Sean Baker Reflects on Crafting the Profound Ending of ‘Anora’ — A Timeless Cinematic Closure
'Anora' - Courtesy Everett Collection
Sean Baker's emotional breakdown of the last scene of 'Anora'. The scene is considered one of the great movie endings. Baker explains the inspiration for the ending, which came from Federico Fellini's "Nights of Cabiria". The article also discusses the challenges of shooting the scene and the different interpretations of its meaning.
[Editor’s note: This story includes significant spoilers for Anora]
The ending of Anora is a poignant culmination of emotion, offering a blend of gratitude, despair, and perhaps even hope, as Sean Baker takes us behind the curtain to explain how this moving finale came to be.
In Baker’s signature style, the film’s final scene is set within the intimate confines of a car, snowflakes descending on Brighton Beach while the rhythmic sound of windshield wipers lulls the audience into a trance. It’s a setup that crescendos into a sudden and shattering cut to black — an emotional high note that lingers long after the credits roll. Anora, which starts as a deceptively humorous story about Ani (Mikey Madison), a sex worker and exotic dancer, delivers a heart-wrenching revelation during what she perceives as her “greatest day.”
The last scene involves Russian henchman Igor, played by breakout star Yura Borisov, who drives Ani back to New York from Vegas. The whirlwind “contract marriage” to Vanya (Mark Eydelshteyn), a party-hopping oligarch’s son, has ended. Ani is left with nothing, her marriage annulled, and facing threats from Vanya’s parents if she dares speak out. In a touching gesture, Igor — who has been quietly falling in love with Ani as he oscillated between captor and protector — presents her with her wedding ring as a symbol of goodwill. In return, Ani thanks him the only way she knows — with a sexual favor. As the moment intensifies, Igor leans in for a kiss, breaching Ani’s defenses against genuine intimacy. She stops, pulls back, and collapses into his embrace, her emotions unraveling. And that’s where the scene ends.
The inspiration for this ending comes from Federico Fellini’s Nights of Cabiria, a key influence for Anora. In Nights of Cabiria, Giulietta Masina’s Cabiria sheds a solitary mascara-stained tear as she looks into the camera, as if telling the audience, “It’s okay, I’ll survive.” In Anora, however, Ani’s face is never seen in the final shot, leaving her fate ambiguous, open to both despair and hope. Audiences may even wish for a romance between Ani and Igor. Yet Baker has a different take: “We know Ani will be fine.”
'Anora' - Courtesy Everett Collection
“I always have the beginning, middle, and end worked out before I start writing,” Baker explained in an interview with IndieWire. Producers Samantha Quan (who is also Baker’s wife) and Alex Coco joined Baker for the conversation, revealing that the final scene was conceived before the script even made it into Final Draft. “I went back and reread the Google Doc we worked off before you went into Final Draft, and it’s the exact same from the very beginning,” Coco remarked.
The snowfall was always intended to create an almost cave-like effect, Baker added. “We knew that the snow would slowly build, basically enclosing them in a snowy cave by the end.” He continued, “The endings have to have an emotional gut punch. My favorite films are defined by their endings… after this long journey, we needed to deliver on that.”
However, bringing the scene to life was no easy feat. Coco shared, “What we didn’t know was that it would take three days to shoot.” Quan elaborated, explaining that the scene was shot across two different locations in Brighton Beach, where the cast and crew were living during production. “The choreography wasn’t just the actors; it involved the entire crew around the car, ensuring the space inside felt intimate. We had production designer Stephen Phelps on the car hood, dropping fake snow by the window, and I was negotiating with police to extend our time on location,” Coco said. The entire crew held their breath, hoping that all elements would align perfectly.
Inside the car, Baker shared an unforgettable moment: “This magical moment happened. I remember leaning over to see if Mikey Madison’s tears were coming, and there it was — a single tear, just like in Nights of Cabiria. It felt like an unintentional yet profound nod to the film that inspired Anora.”
Baker sees Ani’s breakdown as existential, with her showing gratitude through her body while feeling conflicted about moving forward in her usual role as a sex worker. The emotional rollercoaster of her journey with Vanya has left her struggling to reconnect with herself.
But Baker encourages diverse interpretations. “It’s designed in a way that allows for different readings,” he said. “I see it more as Ani reclaiming the power she lost throughout her journey. Consent is a key theme here. When Igor tries to kiss her, it crosses a line. It’s her saying, ‘No, I control this moment.’”
Photo Credit: Jonathan Moustakas - The Cinema Group
Baker worked closely with Madison to shape Ani’s motivations in that scene. “Mikey and I had long conversations about the intent and meaning behind that moment, but we agreed not to state our interpretation outright. Everyone seems to have a strong reaction to it regardless of how they perceive what’s happening,” added Quan.
Baker’s films have often sparked debate, particularly for their empathetic portrayals of sex work, as seen in Tangerine, shot on an iPhone, or Prince of Broadway, which explored the lives of street hustlers. In his previous film Red Rocket, Baker examined the relationship between a destitute ex-porn star and a teenage counter worker, raising questions about age dynamics.
For Anora, Baker expected more divisiveness. “We thought it would be even more polarizing — but so far, it hasn’t been as controversial as anticipated,” he remarked. “Some critics have embraced it despite their distaste for my past work. I still have people on Twitter saying, ‘We hate Sean, but we like this movie.’ They won’t cut me a break!”
“Anora” is now playing in Theaters everywhere from Neon.
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