We discuss the ending of the Netflix Taiwanese movie Marry My Dead Body (2022), which will contain spoilers.
Marry My Dead Body is a Taiwanese drama-mystery, supernatural comedy film that tells the story of a gay marriage where one is dead and one is alive and homophobic.
Together, the prejudiced policeman Wu Ming-Han and the recently deceased gay man Mao must solve the crime of how Mao died in order for him to find peace and be reincarnated, and the ghost marriage ends.
It’s a quirky, fun premise that had a lot of promise, but with an overly long runtime and mishmash of genres, this film becomes more disjointed than whole.
Marry My Dead Body Ending Explained
How does Marry My Dead Body end?
Towards the end of the film, after some dramatic fight scenes, Mao is made weak from possessing people, and Wu Ming-Han is shot down. They exchange a sweet message in the ambulance as Wu Ming-Han seems to be dying. Luckily he survives.
We learn the truth behind why Mao’s father didn’t want him to marry his ex (he caught his ex cheating) and while Mao thought this because of his homophobia, his father was trying to save him.
While telling this story, Mao’s spirit begins to fade away, as if this was his unfinished business, and now his soul can be free.
As Wu Ming-Han and Mr. Mao hug, Mao-Mao is engulfed by thousands of small lights and gently disappears. The final shots are of Wu Ming-Han in his apartment FaceTiming his in-laws, with a slow pan to a small shrine for Mao-Mao. Not really a full-circle moment, but still sweet.
Why is Wu Ming-Han homophobic?
Why is anyone? Society, family, negative influences. There isn’t really a reason behind his homophobia. Through comedy, this film is trying to showcase and break down the prejudices towards Taiwan’s LGBTQ communities despite the country’s legalization of same-sex marriage in 2019.
There is a lot of homophobic language used and dramatic anger outbursts, but no real explanation as to why Wu Ming-Han is so prejudiced against gay people. (Which I liked — there doesn’t have to be a reason, and usually there isn’t. This is why societies and people can change.)
Do they get justice for Mao Pang-Wu?
The film goes through many attempts to help Mao fulfill his wishes so he can be reincarnated. The main plot is getting justice for his death, which they succeed in.
However, it was his father’s words and acceptance, and wishing to have been at his ghost wedding, that finally allowed Mao-Mao’s spirit to be set free.
Does Wu Ming-Han change?
At the beginning of the film Wu Ming-Han’s career development is threatened due to his prejudices, so after some convincing, he reluctantly partakes in this ghost marriage; as the film goes on, you see him slowly losing that preconceived hatred and becoming friends with Mao-Mao.
The film’s concise script gets him to change into an accepting and loving individual over the course of this journey, and at the end, you can tell he’s a changed man.
What did you think of the ending of the Netflix Taiwanese movie Marry My Dead Body (2022)? Comment below.
