Your Monster ending explained: Who killed Jacob?
Your Monster premiered on Max on January 24, 2025, and aired on HBO at 8 pm ET the next day. Directed by Caroline Lindy, the movie stars Melissa Barrera as Laura and Tommy Dewey as Monster. With a gloomy setting, it explores fear, self-love, and the human psyche.
The story follows Laura, a cancer survivor, who is heartbroken after her boyfriend Jacob (Edmund Donovan) leaves her during treatment. While recovering at her childhood home, she reconnects with her Monster (Tommy Dewey), leading to an unexpected romance.
The ending of Your Monster implies that the Monster represents Laura's anger. In the scene where the Monster attacks Jacob, the last image of Laura holding a bloody ruler suggests that she is the one who killed him.
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for Your Monster. Readers' discretion is required.
The ending of Your Monster: A bloody conclusion
The movie's ending makes viewers wonder if the Monster is real or if his actions have a deeper meaning. The intense moment happens when Laura faces Jacob at a key point in the theater. Laura feels very upset and is close to breaking down because Jacob treats her badly.
With a broken ruler in her hand, she expresses her long-standing anger towards Jacob. She confronts him about how he has hurt her emotionally and physically. Just as she threatens him, the Monster — who has been there all along — comes back and does something horrific. Jacob is killed, and his throat is ripped out.
Only Laura is left holding the bloody ruler when the film ends, and there is no sign of the Monster. This surprising moment raises doubts about whether the Monster's actions were real or if Laura's anger turned into a violent way of punishing herself.
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The symbolism of the Monster: Is it real or imaginary?
Your Monster is a modern tale that combines magical elements with a look into the mind and emotions. As the movie goes on, the Monster turns into more than just a scary figure; he symbolizes Laura's hidden feelings, especially her anger.
The film doesn't clearly prove the Monster is real, but there are hints that he might represent Laura's emotional struggles.
Laura's relationship with the Monster begins with anger but slowly turns into a strong connection. At first, the Monster makes Laura leave her childhood home, but as time goes on, they start to help each other more.
The Monster helps her deal with the hurt from her breakup with Jacob by providing support and comfort. He shows up when Laura is feeling down and disappears when she pushes away his love.
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Laura's anger towards Jacob
Jacob's mistreatment of Laura is the main reason the story feels so emotional. In Your Monster, Jacob leaves Laura while she is getting cancer treatment. He takes credit for the musical they collaborated on and has an affair with Laura's best friend, Mazie (Kayla Foster). These actions create strong anger in Laura towards him, leading up to their final clash.
The turning point happens when Laura reaches a stage where she can no longer handle things and decides to take charge of her life again. She realizes that she shouldn't look up to Jacob anymore and finally talks to him about how he acts. The situation gets worse when Laura, furious, threatens Jacob with a broken ruler.
As she gets closer to him, the Monster comes back and does the violent act that Laura had only imagined. In this last encounter, Laura shows her emotional growth. She goes from being a helpless victim to taking charge and standing up to the harmful influence of her ex.
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Role of Jackie: A new ally and the turning point for Laura
Along with the Monster, Jackie (Meghann Fahy), another actress, is important in Laura's change. In the film, Jackie starts off as someone who might compete for romance, but when Laura gets frustrated with Jacob, Jackie becomes a helpful friend.
The key moment happens when Jackie admits that Jacob doesn't truly care for her. This news is a wake-up call for Laura. It shows her that Jacob's selfishness has made him take advantage of everyone, including Jackie.
This is an important turning point for Laura. She starts to understand who Jacob really is and realizes the pain he caused her. With Jackie's help, Laura starts to value herself and become more independent.
The last moments with Jackie are tragic but meaningful, showing that Laura's relationship with her has improved. She no longer depends on her relationship with Jacob or the Monster to identify herself. She starts to realize that real self-love comes from inside herself.
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What does Jacob's death really mean?
The uncertainty about Jacob's death seems to be an interesting part of Your Monster. Did the Monster really kill Jacob, or was it just the result of Laura letting out her emotions? In the film, Laura struggles with feeling not good enough, guilty, and frustrated, which often leads her to harm herself. The violence against Jacob shows her frustration, which has built up for a long time.
Jacob's death might symbolize the end of Laura's reliance on him and her path to becoming more independent. By killing Jacob, she is symbolically getting rid of the part of herself that lets others mistreat her. The Monster, real or not, helps Laura take back control of her life and move on from the bad parts of her past.
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Your Monster received a 6.4/10 rating on IMDb.