Home International Is Nocturnal Animals truly a Revenge Tale? Climax, Colours and Motifs Explained

Is Nocturnal Animals truly a Revenge Tale? Climax, Colours and Motifs Explained

The 2016 movie ‘Nocturnal Animals’ by Tom Ford is often put into discussion about the movie’s ending, characters, symbols and many. Here’s the boiled down explanation of the revenge tale. 

by Vinodhini Kumar
Published: Updated:
Nocturnal Animals Source: Focus Features , Consequence

‘Nocturnal Animals’ is one of the highly appreciated and recommended movies since its release due to the sheer violent and obvious showcase of trauma, violence and the psyche of people. The movie helmed by filmmaker Tom Ford and stars Amy Adams, Jake Gyllenhaal, Armie Hammer, Isla Fisher, Aaron Taylor- Johnson, Michael Shannon in the lead roles does leave quite a mark on the viewers who are pulled into the whirlpool of stories and characters. 

Nocturnal Animal Plot

A Wealthy Gallery Owner Susan Morrow (Amy Adams) receives a manuscript from her Ex- Husband Edward Sheffield (Jake Gyllenhaal) who has written a book about her, triggering past memories and emotions and even makes her question her current unfaithful marriage with her husband Hutton Morrow (Armie Hammer). 

Nocturnal Animals follows the story of basically the three characters mentioned above where Susan and Edward meet in college and fall in love but due to growing animosity between them and the way Susan’s lack of belief in Edward’s future in writing breaks them apart even after marriage. Susan meets Hutton and starts dating him leaving Edward alone and even aborts the baby from their marriage to get a fresh start with Hutton. This leaves Edward shattered as his love for Susan and his career is distorted now that she left him for another man. Almost 20 years later, Susan receives a manuscript of a novel titled ‘Nocturnal Animals’, a pet name for Susan from Edward, which was dedicated to Susan. 

She starts reading the novel only to be easily pulled into the thrilling, horrid and traumatising narration of a family of a father, mother and their teenage daughter – Tony, Laura and India being stopped in the middle of nowhere by three goons and two of them kidnap the women in front of the man, as he feels helpless only later to find out that both of them assaulted sexually and murdered. Tony, with the help of a seasoned Police Officer Andes, later hunts down the three murderers and kills them, only for Tony to be killed by accident in the same place, alone and in the middle of nowhere. 

Climax Explained

Susan reading the novel is obviously broken and shocked because of the subject and the depth of the story. She also imagines Tony as Edward and couldn’t help but feel guilty of her act during their breakup. Susan couldn’t help but pity herself as the man she left with is unfaithful and barely notices her presence while Edward’s feelings are transpired through this story is now affecting her life decisions. The climax is when Susan decides to invite Edward for a meeting and texts him and both decide to meet for dinner. Susan who has been feeling low and unworthy of Hutton’s attention dresses up and is eager to meet Edward only for him to stand her up with absence. Susan in a fancy restaurant is diving in memories of hurt, betrayal, doubts and belittling all from her side towards Edward and realises that the novel simply is a revenge tale that explains the trauma, the helplessness and how broken Edward was when Susan left him. The family in the novel also lets her know that Edward, the author of the book, consciously underlined the losing of a family under helpless circumstances, exactly how he felt while losing Susan. 

Amy Adams
Source: Focus Features (YouTube)

Now the climax of this movie is open ended with several interpretations depending on the perspective, yet the most convincing and on the nose interpretation is that it is a purely psychological revenge story, leaving Susan exhausted and serving her her own medicine.  

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Colours and Metaphors

Greys and Green – Susan after marrying the uptight and ideal businessman Hutton achieves wealth, success and leads a sophisticated life. Her lifestyle which was more jovial, fun and carefree became focused and bland, much like Hutton’s. This is shown by the black, white and grey shades seen in Susan’s office, house and the sheer vastness of her mansion reflects her loneliness. She breaks this once she decides to wear this Forest Green dress for meeting Edward which shows her mental dilemma of whether to rekindle her relationship with Edward over her failed marriage. 

Nocturnal Animals
Source: Movieclips (YouTube)

Green is also shown at various times in the frame like when Susan and Edward break up there is the same shade of green, foreshadowing the repetitive aspect of such motifs. 

The Cut – When Susan gets her hands on the manuscript of ‘Nocturnal Animals’ she tries to open it with a pocket knife that cuts her fingers. This is a metaphor or a small warning of sorts of how the novel is going to leave a deep cut. 

Ray and Susan – Susan’s mentality is foiled by one of the murderers in the novel named Ray. Susan’s belittlement of Edward’s talent and his capability as a writer was one of the reasons why she left him. This backfired as she was deeply moved and hurt by his writing which even made her question her life choices completely. The same is the case of Ray played brilliantly by Aaron Taylor- Johnson who taunts Tony in the novel to be weak and triggers him to kill him. 

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