How is Susan Related to Edward Sheffield?
Nocturnal Animals begins with an art show curated by the protagonist, Susan Morrow (Amy Adams). Susan watches the art pieces surrounded by a multitude of people but with an emptiness in her eyes. She stays in the art gallery until all the guests have left and then proceeds to drive home, where she has trouble sleeping.
The next morning, Susan receives a package and cuts herself trying to open it. Inside is a manuscript for a novel titled ‘Nocturnal Animals’ by Edward Sheffield, her ex-husband. The butler reads out the note inside the package wherein Edward states that Susan is the inspiration for his novel and that he wants her to read it first.
A while later, Hutton Morrow (Armie Hammer) walks into the kitchen and Susan enquires why he didn’t come to her art show last night. Hutton explains that he was busy with a dinner meeting trying to close a deal that could prevent them from going broke. Susan then tells him that he could have at least spared 15 mins, which would have meant the world to her.
She suggests that they go away to the beach house for the weekend, but Hutton informs her that he has to fly out to New York that weekend if he wants to close the deal. The couple then host a party at their house. Susan strikes up a conversation with her friend Alessia, who is enquiring about her sleep schedule and her marriage to Hutton.
She confides in Alessia that she feels distant from Hutton. At that point, Hutton signals to Susan and informs her that he has to fly out immediately to close the deal. Susan exclaims that she is upset by this and bids farewell to her husband.
What was Edward’s novel all about?
Later that night, Susan lies on her bed and begins to read the novel dedicated to her. In the novel, Tony Hastings (Jake Gyllenhaal) packs luggage into his trunk and then sets off with his wife Laura (Isla Fisher) and daughter India (Ellie Bamber). They drive until it gets dark and encounter two cars blocking the road ahead.
Tony honks at them, and one car moves, but the other starts driving recklessly, swerving on the road. This car then rear-ends Tony’s car. Tony accelerates to escape, but the other car pursues them, eventually forcing Tony’s car off the road and blocking their path. A man then steps out of the car and begins to argue with Tony, blaming him for the accident.
Two other men join him, and they ask Laura and India to get out of the car so they can fix their flat tire. The first man, Ray Marcus (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), becomes physically abusive toward Tony. Laura and India become frightened, and India yells at Ray to stop, but he turns his aggression toward her. Susan is visibly disturbed by these events. After fixing the tire, the men get into Tony’s car and drive off with the ladies, leaving Tony behind.
What happened to Laura and India?
Back in the novel, Tony drives with one of the three men, Lou, in their car. Lou instructs Tony to drive into the middle of the desert, promising to take him to where Ray has taken his wife and daughter.
Lou then tells Tony to stop and forces him out of the car before driving off, leaving Tony stranded. Later, Ray and Lou return to the car, calling out for Tony, but Tony hides from them. The next morning, Tony manages to reach a police station and recounts the entire ordeal.
They assign Detective Robert Andes (played by Michael Shannon) to investigate the case. Bobby takes Tony on a ride to retrace his steps, and they discover the naked bodies of Laura and India lying on a red couch.
Does Det. Bobby apprehend Lou and Ray?
Months later, Tony go to the station where Detective Bobby has set up a line-up. Tony easily identifies Lou, the man he was with. Lou denies knowing Tony, but Bobby arrests him. Bobby and Tony then drive to the desert to find Ray. Bobby questions Ray in the car, asking if he recognizes Tony or the car.
They take Ray to his trailer, where Bobby asks about Tony’s wife and daughter. Ray denies everything. This infuriates Tony, and he sucker punches Ray. Soon, Bobby informs Tony that they must release Ray due to insufficient evidence against him.
The two later meet at a diner, where Bobby tells Tony that he has cancer and is dying. Bobby also informs Tony that he has been asked by the department to take an early retirement, but he also says that he wants to see justice done to Ray, even if it means putting his career in peril.
Why Did Susan And Edward Break Up?
Susan reflects on a time when Edward asked for her opinion on a draft novel he had written. She advised him against writing a novel based on himself, expressing doubt in his abilities as a writer and suggesting he try something else. Edward is hurt by her words and compares her to her mother. Susan also recalls meeting her future husband, Hutton, and feeling captivated by him.
Susan also remembers the moment she ended her relationship with Edward, suggesting he was weak and leaving him alone on the street. She recalls going with Hutton to the clinic to terminate Edward’s unborn child. When Susan notices Edward standing outside the hospital, drenched in the rain, Susan feels remorse for what she has done, but unfortunately, it is too late to do anything.
What was the final revenge?
Bobby hatches a plan to seek revenge on Ray. He arrests Ray in a bar and takes him to a camp. Therein, Bobby hands Tony a gun, asking him to shoot Ray if he tries to escape. Two deputies bring in Lou as well. Bobby seats Lou and Ray together and threatens them while Tony keeps the gun trained on them.
However, both men manage to run away when Bobby leaves the room to use the bathroom, feeling ill. However, Bobby quickly takes the gun from Tony and shoots Lou dead, but Ray escapes. Bobby and Tony decide to split up to search for Ray. Tony heads to Ray’s trailer and finds him lying on the bed.
Tony points the gun at Ray, but Ray insults him, calling him weak and recounting how he enjoyed violating his wife and daughter before choking them to death. Tony, enraged by these words, shoots Ray. However, Ray manages to hit Tony over the head with a rod before collapsing. The next morning, Tony wakes up with a severe head injury and walks past Ray’s dead body outside the trailer.
He collapses and accidentally shoots himself. Susan, while reading this, empathizes with Tony’s pain as he draws his last breath.
In the present, later that night, Susan receives a reply from Edward, asking when and where she wants to meet. Overjoyed, she dresses up elegantly and arrives at the restaurant, waiting for Edward. She sits alone, sipping alcohol and glancing at the door, hoping for Edward to walk through.
However, as the night turns into day, Susan realizes that Edward is not coming back into her life. She slowly comes to terms with the fact that, just as Tony had taken his revenge, Edward has also done the same by not showing up.