Part 9/10:
The film culminates in a deeply unsettling atmosphere as James emerges from a series of brutal events altered forever. His reunion with Em is shallow, marked by guilt and disconnection. Despite the chaos behind him, James’s silence is telling—indicating a complex blend of shock, newfound desire, and emotional numbness.
In the end, James chooses to linger in Leola, finding solace where destruction reigns. His return to the resort foreshadows a haunting ambiguity; it raises questions about whether he’s now a product of the place he once criticized, or if he has descended too far to reintegrate into his previous life.