Understanding the Ending of Anora: The Car Scene and Ani’s Emotional Moment Explained

During this year’s Oscars, a substantial audience witnessed an independent film centered on a professional sex worker who marries a Russian oligarch — only to be abandoned when his parents arrive — secure five Oscars, including the coveted best picture award.

However, “Anora” is a complex tale: Thanks to the outstanding performance of lead actress Mikey Madison (Ani) — along with numerous scenes featuring her co-star, supporting actor nominee Yura Borisov (Igor) — it becomes evident that this narrative has deeper layers.

What exactly does the film explore? What is the significance of the final car scene — and why does Ani break down in tears? Let’s dive in, just as Ani would, with fervor.

Note: Spoilers for “Anora” are included.

What occurs in ‘Anora’?

Ani is employed at a strip club, delivering exotic dance performances to customers — and she excels in her role.

When the naïve young heir of a Russian oligarch, Ivan (Mark Edelshteyn), becomes captivated by her, they leave the club, discovering their mutual enjoyment of each other’s company. With his wealth and her comfort with intimacy, they indulge in a few days of reckless pleasure.

However, everything changes when Ivan realizes that marrying Ani allows him to stay in the U.S. and avoid returning home to take on responsibilities at his father’s company. Ani is hesitant at first but ultimately agrees to embark on this journey.

They head to Las Vegas and marry at a quickie wedding chapel, reveling in their spontaneous celebration until his parents find out about their union and dispatch thugs to separate them. This is quite simple, as Ivan manages to evade his parents’ enforcers, leaving Ani to face the consequences.

Ani transforms into a fierce figure, determined not to be constrained, muted, or forced into a divorce. As she searches for the missing Ivan — with his parents traveling from Russia to resolve matters — the thugs, including a sympathetic Igor, drag Ani through the streets of New York City in pursuit of the young man.

Ultimately, this modern Cinderella tale lacks a fairy-tale ending. Ivan’s parents ensure the divorce takes place, leaving Ani in a vulnerable situation and altering her life forever.

What is the significance of the final car scene?

Regardless of one’s opinion on Ani’s decisions throughout the film, it’s difficult not to respect her tenacity in refusing to submit. She screams, kicks, punches, bites, and does everything she can to escape the thugs holding her captive.

While they are rational thugs, in the grand scheme, they mainly seek her signature on a divorce agreement, offering hush money to facilitate a peaceful exit. Yet, for a considerable time, Ani believes Ivan has no intention of freeing her. Mikey pours her heart into the character of Ani.

“I aimed to turn the genre on its head,” director, writer, editor, and producer Sean Baker stated to Entertainment Weekly. “The first 50 minutes present a romantic comedy, complete with a quintessential song, Take That’s ‘The Greatest Day,’ reminiscent of a ‘Love Actually’ style film. But then, we deliver another 90 minutes rooted in reality.”

Following that 90 minutes of stark reality, Ani is emotionally and physically exhausted. She had held onto the hope that this would improve her life and that Ivan could be her long-term partner. Yet, his lack of support leaves her repeatedly humiliated by his family (notably, his mother calls her a “disgusting hooker”).

In the climactic scene, she finds herself alone in a car with Igor — the only character who has shown her genuine compassion and refrains from viewing her in transactional terms — where two pivotal events unfold: she breaks down emotionally, and they begin to grow intimate.

“It’s been intriguing to hear various interpretations, as (the ending is) quite open-ended. I’m eager to learn others’ perspectives — whether they think the characters might end up together or why they assume the encounter becomes sexual,” Madison shared with Interview Magazine.

One interpretation suggests that Ani uses sex as a means to express gratitude towards Igor. However, when he begins to kiss her, she turns away and starts crying, indicating that sex transcends mere transaction—it overwhelms her.

Baker explained that he perceives the sexual interaction in that scene as less about transaction and more about empowerment in an interview with IndieWire.

“I consider (the sex) to be centered on her experience, wherein she’s reclaiming the power she lost entirely throughout this journey,” he remarked.

What prompts Ani’s tears in the car?

Crying before losing everything and before finding herself in a secure space would be viewed as weakness — a perspective likely shared by Ani and those around her from the Russian circle.

Yet once everything is lost and she is in the presence of Igor — the one individual who offers her a sense of safety — Ani finds the strength to release all the built-up tension, stress, and anger. Therefore, she weeps.

“Yura is such a soulful actor,” Madison remarked in an interview with Isabelle Huppert for Interview Magazine. “Throughout the movie, my character masks her emotions with a tough exterior, preventing anyone from witnessing her vulnerability. I inadvertently adopted that mindset during filming, leading to an emotional barrier. For the final scene, I was nearly trembling as I entered the car, uncertain of what it would feel like — having embodied my character’s emotional state for so long.”

The film concludes with Ani in tears, her future and bond with Igor left uncertain. Yet one truth remains: She returns to her previous life, though her fleeting encounter with the elite has altered her irrevocably.