Some 'The Lost Daughter' Fans Are Convinced That Leda Dies in the Movie

Based on Elena Ferrante's novel, The Lost Daughter, Maggie Gyllenhaal's directorial debut of the same name explores the strange connection between Leda (Olivia Colman) and Nina (Dakota Johnson). A professor in comparative literature, Leda is quick to notice the eery parallels between her life as a mother and Nina, who has a younger daughter, Elena (Athena Martin).

Quick to garner rave reviews from movie critics and audiences alike, The Lost Daughter boasts a slow-paced editing style and excellent cinematography. In two hours and four minutes, it casts light on the considerable psychological and societal challenges Leda and Nina had (and have) to grapple with while raising kids.

Juxtaposing Leda's life as a less experienced, younger mother with her present, The Lost Daughter doubles as a tale about motherly guilt, regret, and the difficulties of raising a child. As viewers learn via the flashbacks, Leda left her young daughters (and husband) for three years.

Meanwhile, Nina opts to pursue an extramarital affair with Will (Paul Mescal), perhaps to ease the pressure she has to deal with in her marriage with Toni (Oliver Jackson-Cohen).

The Lost Daughter is open-ended. The movie begins and ends with the car crash Leda gets into after leaving the holiday resort. She stumbles along the beach, and she wakes up the next day.

In what some describe as a dream-like scene, she receives a call from her daughters. An orange appears in her hand, which she starts peeling the same way she would when her daughters were younger, running the knife along the flesh in one uninterrupted motion.

Some viewers have interpreted the scene as an indication that Leda died in the car crash. No longer caught up in self-deprecating feelings, she is finally able to bond with her daughters.

"So sad that Leda dies at the end of The Lost Daughter. Olivia Coleman is at her absolute best," tweeted @JamieGrayPhoto.

"I think that The Lost Daughter ending scene doesn't really happen. It's like the ending to La La Land. It doesn't actually happen. It's a hopeful dream. The orange comes out of nowhere and is not rotten. Her daughters despise actually talking to her. She's also not a mess," tweeted @Carsonlam.

Arguably, the ending marks a slight departure from the source material. In the book, Leda tells her daughters that she is dead but she is fine. In the movie, she tells them that she is alive.

"Just finished The Lost Daughter. Olivia Colman is pure class. I loved the ending, although it was different from the book," tweeted @songsaboutyoui.

The ambiguity didn't sit well with some of the viewers.

"Watched The Lost Daughter today. It was a good movie, but it let itself down with a lackluster ending. Such a shame," tweeted @merkin_about.

The Lost Daughter is available on Netflix now.