‘It Ends with Us’ Ending Explained: Who does Lily choose? One tiny detail sets up potential sequel
Warning: Contains graphic details and spoilers for ‘It Ends With Us’
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS: ‘It Ends with Us’, now playing in theaters, features Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, who also directs this adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s novel. In true Hollywood fashion, the film takes liberties with the source material, offering a fresh narrative twist that keeps viewers engaged.
One significant alteration in Sony’s adaptation is the resolution of Lily and Ryle's romantic storyline, which ends on a more satisfying note compared to the book.
What is ‘It Ends with Us’ all about?
Aspiring florist Lily Bloom (Blake Lively) crosses paths with neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid (Justin Baldoni) one evening on the rooftop of his Boston apartment building, and their chemistry is immediate. However, their intentions diverge: Lily seeks a committed relationship, while Ryle's approach is far more casual. Their dynamics shift when Ryle’s sister, Allysa (Jenny Slate), a wealthy and disenchanted housewife, starts working at Lily’s flower shop. Ryle’s efforts to woo Lily with grand gestures turn their romance into a clichéd montage, but a pivotal moment forces Lily to reevaluate their relationship.
Alongside Lily and Ryle’s story, the film intersperses flashbacks to Lily’s teenage years (played by Isabella Ferrer), showing her turbulent home life with an abusive father, and her encounter with Atlas (Alex Neustaedter), a runaway with a troubled past. As an adult, Lily (Brandon Sklenar) reunites with Atlas at his restaurant, where he quickly recognizes the signs of abuse in her relationship with Ryle. Despite his concerns, Lily dismisses his warnings.
Atlas’s reappearance sparks Ryle’s jealousy, revealing a darker side of him that terrifies Lily and forces her to confront the painful reality of becoming like her mother (Amy Morton).
How does Blake Lively's ‘It Ends with Us’ end?
Lily and Ryle's relationship continues despite his recurring outbursts and physical assaults, which he manipulates her into believing are either accidental or her own fault. Lily’s flower shop, Lily Bloom’s, is featured in a Boston magazine’s top ten businesses list, alongside Atlas’s restaurant, Root, which tops the list. Ryle, infuriated by an article where Atlas mentions Lily and implies he still has feelings for her, forces Lily to read it.
Ryle’s anger escalates as he assaults Lily again, attempting to rape her despite her desperate resistance. He marks the tattoo on her neck—a symbol of her love for Atlas—by biting it. Lily manages to escape to Atlas’s restaurant, where he takes her to the hospital, revealing that she is pregnant with Ryle’s child. After staying with Atlas for a few days, she returns to her own home, with Atlas expressing his hope that she might choose him when she’s ready to love again.
As Lily goes through her pregnancy alone, Allysa—Ryle’s sister—offers her support. Allysa reveals Ryle’s role in their brother Emerson’s death and his ongoing anger issues and insists she won’t forgive Lily if she returns to Ryle. Lily also confronts her mother about their past, gaining insight into her mother’s experiences and this helps her make a crucial decision.
By the end of her pregnancy, she reluctantly allows Ryle back into her life, but only to assist with the preparations for their baby’s arrival. Ryle is present during the birth of their daughter, whom Lily names Emmy after Ryle’s late brother. For a brief moment, it seems like Lily might reconsider her decision when she sees Ryle holding their daughter.
However, Lily firmly tells Ryle that she wants a divorce. When he questions her decision, she asks him what advice he would give if their daughter came to him with stories of abuse similar to what she endured. Ryle admits he would “beg their daughter to leave such a man.” This exchange marks the end of their relationship, and Lily holds baby Emmy, telling her “It ends with us,” symbolizing her choice to break the cycle of abuse.
In a final scene set a few months later, Lily and her mother enjoy a day at the park with baby Emmy. While Lily leaves her daughter with her mother and heads to a farmer’s market, she encounters Atlas. They both confirm they are single, and the scene cuts to credits, hinting at the potential for their story to continue, aligning with the sequel to Hoover’s novel, ‘It Begins with Us’.
‘It Ends with Us’, which released on August 9, is now playing in theaters near you