Triangle of Sadnessis a black comedy by Swedish filmmaker Ruben Östlund. The filmfeatures an ensemble cast, but primarily stars Harris Dickinson as Carl, Charlbi Dean as Yaya, and Dolly de Leon as Abigail. Östlund has several films under his belt, many with his characteristic comedic and satirical flair. However,Triangle of Sadnessmarks his English-language film debut. The movie plays with structure, separating the plot into three distinct parts: Part I - Carl & Yaya; Part II - The Yacht; and Part III - The Island.
Each part has its own mini-arc and sparks a lot of questions for viewers. Yet some audience members may be left with even more questions than usual after the ambiguous ending. Many people enjoyed being able to fill in what they believed the last few sequences meant, while others felt frustrated over the seemingly endless possibilities for what happened to these characters. Here’s a breakdown ofTriangle of Sadness’ enigmatic ending.
The Plot of Triangle of Sadness
InTriangle of Sadness, Carl and Yaya are a young couple who don’t seem to be on the same page — about money, about the status of their relationship. While they do have conflict, there also seems to be genuine care for one another. They board a yacht cruise where they are passengers alongside a slew of ultra-wealthy people and the buttoned-up staff who have to smile even when the rich patrons make them uncomfortable. On the boat, we get to know many of the passengers and crew members and dissect the class politics at play.
Things take a turn for the worse when rocky waters cause several onboard to become violently ill and then chaos ensues. The following morning, the waters are calm, but nothing else is. Pirates throw a grenade onto the ship, sinking it and killing many. The survivors wash up on an island, including Carl, Yaya, and Abigail, a woman who cleans on the ship. Now, they have to learn how to survive the elements and each other.
Related:Triangle of Sadness is a Lesson in Social Dimensions
The Island Dynamics
One of the most fascinating (and infuriating) parts of the ship was seeing the various ways the wealthy passengers talked down to the staff and how much power they had over them. Even seemingly innocuous interactions like encouraging one of the crew members to take a break and enjoy pool time were dripping in privilege and a superiority complex. On the island, things shifted when Abigail discovers that she, as a working-class woman, is the only one who has any survival skills. Catching fish? Building a fire? Nobody but Abigail has the skills to do it, and she uses that to her advantage.
What becomes fascinating at this point inTriangle of Sadnessis that Abigail is notjust an underdogaudience members want to see win, though she may start like that initially. The film demonstrateshow quickly power can changea person. Abigail begins withholding food from some of the islanders and most disturbingly, she grants Carl more food, water, and better shelter if he performs sexual favors for her. Viewers get the sense that this is the first time Abigail is seen as someone important or simply not invisible. And though she’s stuck on an island, it seems like more of a paradise than her life on a luxury yacht.
Related:How 2022 Gave Way to Satirical Commentary on Social Status
Between a Rock and a Hard Place
At the end ofTriangle of Sadness, Abigail and Yaya go on a hike together and the scene is fraught with tension. As they hike over rocky cliffs, it’s easy to imagine one of them “accidentally” falling. Instead, they find a resort hotel on the island. They are saved! But Abigail is hesitant to go inside. She says she has to use the bathroom, but grabs a rock and approaches Yaya, who can’t see what’s coming. Neither can viewers. After Abigail wavers, the screen cuts and that’s the last we see of the two ladies. Which begs the question: did Abigail kill Yaya? Did Yaya know what was happening?
Abigail looked quite deranged in her final scene. You could sense she felt all the power she built up slipping from her grasp. Morality is a theme that springs up throughout this moment, and Östlund lets viewers decide whether Abigail goes through with the act or not. Of course, the director himself may not even be sure. Östlund said, “I’m not so interested in the answer in my own mind. It is the possibility of her doing it – and how we can all relate to that – which is what I’m interested in,” (perThe Wrap). With a previous scene of one of the islanders killing a donkey with a rock, some consider that a bleak foreshadowing of Yaya’s ultimate fate.
Run, Carl, Run!
Even a more curious facet of the ending ofTriangle of SadnesswasCarl violently sprintingthrough the trees, yelling out obscenities, his face cut up. What is he running toward? Or from? There are several theories, though most settle on that he’s running toward Abigail and Yaya. Why? Did he see the beach vendor selling stuff and realize there’s civilization on the island and that Abigail would hurt Yaya? Or did he simply get a gut feeling that something wasn’t quite right and didn’t trust Abigail? Another uncertainty viewers want to know: did he make it in time?
In many movies, the man bursting into the scene at the right moment to save the love of his life would be expected. But with a film like this, which basked in not leaning too hard into audience expectations, a neatly wrapped ending such as that seems less likely. Abigail and Yaya had a tiring trek to reach the resort, thus Carl finding it in time would have been hard, depending on how soon he went after them. If that’s what he did at all.
So many possibilities remain, and because of the intricately layered plot, a lot of them make perfect sense. No matter what scenario you buy into, it’s clear that the surviving individuals were drastically different from who they were before the tragic cruise.
