Anora ending explained: Why did Ani break down with Igor while driving back to her house?

Anora was released in the US theaters on October 18, 2024. This romantic drama film was directed by Sean Baker, starring Mikey Madison as the protagonist named Anora 'Ani' Mikheeva. The movie was made available for rentals from December 17 onwards. It introduced the viewers to Ani's journey as an exotic dancer in New Jersey, and followed how she got involved with Ivan, the son of a Russian oligarch.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for Anora (2024).

After the two eloped in a Vegas wedding ceremony, Ani felt the disdain of Ivan's family descend upon her. At the end of the film, she was forced to get an annulment when Ivan did not stand up for her in front of his family members. Crushed and frustrated, Ani broke down in the car taking her back home, while driven by a henchman named Igor from Ivan's family.

Director Sean Baker spoke about the twist at the end of the film, where Ani had to return to a life that she thought she has left behind for good. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly on October 26, 2024, Sean said:

“It was so great to have Mikey, Mark, and Yura really get into the development of their characters and understand why things are happening. We’re dealing with some complex relationships, especially at the end with Ani’s gravitation towards Igor. That stuff was discussed a lot, like what’s going on in Ani’s head in that ending scene? It was great to have actors who were so invested because they wanted to discuss this.”

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How did Anora and Ivan meet each other?

Ani and Ivan in a still from the film (Image via Universal Pictures)

The film introduced the audience to its main character Anora 'Ani' Mikheeva, a 23-year-old stripper living in Brighton Beach. She met Ivan Zakharov, the 21-year-old son of a wealthy Russian oligarch through her boss.

Ivan was a student who preferred to party and play video games in his family's Brooklyn mansion, instead of studying. He ended up hiring Ani and paid her USD 15,000 to stay with him at his house for a week. During a trip to Las Vegas, Ivan asked Ani to marry him so that he could apply for a green card instead of returning to Russia. The two eloped after he convinced her that his love was true.

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What did Ivan's family do after finding out about the marriage?

Ani and Ivan's marriage in the film (Image via Universal Pictures)

Ani quit her job and moved into Ivan's mansion, but the news of their marriage reached Russia. Ivan's mother Galina asked his godfather Toros to find the couple and arrange an annulment for them.

Toros' henchmen reached Ivan's house and informed Ivan that his parents would be flying in to take him home, ordering him to leave Ani. As the henchmen kidnapped and tied up Ani, Ivan escaped. Though Ani remained convinced that Ivan loved her, she agreed to help Toros and his men find him.

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Did Ani and Ivan get an annulment in Anora?

A still from Anora (Image via Universal Pictures)

Ani and the henchmen found Ivan drunk with a stripper at Ani's former workplace. She brought him home and the two agreed to see a court about the annulment. However, the case did not pull through in the state of New York, since Ani and Ivan married each other in a Las Vegas chapel in Nevada.

When Ivan's family arrived in America, they treated Ani with much contempt. Ivan caved in to his parents and their demands that he must get an annulment immediately. They flew the couple out to Nevada despite Ani's initial protests and had her sign the annulment papers. One of Toros' henchmen, Igor, suggested that Ivan might apologize to Ani but Galina dismissed the idea of her son making an apology.

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Why did Ani break down at the end of the film?

Ani and Ivan in a still from the film (Image via Universal Pictures)

Igor took Ani back to New York to pack up her belongings and move out of Ivan's Brooklyn mansion. They spent a final night in the mansion, and shared conversation.

In the morning, Igor gave Ani the money that she was promised for leaving Ivan. He also drove her home. Ani appreciated this gesture and tried to initiate intimacy with Igor, but then resisted and broke down in his arms when their physical connection was about to progress.

At the end of the film, Ani realized that she had fallen for someone as immature as Ivan, who could not stand up for her when she needed it most. The realization that she was returning to her old life finally caught up with her, and she let her guard down to vent her emotions and frustration of the past few days in her life.

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Audiences can purchase Anora to watch at home on platforms like Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Fandango, YouTube and Google Play. However, these are rental purchases, and the film does not have an official streaming release yet.