Book-to-movie adaptations often attract large audiences because of the book’s pre-existing popularity, and “It Ends with Us” is no different. This film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s novel, featuring Blake Lively as Lily Bloom and Justin Baldoni as Ryle Kincaid, has sparked a lot of discussion since its release.
Despite behind-the-scenes issues and poor marketing receiving online criticism, the movie has gained significant love from audiences, and its box office success has been notable. Let’s break down the final act of “It Ends with Us.”
What is “It Ends With Us” About?
“It Ends with Us” tells the story of Lily Bloom, who moves to Boston to pursue her dream of opening a flower shop. There, she meets Ryle, a charming neurosurgeon with a temper, who quickly sweeps her off her feet.
The story alternates between the present and flashbacks of a young Lily (played by Isabela Ferrer) and her first love, Atlas (played by Alex Neustaedter).
Lily’s memories also include her father, Andrew (played by Kevin McKidd), who was abusive toward her mother. This past trauma mirrors her present when Ryle begins to show a darker side, resulting in several incidents where Lily is injured. Ryle always insists these injuries are accidents.
As Lily reconnects with Atlas (now played by Brandon Sklenar), it’s clear their love never fully faded. After Lily marries Ryle, she realizes the severity of their relationship issues and starts to see that her injuries may not be as accidental as Ryle claims. With Atlas’s help, Lily ultimately leaves Ryle, but this decision unfolds in a tense and emotional final act.
Does Lily Leave Ryle in “It Ends With Us”?
Before Lily and Ryle marry, Atlas gives Lily his phone number in case she needs help. This happens after a heated confrontation between Atlas and Ryle, where Atlas notices Lily with a black eye. Lily hides the piece of paper with his number inside her phone case, but Ryle discovers it one night after dropping her phone.
He reveals that he called the number and learned it belongs to Atlas, leading to an argument fueled by Ryle’s insecurity. As they argue, Lily follows Ryle out of their apartment, resulting in her falling down the stairs. Although the scene fades to black before we can see what happened, the audience knows that Ryle pushed her.
When Lily wakes up, Ryle is stitching a cut on her forehead, trying to calm her as she panics. He tells her she fell, and he tried to catch her, but we know the truth.
This event is pivotal for Lily, but it takes time for her to gather the courage to leave. Lily is thrilled when her flower shop is featured in a local magazine’s “10 Best Businesses” list. She goes home excited to celebrate with Ryle, but he focuses on Atlas, whose restaurant, Root, earned the top spot.
In the magazine interview, Atlas mentions that he named the restaurant after a girl for whom he carved a heart into a tree. Ryle recognizes this as Lily and forces her to read it aloud. He then asks if she still loves Atlas, and when she says she doesn’t know, Ryle becomes furious. He forces himself on Lily, leaves a painful bite mark on her tattoo, and attempts to rape her.
Lily manages to fight him off and escape before he can hurt her further. This terrifying moment leads Lily to reassess all of Ryle’s past outbursts, realizing they were not accidents. She drives to Atlas’s restaurant, where he takes her to the hospital and stays with her. But the night isn’t over for Lily, as the nurse reveals she is pregnant with Ryle’s baby.
Lily Takes Back Her Power in “It Ends With Us”
After discovering her pregnancy, Lily stays with Atlas for a few days. During this time, Atlas tells her that she saved his life when they were teenagers, and he believes she will be an amazing mother if she chooses to keep the baby.
Lily also meets with Allysa (played by Jenny Slate), Ryle’s sister and her best friend, who gives her an emotional talk. Allysa reveals the truth about their other sibling, a topic Ryle had always avoided. When Ryle was six, he accidentally shot and killed their brother Emerson with their father’s gun, mistaking it for a toy.
Allysa tells Lily that although she loves her brother, she knows he needs help before he can be the man Lily or her daughter needs. She bluntly tells Lily, “As his sister, I wish more than anything that you find a way to forgive him. But as your best friend, I have to tell you that if you take him back, I will never speak to you again.”
From this moment, Lily takes control of her life and continues her pregnancy alone. We see a montage of Lily preparing for the baby with her mom, painting the nursery, and learning she is having a girl. Ryle shows up, and Lily allows him to help build the crib.
As he is about to leave, she invites him to feel the baby kick. He then begs her to give him another chance, promising to seek help for his anger and to never hurt her again. However, Lily stands firm and refuses his requests.
Ryle is present when Lily gives birth. After their daughter is born, Lily tells him she wants to name her Emerson, after his brother, and call her “Emmy” for short. She then tells Ryle she wants a divorce. Ryle is shocked, but Lily doesn’t back down.
She asks him a question that changes everything: “What if one day she came to you and said, ‘My boyfriend hit me’? What would you say? What if she said, ‘Daddy, my husband pushed me down the stairs, but he said it was an accident, so it’s fine’?
What if she said her husband held her down, and she begged him to stop, but he swore he’d never do it again? What would you tell her?”
Ryle admits he would beg her to leave and never return. He finally understands the pain he has caused Lily and never wants his daughter to experience the same. Ryle leaves, and Lily cradles their daughter, whispering, “It stops right here, with you and me. It ends with us.”
Movie vs. Book Ending in “It Ends With Us”
The movie ends with a flash forward of Lily, her mother, and Emmy visiting Lily’s father’s grave. She introduces her father to his granddaughter and leaves the blank list from her eulogy on his tombstone. Months later, Lily, her mother, and Emmy visit a farmer’s market, where Lily and Atlas unexpectedly meet again.
He asks if she’s still with Ryle, and she confirms it’s just her and Emmy. Lily then asks if Atlas has someone special in his life, and he replies, “No. Not yet.” The movie ends as the credits roll.
This ending differs slightly from the book. Both the movie and the book end with Lily and Atlas reconnecting, but the book makes it clear they will get back together. In the book, Lily tells Atlas she is ready to be loved by him again.
He kisses the heart tattoo on her collarbone and tells her, “You can stop swimming now, Lily. We finally reached the shore.” The movie’s ending may hint at a sequel, but it focuses more on Lily regaining her power and leaving Ryle for good, making her happy ending more about her self-empowerment than a romantic reunion.
