Spoilers · the ending
Bao: the ending, explained
Domee Shi · 2018
This page gives the ending away. Not seen the film yet? Its spoiler-free guide is here.
Loading…
Spoilers · the ending
Domee Shi · 2018
This page gives the ending away. Not seen the film yet? Its spoiler-free guide is here.
What happens
The mother swallows her dumpling son, and we see her alone with grief. Then the film reveals that he was her fantasy of her real son, now grown and distant. He returns with his fiancée, and they all make dumplings together.
The last image
The mother, her son and his fiancée sit together making dumplings, their bond mended.
What it says
The ending shows that holding on too tightly loses a child, while opening your hands brings them back. The fantasy was her way of feeling that loss, so the film closes on acceptance and a shared meal.