Downsizing Movie Ending Explained: What Made Paul Change His Decision Suddenly Towards the End?

One of the super flops movies of 2017. It’s quite hard to believe that Downsizing was chosen by the National Board Of Review as one of the top ten films of 2017. But, if you have seen the movie and liked it, then we are sure you might beg to differ; as you should. This drama sci-fi movie focuses on very interesting topics but, unfortunately, failed to deliver it on screens.

Downsizing was premiered at the 74th Venice International Film Festival on 30th August 2017 and later released on 22nd December 2017 in the USA. But, despite its extravagant premiere at the film festival, the movie didn’t work well and earned merely $55 million at the box office. Considering the fact that the film was made with a budget of $68 to 76 million, the earnings at the box office were quite underwhelming.

Downsizing has received several mixed reviews from critics as well as the audience and has a 5.8-star rating on IMDb and 47% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Downsizing: What Is This Movie About?

Matt Damon plays Paul Safranek, an occupational therapist who signs up for the downsizing program in the movie. Basically, Downsizing follows the downsizing journey of Paul. A Norwegian scientist, Dr. Jorgen Asbjornsen, reveals that he has invented a way to address the issue of overpopulation and global warming. His solution is “downsizing,” which is an irreversible process that shrinks people but comes with financial benefits. Additionally, it also decreases their consumption as well as the waste they produce, which is a win for humans as well as the planet.

Paul and Audrey, a married couple in Omaha, decide to join this program after hearing about it from a friend. They are on their way to undergo the procedure when Paul’s wife backs out. He moves to Leisureland in New Mexico, which is one of the fancier communities for small individuals and starts his new life.

Paul had chosen to downsize in the hopes of a better life than the one he was currently living. It did come true, his wish to live a better life. After all, he was granted a more luxurious life, but he also had to pay the price. He paid for this new life with his wife and friends. What gutted him more was that he was now working at a place he didn’t even like.

What Happened At The End?

After Paul said goodbye to everyone, he walked toward the door to the underground vault. But, on his way, he changed his mind before the door closed and ran outside. He decides to return to Leisureland with Ngoc and continue to help her in her work throughout the slums. But why did Paul Safranek suddenly have a change of heart? Was it love?

Romantics will call it love, but it was more like an epiphany for Paul. When he first met Ngoc and got to witness the Leisureland, he saw things from a different point of view. He noticed the people who had it worse than him. He watched Ngoc and learned from her past. Her efforts pushed him to be better and happier despite the cards he was dealt with.

Yet, despite his previous observations, he thought he was doing something with his decision to hide in a vault. He believed that he could preserve humanity by living in an underground vault. However, even if it was too late, he realized that this theory might not be a foolproof plan, so he changed his mind and backtracked to Ngoc, a life and choice he knew would make him what he wanted to be.

Downsizing Tried Its Best To Send A Beautiful Message To Its Viewers With Its Story

We can assume that the filmmakers of Downsizing wanted their viewers to know that though there are opportunities to improve one’s life, one shouldn’t sacrifice something they know could make them happy. Furthermore, through the film, we also learn that there is no guarantee a certain plan will work out for the best and we all make mistakes, but we can also learn and grow despite those mistakes. That’s what makes us human.

The principal photography for Downsizing began in Ontario, Canada, on 1st April 2016 and was wrapped up quickly once it was done. The movie is directed by Alexander Payne, and its run time is two hours and fifteen minutes. Downsizing is available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video. If you still haven’t watched this movie, then maybe it’s time to watch it and see what all the noise is about!