How the Baby Ruby (2022) film ends is explained Postpartum depression is the topic that is kept the quietest among the many undisclosed truths about childbirth. After the birth of a child, practically every new mother goes through something that is typically dismissed as “baby blues.” But in other instances, this depressive episode can extend for days or even weeks, which could result in a severe mood disorder or postpartum psychosis. The tightly-knit suspense drama Baby Ruby, directed by Bess Wohl, should be your go-to resource if you’re still unclear about how giving birth affects new mothers. It also makes it uncomfortable to witness Jo, a brand-new mother, start acting out and feeling threatened by her child (Noémie Merlant).
In this drama, Merlant excels as a lady whose carefully plotted life falls apart after giving birth like a house of cards. Wohl eases the spectator into Jo and her environment by not painting a picture of disarray at the start of the movie. As the movie goes on, it becomes increasingly clear that her world is being torn apart, making it difficult to tell the difference between reality and Jo’s hallucination and paranoia. The latter is what makes the movie interesting to watch and fascinating.
The actor who portrays Jo’s husband, Kit Harrington, is not like most new fathers we see in popular culture. He looks after the infant. He worries about the state of his wife’s mind and tries to be present for his family. However, I would have preferred to see more of this novel characterization. The movie has some scary parts, but most of the suspenseful moments before the third act tend to repeat themselves.
Baby Ruby is a complicated movie that needs to be broken down for the audience to fully comprehend it. If you haven’t seen the movie yet, I strongly advise that you do so before reading my overview and explanation of Baby Ruby. Baby Ruby is a psychological master study of postpartum psychosis. Beware of spoilers!
Baby Ruby (2022) Movie Summary & Synopsis
Josephine, sometimes known as Jo, is a social media influencer who is hugely popular and successful in the realm of lifestyle blogging. She hosts a baby shower for herself at the start of the movie because she wants everything to be tidy and ideal. Jo and her husband Spenser are looking forward to the arrival of their daughter Ruby. The final weeks of Jo’s pregnancy are covered in the first few minutes of the movie. She appears to have a nice marriage and is just marginally intolerable toward Doris, Jo’s mother.
Ruby, who is born crying, causes Jo’s life to fall apart. Her days are spent caring for Ruby, the infant who is constantly wailing, while her evenings are spent without sleep. The doorbell rings one day as the mother is attempting to take a snapshot of her baby’s face. Jo is startled to discover that it is morning and the workers have arrived to complete the restoration work after she initially believes someone has knocked at midnight. Jo suddenly discovers she hasn’t returned to work in a while and is contently spending her time caring for the baby until one of the team members, Caroline, reminds her about updating the blog so they don’t lose up on followers. She also notices the chaos of baby clothing and diapers in the house she had so meticulously shaped.
Jo and Spenser once pass out on the couch; when they awaken, their dog is nibbling on a bone, and Jo wonders whether it might be Ruby’s. When the couple takes the kid to the doctor, they joke together over what happened. The doctor responds by pointing out that among new parents, anxiety over any improbable disaster is typical. They also express anxiety about Ruby’s propensity to weep constantly, but the doctor assures them that Ruby is in excellent health. The affects of postpartum soon become apparent. Jo seems anxious and irritated, snapping at people without cause.
Despite Spenser telling Jo that she is lovely and that she should try to return to her usual life gradually, Jo is preoccupied on the altered shape of her tummy and the stretchmarks on her skin. She takes Ruby for a stroll, but unintentionally knocks over her stroller. Ruby manages to get away unharmed. At this point, she also meets Shelley (played by Meredith Hagner), who connects Jo to a group of newly pregnant women who may be going through a similar stage of life. Jo notices that everyone appears content and rested and wonders if she and her child may be experiencing the issue alone.
One evening, Spenser suggests they go out to supper while leaving Ruby with his mother. Jo discovers the baby monitor has turned over when she checks it after dinner. When they rush home after making a scene at the dinner, they discover that everything is good and Ruby is fully secure. The following evening, Jo discovers that Ruby bit her breast while she was attempting to feed her. She interprets this as evidence that her infant is upset with her and attempting to exact retribution.
Jo seems to be fixating more and more on the idea that Ruby is upset with her because she doesn’t take care of her properly. As a result of the hallucinations, delusions, and anxieties, her finding exhibits symptoms of fragmentation. In a Freudian slip that reveals her anxieties, she names someone to baby-proof the house so that it is safe “from her” (read: baby Ruby). When Spenser says he wants some alone time with the baby, she starts screaming at him and the infant.
Jo makes the decision to attend a party one day with the group of new mothers she had previously met in a fit of wrath. When she woke up the following morning in a parking lot, she realized that she had slept comfortably for the first time in months. She had been drinking and had spent some intimate moments with Shelly in a car.
She chooses a best-seller on parenting at her subsequent trip to the doctor and realizes that the baby is attempting to communicate with her in ways she is unable to completely understand. Jo delivers the news to Spenser in his workshop from the hospital. Later, he becomes worried about Jo’s mental state and invites his mother Doris to live with them. In addition to caring for the infant, Doris tells Jo about her deadly plans while Jo was suffering from postpartum depression. Jo, on the other hand, finds this unsettling and requests that Doris refrain from talking about her own depression bouts. Doris adds that as most moms lack a forum to discuss the emotions caused by postpartum, it was a commonly overlooked feeling.
After this talk, Jo starts to formulate conspiracy theories in her mind. Her delicate mental state is mostly to blame. She comes to think that Spenser, Doris, Shelley, the other mothers, and even Shelley are out to get Ruby. She finds it hard to believe reality because of her hallucinations. She also worries a lot about her baby’s safety all the time. Jo picks up Ruby that evening and drives away from the site after Spenser suggests that she seek expert therapy for her problem. Jo experiences an epiphanic awareness of the reality of being a new mother to a newborn after a vehicle accident.
What is the reason for Jo’s Paranoia?
Jo appears to be experiencing postpartum psychosis in the film. It’s a severe form of mental illness that affects women after giving birth. To emphasize, new mothers frequently experience postpartum depression in women. Within the first several weeks after giving birth, it begins to manifest. Women who have postpartum psychosis experience a variety of symptoms, including hallucinations, delusions, anxiety, paranoia, mood swings, melancholy, and—most importantly—a feeling of being cut off from one’s kid. This is a result of the hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy and childbirth, or because the new mother already has a history of mental health problems or psychosis. If the symptoms begin to worsen, it is crucial to seek expert mental health care.
What are Jo and Spenser’s professions in the film?
It is immediately apparent that Jo is a social media influencer as the movie starts. She updates her readers about lifestyle and fashion on her blog, “Love, Josephine.” She has opened an online store as well. Her cheese souffle recipe, which we learn about during the course of the movie, is probably what helped her become well-known in the influencer community. On the other hand, Spenser is a skilled butcher. In the story, we observe him slicing some animal meat in his workshop. Jo, however, was forced to put her career on hold while she gave birth.
Baby Ruby (2022) Ending Explained
Jo had an accident when she leaves the house with baby Ruby in the backseat. The vehicle is wrecked. Jo is in terrible pain. However, according to Spenser, she was discovered at the scene of the collision, using her body to protect Ruby’s crib. She is admitted to a hospital, where a group of skilled specialists look after her physical, mental, and emotional health.
The medical staff eventually releases her. She affirms that all of her delusions and internal dialogue have stopped. Jo still avoids Ruby because of her fear. When she gets home, she tries to approach baby Ruby’s crib but backs off out of fear that she might damage her. As a result, she resolves to spend some time with Ruby the following morning. Spenser assures her that she is a responsible parent who loves her child, and that when she spends a night at home, she should begin to feel comfortable with Ruby.
However, Jo hears baby Ruby crying once again in the middle of the night. While heating the milk to feed Ruby, who is currently sobbing uncontrollably, she attempts to remain calm but is unable. The delusions have returned. She notices someone escaping with Ruby into the adjacent woods this time. She pursues the figure before realizing it’s her. Her character has been completely dispersed. She also demonstrates amazing perseverance in overcoming her self-consciousness. The story has a nice ending with Jo coming to terms with herself and the postpartum depression that almost every woman experiences after giving birth to a child.
