Aftersun ending explained

What happens

After the final dance to Under Pressure, Calum puts Sophie on her flight and walks through a door, out of the camera's sight. The film never says what became of him, but it strongly suggests he did not stay in her life.

The last image

Calum passes through the airport door and away from the camera, leaving the adult Sophie with only the tapes.

What it says

The ending shows that Sophie can only ever guess at who her father was. He leaves the frame, and memory has to carry the loss. We keep looking at the people we love, even when we can't fully know them.