The Lost Daughter

The Lost Daughter leaves its ending open to interpretation, focusing on the complex journey of its main character, Leda. After being stabbed by Nina in a moment of violent confrontation, Leda is found wounded but still alive, as evidenced by her attempts to drive herself to the airport, only to crash her car and collapse on the beach. She wakes up the next morning clutching her phone and an orange— a symbol of her childhood and a motif throughout the film. When she talks to her daughter Bianca, she insists she is alive, and her tone suggests a sense of acceptance or at least a peaceful detachment from her previous struggles. The orange, which she begins peeling in her final moments, evokes memories of her childhood and her attempts to bring order to chaos—a metaphor for her desire to find harmony within herself amid her tumultuous feelings about motherhood. Some viewers interpret this scene as evidence that Leda is still alive and has possibly found some form of peace or redemption. Others believe the orange’s presence and her physical wounds symbolize her death—perhaps she succumbed to her injuries off-screen, and the act of calling her daughter is a final attempt at connection from beyond. The film’s ambiguous conclusion leaves the question of her fate deliberately open, emphasizing themes of self-acceptance, the enduring scars of motherhood, and the internal conflicts that define her life. In the end, whether alive or dead, Leda’s expression of peace or finality suggests she has come to terms with her identity—both as a mother and as a woman—leaving viewers to decide if her journey is one of survival or release.

Last Updated: June 25, 2025 at 08:44