Unveiling the Dark Secrets: The Mysterious Closure of Emily's Fair Play Under the Director's Lens

Warning! Spoilers ahead for Fair Play.

This article contains discussion of sexual assault.

Summary

Netflix's new erotic thriller, Fair Play, ends with Emily achieving closure with the abusive Luke, telling him to "wipe the blood off my floor" and leave her apartment.

Director Chloe Domont intended for the ending of the film to evoke a sense of mystery among the audience, leaving them uncertain about the possibility of the couple reuniting and succumbing to a dysfunctional life. Domont further elaborates on Emily's pivotal "light switch" moment towards the end, symbolizing her decision to leave the relationship just as Luke reaches his lowest point of submission.

In a recent interview with Elle, Fair Play director Chloe Domont delves into the final moments of the movie and the closure achieved by the character, Emily. After its successful premiere at Sundance earlier this year and receiving rave reviews, Fair Play was finally made available for streaming on Netflix at the beginning of October. The gripping erotic thriller features Phoebe Dynevor from Bridgerton as Emily and Alden Ehrenreich from Solo: A Star Wars Story as Luke, two analysts at a ruthless hedge fund whose relationship takes a violent turn when one of them is promoted.

Following the recent release of Fair Play on Netflix, Domont elaborates on the ending and its significance in an interview with Elle. The director discusses how Emily's command for Luke to clean up his blood from her floor and leave ties into Luke's personal journey, especially after she injures him with a kitchen knife and asserts her dominance. Read Domont's complete statement below.

"We have witnessed her previous returns to him, so I aimed to prepare the audience to wonder, 'Will she reunite with him once again? Will this be the moment where they both surrender to a life of suffering and dysfunction?'

"As the audience contemplates this, she then undermines him with the statement, 'No, I have reached my limit with this, and I am finished with you.' It is as though she grasps onto him for one final time, and once she does so, it is like a switch is flipped. She has now moved on and broken free from him, and that is the end of it."

“This is a man who refuses to accept this submissive role…but as soon as she forces him into submission, that’s when he’s able to release it all.”

Fair Play's Ending Explained

Fair Play begins with Luke and Emily as a blissful couple, but their happiness takes a nosedive when Dynevor's character is unexpectedly promoted to a leadership position that Luke had anticipated for himself. As the story unfolds, Luke's jealousy escalates, revealing more than just his competitive nature. He stubbornly refuses to acknowledge his own shortcomings and firmly believes that the only plausible reason for Emily's promotion is an improper relationship with their boss.

In a heated argument, Emily reveals to Luke the truth about his promotion, explaining that their boss hired him as a favor and wants him to quit. Luke becomes unhinged and refuses to believe Emily's account. His growing anger and resentment culminate in a disturbing incident where he sexually assaults Emily in a restaurant bathroom, a physical demonstration of the abuse and manipulation she has endured from him throughout the film.

The climax of Fair Play depicts Emily reclaiming her power and shutting down Luke's manipulation, asserting her dominance in the aftermath of the assault. Overwhelmed with fear for his own life, Luke collapses to his knees and finally accepts his own failures. He apologizes and pleads with Emily, willing to do anything to make amends for his actions. Only when Luke reaches a state of complete submission does Emily achieve her goal, her quest for justice. The final scenes of Fair Play drive home the profound transformation these two characters will undergo as they move forward.

Source: Elle