Every Question You Wanted to Ask About Anora’s Ending

Download Article

Find out what the final scene in the car really means

Co-authored by Lexi Amoriello and Bertha Isabel Crombet, PhD

Last Updated: April 30, 2025 Fact Checked

Download Article

''Anora'' Ending Summary

|

Final Scene Explained

|

Main Themes

|

Characters & Context

|

Takeaways

Sean Baker's Anora was the breakout film of 2024, winning five Oscars, including Best Picture. The story follows a young exotic dancer living in Brighton Beach named Anora (or Ani), played by Mikey Madison, who gets involved with rich Russian playboy client Ivan (aka Vanya). When Vanya and Ani get married in Vegas, it seems like a Cinderella story—until Vanya’s parents insist the marriage be annulled, and Ani is forced to return to her old life. But...what's up with that final scene with Ani and Igor in the car outside Ani's apartment? The scene left viewers scratching their heads, but many agree that it sheds light on some difficult truths about Anora’s place in the world. Keep reading to learn more about Anora’s complex ending and the myriad ways it may be interpreted.

Just a warning: this article contains some major spoilers for Anora!

What is up with the ending of Anora?

After Igor gives Ani the $10,000 and her missing wedding ring, Ani responds by initiating sex with him, but recoils when he tries to kiss her, and then cries. The scene may indicate Ani now struggles with intimacy after all she’s been through, or it could be seen as a failed attempt to regain the power she lost.

Section 1 of 5:

What happens at the end of Anora?

Download Article

1
Ani and Igor return to Vanya’s parents’ NYC apartment together. After a turbulent 48 hours during which Ani was discarded by Vanya, humiliated by his parents, and forced to have their marriage annulled, henchman Igor is tasked with accompanying Ani back home to New York. Ani is allowed to stay at Vanya’s parents’ house one last night to collect her things, and Igor spends the night there, too, for supervision purposes.^{[1]
X
Research source}
- They exchange a few tense words, with Ani accusing him of assaulting her when they first met by forcibly pinning her down and gagging her.
- Igor remains unaffected by her spiteful tone, choosing to compliment her name, “Anora,” which she spent the entire story asking people not to call her.
- He looks up the meaning of “Anora” on his phone and tells her it means “pomegranate fruit,” as well as “light” and “bright.”
- Ani retreats upstairs with a bottle of vodka to soothe her pain, while Igor keeps his distance on a couch downstairs.
2
The next morning, Igor gives Ani the $10K she was promised and her wedding ring. The two wake up and Igor goes to the bank to retrieve Ani’s $10,000, offered by Vanya’s parents as compensation for agreeing to the annulment of her marriage. After pulling up to Ani’s Brighton Beach apartment, Igor gives Ani one last thing: her wedding ring back. Vanya’s main handler, Toros, had violently yanked the opulent diamond ring off Ani’s finger during their initial meeting, claiming that it belonged to the Zakharov family.^{[2]
X
Research source}
- Ani accepts the ring as a wave of melancholy washes over her face.
- She looks at Igor and begins leaning over, ultimately climbing onto his lap.
- She initiates sex, which goes on for a few moments until Igor grabs the back of her head and tries to bring it toward his face for a kiss.
- Ani has a visceral reaction to this gesture, pulls away, and slaps Igor in the face. After a moment, she begins to cry, collapsing into his arms. He holds her as she cries, and the scene goes to black.

Section 2 of 5:

Interpretations of Anora’s Final Scene

Download Article

1
Ani tries to get her power back by initiating sex with Igor. As a dancer and sex worker, Ani’s main source of power has been her sexuality. After the shame and mortification she endured at the hands of Vanya, his parents, and their henchmen, having sex with Igor could be viewed as an attempt for her to restore her power. Ani has always used sex as a tool, and in this case, sex with Igor is the only way she can think of to feel in control again.^{[3]
X
Research source}
- Ani breaking down after Igor tries to kiss her implies that she still feels powerless and that her attempt to regain control was unsuccessful.
- In a recent interview, director Sean Baker shares that he agrees with this interpretation. He acknowledges that it’s “designed in a way that allows for different interpretations” but admits that he does see it as being about Ani and “not really something that she’s giving to him but something in which she’s now regaining the power that she lost entirely throughout this journey.”^{[4]
  X
  Research source}
2
Ani wants to reward Igor for his kindness in the only way she knows how. For Ani, the fact that Igor returns her diamond wedding ring is a huge and generous gesture. Igor warns her not to tell Toros that he’s given the ring back, since he clearly was not supposed to. This could have incentivized Ani to thank Igor using her sexuality, which might be the only thing that her character believes she has to offer.^{[5]
X
Research source}
- Despite the aggressiveness of Ani and Igor’s first interactions, Igor is eventually shown to be kind-hearted, even requesting that Vanya apologize to Ani for his treatment of her.
- Ani could have softened toward Igor in this moment, which was a culmination of his tenderness toward her, explaining why she wanted to thank him with sex.
- Ani’s reaction when Igor tries to kiss her may be interpreted as a realization on her part that she is far too emotionally wounded after this ordeal to form any kind of real, meaningful connection with another person for the present.
3
Ani recalls the violence of her first encounter with Igor and shuts down. Ani may have initiated sex with Igor for the aforementioned reasons, but regardless of why she does it, she still ultimately ends up sobbing in his arms. When Igor tries to pull her face toward his for a kiss, she bristles against this and slaps him. This gesture could be a triggering reminder of the force he used on her during their first meeting: he tied her up, gagged her, and pinned her on top of him to keep her from trying to break free.^{[6]
X
Research source}
- Although Igor is gradually revealed to be a relatively benevolent character who was just following his employer’s orders, Ani was clearly traumatized by the way she was treated by Vanya’s henchmen.
- During the final night in Vanya’s parents’ apartment, Ani accuses Igor of wanting to sexually assault her, either illustrating the negative perception she has of him or possibly projecting the way she thinks everyone views her: as a sexual object.
- Igor dismisses Ani’s accusation, responding with, “I am not a rapist.”
- Whether or not Ani truly changed her mind about Igor’s hidden intentions, the act of having him grab her by the back of the head could have triggered her traumatic memories, causing her to break down into tears.
4
The emotional impact of the past few days finally takes its toll on Ani. Ani initiates sex with Igor because she believes that her body is one of the only things she has to offer. However, exploring a deeper connection of any kind seems impossible for her to do, especially considering the abuse and degradation she’d experienced over the past couple of days.^{[7]
X
Research source}
- Ani is more emotionally withdrawn than ever, causing her to involuntarily break down in front of Ivan during their moment of intimacy.
- It’s possible that Ani is realizing that she can’t give Igor, or anyone, more than physical pleasure in her current dejected state.
- Baker says that he knew that he had to bring the audience “back to this sobering, raw, grounded reality at the end.”^{[8]
  X
  Research source}
- According to Baker, the film’s final scene is actually inspired by the 1957 Italian film, Nights of Cabiria.
  - In this film’s ending scene, the main protagonist, who is a sex worker, sheds a single tear after realizing that yet another relationship had been purely transactional all along when she thought it had been love.

Section 3 of 5:

Main Themes Explored in Anora

Download Article

1
Love vs. transaction As a sex worker, Ani’s experience with men is largely transactional. She performs—they pay. However, when she meets Vanya at the strip club, it seems like they form a genuine, albeit immature, connection. After a few nights together, he asks Ani to be his paid girlfriend for the week, and ends up proposing the idea of marriage so that he can get a green card and avoid having to return home to Russia to work for his father. At first, Ani shrugs it off as a joke since no one else has ever taken her seriously.
- However, when it’s clear that Vanya is serious and they go through with a quickie wedding in Las Vegas, Ani allows herself to trust in the stability of this new love, which comes with the additional perks of wealth and status.
- Unfortunately, their love story ends in a whimper as Vanya’s intentions are revealed in one of their last interactions. Vanya sternly tells Ani that their marriage has to be annulled. Then, he thanks her for making his last trip to America so much fun.
- She realizes that this has been yet another empty, transactional experience in her life and it had all been just a game for Vanya, who never took her seriously, either.
2
Upper class vs. lower class Although Ani appears content with her job and lifestyle at the beginning of the film, she longs for more financial stability. Moreover, working as an escort is largely frowned upon by society, classifying Ani as “lesser than.” When Ani meets Vanya’s parents, her self-worth is shattered by their treatment, as they view her as a lowly “prostitute” who could never be a part of their affluent, well-to-do family.^{[9]
X
Research source}
- Of her character, Mikey Madison says, “I think that [Ani is] hopeful that this is her happily ever after, and I think that it's an opportunity and I like that she doesn't want to let go of them. And so she's going to fight to the end to try to save it."^{[10]
  X
  Research source}
3
Fantasy vs. reality The first half of the film takes place via a neon lens of whimsy and debauchery, with Ani often depicted as wearing flashy, provocative outfits and glittery makeup. This is meant to reflect the fantasy that Ani has created for her male customers, the smoke and mirrors of a young woman who’s down to have a good time.^{[11]
X
Research source}
- Ani and Vanya’s whirlwind romance begins as fantasy, too, in a drug-fueled party daze that seemingly goes on for a week or two.
- In the end, reality rears its ugly head: Vanya never really loved Ani or really wanted to marry her. Instead, he was only using her for his own amusement, with the intention of getting to stay in America and away from his controlling parents.

Section 4 of 5:

Anora Characters and Additional Context

Download Article

1
Anora (Ani) Ani’s full name is Anora Mikheeva, a name she rejects many times throughout the film in favor of “Ani.” Ani is a 23-year-old stripper working at a Brooklyn club when she is introduced to Vanya by her boss after Vanya requests someone who speaks Russian. Ani refuses to speak Russian at first, indicating personal struggles with identity.
- Vanya, the son of a Russian oligarch, offers her a chance at the lavish life she never imagined she could have, but it ultimately ends up in devastating disappointment.
2
Ivan (Vanya) Ivan, also known as Vanya, is the 21-year-old son of the ultra rich Zakharov family. He’s supposed to be in America to study but instead spends all his time partying, getting high, and playing video games. An immature and entitled man-child, his handlers act more like his babysitters and are called to action when they learn that Vanya has crossed the line by marrying Ani in Vegas, a union that Vanya’s parents strongly object to.^{[12]
X
Research source}
- When Vanya’s handlers show up to his place to get his marriage to Ani annulled, Vanya flees the scene and leaves Ani behind, in an attempt to escape the wrath of his parents who are on their way from Russia.
- Vanya shows his true colors in the end when he mocks Ani for believing that they would stay together and reveals that it had all been part of his last hurrah in America.
3
Igor One of the most complex characters in the cast, Igor first appears as hired muscle to complete the triad with Toros and Garnick. Toros and Garnick are Armenian, and they refer to Igor as “the Russian.” He seems like a relative newcomer to the gig, and responds by using brute force when instructed not to let Ani leave her shared home with Vanya even after Vanya runs away. He tries tying Ani’s hands and ankles using a cord and gagging her with a red scarf to varying degrees of success.^{[13]
X
Research source}
- Ultimately, Igor decides to pull Ani on top of him, simulating a sexual position, and wrapping his arms around her to keep her from moving.
- Ani later refers to this as assault, battery, and kidnapping, which Igor explains was not his intention.
- Igor has the most evolved character arc over the course of the film, as he goes from anonymous minion to empathetic confidant for Ani.
4
Toros and Garnick Comically referred to as “the Armenians” throughout the film, these two henchmen were tasked with supervising Vanya in America. The second they let their guard down, Vanya flies to Las Vegas and marries Ani, forcing them to do whatever it takes to get the marriage annulled or risk losing their jobs with the Zakharov family.
- Toros is the leader of the two, oscillating between dutiful disciplinarian and babbling buffoon.
- While trying to contain Ani in the apartment after Vanya flees, she kicks Garnick in the face, breaks his nose, and gives him a concussion, resulting in pained but funny commentary from Garnick for the rest of the film.
5
Galina and Nikolai Zakharov Galina and Nikolai, Vanya’s parents, are regularly discussed throughout the film. Vanya describes them as controlling and aggravating, viewing them as a threat to his freedom. Vanya’s parents appear minimally in the film, with Galina taking charge. She is quick to berate Vanya and belittle Ani, making fun of her Russian and asserting that she will never be a part of their family.
- When Ani threatens not to go through with the annulment and find a lawyer to help her get half of Vanya’s fortune, Galina retorts with a threat to ruin Ani’s life.
- When Igor suggests that Vanya apologize to Ani for everything he’s put her through, Galina refuses, responding that her son won’t apologize to anyone.

Section 5 of 5:

Final Takeaways

Download Article

Anora’s ending can be viewed as a trauma response to a devastating turn of events. No matter what your interpretation ofAnora’s final scene is, it’s clear that the protagonist and titular character has been to hell and back. Vanya teases Ani with the possibility of a better life by marrying her. However, the illusion is destroyed just as quickly as it takes root, as Vanya succumbs to the influence of his parents, annuls the marriage, and is forced to face the consequences of his reckless and immature choices.
- Igor returning Ani’s wedding ring after it was snatched from her hands—the same way her dream was—leads her to initiate sex with him in the car outside her apartment.
- Perhaps she does this to thank him with her body, or she wants to regain her power after being humiliated by Vanya and his family, or maybe she just wants to feel something.
- No matter what, the way Ani recoils and violently reacts to Igor’s attempt at a kiss implies deep emotional trauma and wounds that will take a long time to heal.