May (2002) Ending Explained
TL;DR:
The ending of May (2002), directed by Lucky McKee, is a disturbing culmination of the titular character's descent into madness and loneliness. After a lifetime of social rejection and emotional trauma, May finally snaps and murders people she once admired, stitching their "perfect" body parts together to create her ideal companion. The film concludes with May embracing her grotesque creation, only for it to reject her, leaving her utterly alone. The ambiguous final shot suggests May may have found a twisted form of acceptance-or complete annihilation.
Detailed Explanation of the Ending
The final act of May sees the socially isolated and emotionally fragile May Dove Canady (Angela Bettis) fully surrendering to her psychosis. After repeated rejections from those she idolizes-her crush Adam (Jeremy Sisto), her coworker Polly (Anna Faris), and even her childhood "friend," a doll named Suzie - May methodically kills them, harvesting their body parts. She sews them together to craft a "perfect" friend, embodying her mother's twisted advice: "If you can't find a friend, make one." The climactic scene shows May cradling her monstrous creation, whispering, "You're perfect," before it suddenly turns on her, gouging out one of her eyes. The film ends with May laughing maniacally, either in acceptance of her fate or complete mental breakdown, as the camera pulls away.
Symbolism and Themes
The ending reinforces the film's central themes of loneliness, perfectionism, and the horrors of unmet emotional needs. May's obsession with finding someone "perfect" stems from her mother's warped upbringing, which taught her to view people as collections of parts rather than whole beings. Her final act of creation-and its subsequent rejection-mirrors how society rejected her. The grotesque "friend" symbolizes May's inability to form real connections, as even her handmade companion abandons her. The eye-gouging could represent May's forced awakening to reality or the cyclical nature of her suffering-her mother also wore an eyepatch, hinting at inherited trauma.
Unresolved Questions & Possible Answers
- Does May die at the end?
- Possibility 1: She survives, forever broken but embracing her monstrous self.
- Possibility 2: She dies, her laughter being her final, delirious surrender.
- Is the creature alive, or is it all in May's mind?
- Possibility 1: It's a hallucination, representing her shattered psyche.
- Possibility 2: It's real-a Frankenstein-like abomination with a will of its own.
- What does the laughter mean?
- Possibility 1: She's finally free from societal expectations.
- Possibility 2: It's the sound of complete mental collapse.
Personal Opinion
May is a deeply unsettling yet poignant film, and its ending is both horrifying and tragically fitting. Angela Bettis's performance makes May's unraveling heartbreaking rather than purely monstrous. The finale doesn't offer catharsis, only bleak irony: May becomes what she feared most-a rejected, fragmented being. The ambiguity of her fate makes it linger in the mind. While not for the faint of heart, May is a brilliant exploration of how loneliness can curdle into madness, and its ending cements it as a cult horror masterpiece.
Final Thoughts
The last shot-a bloodied May laughing into the void-leaves viewers disturbed yet sympathetic. It's a perfect encapsulation of the film's tone: tragic, grotesque, and unforgettable. Whether May finds peace in her madness or perishes is left open, but her story serves as a dark fairy tale about the dangers of isolation and the desperate measures taken to escape it. The film's power lies in its refusal to offer easy answers, making its ending as haunting as its protagonist.