unless, he senses the woman “needs or wants” him he is less likely to put himself out there, and much more likely to shine her on and act like he could care less by standing her up the way Edward did Susan. Edward had the ability to “gloat” from a distance, sticking the knife in her back this time, giving him REVENGE…Why did he want revenge? Edward wanted revenge because he still wasn’t over it yet. That final act of cruelty was all the satisfaction Edward needed to FINALLY move on and let the past pain and sorrows disappear. The ending for me was a bit abrupt and unfinished, leaving you wondering…
That close up of the eyes was a great moment. I remember being in the theater, seeing that shot, and pleading (silently of course) that he never showed up just to not ruin the power of that shot and her emotion in that moment.
Really appreciate you sharing your own experiences, June! I agree with how you’re framing everything. There’s some satisfaction in writing the novel, but it’s not the same as the kind of petty act Edward (may have) pulled by standing Susan up.
I see sadness in a way here . But I also see her character hitting rock bottom emotionally and it al making sense to her . she is realizing the choice she made long ago was out of greed and finally someone knocked her off her pedestal. Finally the power she thought she had over her ex and how she always pitied him , as if she was better , becaise she is weak now . Not him.
I felt that since Tony’s life arc was mimicking Edward’s arc, wouldn’t it be fair to assume that edward killed himself? There was some significance in the slowing heartbeat when tony was dying and Susan could hear it slowing in the bathtub?
And there must be some significance in the papercut Susan gets when opening Edwards package?
Hey Julie! I think you can definitely build an argument around that interpretation. My counter-point would be that it seemed Tony’s life arc was mimicking Edward’s past, not his present. Which is why I didn’t make the connection between Tony dying and Edward killing himself. Moreso, it was that Edward had to kill that part of himself who had loved Susan.
I’d say the significance of the slowing heartbeat could be a sign of how invested in the story Susan was. That for her it was beyond words on a page. It was something she could truly experience, which is why it was so impactful. That’s such a huge part of the movie—Edward’s book is more than a book to her.
With the paper cut, my best theory, at the moment, and this could change, is it’s symbolic foreshadowing for how the story will “cut” her because it’s based on her. I’m very open minded about other interpretations. At the moment, nothing else jumps out to me. It seems more of a tone-setting choice to me rather than being a more important detail.
Any other thoughts or questions?
Just watched this. So it’s been awhile for you, I’m sure. And just like everyone else I have unanswered questions. Do you think that perhaps she never got back with Edward in the message as to the time or place and she wants to pretend nothing ever changed when she’s at the restaurant. Realizing she doesn’t really need the lipstick so she takes it off because she’s not really meeting him, which i didn’t see her wear any when she was with Edward and taking off the ring. Perhaps pretending he’s sitting across from her and that she was really the weak one to not be able to face him?
And someone mentions the lipstick. It was an important detail as anyone with a perfectionist streak could relate – it signifies a reduction in superficiality and a desire to be authentic and real.
Right? Which is such a small but huge moment.
Tony’s fading heartbeat and Susan’s involvement in the story seemed parallel to one another until finally, he died, and at that very moment, Susan comes out of the water calling Edward by his name.
I like to think of this point of the movie as the moment where Edward finally convinced Susan to want him again (through the influence he had on her using the fictional character he created, Tony!), and Edward kills off the part of him that still loved the woman who betrayed him so many years ago.
The paper cut could represent that she is about to FEEL something, after having created a life which has become void of feeling. Even in that scene, she has someone else open the box, to avoid the pain of the cut.
I like this. A lot! Really insightful.
yes ^^^ this comment hits the nail on the head .
If the the whole book is a metaphor, then that would include Tony’s death at the end. For Susan, Edward, or the possibility of Edward, is no more. Susan’s Edward is dead.
To me, her expression at the very end was one of realization. She understood. She got it. His not showing up was a demonstration of the strength she did not believe he had.
Great read.
Thanks, Anthony!
I second that. Great read. I watched Nocturnal Animajs for the first time last night but was too lazy and impatient to let the movie sit with me for a few days or a week or so and really let the implications gel for me. The ending was unexpected as it was counter to what we’d seen of Edward’s nature in Susan’s flashbacks, and I felt a strong sense of uncertainty and dissatisfaction with it, like traveling halfway across the country in a green family truckster just to have Marty Moose tell you Wally World is closed. Really good movie, I feel like it will remain with me awhile—in no small part thanks to your analysis. Cheers ?
I
loved your breakdown of this movie . You were the 4ths article I read . Although all good article . Your mostly resonated with what my interpretation of character and movie is trying to convey .
Chris Lambert! You are an outstanding writer! Thanks for the depth and analysis along w the humor combined
Thank you!!! That means a lot!
Chris, I also appreciate your humility in circling back to add addendums following conversations with colleagues and friends; not a lot of that out there anymore.
I noticed the plurality of “Animals” as being significant. The horrible acts of that evening in the novel were committed by savages and in the dark. Susan is more of a metaphorical animal in her cold blooded “strength” as she sees it, and she has an inability to express herself through art; the latter being something that she eventually envies in Edward. A subtle acknowledgement of her regret of being too cold might be in her reconsideration to keep an employee on board versus cutting her loose.
When Tony puts Ray to death at the end of the novel, he has crossed over. He had now become a cold nocturnal animal. When he regains consciousness the following morning, he cannot see in the bright light. He has now joined the ranks of Ray, Turk, Lou, and most importantly, Susan. His softness and sensitivity have figuratively died along with Tony.
I think you mean REV ENG E: revenge. Not REV GEN E: revgene. *Unless you remembered it spelled incorrectly in the film*
Haha, oh man. That’s been there for so long. Thank you! Just a dumb typo.
I love this article. I just watched the movie for myself. One the sheriff talked about how his daughter was away not knowing about his situation( showing lack of communication between the two). Then I connected that with Susan and her daughter she’s away and they have a miscommunication. She says “I love you” to her daughter and she gives her a small “me too” not “ I love you too”. And what if Tony dying in the end of the book was him killing the part of himself that was still attached to his emotions for Susan.
Awesome article…and revisit…and revisit x2 🙂
I think the film is about learning to live with your mistakes. Realizing that sometimes closure is out of reach and things are what they are. Edward sent the book to Susan and stood her up as a petty but understandable act of revenge. But if he went to that dinner and they somehow found a way to connect again even platonically, it would be too easy and unrealistic.
In real life, if you fuck up, you dont always get to say im sorry. sometimes Karma bites you in the ass and thats okay. You swallow the guilt, you feel the shame, you continue living. if you married the wrong person, you get a messy divorce or you live a depressing life. if you hurt the right person by being stubborn or selfish you will lose them. period. you dont get a happy ending. you learn to live with how things are. and be okay anyway.
This ending is a life lesson.
BINGO
I thought Noctrnal Animals was so gripping, sad, disappointing ending though. Great acting. JV
Same! Did you have a favorite moment?
I loved the
movie . I actually had to google a bunch of this movies guided imagery and the multiple points . You can interpret this movie in many ways . It just takes time and watching multiple times to really grasp all it is trying to say . That’s what so awesome about this movie . It means different things to different people . Sometimes law is inadequate . In order to shame its innacuracies somerime its necessary to act outside of the law to pursue natural justice. This is not vengeance . Revenge is not a valid motive . It’s an emotional response . In
this movie vengeance is not what is being conveyed . Punishment is . The idea of a horrific murder is used to emotionally grip the audience and gain sympathy towards the character who was first wronged . His ex wife realized to late and finally her character felt powerless against someone who she had always pitied . Her choices throughout life have taken the superficial route everytime . at the table she is finally realizing she fucked up leaving 1st husband . Only now it’s to late and she has no one . she even asked the question to her art gallery friends about mistakes that mold someone into what they become or became after merging from the rubble . In this case for his ex it’s heartbreak, second guessing her choices in life and ultimately left with nothing . She calls him
weak in early scene . Only to end up the weak link herself . At the table at end she finally realizes what she’s done . Only it’s too late now . Karmas is a bitch .
FYI. I have rewatched this movie 4 times and everytime i realize something director and character are trying to convey thru film . this was not an easy interpretation of the film…i think everyone will take what they need and interpret based on there own life . It is a very well written movie and makes you think.
Hi- I saw the movie about two years ago and remembered how it left me gutted and unable to shake days later. When it came on HBO recently, I decided to re-watch it and found myself equally anxious, siding with Edward/Tony and blood thirsty for revenge. It was heartbreaking. I decided to read the book ( over 2 days) to see how it differed and to gain more insight into the characters. I’m glad I did. It was a great read but I prefer the movie. I think Tom Ford did an excellent job of adapting it to screen. He did a good job of cutting away unnecessary fat, characters and adding much needed plot twists. The addition of the abortion scene was the coup de grace. I agree with your analysis of the movie that Tony’s novel, “Nocturnal Animals” was a metaphor for how Susan had left Edward broken and feeling emasculated by the affair and divorce and depicted him as weak and unable to protect his wife and child from another man. His book dedication to Susan and the final f$$&*k you scene where he stands up Susan was much needed existential revenge for Edward. The movie Susan was the less likeable of the two Susans even though it was pretty galling that Edward would unilaterally make the decision to return his scholarship, become a struggling writer and expect her to be the sole breadwinner. I do believe she would have willingly had an affair with Edward had he shown up for their dinner at the hotel and she was hoping to feel desired again and able to wield power over him. The Tony and Susan book was great for providing insight into what Tony was thinking after the horrific kidnapping and his internal struggle as he vacillated between final acceptance that these thugs had not taken his family to the police station where they waited safely for his return but more than likely had been raped and murdered. The book Susan was more sympathetic for me because it showed the sacrifices she had made for her husband, kids and career and beliefs, yet at the end of the day she was living a lonely and depressed life, with a philandering husband. But what do they say? Karma is a bitch!
Me too. Everytime i rewatch I figure something else out they were trying to say either my guided imagery or metaphorically .
I just saw this movie and I loved it. It was beautifully done but I don’t see it as a revenge story at all or a even the book as a cathartic move by Edward.
For one there is a lot of contradiction between Susan’s reimaginings of their life together and the fact that noone even knew she had an ex husband. Had she truly loved him more than she was embarrassed by him this would not be the case.
In fact I wonder if he even mailed her the book or if she just didn’t pick it up. Perhaps she continued to follow his career out of remorse or guilt or maybe just curiosity. The paper cut is a warning. If she goes forward she will go backwards in examining her past and it’s going to sting and yes she probably will feel something again.
But it’s all in her head. Tony dies in the book and this may seem like a tragedy but I feel it actually marks Edwards rebirth in real life. His end to that life.
But a very interesting note is in the fact that the police officer did not go back to the trailer to check on Tony after Lou or Ray, I can’t remember which, didn’t appear on the highway. To me there’s something there. What if the police man is another version of Edward? One that left that scene, let Tony die and went on. Edward was ruined, this is obvious. But he also wasn’t going to revive the past. Their end was his moment of death.
Edward is likely living a life very similar to Susan’s now but ironically in the end if there is hope for one to pursue happiness it is Susan. She removed her ring whether it’s to seem available or not does not matter, it’s a movement forward. But is it based in reality?
Was she actually communicating with Edward or imagining doing so? I don’t believe he ever reached out to her. I don’t believe he ever stood her up. I don’t believe he sent her the book. I think she wanted all these things but just like the finale, none of it happened. If anything the officer is a lot like Susan, she did not go back to the scene of the crime, she left Tony there to die and to handle the bad guys and only after he died in the book felt the urge to reach out to Edward
Obviously I need to watch it a few times more. But first impression it was incredibly sad. I felt it also painted a picture about people having only one shot at true happiness, then it passes you on and never circles back. Very very tragic. There is no need for revenge in this situation.
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