Anora's tear-stricken ending leaves the drama film on an emotional note and Mikey Madion's character has plenty of reason to cry.
Anora is Sean Baker's recently crowned Best Picture-winning film. It follows a whirlwind romance between a sex worker and the son of a rich Russian family.
Madison (who is reportedlty being eyed for a role in the MCU) earned a Best Actress Oscar for her portrayal of Anora in the indie movie and her role required her to go through the gamut of emotions.
Anora's Emotional Ending, Explained
Anora's journey takes her on a high-speed romance with Ivan Zakharov, who plucks her from her job as a sex worker and promises her a life as his wealthy wife.
However, that all comes crashing down when Ivan's parents learn of his marriage and he flees the scene, fearing their disapproval. This leads Anora and Zakharov's henchmen (Toros, Gamik, and Igor) to pursue Ivan all over New York City.
Once they catch up to Ivan and present him to his parents they force the duo to annul their marriage, and Anora is sent back to her old life, much more traumatized than before.
When Igor drives Anora back to her home he leaves her with a parting gift–the pricey wedding ring she received from Ivan. In an attempt to repay his kindness, Anora attempts to get intimate with Igor, but becomes overcome with emotion and breaks down sobbing, which is where Anora ends.
Anora Had Many Reasons to Cry
The reasoning behind Anora's tears at the conclusion of the movie can be put down to several things.
The most obvious is that the young woman has just been through an incredibly stressful and emotional ordeal.
From one day to the next she went from being relaxed, living her dream life with her husband, to being tied up and chased around her house, running all over the city, and then being forced onto a plane to Nevada with his scathing parents to finalize a divorce.
On a more emotional level, it's a tragic end to Anora's journey. She thought she was achieving her dream life, only to be left right back where she started.
Another interpretation of the scene is that Anora is attempting to regain her power by returning to her skillset as a sex worker, and is using Yuri to try and remind herself she has control. When she breaks down, it could be seen as Anora coming to terms with the little power she has and how it was so ruthlessly taken from her in the movie.
Baker has commented that was how he intended Anora's ending scene, as it shows Anora is "now regaining the power that she lost entirely throughout this journey."
However, the director has also been clear about his intention for Anora to have an ending that audiences can interpret themselves.
Anora is available to watch on Hulu.
