Tamal Kundu
In an interview with The New York Times, debutant filmmaker Raine Allen-Miller describes ‘Rye Lane’ as “really simple. It’s two people walking around, talking about their break-ups. They meet at the wrong time, but also the perfect time.” The story is predominantly set in South London, England, especially in Brixton and Peckham. It follows the two protagonists, Dom (David Jonsson) and Yas (Vivian Oparah), as they make their way through the eponymous market. After a decidedly unromantic meeting in a unisex bathroom, they unexpectedly end up spending the day together.
The narrative set-up draws the obvious comparison to the ‘Before’ trilogy, but that — from what screenwriters Nathan Byron and Tom Melia stated in various interviews — was already in their script. When Allen-Miller took the helm of the project, she not only changed the setting from Camden to South London but also took the story in a surrealistic direction while still keeping the narrative grounded in reality. Here is everything you need to know about the ending of ‘Rye Lane.’ SPOILERS AHEAD.
Rye Lane Plot Synopsis
Dom and Yas meet at the art exhibition of their mutual friend Nathan (Simon Manyonda), whose current theme of work is apparently mouth. The opening scene finds Dom locked inside one of the stalls of the unisex washroom of the gallery, weeping and stalking his former girlfriend, Gia (Karene Pete), on social media. It turns out that she cheated on him with his best friend, Eric (Benjamin Sarpong-Broni). They were supposed to go on a movie date, but she was late, and he video-called her. Later, when he paid attention to the video, he discovered a very familiar manhood on the side of the video and realized that it belonged to Eric. In his mind, he went to Gia’s home and confronted them, but in reality, he stayed at the theater, watched the film, and cried.
In the present day, Yas hears Dom’s sobbing while the latter realizes that someone else is in the washroom besides him. Before she leaves, she sees his sneakers and later recognizes him because of them, though he doesn’t recognize who she is, not recalling her voice from their brief conversation. It becomes immediately apparent that the two of them are entirely different people. Yas is an extrovert, and even though — as we learn later — she has her share of fears and worries, she has developed an incredible ability to hide them behind a demeanor that is all rainbow and sunshine.
After Nathan makes Dom buy one of his works, he leaves the gallery with Yas. It is not entirely clear why she accompanies him, but it’s safe to assume a combination of pity and curiosity plays its part. When Dom reveals that he is heading to meet Eric and Gia for the first time since the break-up at a place important to him and Gia when they were dating, Yas volunteers to come with him. But Dom declines, explaining that the meeting is supposed to be a very personal thing, and he has just met Yas.
Predictably, Dom feels belittled and humiliated as he sits opposite Gia and Eric. While Gia seems to revel in his misery, Eric appears to be sympathetic. Even though he slept with Dom’s girlfriend and is definitely not the smartest person in the film, he and Dom are best friends, after all. He has known the other man since they were children and recognizes that he is in pain.
Suddenly, Yas arrives out of nowhere and eviscerates Gia and Eric for what they did to Dom, saving him when he needs her to, even though he hasn’t asked for it. Although Dom is initially taken aback by her actions, he soon starts to feel great joy for what she did and even calls her “iconic.” She takes him to her favorite burrito place, run by a man named Colin (Colin Firth making a surprise guest appearance).
Rye Lane Ending: Do Dom and Yas End up Together?
Yes, Dom and Yas end up together in ‘Rye Lane.’ Their remarkable day doesn’t stop after Yas rides in her proverbial horse and rescues Dom. After the burritos, they continue to roam about in South London, learning more about each other. Dom is an accountant, and it seems he is pretty established in his profession. He and Gia used to live together, but after their break up, he moved back in with his parents.
As for Yas, she works in the fashion industry and aspires to be a costume designer. She was also in a relationship and tells Dom that she was the one who broke it off. After learning that one of the most cherished things she owns, ‘A Tribe Called Quest’ vinyl LP, is still at her ex’s place, Dom volunteers to help her get it back, just as she helped him with his own ex. But it turns out that Yas’ former boyfriend, a sculptor named Jules (Malcolm Atobrah), has changed the locks to his apartment. This prompts Yas and Dom to visit Jules’ lesbian parents, who evidently adore her. Things don’t go according to the plans, and Dom is thrown out after he is caught trying to find Jules’ keys among one of his mother’s lingerie.
Borrowing a scooter from these women and later the keys from a mutual friend of Yas and Jules, the two protagonists finally make it to the apartment. But before they can look for the LP, Jules returns home with his new girlfriend, and it is revealed that Yas hasn’t been exactly forthcoming about her break up with Jules. Apparently, Jules broke up with her, and she had a very emotional response to it. After Dom and Yas leave, a confrontation inevitably happens. Accusations are made, and unkind words are said, prompting them to go in different directions. Fortunately, the story doesn’t end there. Life goes on — Yas lands her first film while Dom moves out of his parents’ home. They are supposed to meet again at Nathan’s next exhibition, but she isn’t there when he arrives.
Soon, he receives a call on his phone, and it’s Yas who is on the other end of the line. She has apparently gotten on a boat and waves at him. Dom waves back, proving that he is one of those who wave back at the tourists on the boat. It refers to an earlier scene where Yas mentions that Jules doesn’t like to wave because he thinks it’s morally wrong as tourism funds sex trafficking.
The film ends as Yas and Dom reunite and share a kiss. The ending subverts certain popular romantic comedy tropes. It’s the girl who apologizes and initiates the reconciliation. This is in line with the overall themes of the movie, especially because Yas is funnier than Dom. Moreover, it’s Dom that needed the rescue, while what Yas required was self-reflection.
The failure of her relationship with Jules understandably impacted how she approached life, just like the discovery of Gia’s infidelity had impacted Dom’s life. The difference between them is that Yas knows how to hide it better. When they meet each other and spend that wonderfully remarkable day together, they begin to heal. Dom calling Yas iconic helps her regain her past confidence, and Yas’ defense of him in front of Eric and Gia helps him realize that he is worthy of being saved. To sustain a relationship, love is often not enough. But these two have a good start as their relationship is founded upon mutual admiration and desire to protect.
Read More: Is Rye Lane Based on a True Story?
