the happy ending movie review

Find anything you save across the site in your account

Rediscovering “The Happy Ending,” a Movie About the Dreams and Delusions of Marriage (and the Movies)

The shudderingly impassioned, history-jangled, cinema-centric drama “The Happy Ending,” from 1969, reflects vast changes in Hollywood and in American society, and even nudges them ahead. What’s more, it does so aesthetically, with startlingly expressive images and performances that fuse with the action to reflect on—and advance—the state of movies themselves. Written and directed by Richard Brooks, the film (which is streaming on Amazon Prime and YouTube) tells the story of a miserable marriage and stars Jean Simmons, to whom Brooks was married at the time. It’s a coup of casting (and not the only one) that stokes the movie’s emotional temperature past the boiling point, even when the onscreen behavior appears deceptively chilled.

The very title of “The Happy Ending” boldly declares that the subject of the movie is the world of movies—specifically, it’s about a woman who ardently watches them and a society that believes their fictions. The story spans sixteen years in the life of a couple, beginning with the courtship of Mary Spencer (Simmons) and Fred Wilson (John Forsythe), in 1953. They go on a date at a drive-in movie, and she’s swept away in the romanticism of its happy ending. Mary drops out of college and they quickly get married; at their wedding, she’s lost in fantasies of images from romantic Hollywood movies.

The action then leaps ahead to the morning of January 22, 1969. The television is broadcasting news of Richard Nixon’s first days in the White House, while Fred and Mary, who have a teen-age daughter (Kathy Fields), are finalizing plans for their sixteenth-anniversary party that night. The drama soon reveals the planned festivities to be a cruel sham and the marriage to be a fragile façade. Those revelations come largely in the form of an intricate series of flashbacks—some of nearly subliminal brevity, others of teeming and extended drama, centered on their blowout celebration the previous year, in the company of business acquaintances, where the couple’s conflicts surged bitterly to the surface. Mary has long been drinking heavily and clandestinely, hiding a vodka bottle in a boot and sneaking off to a bar where the friendly bartender lies to Fred about not having seen her in months. Her increasingly self-destructive behavior has led to several near-catastrophes, yet Fred still won’t allow her to see a psychiatrist. On a visit to a hair salon, to prepare for the sixteenth-anniversary party, Mary takes impulsive and drastic action: in the middle of the day, she heads for the Denver airport and flies to Nassau, where a series of chance encounters prompts her to retake control of her life.

With the movie’s elaborate time structure, Brooks burrows deeply into Mary’s harrowing experience of marriage. It’s a perspective that’s informed—or, rather, deformed—by the media messaging and the propagandizing, in public and in private, that she has endured throughout her life. Brooks fills the movie with the ephemera of media: the workout show that Mary watches on her kitchen TV; news reports of war, sports, and protests; actual commercials that aired then (their soundtracks are heard and their slogans woven into the dialogue); and actual magazines (including the February 17, 1968, issue of The New Yorker ). The action is anchored in a particular moment of history: a moment when the verities of bourgeois respectability that were long perpetuated in mass media and enforced in public life were beginning to shatter under the force of the “ new freedoms ,” and when the norms of Hollywood itself—the Hays Code and its ironclad strictures—were being burst (as, indeed, they are in the course of this very movie).

Brooks, who’s best known for “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” and “In Cold Blood,” launched his career as a writer and director in the mid-nineteen-forties, during Hollywood’s classic age. The studio system was perhaps the era’s most powerful source of archetypes, fantasies, and illusions, and, as Brooks shows, their collective effect was to groom women to defer to men, to please men, to submit to men. One recurring trope of “The Happy Ending” involves the beauty industry: the salons and the spas, the cosmetics and the fashions, even the plastic surgery. (Mary had a face-lift.) Moreover, women’s inculcated notions of what they must do to their faces and bodies to attract and keep a man are linked to another of the film’s key themes: the economic dependence of women on men. Upper-middle-class women who don’t work use their days to primp, shop, and work out, while being deprived of professional activity and achievements, and of stimulation beyond one another’s mutually reinforcing desperation. The control of money is central to Fred and Mary’s ongoing battle, and the movie’s acerbic, lacerating dialogue includes a brilliant riff—delivered by a big-time businessman—about the essential role played by marriage and the mythology of romance in the modern economy.

Though “The Happy Ending” includes clips from “Casablanca” and other romantic movies, the crucial embodiment of classic Hollywood that Brooks embeds in his movie is its remarkable cast. It includes Shirley Jones (as Mary’s unmarried college friend Flo), Lloyd Bridges (as Flo’s married lover), Teresa Wright (as Mary’s mother), Nanette Fabray (as Agnes, Mary’s devoted housekeeper), Dick Shawn (as Fred’s friendly dissolute client), and Tina Louise (as the client’s friendly, miserable wife), as well as a latter-day star, Bobby Darin (as a candidate for a Latin lover). What these actors from Hollywood’s age of brass bring to the action, beside the sheer force of their personalities and the aura of their presence, is stillness: the hieratic poise and sculptural power of their fixed gazes and precise gestures, which are the key behavioral traits of acting in studio-system Hollywood.

In Brooks’s view, these rigid manners—and the rigid mores and romantic archetypes of the Hollywood movies that they embody and embellish—come off as obsolete vestiges of times that, though recent, are already on the far side of a historical divide. In “The Happy Ending,” these deeply internalized formalities nonetheless silently shriek with long-stifled frustration and emotion. Moreover, the movie’s extraordinary wide-screen cinematography (by Conrad L. Hall) does more than just display the actors and their powerful performances—it goes further into monumental stillness and composed precision, heightening the media-mad unreality of modern life with a sense of highly inflected yet frozen artifice. Inner and outer life converge in these images—and the décor, the locations, the characters’ hair styling and makeup, and their clothing all play crucial parts in this fusion of action and appearance.

So, for that matter, does light itself, and its absence. Hall submerges the characters in sepulchral shadows torn by streaks of light, bathes them in an uncanny brightness of relentless exposure and homogenizing uniformity. Many of the movie’s distinctive shots render Mary’s sense of desperate solitude as intensely dramatic—even simple scenes of walking and sitting are transformed into passages of grand moment. In this regard, the strongest influence on Brooks’s directorial strategies appears to be the films of Michelangelo Antonioni, whose career-long theme was the mind control exerted by media and public life over all, and who devised a style of images and acting to convey it. It’s an influence that Brooks wears lightly; avoiding homage, he crafts a style that conveys a sense of immediate experience and personal observation.

“The Happy Ending,” though written and directed by a member of the studio system’s old guard, is both part and proof of the rise of the New Hollywood; Brooks here pushes studio filmmaking into a modernity far ahead of most of its younger luminaries. I won’t spoil the delicious irony that Brooks folds into the events that inspire Mary to take action and change her life. It involves a deft resolution of conflicting desires and dreams, an imagining of new possibilities that don’t entirely reject her former illusions. Like Brooks, Mary doesn’t exactly spurn grand cinematic romanticism; rather, she questions it and refashions it to serve her purposes.

By signing up, you agree to our User Agreement and Privacy Policy & Cookie Statement . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Letterboxd — Your life in film

Forgotten username or password ?

• Start a new list…
• Add all films to a list…
• Add all films to watchlist

Add to your films…

Press Tab to complete, Enter to create

A moderator has locked this field.

Add to lists

Where to watch

The happy ending.

Directed by Richard Brooks

Marriage is a 30 billion dollar business! And that's just to get married.

The triumphs and failures of middle age as seen through the eyes of runaway American housewife Mary Wilson, a woman who believes that ultimate reality exists above and beyond the routine procedures of conscious, uninspired, everyday life. She feels cheated by an older generation that taught her to settle for nothing less than storybook finales, people who are disillusioned and restless and don't know why, people for whom life holds no easy answers.

Jean Simmons John Forsythe Shirley Jones Lloyd Bridges Teresa Wright Dick Shawn Nanette Fabray Bobby Darin Tina Louise Kathy Fields Karen Steele Gail Hensley Eve Brent William O'Connell Barry Cahill Miriam Blake Erin Moran

Director Director

Richard Brooks

Producer Producer

Writer writer, editor editor.

George Grenville

Cinematography Cinematography

Conrad L. Hall

Assistant Director Asst. Director

Additional photography add. photography.

Thomas Del Ruth

Special Effects Special Effects

Chuck Gaspar

Composer Composer

Michel Legrand

Sound Sound

Clem Portman William Randall Kay Rose Harry Warren Jerry Whittington

Costume Design Costume Design

Makeup makeup.

Fred C. Blau Jr.

Hairstyling Hairstyling

Sydney Guilaroff Jan Van Uchelen

Pax Enterprises

Releases by Date

21 dec 1969, releases by country.

• Theatrical R

112 mins   More at IMDb TMDb Report this page

Popular reviews

Review by Rafael "Parker!!" Jovine ★★★

Action! - The Postwar Hollywood 3: In Cold Brooks

Jean Simmons was most likely taken to a hospital after carrying the entire film on her back. I wouldn't go as far as to say she deserved an Oscar nomination, but she is the most interesting thing about an otherwise dull film. She does an excellent job of expressing the nuances of this character, a woman experiencing existentialism and yearning for independence from her family and all the wide range of emotions that comes with these desires.

The score, editing, and glossy cinematography by Conrad L. Hall create a great atmosphere that feels like you're caught in a dream, which enhances the psychology of each scene and especially our lead performance,…

Review by Sam Meltzer ★★★ 7

This is what The Pumpkin Eater should’ve been. Jean Simmons is fabulous as the initially dry, one-note archetype of a 60s married woman who quickly plunges through the barrier and makes her own mark. As a film, it has a touch of cynicism but is deeply sympathetic.

Review by Will Steele ★★★★

A deliciously cynical diamond in the rough.

Review by Josh Gillam ★★★

Mary Wilson (Jean Simmons) is a dreamer. She loves classic films, and possesses a romantic view of the world, and so when she marries Fred (John Forsythe), it seems as if she has found the happy ending she’s been looking for. 

Sixteen years later, Mary’s life is in a tailspin, disillusionment with her stifling life leading to drinking and unhappiness. As she tries to get away from it all, Mary begins to remember how her life ended up this way, in this drama written and directed by Richard Brooks.

He and Simmons were married at the time, and she’s certainly given the role of a lifetime here. A far cry from the wholesome, virtuous characters she made her name with,…

Review by Fanya ★★★★½ 1

JEAN SIMMONS DOING SEMI-STRIPTEASE IS PEAK GAY CINEMA

Review by trolleyfreak ★★★★½ 7

'If sex were the only thing that really mattered, the whole world would be run by rabbits!' (Nanette Fabrary as Agnes)

Brief Synopsis: Frustrated Denver housewife (Jean Simmons) becomes bored and frustrated with her 16-year long marriage to a tax consultant (John Forsythe) and drowns her sorrows in the bottle before taking a life-changing holiday to Nassau.

Verdict: Peter Sellers in I Love You, Alice B. Toklas!, Jack Lemmon in The Odd Couple, George C. Scott in Petulia, Burt Lancaster in The Swimmer and The Gypsy Moths, Kirk Douglas in The Arrangement... the late '60's saw a whole slew of angsty middle-class mid-life crisis movies - all with a male protagonist - but here's a fabulous effort from the female…

Review by Sara Clements ★★★½

Jean Simmons and Shirley Jones? HOT

Review by robbie james ★★★★

leave it to richard brooks to craft an anti-romance this bleak. marriage is an elaborate, hollow show; love is just for the pictures. but what great pictures! why wouldn't we want to replicate that, why wouldn't we yearn for the unattainable no matter how naive and ill-fated it may be?

Review by Matthew Dinda ★★★★½

So, I loved this film (despite its many flaws) mostly because Jean Simmons is fantastic in this and WHY does nobody talk about this performance?!

Review by Scott Kelly ★★½

Highly stylized and cynical bourgeoisie lament for the death of romance after marriage. Somewhat in the mold of those adult counter-culture meets the mainstream anti-romances like Two for the Road , The Arrangement , The Rain People and Petulia and a sort of a proto-feminist bridge between The Pumpkin Eater and Diary of a Mad Housewife . The opening portion seems to parody the lush romance of 60s box office hits like A Man and a Woman before turning it on its head. An Oscar-nominated Jean Simmons (then wife to director Brooks) shines as the alcoholic and borderline suicidal Denver suburbanite in mid-life crisis mode. The cast is strong all round and Conrad Hall ’s camera work inventive, but Brooks’ super blunt script, while…

Review by támmy💫 ★★★½

JEAN SIMMONS DESERVED EVERY AWARDS FOR THIS. SHE WAS ROBBED!!!

Review by Shea ★★★★ 1

Every time Shirley called Jean “baby” ..... I felt that.

Similar Films

Select your preferred backdrop

Select your preferred poster.

Not Available

Oh no! Turner Classic Movies isn't available in your region.

Welcome, DISH customer! Please note that we cannot save your viewing history due to an arrangement with DISH.

Watchlist and resume progress features have been disabled.

The Happy Ending (1969)

Directed by richard brooks.

• AllMovie Rating 6
• User Ratings ( 0 )
• Your Rating
• Overview ↓
• User Reviews ↓
• Cast & Crew ↓
• Awards ↓
• Streams ↓
• Related ↓

Description by Wikipedia

The Happy Ending is a 1969 drama film written and directed by Richard Brooks, which tells the story of a repressed housewife who longs for liberation from her husband and daughter. It stars Jean Simmons (who received an Oscar nomination), John Forsythe, Shirley Jones, Lloyd Bridges and Teresa Wright.

Alternate Titles

• Cast & crew
• User reviews

The Happy Ending

• A middle-aged woman walks out on her husband and family in an desperate attempt to find herself.
• The triumphs and failures of middle age as seen through the eyes of runaway American housewife Mary Wilson (Jean Simmons), a woman who believes that ultimate reality exists above and beyond the routine procedures of conscious, uninspired, everyday life. She feels cheated by an older generation that taught her to settle for nothing less than storybook finales, people who are disillusioned and restless and don't know why, people for whom life holds no easy answers. Great supporting cast includes John Forsythe, Teresa Wright, Lloyd Bridges, Shirley Jones, Bobby Darin, Tina Louise, Dick Shawn, and Nanette Fabray. — alfiehitchie
• Fred and Mary Wilson have been married for sixteen years and live in Denver. For Mary, the marriage has not ended up being the fairy tale she envisioned it would be, like those in the old movies she loves to watch. Mary has resorted to excessive drinking and popping pills to keep sane. Fred tells her he still loves her, but she doubts that is really what he is feeling. He in turn is aware of her tenuous mental state. He has decided to have those close to her, such as their housekeeper Agnes and Mary's mother, watch Mary's every move just in case she really does get into trouble from her self-destructive behavior. Quite some time ago, he also cut her off from any discretionary spending of their money. On the eve of their sixteenth wedding anniversary, Mary, instead of showing up to their scheduled party, pawns a watch and hops on a plane to the Bahamas so that she can get away from the environment which is causing her grief. On board the plane, she runs into Flo, an old friend from college. Since Mary has no money and made no plans whatsoever for her time in the Bahamas, Flo and her travel companion Sam take Mary under their wing. While in the Bahamas, Mary evaluates her life based on the other path taken by Flo who has supported herself by being the mistress to a series of wealthy married men, and on an encounter with a suave Italian named Franco. — Huggo

It looks like we don't have any synopsis for this title yet. Be the first to contribute.

Contribute to this page

• See more gaps
• Learn more about contributing

More from this title

More to explore, recently viewed.

Movie Reviews

Tv/streaming, collections, chaz's journal, great movies, contributors, my happy ending.

Now streaming on:

“My Happy Ending” can’t even do a tearjerker right. The film is set in a chemotherapy clinic just outside of London, where the eccentric characters double over in pain between warm witticisms and fret about what will happen to their loved ones when they’re gone. The presumed intent is to combine the heartwarming, quirky school of British comedy (think “ The Full Monty ”) with the life-and-death drama of a cancer ward—a tissue-soaking slam dunk if there ever was one. And yet ...

The first of many head-scratching choices in “My Happy Ending” is the casting of Andie MacDowell as Julia Hart , an American movie star who does not belong in this film at all. (That’s true of both the character and the actor.) “My Happy Ending” is adapted from a semi-autobiographical play by the late Israeli playwright Anat Gov , who processed her own terminal cancer diagnosis on the stage. The play takes place in Israel with Israeli characters, a more coherent choice than what we get in the film version: A slapdash cobbling-together of material, setting, and the famous American actress who agreed to the role. Screenwriter Rona Tamir crams it all into a box, and forces it shut. 

Regardless of the questions raised by her presence, Julia is here now, availing of the NHS in her time of need after being diagnosed with stage four colon cancer. (There’s commentary in the idea of a wealthy American choosing a humble English clinic over a famous American hospital, but this movie isn’t that astute. Instead, it makes an excuse about Julia doing a play in the West End.) At first, she’s upset that the hospital doesn’t have private rooms, because she is very famous and needs her privacy. She makes some loud, rude phone calls to this effect, causing the three women sitting in the common area to grin and giggle like the mischievous cancer elves that they are. A transformative afternoon is afoot.

The only really likable element of the film is its supporting cast, led by reliable British character actresses Miriam Margoyles and Sally Phillips . (Both have too many credits to recount here, but you’ll know them when you see them.) They play Judy and Mikey, salt-of-the-earth types instantly doomed to supporting status once the more glamorous Julia walks in. “Sex Education’s” Rakhee Thakrar co-stars as Imaan, the youngest patient in Judy and Mikey’s chemotherapy coffee klatsch; Imaan was 26 and pregnant when she was diagnosed with breast cancer, but her arc is limited by the writer’s and directors’ blinkered ideas about Muslim women. 

Co-director Sharon Maymon won an Academy Award for the short film “Skin,” one of the more controversial winners in recent memory—not least because of its clumsy grasp on racial politics. Thankfully, that element is relatively light here. But “My Happy Ending” makes plenty of bad decisions in other areas. The screenplay is especially clunky: The exposition and dialogue are ineptly handled, so much so that a character will be completely ignorant of a topic in one scene and speak confidently about it in the next. The snappy Hollywood insider talk coming from Julia’s devoted manager Nancy (Tamsin Grieg), rings false, and the film declares rather than demonstrates that Julia’s presence has changed everyone’s life for the better. MacDowell, for her part, purses her lips to look concerned and softens her eyes until they’re full of benevolent tears.

“My Happy Ending” contains enough knowing in-jokes about chemotherapy and cancer in general that you can see the glimmers of the real-life experience at its core. But everything around those observations plays like A.I. wrote it. The shifting tones of satire (if Nancy’s in the room), hard-won wisdom (if Judy and/or Mikey are there), and soap-opera drama (that would be Julia) have the emotional heft of flipping a light switch. Experienced performers take the film partway, but the script kneecaps everyone—especially MacDowell, who suffers the worst of the film’s dialogue-based indignities. Happy or not, you might find yourself wishing it would end already. 

Now playing in theaters.

Katie Rife is a freelance writer and critic based in Chicago with a speciality in genre cinema. She worked as the News Editor of  The A.V. Club  from 2014-2019, and as Senior Editor of that site from 2019-2022. She currently writes about film for outlets like  Vulture, Rolling Stone, Indiewire, Polygon , and  RogerEbert.com.

Now playing

Hollywoodgate

Brian tallerico.

Family Portrait

National Anthem

Sheila o'malley.

Diane von Furstenberg: Woman in Charge

Nandini balial.

Despicable Me 4

Matt zoller seitz.

Fancy Dance

Jourdain searles, film credits.

My Happy Ending (2023)

Rated R for language and brief drug use.

Andie MacDowell as Julia

Miriam Margolyes as Judy

Sally Phillips as Mikey

Rakhee Thakrar as Imaan

Michelle Greenidge as Nurse Emilia

Tamsin Greig as Nancy

David Walliams as Joey

Bhavik C. Pankhania as Abed

Evelyn Mok as Dr. Shah

Yvonne Edgell as Doris

Zella Whitfield as Waitress

• Sharon Maymon

Writer (based on a musical play by)

Cinematographer.

• Bartosz Nalazek
• Einat Glaser-Zarhin
• David Schweitzer

Latest blog posts

Retrospective: Jean-Pierre Melville and the Cinematic Hitman

Netflix's The Decameron Sinks to New Lows

Silents Synced Pairs Silent Classics with '90s Alt-Rock (It’s a Gen-X Thing)

Time Bandits Offers a Fun Summer Diversion

The Happy Ending (1969) Cast and Crew

Similar movies.

Movie Reviews

Follow Moviefone

Latest trailers.

Common Sense Media

Movie & TV reviews for parents

• For Parents
• For Educators
• Our Work and Impact

Or browse by category:

• Get the app
• Movie Reviews
• Best Movie Lists
• Best Movies on Netflix, Disney+, and More

Common Sense Selections for Movies

50 Modern Movies All Kids Should Watch Before They're 12

• Best TV Lists
• Best TV Shows on Netflix, Disney+, and More
• Common Sense Selections for TV
• Video Reviews of TV Shows

Best Kids' Shows on Disney+

Best Kids' TV Shows on Netflix

• Book Reviews
• Best Book Lists
• Common Sense Selections for Books

8 Tips for Getting Kids Hooked on Books

50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12

• Game Reviews
• Best Game Lists

Common Sense Selections for Games

• Video Reviews of Games

Nintendo Switch Games for Family Fun

• Podcast Reviews
• Best Podcast Lists

Common Sense Selections for Podcasts

Parents' Guide to Podcasts

• App Reviews
• Best App Lists

Social Networking for Teens

Gun-Free Action Game Apps

Reviews for AI Apps and Tools

• YouTube Channel Reviews
• YouTube Kids Channels by Topic

Parents' Ultimate Guide to YouTube Kids

YouTube Kids Channels for Gamers

• Preschoolers (2-4)
• Little Kids (5-7)
• Big Kids (8-9)
• Pre-Teens (10-12)
• Teens (13+)
• Screen Time
• Social Media
• Online Safety
• Identity and Community

How to Talk with Kids About Violence, Crime, and War

• Family Tech Planners
• Digital Skills
• All Articles
• Latino Culture
• Black Voices
• Asian Stories
• Native Narratives
• LGBTQ+ Pride
• Best of Diverse Representation List

Multicultural Books

YouTube Channels with Diverse Representations

Podcasts with Diverse Characters and Stories

Happy ending, common sense media reviewers.

An unsatisfied woman suggests a threesome; sex, language.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Sex isn't the only thing to be honest about in a r

Luna is dishonest, pretending for a full year that

The action takes place in the Netherlands with mos

Adults think about, talk about, and have sex. A wo

"F--k," "s--t," "damn," "c--t," "d--k," "orgasm,"

Adults drink alcohol to drunkenness.

Parents need to know that Happy Ending is a Dutch romantic comedy about the sexual frustration of a woman who has enthusiastically pretended to be satisfied while refusing to let her partner of a year know she's never been satisfied. Instead of telling him, she persuades him -- without telling him the real…

Positive Messages

Sex isn't the only thing to be honest about in a relationship.

Positive Role Models

Luna is dishonest, pretending for a full year that her boyfriend is satisfying her sexually but secretly being resentful and finally angry. She also cheats on him. When she finally lets him know what the problem is, he's understandably angry that she withheld the information for so long.

Diverse Representations

The action takes place in the Netherlands with mostly Dutch actors. A White couple invites a Black woman to join them for a threesome.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Adults think about, talk about, and have sex. A woman struggles to be honest enough with her longtime partner to let him know she has never had an orgasm with him. The solution she proposes is to have a threesome. A man and woman are seen thrusting. A man's face is seen between a woman's legs. Two women have sex, with breasts seen. They put their hands on each other's crotches. Lots of moaning. References are made to blindfolds, vibrators, and handcuffs in a sexual context.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

"F--k," "s--t," "damn," "c--t," "d--k," "orgasm," "climax," "come," "get hard," "impotence," and "penetration." A man refers to being unable to achieve an erection while having sex.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Happy Ending is a Dutch romantic comedy about the sexual frustration of a woman who has enthusiastically pretended to be satisfied while refusing to let her partner of a year know she's never been satisfied. Instead of telling him, she persuades him -- without telling him the real reason -- to have a threesome. That things don't work out as planned is no surprise. The threesome is shown, as are women's breasts. Women kiss and have sex. Moaning, gasping, and thrusting are seen. Language includes "f--k," "s--t," "damn," "c--t," "d--k," "orgasm," "climax," "come," "get hard," "impotence," and "penetration. A man refers to being unable to achieve an erection while having sex. Adults drink to drunkenness. In Dutch with English subtitles. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Community Reviews

• Parents say

There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.

What's the Story?

In HAPPY ENDING, Luna (Gaite Jansen) has pretended for a full year that her boyfriend, Mink (Martijn Lakemeier), has been satisfying her sexually. In fact, she's never had an orgasm with him, and secretly she's resentful. For some reason, she thinks the solution to the problem of her lying is to bring Eve (Joy Delima), an attractive new woman, into their sex life for a threesome. Unsurprisingly, the threesome doesn't accomplish the main goal -- to get Luna to finally tell Mink how to better please her. Neither does the experience show Mink that Luna has been lying to him. The only thing the threesome accomplishes is an orgasm for Luna at the hands of Eve. The encounter also compels Luna to pursue Eve romantically, which also unsurprisingly does nothing to help improve the relationship between Luna and Mink. The result is that selfish and childish Luna continues to expect Mink to read her mind. She cheats on him with Eve, someone who Luna has no real interest in, apart from the fact that Eve can bring her to climax. Eve understands this and sensibly extracts herself from the situation. When Luna finally lets Mink know the secret she's kept from him, he's understandably peeved that she's deceived him for so long. Will they stay together?

Is It Any Good?

Happy Ending makes no sense. Why does a woman who has been pretending to be sexually satisfied by her boyfriend think that bringing another woman into their bed will solve the problem? Wouldn't it be easier to just tell him the sex hasn't been good for her? Maybe she hoped the new person would tell Mink for her.

It's hard to tell what Luna was thinking, because the movie really gives no hint as to why Luna is incapable of honesty. A movie about a childish woman who can't speak her mind and ends up hurting the person she may or may not even love is, ironically, unsatisfying itself. That's because Luna seems willing to try anything to make the relationship work except the one thing that would fix the problem. If Mink is smart, he will dump Luna before she lies to him again.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about why it's important to be honest in relationships. Have you ever hidden your feelings from a friend and then been angry that they didn't guess how you felt?

When Luna finally tells Mink the truth, do you think he reacted in a mature way? How might he have handled the situation differently?

Do you think Luna and Mink will be happy if they stay together? Why, or why not?

Movie Details

• On DVD or streaming : September 1, 2023
• Cast : Gaite Jansen , Martijn Lakemeier , Joy Delima
• Director : Joosje Duk
• Inclusion Information : Female directors, Female actors
• Studio : Netflix
• Genre : Romance
• Run time : 92 minutes
• MPAA rating : NR
• Last updated : September 13, 2023

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

Our editors recommend.

10 Things I Hate About You

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days

Romance movies, romantic comedies.

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

• Program Guide
• Sports News
• Streaming Services
• Newsletters
• OTTplay Awards
• OTT Replay 2023
• Changemakers

Home » Review » Happy Ending Movie Review - The Yash Puri starrer is over the top, silly and clueless »

Happy Ending Movie Review - The Yash Puri starrer is over the top, silly and clueless

Happy Ending Review - The Yash Puri starrer is disappointing. Although it has a decent script, it is spoiled by faulty narration. 

• Avad Mohammad

Last Updated: 06.53 PM, Feb 02, 2024

Happy Ending Story

Harsh (Yash Puri) suffers from a deadly curse given by a godman (Ajay Ghosh). Due to his curse, whomever he gets physically involved with or fantasises about dies in weird circumstances. One fine day, he meets Avani (Apoorva Rao) and falls in love with her. Soon, the couple gets closer and this creates new tension for Harsh as Avani's life is now in danger. What is this curse? How does Harsh solve this issue and save Avani? This is the basic story of Happy Ending.

Happy Ending Review

Happy Ending is based on the story of Harsh, who is suffering from a weird curse and everyone he gets involved with physically dies in no time. Plot-wise, this aspect looks nice on paper and is also established on a decent note at the beginning of the film. But once that happens, the director, Kowshik Bheemidi, does a disappointing job with his execution.

Despite having an interesting premise, the comedy is underutilised, and the romance is also quite dull in the film. The early years of the main character's life capture our attention. The curse and the subsequent events that unfold grab our attention in the beginning.

Happy Ending's major flaw lies in its perplexing narration. The chosen plot could have been conveyed with humour or emotion, but unfortunately, it was presented in the most uninspiring manner. The screenplay lacks a clear structure, leaving the audience with a sense of irritation for the most part.

The way each character is written does not showcase anything new. The main lead's role looks silly and he seems clueless for the most part. Why does he suffer from a curse and knowing all this, why does the heroine fall for him? Such logic goes for a toss in the film. The writing is bland and this affects the entire structure of the film.

Also Read: Happy Ending trailer - The Yash Puri starrer is bold, intriguing, and has a hilarious premise  

Also, the pacing of the film is a major issue. The film moves at a snail's pace and the makers keep on saying that the climax is key. But sadly, things end on a very predictable note. While the first half offers a few comedic moments involving Vishnu Oi, the laughter dwindles later. The entire second half becomes a test of patience, making it challenging to endure.

Yash Puri holds his character well, even though it is not written well. The female lead, Apoorva Rao, is the best part of the film. Although it is her debut film, she does a good job and looks beautiful. The rest of the supporting cast is not even worth mentioning here. The music by Ravi Madarthy is decent, as was his background score.

The visuals are neat and so is the production design. The dialogue was cheesy and the worst part was the editing. Close to 20 minutes in the film could have been easily chopped off to make things better. But that does not happen and the film drags on and on. As said earlier, subject-wise, Happy Ending had scope to be a quirky comedy but was spoiled by some silly execution right from the beginning.

Watch Tejas, Expendables 4, Australian Open, Cubicles 3, and more on OTTplay, by subscribing to the Jhakaas monthly pack, which provides access to 22 OTTs at just ₹49 for the first month.

Happy Ending Verdict

On the whole, Happy Ending is a script that looks good on paper but is spoiled with faulty narration. Lengthy runtime, boring scenes, and over-the-top emotions are major drawbacks of this film, which can be easily skipped this weekend.

Also Read: Yash Puri interview | Don't miss the last crazy fifteen minutes of Happy Ending, says the young actor  

• New OTT Releases
• Web Stories
• Streaming services
• Latest News
• Movies Releases
• Cookie Policy
• Shows Releases
• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• Subscriber Agreement

Review: Andie MacDowell brings signature charm to the modest but insightful ‘My Happy Ending’

• Copy Link URL Copied!

The beguiling Andie MacDowell, a leading lady in films such as “Groundhog Day” and “Four Weddings and a Funeral,” has taken on more supporting roles in recent years, from “Ready or Not” and “Magic Mike XXL” to the Netflix series “Maid,” opposite her daughter, Margaret Qualley. While she’s always memorable, it’s nice to see her step into a leading role once again (and a non-romantic one at that) with “My Happy Ending,” a heartfelt drama directed by Tal Granit and Sharon Maymon.

Written by Rona Tamir, “My Happy Ending” is based on a play by Anat Gov. The events unfold over several hours in a single setting, exposing the story’s theatrical roots, but Granit and Maymon add a touch of magical realism to liberate the film’s cinematic potential.

For your safety

The Times is committed to reviewing theatrical film releases during the COVID-19 pandemic . Because moviegoing carries risks during this time, we remind readers to follow health and safety guidelines as outlined by the CDC and local health officials .

MacDowell stars as Julia Roth, an American mega-star who travels to a small British clinic for chemotherapy. The name, her apparent star caliber and the many comments about her fabulous hair make this fictional Julia seem a lot like Julia Roberts, and coupled with the English setting, it calls to mind another film about a movie star trying to go unnoticed — “Notting Hill.”

Our Julia’s star is on the wane, having just endured a West End flop, and she’s attempting to go incognito at the chemo clinic. She hasn’t told anyone, including her manager or daughter, about her diagnosis of colon cancer, and she thinks she can muscle through a few rounds of chemo on her own, without being discovered. Privacy proves to be a challenge at the clinic, which doesn’t have private rooms, only curtained-off areas, but it turns out that the lack of secrecy is exactly what Julia needs to tackle this moment.

Just across the curtain are three women: the wacky, wig-swapping Mikey ( Sally Phillips ), a wise, curmudgeonly older woman, Judy (Miriam Margolyes) and a quiet but busy young mother, Imaan (Rakhee Thakrar). After a few awkward exchanges in which it becomes clear that every conversation can be overheard in the room (often used to comedic effect), Julia surrenders to her surroundings and finds comfort in these women, who understand, better than she does, the challenges that she’s facing.

The premise of “My Happy Ending” is somewhat slight, but there’s nothing insubstantial about a woman coming to a profound realization about her life thanks to a surprising encounter with unexpected new allies. MacDowell brings her signature soulful charm to the role of Julia, who starts out as guarded and fearful, and blossoms into a powerful advocate for herself. Plus, casting Phillips, whom you’ll recognize as one of Bridget Jones’ best friends, is like a cinematic cheat code — her comic energy is natural and undeniable, but here she is allowed to color in all the shades of the emotional rainbow, from euphoria to regret.

Granit and Maymon allow the characters, and the audience, to escape the clinic through the women’s shared guided visualizations, which they call holidays, escapist fantasies to an island rainforest, Burning Man or just back home. Julia’s holidays are scattered, but as she homes in on what would make her happy, not impressing the other women or pleasing her strident longtime friend and manager, Nancy (Tamsin Greig), it helps her to understand what she wants to do in the face of such a daunting diagnosis. The support of the other women allows her to speak her truth, and her choice, clearly to both Nancy and to her doctor (Tom Cullen).

“My Happy Ending” may at times feel modest, but the lessons imparted are far from disposable, including the idea that life is too short to deny oneself treats or wear uncomfortable shoes. Those may be surface level messages, but the conversations about our choices in life — or death — are deep and resonant. A happy ending doesn’t always have to look the same for everyone; each one is different and deeply personal.

Katie Walsh is a Tribune News Service film critic.

'My Happy Ending'

Rated: R, for language and brief drug use Running time: 1 hour, 29 minutes Playing: Starts Feb. 24 in general release

More to Read

Tanya Trotter of War and Treaty says ‘Sister Act 3’ script is done, praises Whoopi Goldberg

June 10, 2024

Rebecca Ferguson has no interest in playing the hero. That’s what makes ‘Silo’ so exciting

Elizabeth MacRae, ‘General Hospital’ and ‘Gomer Pyle’ actor, dies at 88

May 29, 2024

Only good movies

Get the Indie Focus newsletter, Mark Olsen's weekly guide to the world of cinema.

You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.

More From the Los Angeles Times

Review: In ‘Great Absence,’ a son puzzles out the dad he misunderstood, now fading into dementia

Review: ‘The Fabulous Four’ once again tests the bonds of frenemies in a tropical locale

Tyler Perry calls out ‘highbrow’ critics, defends his fans: ‘Don’t discount these people’

July 26, 2024

Review: ‘Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger’ celebrates a colorful partnership

• Documentary
• Trailer Breakdown
• DMT News APP
• Privacy Policy
• Happy Ending

‘Happy Ending’ Review: Netflix’s Dutch Film Is A Rant About The Couple’s Inability To Express

As a story, the message of Happy Ending is simple: people should communicate. Things won’t just be understood, and at the end of the day, it becomes the fault of the person who hasn’t spoken up rather than the person who hasn’t picked up on the invisible cues. As a film, it is decently entertaining, but even the short runtime of an hour and a half feels like too much. This entire review is going to be a character rant about how they missed out on such important steps in their relationship, which created the present mess that they were trying to navigate.

First of all, we agree with Luna that bicycle flirting is foolproof, but it is also hazardous. On the other hand, we understand the awkwardness of trying to tell someone that you like them, but the film missed out on establishing an important difference between dating and relationships. Dating is about selective information assimilation, whereas a relationship is about honesty and commitment. A person who may not know how to tell someone they like them can be one of the most honest partners. There is always a certain psychology between one’s expressions or their inability to do so, and we would have liked it if Happy Ending had taken a deep dive into it.

Additionally, did anyone else feel dissatisfied with the character of Eve? She was supposed to be the catalyst that brought Mink and Luna’s problems to the surface. But we feel sad about how the story treats her as disposable. After all, Mink was not the only person who had been affected by Luna’s inability to communicate. Even Eve had been affected by it, and she was not even given her due for it.

All of this is making us think that Happy Ending is not a rom-com but a story of how Luna learns to communicate. After all, she suffered due to her inability to do so, and eventually, she neglected to consider how others were affected by her silence. We see that Mink is a supportive partner who is willing to listen to Luna, but the fact that she had not spoken to him and then gone behind his back showed how much she didn’t trust him. In fact, even Luna says to Eve that she is a lot more comfortable talking to her than to others. When Luna and Mink do break up, he says the exact problem is that she won’t talk to him.

We, as the audience, are also left confused about how Luna actually feels. She certainly loved Mink, but did those feelings extend to Eve as well, or were they just a means to an end? Her decision to try and get back with Mink felt a little out of the blue because of this very reason. Also, it was odd that they were all discussing their intimate problems with each other in this manner. We don’t mean the girls by that, but the fact that Mink told his friend, who was also invited to the girls’ dinner, where this discussion was continued. This talk doesn’t mix like that. But the Charlie’s Angels’ dinner was important and probably the most impactful scene of the movie, as it was here that it was brought up how the most pressing problems are often not discussed with our partners because it is their validation that we crave the most. It ties in very well with the ending, where, just like that, Mink decides to give the relationship another chance, and he and Luna sit together and talk like friends in a non-judgmental space.

We don’t hate Happy Ending , but it felt very one-dimensional in its approach. What Luna experienced is something that is being discussed more openly, as women find it difficult to be as happy as their partners, and the reasons for this are varied. But this film felt like it was made to soothe those troubled egos, as it failed to address the bigger problem and focused on the minority of the issue. Mink has been painted as a little too idealistic, especially when it comes to bringing Eve into their relationship. He said that he only did it for Luna’s sake, but that is not how this should have worked. Neither Mink nor Luna talked about what their limits were or how far they were willing to go, and finally, we are surprised that he never even raised an eyebrow at Luna’s enthusiasm for this whole thing. Something like this has the potential to change the dynamics of a relationship or bring a new angle to it, but all of that was very conveniently ignored by the writers. It wasn’t just Luna; even Mink had trouble talking about how he felt. The worst was how he missed out on how Luna used to be so zoned out after their encounter with Eve. Mink does come across as a very dense person, and we are surprised that it wasn’t addressed more in the film.

The problem with Happy Ending is that it wants everyone to be good. It refused to see people as complex beings who struggle to deal with societal privileges and expectations. After all, Luna’s shyness wasn’t the harshest crime, but if they had written Mink as someone genuinely inattentive, his character would have been bashed like anything. Therefore, it is nobody’s fault, and Eve is an egg-eating vegan, and things work out just fine.

Happy Ending carries an important message about communication, but it just fails to capture the entire picture. With a topic like this, set between couples, there are politics to the shyness exhibited by Luna, and unless the film was willing to explore them, it missed the mark. In light of that, her friends felt like compensatory characters to show that there is another side to not freely expressing feelings, and that is a “whole other type of woman” whose inability to express herself is related to love. These stereotypes, so cleverly disguised, had no place in a film like this. Happy Ending is just not what it should have been, and that is the sad conclusion.

‘House Of Ga’a’ Ending Explained & Film Summary: Is Oyemekun Dead Or Alive?

‘wonderland’ ending explained & film summary: what happens in the mid-credits scene, ‘non negotiable’ ending explained & film spoilers: will vicente work with alan, ‘kleo’ season 3 theories: is harald the astronaut kleo’s brother, more like this, ‘starve acre’ ending explained: did juliette kill owen what did the hare symbolize, ‘wonderland’ netflix review: an attractive all-star cast contemplates about the afterlife.

• Write For DMT

COPYRIGHT © DMT. All rights Reserved. All Images property of their respective owners.

Seo Ye-Ji’s Eve K-Drama Ending Explained: What Happens at the End?

By Arpita Adhya

Seo Yea Ji ‘s 2022 thriller K-drama Eve was finally released on Netflix . The drama promises a suspenseful revenge plot in which Seo Yea Ji, as Lee La El, plots to avenge the ruin of her family. However, fans wonder whether she succeeds in her vengeance plot at the end of sixteen episodes.

Award-winning K-drama actress Seo Yea Ji has been the protagonist of many popular shows. Some of her famous works include the 2021 International Emmy-nominated K-drama It’s Okay Not To Be Okay, Lawless Lawyer, and Save Me. After stunning fans in romantic comedies, TVN drama Eve showed Seo Yea Ji’s prowess in psychological thrillers.

Happy 2nd anniversary, Eve. Seo Yea Ji solo character poster for ‘Eve’ (2022) ? #서예지 #徐睿知 #ソイェジ #ซอเยจี #SeoYeJi #SeoYeaJi #이브 #EVE #LeeRael pic.twitter.com/W1HhU3iDS4 — Seo Yea Ji 서예지 Philippines ?? (@SeoYeaJiPH) June 3, 2024

Seo Ye-Ji’s Eve K-drama ending explained & spoilers

The ending of the Netflix K-drama Eve focuses on Lee La El ( Seo Yea Ji ) and her detailed plan of revenge against the highest-ranking politician, Han Pan Ro. The plan also includes his daughter Han So Ra, LY group chairman Kang Yoon Gyeom, and Pan Ro’s right-hand man, Kim Jong Chul. All the characters have played a part in the murder of Lee La El’s father and CEO of GEDIKS, Lee Tae Joon.

Lee La El plots to cause a divorce between the married couple Han So Ra and Kang Yoon Gyeom. The split would eventually cause a conflict between the two powerful families. To succeed, she starts an affair with Kang Yoon Gyeom.

To make the plan successful, Lee La El assumes the identity of Kim Sun Bin, a woman married to LY employee Jang Jin Wook. Sun Bin’s stepdaughter attends the same school as Han So Ra’s daughter, Da-Bi. After penetrating Han So Ra’s inner circle, Sun Bin stuns her husband in a school dance performance. Later, she informs So Ra of her husband’s affair.

seo yea ji as lee rael in eve (2022) • #SEOYEAJI ??‍♀️ pic.twitter.com/sq170R8Lr5 — laazzzy☁️ (@miyaewi) April 24, 2024

As the plot thickens, Kang Yoon Gyeom learns the truth about Lee La El’s identity. Lee La El starts a murder case against So Ra, Kang Yoon Gyeom, and others involved. The LY chairman does not use his power to pressure the case’s verdict. Instead, he resigns as the chairman and vows to take responsibility for his wrongdoing.

Elsewhere, Lee La El understands that in between initiating an affair with Kang, she has started believing in the twin flame theory. Her connection with Kang had an ulterior motive. However, she begins truly loving the chairman, which worries her about his safety.

Eve Finale: Does it have a happy ending?

At the beginning of Eve’s final episode, 16, La El wakes up at Kang’s vacation house with the chairman beside her. She is frightened after having a bad dream in which Kang dies. The scene is significant as it proves that La El’s feelings for Kang are true, and she may choose him instead of her good friend, Seo Eun Pyung, who helped her in the revenge plan.

Kim Jeong Chul attacks La El at the vacation house, but Kang manages to save her. The former dies at Kang’s hands. Seo Eun Pyung helps Kang from the police, calling it “self-defense.” However, So Ra takes advantage of the situation and kidnaps La El.

Kang rushes to save La El and makes a drastic decision. He drives himself and So Ra off the cliff to end their lives. So Ra survives, but Kang dies in the accident. Later, Kang’s family discovers he has given all his company shares to La El.

After the accident, So Ra loses her sense of reality. La El visits her to remind her that she caused Kang’s death. Elsewhere at the court, one of the ex-prime minister’s employees gives testimony of their crimes, which helps Lee Ra El win.

With Kang’s shares, La El started compensating the victims and even made LY company a nonprofit organization to help those affected by corporate crimes. After the court case ends, she travels to Buenos Aires, where she meets Kang for the first time. Seo Eun Pyung decides to follow her.

The ending of the K-drama ending is open to interpretation, as many think La El will decide to live with Kang’s memory. However, as she mentions the importance of true love and freedom in her last speech, many believe La El may get together with Seo Eun Pyung later.

La El’s revenge plan becomes successful, but it comes with a high cost: losing her twin flame, Kang, who was also indirectly involved in her father’s cruel assassination. So, the ending brings justice to La El’s painful past, and her future remains a mystery for viewers.

Arpita covers K-pop, K-drama and Asian Entertainment scoops for ComingSoon.Net. From in-depth coverage of Asian Entertainment gems to the latest fan obsession, she is dedicated to bring out the best of Asian pop culture to the world one story at a time.

Share article

• Skip to main content
• Keyboard shortcuts for audio player

Pop Culture Happy Hour

• Performing Arts
• Pop Culture

'Presumed Innocent' finale: And the murderer is ...

Linda Holmes

Rusty Sabich (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Raymond Horgan (Bill Camp) prepare to hear the verdict in Rusty's trial in the finale of Presumed Innocent . Apple TV+ hide caption

[ Spoilers abound, obviously .]

There was every reason for the Apple TV+ series Presumed Innocent to depart from the 1990 film that was based on the same Scott Turow novel. To refresh your memory: In the movie's final twist, after Rusty Sabich (Harrison Ford) is acquitted of the murder of his lover, Carolyn Polhemus, he is confronted with the awful truth: His loving wife, Barbara (Bonnie Bedelia) killed Carolyn, out of jealousy and anger that she excuses as a desire to protect her family. Rusty knows that Barbara cannot realistically be prosecuted after his high-profile trial, and he wouldn't take her away from their son anyway. So he resigns himself to the guilt of knowing that his actions led to Carolyn's death.

All Songs Considered

Hear jake gyllenhaal perform 'move on,' from 'sunday in the park with george'.

In the finale of the new TV series, Rusty (Jake Gyllenhaal) is again acquitted, and he again comes home and has a confrontation with Barbara (Ruth Negga). He tells her he's known all along that she killed Carolyn; he knew it as soon as he saw Carolyn's body. In fact, he discovered and staged the crime scene in order to protect her. A horrified Barbara, however, seems rather convincingly shocked that her husband believes (and has believed for months) that she committed a murder. And indeed, as both Barbara and Rusty discover together when they are interrupted, she did not.

The murder was instead committed by their daughter, Jaden (Chase Infiniti). Jaden went to see Carolyn to confront her about her affair with Rusty, and when Carolyn told Jaden that she was pregnant with Rusty's child, Jaden beat her to death with the fireplace poker.

Kingston Rumi Southwick, Chase Infiniti and Ruth Negga play Rusty's family in Presumed Innocent. Apple TV+/Apple TV+ hide caption

After this revelation, and Rusty's hugs and reassurance that they're just never going to talk about it again, because they're "a family and [they] love each other," we move to a montage of all of the characters basically living happily ever after. The images of Rusty's family are so awash in traditional domesticity that we actually see Barbara and Jaden taking a turkey out of the oven. Jaden is unaffected by having beaten someone to death and carrying this secret for the rest of her life. Over dinner, the kids laugh, Rusty and Barbara look warmly at each other, with only the slightest hint of melancholy, and we are out.

So everything is basically fine, except of course for Carolyn Polhemus (Renate Reinsve), who is still dead. But perhaps to make a nuclear family omelet, you have to break a few single, unattached eggs!

The sexism baked into the show and the movie

It's difficult to defend the gender politics of the 1990 movie, which came out during a time when getting the figurative death penalty for interfering with domestic bliss wasn't uncommon for women. ( Fatal Attraction is probably the most famous example). But at least it, like the novel, ended with the sense that Rusty would forever live in a hell of his own making. Here, the marriage triumphs much more purely: as parents, Rusty and Barbara are now united to protect Jaden, and Rusty has been restored to his position as the strong and noble head of the family. Nobody really seems mad at him anymore.

What to watch this summer: Here are the TV shows we're looking forward to

It's impossible to separate the choices that the creators of this show, led by David E. Kelley, made about the murder from the treatment of the character of Carolyn throughout. She was a paper-thin sketch. It sure seems baffling that she would have invited Rusty's teenage daughter into her house (!), had a conversation with her about the affair (!!), and then hit her with the fact that she was pregnant (!!!). But it's impossible to know what Carolyn would or would not have realistically done, given that Jaden's conversation with her, which takes about 45 seconds, is one of the few times in the series where Carolyn says anything at all.

As much as the big-haired, power-suited, more aggressive version of Carolyn played by Greta Scacchi in 1990 fit into stereotypes about women in the workplace and the threats they posed to wives at home , this one is equally unpleasant in making Carolyn nothing at all. The decision to cast and then waste Renate Reinsve, who was so captivating in the film The Worst Person in the World , is perplexing. This was an opportunity to make Carolyn more of a person; they went the other way.

Without Rusty's resignation to his life of guilt and isolation, and with his rallying beside his wife to protect their fundamentally good-hearted child, what you get is a stronger sense that Carolyn simply doesn't matter at all. That she was murdered doesn't matter, that her murder is going to be covered up doesn't matter, that her blinking out of existence (and, of course, having her corpse abused by Rusty when he staged the crime scene) doesn't matter. All that matters is the family, the family, the family is going to be OK now, and that's what's important. And unlike in the film and the book, where guilt drenched the final moments, the family doesn't even have to feel bad. Pull that turkey out of the oven, folks, we're doing home and hearth!

There is a lot to like in this series. As with a lot of snazzy streaming projects, the performances from known powerhouse actors are not the problem. Gyllenhaal is good. Negga is good. Peter Sarsgaard is good. O-T Fagbenle is good. It's entertaining enough on that basis alone, even if it sags in the middle quite a bit, as so many similar series do. (Why did we need that side trip into Barbara's flirtation with the bartender?) It fits comfortably into what James Poniewozik called "Mid TV" in The New York Times in April.

But that ending is a big dud. It's much more conventional than the people behind the show seem to think, given that "the teenager did it" is a standard Law & Order resolution to similar stories of family strife that end in violence. And rather than wriggling out of the sexism that exists in the original story, it just makes the same mistakes in a new way. Presenting a woman as a relentless climber who wants to sleep her way to the top is sexist, but it's not necessarily worse than presenting her as nothing at all. Making her murder an obstacle that a happy family uses to reaffirm its deep bonds and then just ... moves past? That is how you signal that a character's humanity is irrelevant to the story. And that makes her a prop, not a person.

You deserved better, Carolyn Polhemus.

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

• Upcoming Movies and TV shows
• Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
• Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

• What's the Tomatometer®?
• Login/signup

Movies in theaters

• Opening this week
• Top box office
• Coming soon to theaters
• Certified fresh movies

Movies at home

• Fandango at Home
• Prime Video
• Most popular streaming movies
• What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

• 79% Deadpool & Wolverine Link to Deadpool & Wolverine
• 95% Dìdi Link to Dìdi
• 76% Twisters Link to Twisters

New TV Tonight

• 78% Time Bandits: Season 1
• 100% Charlie Hustle & the Matter of Pete Rose: Season 1
• 66% The Decameron: Season 1
• 40% Dirty Pop: The Boy Band Scam: Season 1
• -- Snowpiercer: Season 4
• -- 61st Street: Season 2
• -- Wayne Brady: The Family Remix: Season 1
• -- Elite: Season 8
• -- Olympic Highlights with Kevin Hart and Kenan Thompson: Season 1
• -- Dress My Tour: Season 1

Most Popular TV on RT

• 81% Star Wars: The Acolyte: Season 1
• 78% Presumed Innocent: Season 1
• 100% Supacell: Season 1
• 51% Those About to Die: Season 1
• 75% Lady in the Lake: Season 1
• 93% The Boys: Season 4
• 89% Sunny: Season 1
• 89% The Bear: Season 3
• Best TV Shows
• Most Popular TV
• TV & Streaming News

Certified fresh pick

• 78% Cobra Kai: Season 6 Link to Cobra Kai: Season 6
• All-Time Lists
• Binge Guide
• Comics on TV
• Five Favorite Films
• Video Interviews
• Weekend Box Office
• Weekly Ketchup
• What to Watch

All Marvel Movies In Order: How To Watch MCU Chronologically

All Hugh Jackman Movies Ranked

What to Watch: In Theaters and On Streaming

Awards Tour

Poll: Vote for Your Most Anticipated Movie of August

Poll: Vote for Your Most Anticipated TV or Streaming Show of August

• Trending on RT
• Deadpool & Wolverine Reviews
• Comic-Con Trailers
• Cosplay Gallery
• Best Movie Duos
• MCU Movies Ranked

Happy Ending Reviews

A movie about a childish woman who can't speak her mind and ends up hurting the person she may or may not even love is, ironically, unsatisfying itself.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Sep 22, 2023

But given the failures of character development, in the end, the threesome premise feels just like a cheap gimmick rather than a meaningful exploration of sex, boundaries, communication, and pleasure.

Full Review | Sep 12, 2023

Middling sex scenes, desultory arguments, and “real” and “fake” orgasm faces...to anyone of voting age, “Happy Ending” is too unsurprising to be happy, too perfunctorily plotted to supply an ending that will satisfy anybody.

Full Review | Original Score: 1.5/4 | Sep 9, 2023

The screenplay’s need for another draft or three is Happy Ending’s biggest issue. Otherwise, it’s a nicely shot film, naturalistic where similar American films are glossy and artificial, and the cast is game.

Full Review | Sep 5, 2023

As a feature debut, Joosje Duk starts strong with Happy Ending.

Full Review | Original Score: 8.5/10 | Sep 5, 2023

Joosje Duk maintains a careful balance between comedy and romance without falling into routine genre clichés. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Original Score: 6/10 | Sep 5, 2023

Despite the short runtime, the narrative maintains a steady pace and doesn’t rush the experience, allowing the audience to travel with the characters through their relationship and feel a connection to their struggles.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Sep 2, 2023

In an era when some on social media puritanically bemoan the necessity of sex scenes in film and television, Happy Ending never shies away from the act of sex or female pleasure.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Sep 1, 2023

'Oddity's darkly funny ending came by happy accident

One of the best horror movies of 2024 has an ending that's sublimely sick and satisfying. And that very last shot came by chance. 

When Mashable sat down with Oddity writer/director Damian McCarthy — and the Wooden Man at the film's center — we learned how the last brutal beat in the multifaceted horror story came to be. 

Sure, Oddity begins with a frightening premise of home invasion: a woman alone, renovating her remote country house, hears a knock at the door only to be confronted by a wild-eyed stranger who warns her that someone has snuck inside and means to hurt her. But from there, McCarthy pulled from folk horror, haunted house movies, and killer doll flicks to craft a menacing medley of a movie, which has an anthology feel even as it centers on one house and the doomed people who cross its threshold. 

While the flashiest figure in Oddity is undoubtedly its Wooden Man, McCarthy also looped in a pretty but haunted bell to strike the perfect tone for the film's final moment.

Be warned, the following will dig into spoilers for Oddity' s third act. 

Oddity's ending explained. 

The woman in the opening is Dani, the dark-haired twin to blonde (and blind) medium Darcy, who owns an oddity shop for which the film might well be named. When we first meet Darcy, she's mourning her sister, who was murdered a year before in the aforementioned country home. Reunited with her brother-in-law, Ted, Darcy tells the tale of a haunted desk bell she holds in her hands. 

"There was a man — not a very pleasant one — who spent most of his life working as a bellboy at a hotel," she explains in the film's first act. "And one night, he was showing a drunk guest to his room, and the guest shoved him down the stairs, and he broke his neck and died in the fall. And a few days later, the receptionist rang the bell to summon the new bellboy. Only who did she see running towards her — not looking very happy?" 

While Darcy is visibly enchanted by the story, Ted scoffs, daring her to ring the bell and "see what happens." She warns him, "It's not something to be played with, Ted, seeing as the last two people who rang it were found dead." 

The bell will be set aside as they discuss the grim anniversary of Dani's death. But in the final scene, it comes back. After the true villain behind Dani's death has been revealed, and those who've gotten their hands bloody have paid for their sins, Ted returns to his home to find a package mailed from Darcy's shop. Clearly, before she surprised him and his girlfriend with the Wooden Man in the crate, she'd sent this small box off for a final part of her plan. And what lies inside? The haunted desk bell. 

Home alone — as Dani was at the movie's start — Ted takes out the bell. And even now — even after his girlfriend's insistence on seeing Dani's ghost, his colleague's tale of the rampaging Wooden Man, and Darcy's cryptic threats — his mind is closed to the possibilities of the paranormal. So, Ted sits down and rings the bell, tempting fate.  

He looks around his home and sees no dead bellboy. But just as it seems the movie might end — with Little Willie John's jaunty R&B track "Now you Know" playing —  McCarthy's Oddity cuts to a wide shot. In the foreground, Ted smiles, feeling smug about his seeming victory. But behind him — out of his line of view — is a dead bellboy, standing still but nonetheless menacing. 

• Freaky 'ODDITY' trailer teases a woman using haunted artefacts for revenge
• 'Oddity' review: Your new horror obsession has arrived
• What the heck is a 'Skinamarink'? Explaining the abstract horror gem
• We need to talk about 'Fall's twisted ending
• 'Longlegs' haunting ending, explained

The film cuts to the credits, but even unseen, Ted's fate is assured. 

Damian McCarthy reveals how the ending of Oddity came to be. 

Speaking with Mashable, McCarthy said of Oddity, "One of the things that I wanted to do with the film was just that it would never take itself too seriously." While the movie involved murder, vengeance, and ghouls, there is a cheeky humor woven throughout. "The way people talk to each other, they're quite sarcastic or cutting," McCarthy said of his characters, adding, "I think that just makes the film more enjoyable." 

From there, he revealed that this final moment — that final, darkly funny wide shot — was stumbled across in production. "We found that on the set," McCarthy explained, "Because originally, it was supposed to end with a close-up of this figure that's come for Ted." While the crew was setting up the next shot, Gwilym Lee, who plays Ted, and Shane Whisker, who plays the bellboy, were waiting patiently on set: the former seated at the dining table, the latter standing behind him with his hands folded at his belly.   

"They were just taking a break between setups," McCarthy recalled, "And just looking at it — Shane couldn't move because the contact (lenses) he was wearing completely blinded him. So he said, 'I'll just be safer standing here' — the way he's standing at the end of the film. And Ted was just taking five sitting down. And I was at the other side of the room, and like, 'That's a really interesting shot. Let's just get that as well.' And that ended up becoming the better, much funnier, darker ending than the one we originally planned." 

Oddity opens in theaters July 19.

Topics Film

Kristy Puchko is the Film Editor at Mashable. Based in New York City, she's an established film critic and entertainment reporter, who has traveled the world on assignment, covered a variety of film festivals, co-hosted movie-focused podcasts, interviewed a wide array of performers and filmmakers, and had her work published on RogerEbert.com, Vanity Fair, and The Guardian. A member of the Critics Choice Association and GALECA as well as a Top Critic on Rotten Tomatoes, Kristy's primary focus is movies. However, she's also been known to gush over television, podcasts, and board games. You can follow her on Twitter.

‘The Girl in the Pool’ Review: Freddie Prinze Jr. Tries to Hide His Mistress’ Corpse in a Schlocky Thriller With More Laughs Than Suspense

A married man struggles to keep party guests away from a hastily-hidden dead body in this delightfully trashy affair.

By Courtney Howard

Courtney Howard

• ‘Find Me Falling’ Review: Harry Connick Jr. Sings and Shines in Netflix’s Big Fat Greek Rom-Com 1 week ago
• ‘Touch’ Review: A Search for a Lost Love Makes for A Heartrending Romantic Affair to Remember 1 month ago
• ‘What You Wish For’ Review: Nick Stahl Serves a Devious Dish in This Taut but Half-Baked Thriller 2 months ago

Related Stories

Vfx working conditions need to change, but current unionization option may not be the answer, 'the boys' prequel 'vought rising' starring jensen ackles, aya cash ordered at amazon, popular on variety.

Gorman and screenwriter Jackson Reid Williams pile on gimmick upon gimmick, beginning the proceedings with Thomas in media res, furiously scrubbing his blood-soaked sins away in the shower. His plight unfolds in a non-linear structure, switching back and forward on the timeline. While it’s never confusing, these flashbacks mostly provide cringe-worthy details (like hearing Thomas’ incel-ish best friend call him a “Beta” after not breaking the annoying neighbor’s camera drone) rather than add clarity to the present, which can also be fairly outlandish considering they quote Gandhi and say Prinze is “like Vin Diesel with hair.” Audiences will feel their bodies recoiling, hearing Thomas and Hannah’s smooching sessions punctuated by the actors’ hilariously loud lip-smacking. And superfluous events, like Hannah’s home tour where she slinks around the master bedroom and closet in her skivvies while destroying Kristen’s clothes and messing with her jewelry, call the film’s perspective into question as Thomas has no clue she ever did such devious things.

There are moments where Gorman and Williams lean into the inherent comedy of Thomas’ precarious situation. The scene where he grabs a large decorative vase after hearing strange noises outside before being surprised by party guests loosely functions as a setup for when he, in all seriousness, pulls a gun during the film’s mind-numbingly ridiculous resolution. Prinze plays the comedic undertones perfectly, specifically in the scene where he convinces his crew to return to the party after catching them smoking weed while sitting on Hannah’s makeshift coffin. It also doubles as the filmmakers’ spin on the unbraced sink scene in Darren Aronofsky’s “mother!” where anxiety and nervous laughter are birthed. Plus, the sharp cut from inside Thomas’ coke-fueled confusion, where his children observe him acting like a cat mesmerized by the DJ’s light machine, is a high point in the film’s lunacy.

Still, the filmmakers fail to properly construct suspense. The antagonistic relationship between Thomas’ obnoxious pals Randall (Jaylen Moore) and Mike (Michael Sirow) stalls immediately. Hushed secrets between Alex and Kristen aren’t developed enough for us to believe their whispers are stoking Thomas’ suspicions. Potter and Prinze, who previously starred together in the rom-com mystery “Head Over Heels,” are dealt a disservice by the lax material; their dynamic doesn’t generate much of a spark. It’s also difficult to buy a completely unmotivated turn by William later in the film.

Tone is key in films this silly. So when these filmmakers don’t hit a precise tone, despite their ensemble’s straight-faced delivery of hokey dialogue and clichéd scenarios, the picture flounders. Shifts from silly to serious occur frequently, though the thriller is better served when it keeps the proceedings buoyant, having us root against the hero instead of for him. Gorman takes a decidedly regressive approach to the conclusion, pulling strands of inspiration from Adrian Lyne’s “Fatal Attraction” in hackneyed ways. Nevertheless, even the poor form of “The Girl in the Pool” is sufficient enough to garner more than a few cackles to keep viewers invested in its wildly stupefying journey.

Reviewed online, Los Angeles, July 19, 2024. Running time: 89 MIN.

• Production: A Quiver Distribution release in association with BondIt Media Capital and ETA Films, GMT Films, Elevate Media Partners. Producer: Larry Greenberg, German Michael Torres, RJ Collins, Eric Brenner. Executive Producer: Berry Meyerowitz, Jeff Sackman, Freddie Prinze Jr., Nicole Rio, Johnathan Gorman, Matthew Helderman, Tyler Gould, Luke Taylor, Jordan Kessler, Ted Beck, Ryan Santwire.
• Crew: Director: Dakota Gorman. Screenplay: Jackson Reid Williams. Camera (color): Alonso Homs. Editor: Rob Bonz. Music: Adam Bosarge.
• With: Freddie Prinze Jr., Monica Potter, Gabrielle Haugh, Brielle Barbusca, Tyler Lawrence Gray, Kevin Pollak, Jaylen Moore, Michael Sirow.

More from Variety

Korea box office: ‘inside out 2’ dominates on third weekend as ‘a quiet place’ creeps into fourth place, some olympics tv is in 4k, but viewers care little for the format: survey, china box office: ‘twisters’ is blown away as ‘successor’ enjoys $89 million weekend, korea box office: ‘inside out 2’ reaches $48 million after strong fourth weekend, paramount+ biggest challenge: boosting subscriber engagement, korea box office: ‘inside out 2’ wins fifth weekend, fends off ‘project silence’, more from our brands, céline dion is ‘so full of joy’ after comeback olympics performance, woodford reserve just dropped a box of chocolates inspired by its bourbon, ncaa settlement lawyers can seek cut of athlete revenue, the best loofahs and body scrubbers, according to dermatologists, dexter: michael c. hall to star in new revival, narrate original sin prequel.

Deadpool 3 Spoilers: The 12 Biggest Reveals So Far

Film critics saw the first 35-40 minutes of Marvel Studios' Deadpool and Wolverine ( Deadpool 3 ), and major reveals and spoilers are starting to pop up online.

Coming into 2024 as Marvel Studios' only theatrical release of the year and the first X-Men -centric movie in MCU history, Deadpool and Wolverine has fans on edge with expectations.

Plenty of characters have already been revealed in its trailers, but in classic Marvel Studios fashion, a whole other round of secrets and spoilers are still being kept under wraps.

12 Biggest Deadpool and Wolverine Spoilers & Reveals

Critics who watched the first 35-40 minutes of Deadpool and Wolverine ( sharing excellent reviews afterward ) revealed 12 key spoilers from that footage.

The Hilarious Opening Credits

After the opening Marvel Studios logo, Deadpool visits Logan's grave from the end of 2017's Logan , joking that he cannot let Wolverine actually die the way he did in Hugh Jackman's last movie. As he plays around with the adamantium-covered skeleton, TVA agents surround him, leading to a huge opening battle.

Teased in the trailers, the opening credits then roll as Deadpool uses Wolverine's skeleton like a weapon, ripping his leg off and throwing his ribs like knives. The actors' names appear on the bones, although it is unknown if they are the actors' real names or parody-style listings like the ones from the first two films.

Hilariously, this is all set to *NSYNC's hit 2000 single "Bye, Bye, Bye" as Deadpool gets his first MCU fight sequence. This is the second time that song has been in an X-Men movie, as it was also heard for a moment in Cyclops' car in 2003's X2 .

Deadpool Gets Invited to the MCU

After a long break from being a superhero, Deadpool is brought to the Time Variance Authority and put in front of Matthew McFadyen's Mr. Paradox. The powerful TVA authority then offers Deadpool a chance to live in the Sacred Timeline, which is reconfirmed to be Earth-616, the main MCU universe.

This will allow him to live amongst heroes like Captain America and Thor , who he sees in various clips from past MCU movies. Unsurprisingly, this is a chance Wade Wilson is far from opposed to, especially with Paradox calling Wade "the chosen one."

As for Deadpool's timeline, Mr. Paradox is in charge of a project overseeing the end of it since it is withering away and dying. He even developed a device called the "Time Ripper," which can speed up that process and "mercy kill" timelines.

This could set up a version of the famous 2011 Marvel Comics series, "Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe," as the Fox Universe faces its end with Deadpool surviving.

Vanessa Has a New Boyfriend

Although Morena Baccarin is back for Deadpool 3 as Vanessa , her relationship with Wade Wilson takes a vastly different turn after the first two films. After Deadpool goes back in time to save her from dying at the end of Deadpool 2 , the years after that event see the two broken up.

Vanessa is seen at Wade's birthday party with a new boyfriend whose name seems to start with a "D," but no other details have been revealed. She is there with the main supporting cast from Deadpool 2 (except for Zazie Beetz's Domino).

The footage also includes some NSFW material from Rob Delaney's Peter, including nipple piercings, and this is likely where Wade and Blind Al's cocaine conversation comes into play as well.

The MCU’s Anchor Variants Explained

The MCU gets a brand new concept in this movie called "Anchor Variants," which is brought up thanks to Wolverine's death during Logan in the Fox Universe, which is officially designated as Earth-10005.

An Anchor Variant is described as someone of vital importance to their home universe, and when they die, it triggers the end of the said timeline. After Deadpool initially thinks he is that Variant in the Fox Universe, Paradox reveals that it is actually Wolverine.

While Deadpool is excited about the chance to join the MCU, he does not want to lose his universe. Fans have heard him say in trailers that he's "about to lose everything [he's] ever cared about," and he is desperate to find a way to save Vanessa and his friends.

This leads him to come up with the idea to find a replacement Wolverine to pluck from the greater multiverse and place on Earth-10005, which would hypothetically save everybody he loves.

Search for the Best Wolverine

As Deadpool begins the search for a replacement Wolverine, he comes across Variants that have been teased in the marketing campaign along with others who have been kept a secret.

His first stop is the end of 2017's Logan as he is convinced that Wolverine's regenerative healing powers would have kept him from dying — this is proven false when Deadpool finds nothing but the skeleton and rotting flesh.

Traveling to another universe, Wade finds a Wolverine who is a comic-accurate 5'3" tall rather than Hugh Jackman's 6'2". Ironically, this Variant is still played by Hugh Jackman as he is shrunk down to size via CGI, making for a hilarious image.

Another universe jump puts him face-to-face with Wolverine's Patch alter-ego in a casino, who was seen in the movie's first trailer from behind. Along with a white tux, this version dons an eyepatch, but he is not the Variant Wade is looking for.

Moving further, another depiction of Wolverine comes in a miserable, old, grey-haired Hugh Jackman very reminiscent of comic writer Mark Millar's Old Man Logan. He matches the Clint Eastwood-like depiction of the character as he sits on a porch with a hat on.

Other Variants include a Wolverine being crucified on a wooden X, one with glam rock-style hair and a wrestler-style costume, and even one in his original brown and tan threads.

Finally, Wade encounters the Wolverine seen in the second full trailer , who is sitting at a bar drunk on whiskey as Wade asks him to help save his universe. This Variant even wears the classic yellow-and-blue Wolverine suit under his civilian clothes, convincing Wade he is the right choice.

In a twist, Paradox believes this Variant to be an unworthy replacement, saying, "This Wolverine let down his entire world." According to the TVA employee, that Variant turned to drinking to wash his sadness away.

Deadpool & Wolverine’s Many Marvel Cameos

As expected upon Deadpool's long-awaited entry into the MCU, Deadpool and Wolverine will not shy away from bringing in characters from past Marvel Studios movies.

Early in the film, Deadpool takes a trip to the Avengers Campus in upstate New York, where he asks Jon Favreau's Happy Hogan if he could join the team to impress Vanessa. He is turned down as Happy tells him the job is about public service rather than personal glory.

In the TVA he sees a clip of himself alongside Chris Hemsworth's Thor, who is crying over Deadpool dying. Deadpool then asks about why Thor is crying over him, but no other context has been shared.

The Hulk also makes an appearance as he fights the brown-and-tan-suited Wolverine, recreating Wolverine's first-ever comic appearance in The Incredible Hulk #181 .

All of these cameos are only in the early stages of the film, although there are over half a dozen other cameos confirmed for the threequel's later stages.

The first trailer revealed Aaron Stanford's return as John Allerdyce/Pyro , putting him in his comic-accurate costume after major appearances in 2003's X2 and 2006's X-Men: The Last Stand . He first played the role in a cameo capacity in 2000's X-Men .

Another shot added four other past X-Men villains to the Deadpool 3 roster, including Lady Deathstrike ( X2 ), Toad ( X-Men ), Azazel ( X-Men: First Class ), and Callisto ( X-Men: The Last Stand ). It is still unconfirmed whether the original actors who played those characters will return in the MCU.

Prior to the trailers' release, The Hollywood Reporter later revealed that Jennifer Garner would join the Marvel Studios epic as Elektra , reprising her role from 2003's Daredevil and 2005's Elektra . As of writing, her specific plot details in the film have not been shared.

How Deadpool & Wolverine End Up in The Void

After Deadpool finds out Paradox's plan to speed up the death of his universe, he punches the antagonist and breaks his nose before going on the hunt for a replacement Wolverine.

Once Paradox explains why Jackman's new Variant is unfit to replace the one in Wade's world, he throws them both into a vast wasteland, which many are presuming to be the Void from Loki .

This is what leads to the Deadpool vs. Wolverine fight that has been highlighted throughout the promotional material. It is also where the 35-40 minutes of footage ends, with only a preview of the rest of the film coming after that.

Lady Deadpool & The Deadpool Corps

The preview following the first part of the film teased the introduction of the Deadpool Corps, some of which has been seen in the trailers.

Shown most often is the adorably ugly Dogpool, played by a Pug/Chinese Crested Dog mix named Peggy. Having been put through experimental testing, she has a look that terrifies most people, although her powers have not been revealed yet.

The human Variants are led by Lady Deadpool, who was teased in trailers as far back as February as fans saw her classic uzis on screen. Rumors have teased that Blake Lively (Ryan Reynolds' wife) is playing this character.

Other Variants include Headpool (a zombified Deadpool head), Kidpool (a child version of the Merc with a Mouth who wields water guns), and Babypool (an infant Deadpool complete with a pacifier). Additionally, fans saw a long-haired Variant played by Ryan Reynolds , but there is no other information known about him.

If you want to know more about all 6 of the confirmed Deadpool Corps members in Deadpool & Wolverine, check out our full explainer article!

This team could serve as Wade Wilson's version of the Avengers as he looks to find his place in the MCU, particularly as he finds out about the greater Multiverse. The only big hope is that they are not killed off as quickly as the X-Force team was in Deadpool 2 .

Especially if Lady Deadpool is played by Blake Lively, fans will hope to see some fun interactions between her and her husband as they take on their first comic-book-movie together since 2011's Green Lantern . She is also the de facto leader of the Deadpool Corps, meaning her role may be the biggest of the bunch.

You can read more about who Lady Deadpool is and what her character is like from the comics here!

Depending on how long the two leads stay in the Void, the Deadpool Corps may wind up playing important roles for a good chunk of screen time.

Cassandra Nova’s Backstory Confirmed

In the trailer teasing the latter stages of Deadpool and Wolverine , critics got new information on Emma Corrin's Cassandra Nova , the film's main villain.

The footage saw Cassandra Nova confirm she is the twin sibling of Charles Xavier, which takes from her origin story in the comics. There, she is recognized as a mummudrai (a powerful bodiless entity) who tries to kill Charles while they are in the womb together, escaping and forming her own physical being.

In this movie, she appears to be running a large group of villains out of the base built from the dead body and bones of Ant-Man . There also appears to be at least one wheelchair there, meaning she could be hunting down Variants of her brother and taking them out.

Right now, Nova's motivations are still unknown, although Corrin teased how dangerous of a threat she is to the entire multiverse .

The Greatest Showman Joins the MCU

On July 17, Marvel confirmed at least some of the official soundtrack for Deadpool 3 , teasing what music people will hear through the film. The list includes 16 tracks thus far, although it does not include Madonna's "Like a Prayer" or Toni Basil's "Mickey," both of which were heard in trailers.

Along with *NSYNC's previously mentioned "Bye, Bye, Bye," this soundtrack is filled with fun pop music originating from the USA, Canada (Ryan Reynolds' home country), and even Korea. 

"Angel of the Morning" was famously used in Deadpool 's opening credits, calling back to the original 2016 film with its inclusion here.

Reynolds and company take inspiration from the classics on the soundtrack, including songs like "You’re The One That I Want" from 1978's Grease and the hit 1985 rock song "The Power of Love" by Huey Lewis and the News.

"The Lady in Red" by Chris de Burgh is an unsurprising pick considering Lady Deadpool's inclusion in the film, as many expect that to be playing either when she makes her first entrance or has her first big fight scene.

Canada is also well-represented thanks to Avril Lavigne ("I'm With You"), as is Hugh Jackman's native Australia with the inclusion of the late Olivia Newton-John on the aforementioned Grease song.

The track that has fans talking more than any, however, is The Greatest Showman 's "The Greatest Show," which features Wolverine star Hugh Jackman as the leading vocalist. In that 2017 film, he played a fictionalized version of P.T. Barnum, the famous showman who helped create the Barnum & Bailey Circus.

The events leading up to Jackman passionately singing that opening number as a circus ringleader behind Jackman violently slashing through bodies as Marvel's James Howlett are one of this movie's biggest mysteries.

Could there be a Wolverine Variant who spends his days playing entertainer? Could Barnum's fancy red outfit set up Deadpool himself to play the character in that circus costume with the Merc's red mask under the top hat?

Better yet, could fans see Jackman playing a Wolverine Variant donning that costume (or a Wolverine-ed version of Barnum's threads) and dancing next to circus folk and trapeze artists?

The possibilities are endless, and they have viewers itching to find out more.

Dafne Keen's X-23 Joins the Marvel Cinematic Universe

The final full trailer for Deadpool and Wolverine confirmed the inclusion of Dafne Keen, who makes her second appearance as Laura (better known as the mutant X-23). She first delivered this character alongside Hugh Jackman in 2017's Logan , which marked her first movie appearance when she was only 12 years old.

Although this trailer revealed her for the first time, fans now presume she is the character Logan is talking to in a scene from the first trailer in which he says, "Trust me, kid, I'm no hero."

Here, he tells her, "Whoever you think I am, you got the wrong guy" before she turns around dramatically in the dark and replies, "You were always the wrong guy...until you weren’t."

Deadpool 3 Adds Another Loki Character

A TV spot released on July 21 added a new character to Deadpool and Wolverine 's roster in Wunmi Mosaku's Hunter B-15. She played a major supporting role in both seasons of Loki on Disney+ . 

This trailer shows her wearing a suit in the TVA as she tells somebody, "I’m gonna show you something huge" in front of a couple of TVA Minutemen, although no other context is given.

This inclusion gives Mosaku her first-ever appearance in an MCU movie as she brings a familiar face to the TVA's story in this threequel.

Deadpool and Wolverine slashes its way into theaters on Friday, July 26.

Read more about Deadpool 3 below:

Deadpool Corps Explained: 6 Confirmed Characters in Deadpool & Wolverine

Deadpool and Wolverine Popcorn Buckets: Where to Buy & When They'll Release

Marvel Takes Action to Prevent Deadpool and Wolverine Spoilers from Spreading

Deadpool and Wolverine Runtime Sets New Franchise Record

Don't Miss Out on MCU News!

Our MCU newsletter ranks the Top 5 Marvel Cinematic Universe news stories every week!

LATEST NEWS

Advertisement

Supported by

Her Films Defined a Gritty, Magical New York Moment

In the memoir “Desperately Seeking Something,” Susan Seidelman’s life is as full of twists, charm and happy endings as one of her iconic movies.

• Share full article

By W. M. Akers

W.M. Akers is the author of the “Westside” novels and the creator of the tabletop game “Deadball: Baseball With Dice.”

• Apple Books
• Barnes and Noble
• Books-A-Million
• Bookshop.org

When you purchase an independently reviewed book through our site, we earn an affiliate commission.

DESPERATELY SEEKING SOMETHING: A Memoir About Movies, Mothers, and Material Girls , by Susan Seidelman

Susan Seidelman gave birth with the help of doulas named Siskel and Ebert. The director, best known for loving portrayals of gritty 1980s Manhattan, was in the final stages of a 28-hour labor when the film critics appeared on the hospital TV. They were discussing Seidelman’s newest film, the revenge comedy “She-Devil,” allowing her the unique discomfort of getting panned while an obstetrician prodded her cervix.

Ebert was kind to the movie; Siskel hated it. So when her doctor told her to push, she did so with a scream:

“Screw you, Siskel! Roger, this one’s for you!”

Seidelman recounts this scene in her memoir, “Desperately Seeking Something,” a breezy look at a career in which her mission, she says, has been to tell women’s stories through a female lens. Relentlessly cheerful and packed with the anecdotes and observations of four decades in and around Hollywood, her story is a testament to the good humor and adaptability demanded of women who dare to make a place for themselves in the movies.

Raised in the Philadelphia suburbs, Seidelman went to film school in New York in the mid-1970s, when directing movies seemed to require a beard, a baseball cap and a bad attitude. Seidelman did her part to change that with “Smithereens,” a 1982 Lower East Side coming-of-age story that has the D.I.Y. aesthetic of a punk zine. She financed it with $12,000 inherited from her grandmother, part of which went to giving the leading man Richard Hell a “badly needed” teeth cleaning, and spent years shooting the movie in the grimmest alleys, lofts and clubs that Manhattan had to offer.

We are having trouble retrieving the article content.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and  log into  your Times account, or  subscribe  for all of The Times.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

Already a subscriber?  Log in .

Want all of The Times?  Subscribe .