All of Us Strangers (2023) Movie Ending Explained & Themes Analysed – What Happens to Harry?

Andrew Haigh is well known for his masterful body of work. From films like “45 Years” and “Lean on Pete” to “Weekend,” his work is loved by the audience and critics alike. His latest film, “All of Us Strangers” (2023), is probably his most personal work to date. Deserving of all the love and praise it received, this film is a wonderful exploration of love, loss, and grief. Although based on a Japanese ghost story, it is semi-autobiographical for writer-director Haigh, who also shot some of its scenes in his childhood home. Andrew Scott (Fleabag) plays the lead role of Adam, whereas Paul Mescal (Aftersun), Claire Foy (The Queen), and Jamie Bell (Billy Elliot) star in supporting roles.

Spoilers ahead.

All of Us Strangers (2023) Plot Summary & Movie Synopsis:

What is ‘All of Us Strangers’ about?

“All of Us Strangers” is a deeply moving film about Adam, a television scriptwriter who lost his parents at a young age. In his mostly empty London tower block, Adam meets a mysterious neighbor—Harry. As their relationship gradually blossoms, Adam finds himself drawn to his childhood home. His parents appear to be living just as they were when he was a kid. Written by Andrew Haigh, the film is based on Taichi Yamada’s Japanese novel “Strangers.”

What happens in ‘All of Us Strangers’?

Andrew Haigh’s “All of Us Strangers” begins with its protagonist, Adam (Andrew Scott), working on a script in his London tower block. He stares at his laptop screen, struggling to conjure something for his draft. Moments later, we see him on his couch, watching a television show. Later in the evening, he hears an emergency notification. So, he leaves his apartment and walks out of the building. A stranger catches his eye and stands in the only apartment that is dimly lit.

Once Adam returns to his flat, this drunken stranger, Harry (Paul Mescal) knocks on his door with the hope of spending the night with Adam. But Adam does not let him in. Reluctantly, Harry walks back home while Adam spends the night alone. The next day, Adam still struggles to write anything. So, he distracts himself by going through some photographs from his childhood. It brings back all sorts of memories and, with them, a sudden rush of emotions.

Adam’s Childhood Home

Adam gets on a train toward the area where he used to live as a kid. While roaming around on his own, he suddenly notices a man (Jamie Bell) standing behind him. He follows this man to a store. Until then, we learn nothing about this stranger. So, we even assume him to be a man of Adam’s romantic interest. It turns out that he is Adam’s father, and he tells Adam to join him back at their family home. Over there, Adam sees his mother (Claire Foy) after years of estrangement. In this strange scenario, his parents seem to be alive and still living in his childhood home. 

Adam spends an entire day with his parents – trying to catch up with their lost time. Back in London, he bumps into Harry in a lift. Yet again, their interaction ends abruptly. Luckily, they soon catch up. Harry comes to Adam’s apartment, and they have sex. Afterward, Harry finds pictures from Adam’s childhood. He finds Adam adorable. Adam reveals that both his parents died in an accident when he was just twelve. After this ice-breaker-like date, Adam keeps seeing Harry now and then, and he has visions of his dead parents.  

Adam’s Sexuality 

After their initial encounter, Adam frequently imagines meeting his parents at their childhood home. As a child, he had not told them about his sexual orientation. In the present, he casually tells his mother that he is gay. Being a product of her time, his mother reacts in a conservative manner. She gets concerned about Adam being open about his identity without realizing that her thoughts are problematic. During their conversation, she learns about social acceptance and parental rights that gay people have. Adam gets emotional because of her words, which are tinged with bitterness.

During a later visit, Adam talks with his father about being hurt by his silence when he experienced bullying as a child. His father reveals that he knew Adam used to cry in his room by himself. Adam asks why he didn’t console. His father feels a pang of guilt for ignoring Adam’s feelings. They both get emotional, hug, and reconcile. We see Adam’s father evaluating the rigid definitions of masculinity imposed upon him. Through that, he tries to improve his relationship with Adam. 

Christmas with Family

Adam and Harry’s relationship keeps evolving as they spend more & more time together. They start going to clubs and doing ketamine together. One day, after a blackout, Adam finds himself back in his parents’ house. Together, they hang lights on a Christmas tree and enjoy each other’s company while playing music. Adam finds it hard to fall asleep. So, he comes to his parents’ room and gets in bed with them. He reflects on the time after her death when he had to stay with his grandmother. His mother feels bad for him.

Adam’s Past 

After falling asleep on his parents’ bed, Adam finds himself waking up on a train. He sees Harry outside and follows him. Strangely, Harry doesn’t recognize him. Adam sits down and sees a vision of his younger self in the reflection, screaming. Then suddenly, he wakes up in his bed in London with Harry. Harry reveals that Adam had a panic attack in the club. So, he brought Adam home. Previously, Harry talked about his distant relationship with his family members, who aren’t as supportive of him and his sexual identity as they should be. 

Now, Adam talks about his parents and the accident from his childhood that led to their tragic death. While his father instantly passed away, his mother stayed hospitalized for a while. At the time, Adam was barely twelve. So, his grandmother didn’t let him see his mother in a dire state. In the present, Adam offers Harry a chance to meet his parents. Although a bit skeptical, Harry agrees to join. Together, they go to Adam’s childhood home. Adam calls for his parents, but no one responds. Harry gets concerned about Adam’s mental health. Before they leave, Adam sees his mother behind the glass. Adam hits on it until it breaks.

All of Us Strangers (2023) Movie Ending Explained:

How does Adam process his grief?

After bringing Harry to his childhood home, Adam ends up breaking a window glass. The next morning, he wakes up with his parents. They explain that Harry went home. Adam’s mother asks him about his relationship with Harry. It evolves into a discussion about his openness to accepting love. Adam’s mother advises him to proceed with a relationship with Harry and to choose happiness. Right after, they go to his childhood favorite restaurant.

Adam orders a family meal, even though he is technically alone. His father asks him about how they died. Adam lies that they both died immediately after the accident. It eases his mother’s stress, realizing Adam did not need to carry the emotional burden of their suffering. Eventually, Adam’s parents tell him they need to go. Adam urges them to stay, almost like a child, despite knowing its implausibility. They all share an emotional moment. Moments later, his parents disappear. Finally, Adam gets his moments of closure that he couldn’t as a child.

What happens to Harry?

After accepting the loss of his parents, Adam returns to London to meet Harry. He enters Harry’s flat and finds it in a miserable state. Eventually, he finds Harry dead in his bedroom. He realizes that Harry has been dead since the night they met. So, he spent time with Harry’s vision, which was similar to his parents’. Outside, in the main hall, Adam meets Harry’s ghost, sobbing. He says he didn’t want Adam to see him in that state. Adam calms him down and takes him back to his flat. They sleep in the bed together, with bodies tightly tucked into one another. At that moment, we see them symbolically become one.

The ending is incredibly heartbreaking, adding to the overall melancholic tone of the film. In another version, the film could have chosen a romantic ending, where Adam & Harry become a couple, as Adam’s mother wanted them to. Alas, Haigh’s version makes more sense since Harry also acknowledges Adam’s parents’ presence in his childhood home. Irrespective of the logical reasons or plausibility, the ending feels befitting emotionally.

All of Us Strangers (2023) Movie Themes Analysed:

Loss & Grief

Based on a Japanese story, Andrew Haigh’s “All of Us Strangers” is about an adult meeting his parents as ghosts years after their death. In the film, we see Adam trying to latch to the moments of togetherness he craved since he was barely a teenager. He could not express the truth about his sexuality and be vulnerable with them as he would have liked to. So, he tries to accept their loss and process his grief by having the conversations he could not. The film touches upon a universal notion that we seek those extra moments to be with the person we lost.

Sexuality

On the surface level, “All of Us Strangers” is a story about an adult man imagining his parents are alive. He tries to hold on to a feeling of togetherness, love, and warmth that he was robbed of due to an accident. So, it will resonate with almost everyone who has some unresolved emotions with their parents. However, as Andrew Scott mentioned, it will resonate on a deeper level for people from the LGBTQIA+ community since it explores the theme of sexuality in a raw, heartfelt manner.

Through Adam’s conversations with his mother, his father, and his new partner, the film explores how the topic of sexuality plays a part in their relationship. Adam’s father regrets not helping Adam while he got bullied for who he is. His mother has complicated emotions regarding his life, which are probably the product of the time she lived in. Unlike them, Harry speaks from a place of compassion from the moment they meet. Through these encounters, the film advocates how openness and emotional warmth can make someone feel seen, heard, and accepted, particularly as a gay or queer person.

Read More: All of Us Strangers (2023) Movie Review: Terrific Acting Quartet Breathes Life into Andrew Haigh’s Synth-Pop Ghost Ballad

All of Us Strangers (2023) Movie Trailer

All of Us Strangers (2023) Movie Links: IMDb, Wikipedia, Rotten Tomatoes
All of Us Strangers (2023) Movie Cast: Andrew Scott, Paul Mescal, Claire Foy, Jamie Bell

Where to watch All of Us Strangers