Anatomy of a Fall made quite a splash when it premiered at the 76th Cannes Film Festival in May 2023. The French suspense drama is the birthchild of director Justine Triet, who co-wrote the screenplay with Arthur Harari. This legal story follows writer Sandra Voyter (Sandra Hüller) who must prove her innocence in a mysterious death case, that does not have many leads or witnesses. 

Anatomy of a Fall won the Palme d’Or and the Palm Dog Award at Cannes. Additionally, the production won six awards at the  49th César Awards, including Best Film. They also took home the Best Original Screenplay trophy at the 96th Academy Awards. Despite the many accolades, Anatomy of a Fall’s conclusion left many scratching their heads. However, according to Triet, the “lack of images” and “lack of things” allow viewers to “fantasize the thing.” The Anatomy of a Fall ending explained may leave you craving more answers or delightfully satisfied.

The Mystery Begins

At the start of The Anatomy of a Fall, viewers meet a married couple obviously in a state of disconnect. In their isolated home, author Sandra becomes annoyed when she is forced to reschedule an interview with a student after her husband, Professor Samuel Maleski (Samuel Theis), makes their conversation practically impossible by playing incredibly loud music from their attic. After the student exits the couple is left alone in the home with their visually impaired son, Daniel (Milo Machado-Graner). When he goes to take his guide dog on a walk, something tragic takes place inside his home that will rock their life forever. 

When Daniel makes it back home, he discovers his father dead lying in the snow outside the house. Initially, his past aspirin overdose and choice to stop taking his prescribed antidepressants led to theories that Samuel took his own life. However, after investigators learned of a head injury that they believed was sustained shortly before the fall. Another troubling piece of evidence is a recording of a nasty argument between Samuel and Sandra taken just one day before his death. The evidence against Sandra mounted, leading to her facing a murder charge.  

The Court Proceedings Raise More Questions.

As the legal proceedings get underway, the defense is desperately trying to prove that Samuel tumbled from the attic window and banged his head on a shed on his way down. However, the prosecution fought back vigorously, accusing Sandra of striking her husband with a blunt object before pushing him from the second-floor balcony. While Sandra maintains her innocence, two major revelations take the case in a shocking direction. 

Sandra reveals that she harbors deep animosity toward Samuel for playing a role in the accident that caused their son’s vision issues. The recording of their fiery argument is played in court, which included accusations of infidelity and control issues. The jury seems to turn against Sandra when the fight on the recording turns physical. While the distraught wife admits to slapping Samuel, she maintains she was not the aggressor in their fight.

The next disclosure was that Sandra had been having an affair with a woman before Samuel died. The prosecution uses these facts to craft a theory that Samuel became jealous over Sandra possibly flirting with the female student who was at their home before his death. They argued that this motivated the fight, which went too far. Additionally, Sandra’s latest fiction novel included a murder plot similar to what took place in Sandra’s home. As the trial nears its conclusion, Daniel makes the bold decision to take the stand and things once again take a new turn.

How Does ‘Anatomy of a Fall’ End?

Sandra gives her son his privacy to think and prepare for his testimony. She leaves their home for the weekend, with Daniel staying behind with the court-appointed monitor and his service dog. It was during this time of reflection that Daniel remembered when his father overdosed before his demise, their dog mysteriously fell sick as well, presumably from licking Samuel’s vomit afterward. Daniel tests this theory by feeding the dog aspirin and noticing it had the same effect. When the boy confides in the monitor about his thoughts, she tells him that he must decide what he believes and which version of the story he plans to side with.

Finally, while on the stand, Daniel refutes that his mother was capable of killing his father. However, the suicide idea seemed more plausible, as his father had previously had a conversation with him that felt like a farewell, seemingly preparing his son for the inevitable. His dramatic testimony gets the jury on Sandra’s side and to her delight, she is acquitted. With the legal drama behind them, the pair embrace when back at home. While they both seem relieved to have the matter behind them, the truth remains uncertain, though, under the eyes of the law, Sandra is innocent, which is good enough for both of them.