The Bride ends on a hopeful note, Maggie Gyllenhaal explains.

Maggie Gyllenhaal says The Bride closes with a deliberately hopeful finale in which a scientist attempts to revive Frank and the Bride and their hands are shown clasping; the director also dedicates the film to her daughters.

The Bride retells the Bride of Frankenstein set in a 1930s-inflected world and ends with an explicitly hopeful image. The film follows Frank and a reanimated young woman called the Bride as they flee after violent encounters and attract followers. Their flight ends with a confrontation that leaves both of them apparently dead. Director Maggie Gyllenhaal has said she chose a brave, hopeful closing and dedicated the movie to her daughters. Key points: - The fugitive couple are tracked to a drive-in; police shoot Frank and the Bride later dies at the scientist's lab, and the final shot shows their hands slowly clasping. - Detective Jake Wiles (Peter Sarsgaard) and his assistant Myrna Mallow (Penélope Cruz) pursue the pair; Myrna is shown sympathetic and leaves before the scientist attempts another reanimation. - Dr. Euphronious (Annette Bening) is said to be "not supposed to bring people back to life," but chooses to try again, inspired by the couple's bond, according to Gyllenhaal. - Maggie Gyllenhaal described choosing a hopeful ending as a brave and vulnerable choice for the film's tone. - Christian Bale spoke about the characters' relationship as vibrant and about reinvention; Gyllenhaal credits her daughters Ramona and Gloria with informing the film's theme of not fitting into a box. Summary: The film reframes the Frankenstein myth around connection and the possibility of renewal, ending with a tentative revival that leans toward hope rather than finality. Gyllenhaal has publicly framed that choice as intentional and personal, and she dedicated the film to her daughters. The Bride is in theaters now.