After Yang

After Yang

Year: 2022

Runtime: 96 min

Language: English

Director: Kogonada

Sci-FiDrama

When Jake’s daughter’s cherished android companion, Yang, unexpectedly malfunctions, he begins a journey to understand and repair him. During this quest, Jake delves into Yang’s memories, uncovering a profound connection between the family and the technology that binds them. He also gains a new perspective on his relationships with his wife and daughter, exploring the complexities of love and loss in a future where technology profoundly shapes human connection.

Warning: spoilers below!

Haven’t seen After Yang yet? This summary contains major spoilers. Bookmark the page, watch the movie, and come back for the full breakdown. If you're ready, scroll on and relive the story!

After Yang (2022) – Full Plot Summary & Ending Explained

Read the complete plot breakdown of After Yang (2022), including all key story events, major twists, and the ending explained in detail. Discover what really happened—and what it all means.

Jake and Kyra have built a family with their adopted daughter, Mika, and a robotic teenage boy named Yang. Purchased as a culture unit, Yang was intended to help Mika connect with her Chinese heritage through storytelling and shared experiences. However, everything changes after a family dance competition when Yang becomes unresponsive. To their dismay, they discover he is no longer under warranty, having been bought from a now-defunct reseller called Second Siblings, rather than his original manufacturer, Brothers & Sisters Incorporated.

Struggling with his tea shop, Jake seeks ways to repair Yang on a budget. He turns to Quick Fix, a local repair store, where the technician reveals that Yang’s computing core has malfunctioned and requires replacement. The technician warns that Yang’s body might soon start to decompose, presenting a significant financial burden to Jake and Kyra. Yet, feeling the depth of Mika’s sadness over losing her “brother,” Jake is determined to save Yang, against Kyra’s advice that perhaps experiencing grief could be beneficial for Mika.

In a poignant flashback, Yang comforts a young Mika, assuring her of her invaluable place in their family despite their adoption. Following a tip from his neighbor, George, Jake seeks out Russ, a backstreet technician, who offers to repair Yang’s core illegally, defying the manufacturer’s terms. During the repair, Russ identifies what he believes to be a hidden camera within Yang, which Jake brings to Cleo, a museum expert. Cleo reveals that what they found is actually Yang’s memory bank, containing recorded experiences that Brothers & Sisters has denied for years to avoid privacy issues.

As Jake reviews Yang’s “memories,” he sees short clips from Yang’s life, including numerous moments with an unidentified young blonde woman. Determined to uncover the truth, Jake visits the locations featured in Yang’s memories and learns from George’s daughter that the mysterious woman is Ada, a clone who secretly visited Yang while the family was away. When Ada later visits their home, she confirms Jake’s suspicions of a relationship between her and Yang. Meanwhile, both Jake and Kyra grapple with the looming reality of Yang’s uncertain fate, leading them to consider allowing her to let go of Yang’s lifeless form.

After deciding to donate Yang to a museum, both Mika and Ada share a heart-wrenching goodbye to his body. In a flashback, Yang and Kyra reflect on the improbability of an afterlife, adding to the emotional weight of their decision. Jake’s search leads him to another woman named Nancy, believed to be Yang’s first owner. To his surprise, Nancy reveals she too had purchased Yang from Second Siblings, only to return him after five days.

As Jake unlocks more memories, he uncovers Yang’s earlier life story involving another woman named Ada, who had cared for Yang’s original family but tragically died in a car accident, leading to the creation of her clone. The new Ada shares that Yang never disclosed their earlier relationship, misled by the belief she was his great-aunt.

Ultimately, Jake and Kyra confront the importance of preserving Yang’s memories rather than letting him be merely an exhibit at a museum. That evening, when Mika expresses her reluctance to say goodbye, Jake empathetically agrees. Together, they begin to sing a song that once resonated throughout Yang’s memories.

Last Updated: November 16, 2024 at 12:09

Ending Explained – What Happens at the End of After Yang?

Still wondering what the ending of After Yang (2022) really means? Here’s a spoiler-heavy breakdown of the final scene, major twists, and the deeper themes that shape the film’s conclusion.

In the end, After Yang reveals that Yang, the AI humanoid companion, led a life filled with memories not just of his role as a caretaker but of a deeper, more personal love story. As Jake dives into Yang’s preserved memories, he discovers that Yang had been in love with a woman from Yang’s earlier life—someone Yang had cared for when he was helping her son and later her mother. That woman, Ada, was actually a clone of Yang’s former love, the woman who had died in a tragic accident long before Yang was created. This revelation shows that Yang’s “memories” include not only his family moments but also a profound, human-like experience of love and loss, blending themes of artificiality and genuine emotion.

When Jake finds out about Yang’s past, he and his family decide they cannot part with Yang’s body to be put on display in a museum. They see Yang not just as a machine but as someone who had lived a rich, emotional life—someone who had loved and been loved, much like any human. The film’s ambiguous ending, with Ada disappearing after revealing her connection to Yang, suggests that her love was eternal but intangible, existing only in memories and the intangible thread that connects past and present. Finally, Jake reflects on the nature of memory, human and artificial, recognizing that the memories Yang kept—beautiful, fleeting, and profound—are the true substance of his existence, echoing the transience and importance of remembrance in human life. This ending invites us to consider whether love and memory, even in artificial forms, are what truly define us, making the story a poignant meditation on life, loss, and the connections that endure beyond physical forms.

Last Updated: June 25, 2025 at 08:58

Unlock the Full Story of After Yang

Don't stop at just watching — explore After Yang in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what After Yang is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

After Yang Timeline

Track the full timeline of After Yang with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

After Yang Timeline

Characters, Settings & Themes in After Yang

Discover the characters, locations, and core themes that shape After Yang. Get insights into symbolic elements, setting significance, and deeper narrative meaning — ideal for thematic analysis and movie breakdowns.

Characters, Settings & Themes in After Yang

After Yang Ending Explained

What really happened at the end of After Yang? This detailed ending explained page breaks down final scenes, hidden clues, and alternate interpretations with expert analysis and viewer theories.

After Yang Ending Explained

More About After Yang

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