Best Wishes to All (2025) Ending Explained – Final Scene & Meaning

The ending of Best Wishes to All is profoundly tragic and reveals the true cost of the family’s dark tradition. As the protagonist confronts the horrifying reality of the Happiness Ritual—an ancient and grotesque custom where a family sacrifices a victim, sewn shut and tied in a secret room, in order to ensure their own happiness—she is faced with a devastating choice. Desperate to break free from the cycle, she initially attempts to defy the tradition by freeing the suffering man she and her friend have tried to rescue. Unfortunately, her efforts are thwarted when the man is run over and killed—a tragic event that the town dismisses indifferently. This reinforces the brutal truth that in their world, sacrifice and suffering are normalized and necessary for happiness.

Realizing that her family’s happiness depends on continuing this cycle, the girl is forced to make a heartbreaking decision. She ultimately chooses to follow the unwritten rule, which involves using her own friend as the newest victim to sustain her family’s well-being. She captures him, sews his eyes and mouth shut, and condemns him to the same torturous existence that had haunted the house. Her act signifies her acceptance of the bitter reality: that happiness in their community—and perhaps in our society—is built upon the suffering of others.

The film’s final scenes show her returning to her life in Tokyo, now with a new perspective. She is depicted as more emotionally hardened but also more aware of the costs hidden beneath her happiness. Her departure signals not only her escape from her family’s influence but also a recognition that, like the society she comes from, she cannot entirely escape the cycle of sacrifice. The closing shots emphasize this stark contrast—she walks confidently with her partner, yet she has ultimately accepted a brutal truth: happiness for some often comes at the expense of others, a cycle that she chooses to carry forward, perhaps forever. The movie leaves viewers pondering whether true happiness can ever be achieved without sacrifice, and whether breaking free from such a system is possible—or just another trap.