Fashion innovator Tom Ford may be known for stunning gowns and classic tuxedos, but the designer has also made a name for himself in film. His sophomore feature, 2016’s Nocturnal Animals, showcases Ford’s impeccable range, with a unique thriller that follows two separate storylines.
Based on the 1993 novel, Tony and Susan, by Austin Wright, this edge-of-your-seat drama follows wealthy gallery entrepreneur Susan Morrow (Amy Adams), who is shocked to learn that her ex-husband, Edward Sheffield (Jake Gyllenhaal), has sent her a copy of his book. From there, Susan’s life intertwines with the novel and helps her seek to reunite with her former lover, despite her rocky marriage to Hutton Morrow (Armie Hammer). The Nocturnal Animals ending explained will leave you scratching your head but also yearning for a sequel. Let’s explore this wild ride, but we must warn, spoilers are ahead.
The Tragic Beginning of the Novel
The movie explores Susan’s misery within her home life while thriving in her professional life. Viewers see her gallery hosting an interesting exhibit of obese women dancing in the nude. It was during this display that Susan receives the unexpected manuscript. She dives head-first into the book, a welcome distraction from time with Hutton, who she’d learned had been unfaithful. The text, titled Nocturnal Animals, was dedicated to Susan.
As the film progresses, Ford does an impressive job of not just having the words recited as Susan reads along but also having the storyline manifested from Susan’s imagination. The novel follows the main character Tony Hastings, also portrayed by Gyllenhaal, whose scenic road trip with his wife Laura and daughter India, takes a terrifying turn when three violent men, Ray, Lou, and Turk, run them off the road. Ray and Turk kidnap Laura and India, as Lou forces Tony to drive before abandoning him. Tony is able to find his way to a farmhouse, where he calls for help. Responding detective Roberto “Bobby” Andes discovers the bodies of Tony’s loved ones near an abandoned shack. Both India and Laura had been sexually assaulted and murdered by the pack, though they weren’t immediately caught.
Susan Can’t Pull Away Even as ‘Nocturnal Animals’ Turns Bloody
Susan is taken aback by the terrifying instances in the book. However, she is thoroughly impressed by the skillful writing and continues. As the story progresses, Susan reads how Tony partners with Detective Andes a year after the slayings. Andes informs Tony that Lou has been arrested following a botched robbery. Turk was killed in the incident, leaving only Ray and Lou alive. The men weren’t prosecuted in the case but Tony and Andes take things into their own hands by kidnapping the pair.
Andes ends up shooting and killing Lou when he tries to flee. Tony continues the plan and eventually shoots Ray, who admitted to killing Laura and India during their confrontation. However, as the sadistic murderer succumbs to his injuries, Tony is hit by a fire poker. Blinded and disoriented, he accidentally shoots himself and dies as well. As the book reaches its end, Susan is forced to re-examine her previous marriage to Edward and how she selfishly dismissed his writing.
How Does ‘Nocturnal Animals’ End?
In her trip down memory lane, we learn that the pair met in college, and despite being madly in love, Susan’s mother Anne, who expected only the best for her child, wasn’t sure that Edward could provide for her daughter. Susan went through with the marriage but found herself unfulfilled. Their relationship became strained when she was no longer willing to be patient with his career and aspirations to become an author. This leads her to cheat on her doting husband with her current partner, Hutton, who shares similar ambitions at that time. To break all ties with Edward, Susan delivers a final blow before marrying Hutton by aborting her pregnancy with her ex.
The conflicted woman finally conjures up the nerve to reach out to Edward. She arranges to meet for dinner. It seems that Susan is finally ready to make amends and perhaps extend an apology for the way their relationship played out. Now with her own marital woes, she now understands how Edward felt rejected by her all those years ago. Dressed to the nines, she makes her way to a restaurant, only to be stood up by Edward. It seems that the arrival of the book was meant to open up Susan’s heart to her ex and him standing her up might have been him getting satisfying revenge, the same way Tony had at the end of Nocturnal Animals. Either way, Susan is dealt a dose of her own medicine.
