Anora Ending Explained - 2025 February

2024 saw some remarkable films, but none left quite an impact like “Anora” – masterfully crafted by Sean Baker. I found myself deeply engrossed in the tale of Anora “Ani” Mikheeva, brilliantly portrayed by Mikey Madison. As a dancer at a nightclub, Ani’s life takes a dramatic turn when she encounters Ivan “Vanya” Zakharov (Mark Eydelshteyn). After a whirlwind romance, I was convinced that Ani had finally found her fairy tale ending… until Vanya shattered those dreams, sending her on an arduous journey across the boroughs of Manhattan.

At the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, the movie titled “Anora” won the prestigious Palme D’or. Later, it garnered numerous Oscar nominations such as best picture, best director, editing, screenplay for Baker, best actress for Madison, and even a supporting nomination for Yuri Borisov, who played Madison’s co-star in the third act. The question now is: What happens at the end of “Anora,” and what does it imply?

Baker and Madison have shared their thoughts on the emotionally impactful ending of this film that blends humor with heartbreak. As you watch this intriguing movie, consider their perspectives and what resonates with you as a viewer.

What you need to remember about the plot of Anora

To begin with, let me clarify the main storyline of “Anora.” One evening at work, Ani is tasked with attending to a patron who speaks Russian, a man named Vanya… It’s later revealed that Vanya is the pampered son of a Russian tycoon, loaded with cash. Following their encounter at the club, Vanya begins to pay Ani visits to his home and, at one point, proposes a substantial amount for her to be his “girlfriend” for a week. Their whirlwind romance leads them to Las Vegas with Vanya’s friends for drinking and gambling, where they spur-of-the-moment get married at a chapel in Vegas. To seal the deal, Vanya gives Ani an extravagant engagement ring.

Unfortunately, Vanya’s proposal and subsequent marriage don’t sit well with his affluent and influential parents, who dispatch a group of enforcers to the Zakharov family estate in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, with the intention of retrieving him. In response, he flees, leaving Ani, Igor (Yuri Borisov), Toros (Karren Karagulian), and Garnik (Vache Tovmasyan) — a group of enforcers — on a fruitless chase to locate him. When they eventually find Vanya, he’s back at the club with another woman, which infuriates Ani, but she remains resolute in her support for Vanya until his parents make it clear that they will annul the new marriage.

What happened at the end of Anora?

In the struggle against the formidable Zakharovs, Nikolai and Galina, who are Vanya’s parents portrayed by Aleksei Serebryakov and Darya Ekamasova, Ani puts up a strong resistance for some time. She attempts to win their favor by speaking Russian, hoping to gain their trust. However, in the end, Galina emerges victorious when she tells Ani that unless she annuls her marriage so Vanya can return to Russia with his parents, Ani feels deeply betrayed by Vanya’s lack of support and immaturity. As Vanya boards a private jet with his parents, Igor brings Ani back to the Brighton Beach mansion where she resided previously, to gather her possessions.

In an unprecedented cinematic conversation, Ani’s animosity towards Igor is undeniable, yet he appears unfazed by her harsh words and allegations. The following day, Igor returns Ani home and proposes to her with a ring he recovered from the Zakharov gang. In response, Ani initiates an intimate moment with Igor, but when he attempts to kiss her, she starts crying uncontrollably, and Igor comforts her as the movie concludes.

The ending of Anora is much more romantic than many people realize

Ever since its debut, “Anora” has been labeled a romantic comedy, and while some may dispute this, it holds true. While it is undeniably humorous, “Anora” also carries a heartfelt love story that might not be immediately apparent. Yes, Vanya does sweep Ani off her feet, proposes with a grand diamond ring, and marries her, but the narrative unfolds beyond the fairy-tale ending, making their relationship less of the focus. Instead, the genuine romance in “Anora” centers around Ani and Igor.

In simpler terms, Vanya is more like a exaggerated version of a person, often treating Ani as if she’s just an item rather than a human being. He discards her when she becomes troublesome because that’s how he views her. However, Igor shows genuine kindness towards Ani; he gives her a scarf when she’s cold, protects her, and treats her with respect as a person, not a trophy. The touching moment between Igor and Ani at the end of the movie, after their last night at the mansion, is where the real romance in this story lies. Both Ani and Igor have experienced being treated poorly by people like Vanya, and when Ani tries to express her gratitude towards Igor through intimacy, he responds with true emotion, breaking down Ani’s defensive walls for the first time throughout the movie.

At the end of her exhausting journey, Anora experiences a moment of catharsis with the audience

In the finale of “Anora,” the movie’s profound love narrative is unveiled along with its emotional core. However, this climactic scene also serves as an intense release of emotions for both Ani and viewers, primarily because the film progresses at a breathless pace from start to finish. While it might seem that “Anora” lacks proper pacing; on the contrary, it does! The speed is just incredibly swift, particularly during the sequence where Ani, Igor, Toros, and Garnik pursue the erratic Vanya through Brooklyn, spending the entire night in a frantic search.

In that pivotal car ride with Ani and Igor, we reach the point where all her defenses crumble, as discussed earlier. However, this instance is unique because it’s the only time throughout the movie that the girl appears to truly relax. She’s not acting for Vanya or anyone else, nor is she busy calculating her next move. Instead, she simply exists, and it brings a significant sense of relief, not just for the character but also for the audience.

Sean Baker arrives at his endings in a fascinating fashion

It seems that Sean Baker, who is renowned for movies like “Tangerine” and “The Florida Project”, often determines the ideal conclusion for his films initially and then works backward to complete them. This is according to what he shared with Robyn Kanner at The Verge.

In response to Kanner’s question about making the final scene of a movie impactful, Baker emphasized that endings are crucial, stating, “For me, endings take priority.” He explained that they leave a lasting impression on the audience and are often the topic of conversation after leaving the theater. Interestingly, he always plans the ending before penning down a single word or scene. In the case of “Anora,” he conceived the poignant, quiet, tragic, and yet romantic conclusion even before drafting any other part of the story. Given the significance of Ani’s return home in the narrative, it seems fitting that Baker developed this ending first.

After Anora, Sean Baker wants people to discuss the ending

If you were deeply moved by the conclusion of “Anora” and have some thoughts or queries about its meaning, then Sean Baker, the film’s director, intended exactly that response from viewers. In October 2024, just before the movie’s wide distribution (it premiered at Cannes in May of that year), Baker shared his thoughts with Vanity Fair, noting that the ending can be understood in numerous ways, some of which may not be entirely favorable.

Baker mentioned that he’s been hearing various opinions about the ending, some of which left him surprised. However, he didn’t explain why these thoughts were surprising (we could have used more details!). Still, he acknowledged what he likes about it is that people are eager to talk about it, which was his intention for the last scene. He expressed a slight disappointment when audience members request explanations, saying it’s unfortunate when they expect everything to be spelled out and told how to think. It can be disheartening, he added, when people ask, ‘why didn’t you tell us what would happen next?’ His favorite films, he stated, never do that.

According to Sean Baker, the audience writes Anora’s ending

Following the broad release of “Anora,” I had the privilege of sitting down with NPR’s Eric Westervelt for a detailed discussion about the film on Weekend Edition. During our conversation, we delved into Ani’s background, and the fact that my projects often revolve around sex workers was brought up. It was then that he touched upon the ending, expressing his sentiment, “I don’t want to reveal any spoilers, but the end of ‘Anora’ is impactful, and it resonates deeply, much like nothing I’ve experienced on screen in a while. Could you share some insights about what you were aiming for there?” (In my view, Westervelt’s description of the ending as “impactful” perfectly encapsulates my intention.)

After expressing gratitude towards Westervelt and emphasizing that the final scenes in his movies hold great significance since they are the last impressions left on viewers as they depart, Baker elaborated on the emotional and private tone of the last exchange between Ani and Igor. “I believe this scene is particularly intimate compared to earlier parts of the film,” he said. “It provides a sense of release or catharsis.” He also mentioned that it’s fascinating to listen to different interpretations of the ending, as its purpose is to leave viewers uncertain about what lies ahead in Ani’s life.

Apart from his own thoughts, Baker emphasized that the audience’s interpretation plays a crucial role, even shaping the conclusion: “Ultimately, the audience becomes the author, writing their unique endings. It’s been truly remarkable to witness this process unfold.

Sean Baker used a classic Fellini film to inspire the ending of Anora

As a passionate gamer, I often find myself inspired by the timeless classics from the annals of gaming history. Just like filmmakers, it’s not uncommon for game creators to pay tribute to these legends – and that’s exactly what Sean Baker did in the finale of “Anora,” as IndieWire points out. In a poignant scene between Ani and Igor, after her emotional fortitude finally crumbles, a solitary tear slides down her cheek. If you’re not already versed in the works of the legendary Federico Fellini – though I hope you are! – you might not recognize the echoes of the ending of his 1957 masterpiece “Nights of Cabiria.” In that movie, as the credits roll, Cabiria (played by Fellini’s wife Giulietta Masina), realizing yet another man has deceived her, lets a single tear streak down her face, leaving behind a smear of mascara.

In “Nights of Cabiria”, the character Cabiria directly addresses and interacts with the audience as she cries, whereas “Ani” in the other film doesn’t have a final, confrontational gaze towards the audience before leaving with Igor. However, knowing that Ani is a fighter, she is expected to survive. If you enjoyed “Anora”, you might want to explore “Nights of Cabiria” for an understanding of what inspired Baker.

Shooting Anora’s ending was logistically quite difficult

After understanding the importance of the finale in “Anora” to Sean Baker, as well as what sparked his creativity, let’s delve into the challenges that arose during filming, which seemed extraordinarily demanding and extended beyond initial expectations. In the same IndieWire article, Sean Baker’s wife and producer Samantha Quan disclosed that the production team filmed on location in Brighton Beach and resided there throughout the movie shooting process. Additionally, Alex Coco, another co-producer, mentioned that the car scene involving Ani and Igor consumed significantly more time than anticipated.

Coco explained to the media that they hadn’t anticipated that filming this scene would take three days. The challenge wasn’t only about the performances within the car; it was also about creating an intimate atmosphere for the actors despite having the whole crew around the vehicle. There were two camera movements involved, and our production designer [Stephen Phelps] was on top of the car scattering fake snow to make it look like it was snowing outside the window. Meanwhile, I had to handle the police since we were running over time and risked being kicked out. Everyone held their breath for five minutes, hoping that everything would align perfectly – and it did, resulting in a truly impressive final product.

Mikey Madison believes the ending of Anora forces the audience to reflect

After listening to Sean Baker and his team, we also wanted to know Mikey Madison’s thoughts on the ending of “Anora”. A month after its release, Elle interviewed Madison, and she shared that the ending made her feel a knot in her stomach when she first read it from Baker’s script. “I was deeply touched by it,” Madison told the interviewer, expressing that she felt as if everything she experienced, along with her character, culminated in that moment.

In addition, Madison pointed out that the conclusion encourages viewers to consider their own identities, as different individuals might interpret it in unique ways. She pondered that each spectator may have a distinct viewpoint regarding Ani’s intentions or emotions at the end. She found it fascinating to learn about other people’s opinions because she believed it mirrored aspects of them, suggesting that it reflects, in essence, who they are as individuals.

Apart from having her unique perspective, Madison interprets the ending of “Anora” in a way that’s fitting given she gave life to the character. She summed up her thoughts by saying, “I have my personal feelings about it and what I believe she desires. There’s a great deal of hope and struggle for what she believes is rightfully hers…I wish for people to be moved by her, and to experience empathy towards her. I want them to feel intensely, whatever that feeling may be.

Men and women have reacted differently to the ending of Anora

In the same Elle interview, Mikey Madison shared an interesting observation: there seems to be a gender disparity in audience responses to “Anora,” as the film’s ending elicits significantly different reactions from men and women. As Madison explained to Lauren Puckett-Pope, “Men and women tend to react very differently [to the ending]. I recall one man – an opinion I found rather distasteful – who said something along the lines of, ‘So your character is trying to get pregnant to claim Ivan’s money.’ Upon reflection, I realized this comment revealed a lot about how he perceives the character and perhaps women in general. It was quite enlightening for me.

Although it might seem both puzzling and expected, Madison didn’t intend to suggest that each male audience member exhibited an uncharitable or unkind interpretation of Ani and the film’s ending. Instead, she suggested that some men may have a more empathetic reaction or sentiment towards the ending. She often finds women to be the most empathetic or thoughtful when considering what emotional struggles Ani experiences at the end.

Will there be a sequel to Anora?

In a masterful display by Sean Baker, “Anora” is skillfully crafted as a self-contained narrative that unfolds the shallow “romantic tale” of Ani and Vanya. This story takes a dramatic turn when Vanya attempts to escape, leading to a tumultuous climax. We witness Ani basking in the euphoria with Vanya, despite seemingly recognizing his immaturity and superficiality. Yet, she becomes engrossed in this illusion. The narrative then shifts as Ani is forced into an SUV and embarks on a journey through Brooklyn in search of her elusive husband.

Fortunately, Baker doesn’t appear to be the kind of filmmaker who would create a sequel simply because one of his films was extremely successful – the notion of him making “Anora 2” seems highly unlikely. Regrettably, it should never come to fruition; Ani’s tale has concluded. If you’re interested in watching or re-watching “Anora”, it can be rented or purchased on popular streaming platforms currently.

2025-02-07 17:32