Tom Ford’s 2016 neo-noir is currently streaming on Netflix.
Warning: Contains spoilers for Nocturnal Animals.
2016’s Nocturnal Animals stars Amy Adams and not one but two Jake Gyllenhaals in two separate narratives that are nonetheless linked.
Neither feature any actual nocturnal animals, though, so animal lovers might end up a tad disappointed – and that’s not the only mystery this film toys with.
Based on Austin Wright’s novel Tony and Susan, Tom Ford’s chilling neo-noir introduces us to an art gallery owner named Susan, who struggles with life in LA and, in particular, her marriage to Armie Hammer’s disinterested businessman.
When a manuscript from her first husband suddenly arrives on her doorstep, almost 20 years since they last spoke, Susan dives in, eager to learn why Edward has dedicated his new book to her out of the blue.
The story within this story follows a man named Tony (also played by Gyllenhaal) on a trip with his wife Laura and daughter India. It’s not long before the family are run off the road by three men, who kidnap them but leave Tony behind.
With the help of a policeman (played by Michael Shannon in an Oscar-nominated role), Tony eventually discovers the bodies of Laura and India, who have been raped and murdered.
One of the culprits later dies in a robbery, but the other two have got off scot-free. That is, until Detective Andes agrees to help Tony find justice. He’s dying of cancer, so he has nothing to lose.
The plan kind of works. One killer is shot dead while trying to escape, and the other dies of a gunshot wound after knocking Tony out with a fire poker.
Upon waking, Tony staggers outside and shoots his gun in the air, but then falls and accidentally rolls onto the gun. It goes off, and Tony dies.
Meanwhile, the manuscript stirs up memories of how Susan’s marriage to Edward went. Not well, it turns out, because she cheated on him with Hutton, who would go on to become her current husband, and she aborted Edward’s baby after they broke up too.
In the present, Susan comes to discover that history has repeated itself – except this time, Hutton is cheating on her.
Armed with this knowledge and the book now finished, Susan replies to Edward’s email and agrees to meet him while he’s in LA. But there’s one more twist to come – read on to have the Nocturnal Animals ending explained.
Nocturnal Animals ending explained: Why did Edward not show up?
Susan takes off her wedding ring and wears a gorgeous green gown to meet Edward in a fancy restaurant. But he never shows up. As diners continue eating around her, enjoying their night, Susan waits alone. And that’s how Nocturnal Animals ends. Not with a bang, but with a whimper.
Well, the manuscript sure did end with a bang, and we wouldn’t be surprised if Susan gave a little whimper too when she realised that Edward had stood her up.
But the question is why? Why did Edward never show up to a dinner that he originally proposed?
Tony dies in a tragic accident by his own hand in the story within a story. Could the same thing have happened to Edward? Could he have perhaps died tragically somehow on the way to dinner? Or did he even take his own life to make Susan suffer more for all the pain she caused him?
While both ideas are reflected by themes within the manuscript, neither hold much weight in the film itself. There’s no hint that Edward has died, and for that idea to have worked, audiences shouldn’t have to reach so far for it to make sense.
The alternative, then, is perhaps the most obvious answer: Edward chose to stand Susan up on purpose. But again, the question that remains is why? Why did he orchestrate this whole scenario in the first place?
If the manuscript taught us one thing, it’s that Edward knows a thing or two about revenge. He loves it, in fact. So, after years of being treated badly and made to feel weak, Edward plans to make Susan feel the exact same way.
Standing her up is rude on its own, but by dedicating the book to her and feigning interest again, he’s deliberately reignited Susan’s interest in him as well, thereby hitting her where it hurts when the rejection does land.
It’s no coincidence that Edward’s book is about a wife and child who have been cruelly snatched away from him. And it’s no coincidence that the manuscript gave Susan a paper cut when she first held it either. Because the parallels between this story and their shared history are supposed to hurt in every way possible, even unintentionally with a sliced finger.
Susan often stayed awake at night over-analysing everything wrong with her life. That’s why Edward often described her as a “nocturnal animal”.
And now, thanks to his machinations, Susan will do that more than ever, toiling with the knowledge that her current relationship with Hutton will never fulfil her in the way that Edward did.
Susan is fated to become even more of a nocturnal animal now, forever wondering why Edward didn’t show up to their meeting at the restaurant.
Oh, look – that means there is a nocturnal animal in the film, after all. That’s a relief.
Nocturnal Animals is currently streaming on Netflix – sign up from £4.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.
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