White Noise Movie Ending Explained, Review, Plot, and Cast
by Swetha P
Updated May 02, 2023
White Noise The Movie Overview
Noah Baumbach's 2022 film, White Noise, is a comedy-drama movie based on Don DeLillo's 1985 novel of the same name. Starring Adam Driver, Greta Gerwig, Don Cheadle, Raffey Cassidy, and Sam and May Nivola, the movie follows the story of an academic and his family as they face challenges such as an environmental disaster near their home,
A fear of death leading the wife to engage in prostitution for an experimental medication. The film premiered at the 79th Venice International Film Festival on August 31, 2022, and was released in select cinemas on November 25, 2022, before its streaming release on December 30 by Netflix. Critics gave generally positive reviews, commending Baumbach's direction, cinematography, cast performances (especially Driver's), and Danny Elfman's score. However, the film's screenplay, varying tones, and length received mixed reviews.
White Noise Movie Ending Explained
In the thrilling finale of White Noise, Jack confronts Mr. Gray at a motel and stages his death to appear as a suicide. Unfortunately, Mr. Gray shoots both Jack and Babette before dying. After convincing Mr. Gray that he caused all three gunshot wounds, they end up in a hospital run by German atheist nuns, where they all recover. While recovering in the hospital with Babette's lover, Jack and Babette reconcile. The following day, the family goes to a supermarket and breaks into a dance number with other shoppers, symbolizing the celebration of life and the acceptance of death. The movie highlights the foolishness of fearing death, which is inevitable for every living being.
Focusing on mortality can distract people from enjoying the present and its small pleasures. The Radio Times reported that the director, Baumbach, referred to the closing dance number as a "dance of death and a dance of life," celebrating both the end and the beginning of life. The film encourages viewers to appreciate life while they can and not to fear the inevitable.
White Noise Movie Netflix
Since its release on Netflix, Noah Baumbach's White Noise has elicited mixed reactions due to its morally ambiguous characters, various tones and themes, and deliberately ambiguous ending. However, the movie's openness to interpretation has left audiences confused, with many struggling to decipher its meaning. The film's conclusion includes unexpected plot twists, such as an attempted murder, a hospital run by atheist nuns, and a lively dance scene at a supermarket, all requiring deeper analysis to fully comprehend. Ultimately, White Noise offers a complex and thought-provoking experience that challenges viewers to engage with its intricate themes and motifs.
White Noise Cast
Adam Driver
Prof. Jack Gladney
Greta Gerwig
Babette Gladney
Don Cheadle
Prof. Murray Siskind
Raffey Cassidy
Denise Gladney
Sam Nivola
Heinrich Gladney
May Nivola
Steffie Gladney
Jodie Turner-Smith
Winnie Richards
Andre Benjamin
Elliot Lasher
Sam Gold
Alfonse
Carlos Jacott
Grappa
Lars Eidinger
Mr. Gray
Bill Camp
Man with TV
Barbara Sukowa
Sister Hermann
Francis Jue
Dr. Lu
Henry and Dean Moore
Wilder Gladney
Gideon Glick and Chloe Fineman
Simuvac Technicians
Kenneth Lonergan
Dr. Hookstratten
Cast
Character
White Noise Movie Review
According to the review by Brian Tallerico on RogerEbert.com, "White Noise" is a "wildly uneven" film that tries to tackle too many themes and ultimately falls short. Tallerico notes that the film's cast, which includes Adam Driver, Greta Gerwig, and Jodie Turner-Smith, deliver strong performances despite the film's shortcomings. However, the plot becomes increasingly convoluted as the film progresses, with a jarring tonal shift towards the end that may leave audiences confused. Tallerico notes that "White Noise" attempts to explore a variety of themes, including death, family dynamics, and consumerism, but struggles to do so in a coherent and satisfying manner.
The film's climax, which includes a surprising dance number set in a supermarket, feels out of place and undermines the film's attempts at exploring deeper themes. Overall, Tallerico concludes that "White Noise" has moments of brilliance, but ultimately falls short of its ambitions. He suggests that the film may appeal to fans of director Noah Baumbach's previous work, but may not be accessible to a wider audience.
White Noise Plot
White Noise is divided into three parts and a musical outro number. In Part I, the story introduces Jack Gladney, a professor at a college in Ohio who specializes in "Hitler studies." He is secretly learning German for an upcoming speech and is married to Babette, his fourth wife. Their blended family includes four children, and their lives become complicated when Denise discovers Babette's secret stash of Dylar, a mysterious drug not found in any records. Jack also has a dream about a man trying to kill him, reflecting their shared fear of death.
In Part II, a train accident causes a chemical waste cloud to descend over the town, forcing a mass evacuation and quarantine at a summer camp. Jack and his family become embroiled in chaos and dangerous situations while trying to escape, and Jack's fear of death becomes exacerbated after being exposed to the chemical waste.
In Part III, life returns to normal, except for Babette, who has become distant and pale. Jack starts seeing hallucinations of a balding man following him and finds out that Babette was part of a clinical trial for Dylar to treat her death anxieties. When Jack discovers that Babette and "Mr. Gray" in exchange for a continuing supply of the drug, he seeks revenge. After tracking down Mr. Gray and shooting him, Jack and Babette reconcile and take Mr. Gray to a hospital run by German atheist nuns.
White Noise Movie Ending Explained - FAQs
White Noise is a 2022 American absurdist comedy-drama film written and directed by Noah Baumbach, adapted from the 1985 novel with the same title by Don DeLillo.
The film stars Adam Driver, Greta Gerwig, Don Cheadle, Raffey Cassidy, and Sam and May Nivola.
The plot is divided into three parts and a musical outro number, and it follows the life of a niche academic and his family as they go through trials and tribulations, including an environmental disaster near their home and a fear of death that leads the wife to prostitute herself for an experimental medication.
In Part I, Jack Gladney is a professor of "Hitler studies" at a college in Ohio, and he discovers that his wife is taking a mysterious drug called Dylar.
In Part II, a cataclysmic train accident casts a cloud of chemical waste over the town, creating an "Airborne Toxic Event" that forces the Gladney family and others into quarantine at a summer camp.