The Ending Of Lou Explained

Although it doesn't have a lot of downtime to devote to exploring the psychology of it, "Lou" gives the character of Hannah agency and empathy not normally seen in stories of domestic abuse. When Lou "discovers" the story of her marriage to Philip, she initially scolds Hannah for staying with him so long: a comment made even more callous when you realize that Lou didn't just learn about it, and is partially responsible for Philip's detachment and cruelty.

But even under duress, Hannah rightly reprimands Lou for judging a situation from the outside, and gets her to admit that the reality is more complicated. Despite being married to a monster, Hannah did manage to get herself and her daughter out — even though Philip threatened to murder the three of them — and was even moving on with her life romantically before Philip reappeared to try and make good on that promise. And at the lighthouse, Hannah's method of telling Vee "game on" to get her out of harm's way pays off, and she summons the courage to badly wound Philip, putting him and Lou on more or less even ground for the showdown on the beach. 

If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.