A Part of You ending explained: What did Agnes discover about Julia?

Swedish teen drama A Part of You was just released on Netflix on May 31 and is set to give viewers a roller coaster ride of melodrama as its lead character deals with loss and death. The film might be another coming-of-age slash traditional high school story, but it has taken a deeper dive into the themes of not merely identity but identity at a time of grief.

An original story from director Sigge Eklund and writer Michaela Hamilton with an acclaimed cast lineup, A Part of You, discusses the aftermath of Julia's (Zara Larsson) death, which deeply affected her sister Agnes (Felicia Maxime) and her boyfriend Noel (Edvin Ryding) who felt guilty for her death.

Much of the story revolves around how Agnes processed the loss of her sister, whom she once was jealous of. At the end of A Part of You, Agnes discovers that the things she envies about her sister Julia, her popularity, sunny personality, and devil-may-care attitude, are only one part of her. Another hidden part of Julia's life that Agnes comes to know is her mental struggles.

Disclaimer: This article contains significant spoilers for A Part of You. Reader's discretion is advised.

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What secrets did Agnes discover about Julia after her death?

Before her sister's sudden death, Agnes' tragedy was her jealousy over her sister's life. While the two are seemingly inseparable, they live perfectly different lives at school and outside. Julia is popular, has a boisterous group of friends, and has a boyfriend, Noel, whom Agnes secretly fancies.

After her sister died, Agnes didn't go through the traditional grieving process. Instead, she begins to live her sister's life; she starts wearing Julia's clothes, hanging out with Julia's social circle, and doing her makeup and hair as Julia did.

Agnes also started to emulate her sister's behavior, both the good ones, like her confidence, but also the negative ones, like her drinking, smoking, and endless partying. Agnes' transformation as her dead sister was both external and internal, which the people around her had found bizarre but also tolerated, at least in the beginning.

But much to Agnes' knowledge, her sister had a secret life, something that other people knew except for her. In a rampage after a party with her sister's peers, she reaches breaking point and goes home to destroy Julia's room, which was seemingly left untouched since her death.

There, she discovered a parcel sent by the hospital after Julia's death. In it was her sister's phone, where she discovered one thing about her sister she had never known. In a text message to their mother just before her sister's accident, Julia told their mother, "I miss you," "I love you," and "I'm sorry."

Zara Larsson plays Julia in A Part of You (Image via Gerardo Mora/Getty Images for iHeartRadio)

Elsewhere in the conversation, Julia wrote to their mother that she had "tried everything," that her "brain is never quiet," and that the "meds aren't helping" nor "quitting drinking." She also read her sister's message telling their mother, "If life is always going to feel like this, then maybe it's not worth it."

It was how Agnes came to know of Julia's secret at the end of A Part of You—she was struggling with her mental health, perhaps overcome with depression, and at some point thought about ending her life. Later, in conversation with her mother, who found Agnes in her sister's room crying, she was told that Julia never wanted her to know about her sickness.

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Did Agnes and Noel ever fall in love at the end of A Part of You?

One of the things Agnes envied about her sister's life was her boyfriend, Noel, whom she had secretly liked even before her death. In a scene where Agnes and Noel touch hands while watching a movie in her room, it is hinted that the boy also had some affection towards her, although he did not pursue it.

After Julia's death, however, Agnes and Noel became close despite Agnes initially trying to distance herself from the guy. In their shared grief, the two found support and someone to talk to, and at some point, they ended up making love.

However, guilt-ridden Noel quickly distanced himself from Agnes after being reminded of the tattoo he had before Julia died. Also, later, Agnes' transformation reminded him too much of her dead girlfriend.

As for falling in love with each other, it was not a theme explored deeply in A Part of You. That said, the film's ending showed Noel visiting Agnes backstage just before her theater performance with a flower in hand, and they were smiling at each other.

Felicia Maxime plays Agnes in A Part of You (Image via @turtlesafari/ Instagram)

The scene may not indicate that the two will develop a romantic relationship, but it's a hopeful encounter that suggests they will at least have their friendship back.

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How did learning the truth about Julia help Agnes reclaim her identity?

After learning of her sister's mental health struggles, Agnes' immediate reaction was to think that Julia might have killed herself. However, as she was always jealous of her sister, Agnes failed to realize that Julia faced a lot of internal pain. Agnes felt guilty that she could have done something to help her sister back then, that she should have seen the signs of her sister's struggles.

With her mother's help, Agnes slowly picked up the pieces following Julia's tragic passing. One of her turning points was throwing away the idea that her sister was someone she should be jealous of. As she started to see and realize another side of Julia, Agnes stopped reinventing herself as her dead sister. She stopped wearing her sister's clothes and acting like her, eventually reclaiming her identity.

At the end of A Part of You, Agnes also realizes that she had been rude to several people while on a rampage, dressing up and acting like her dead sister. Aside from reclaiming her identity, she spent the better part of the film's ending making amends to those she had hurt, including her drama teacher, Amir, her close friend, Lydia, and her sister's friend, Esther.

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Overall, A Part of You provided the lead with a satisfying transformation in her journey of self-reinvention while dealing with a loved one's loss. As mentioned above, A Part of You is currently streaming on Netflix.