Cruella Plot Synopsis
Cruella serves as the origin story for Cruella De Vil, charting the rise of this prolific “anti-hero” (see: villain) to the prolific dog-napping psychopath she’s destined to become. However, this story is soon sidelined for a fashion showdown as Cruella and The Baroness battle it out to become the biggest and baddest in town.
Does Cruella die?
Stuck in a fire and tied to a chair, The Baroness ignites Cruella’s hideout and it looks certain that she’s going to die. Cruella is saved, as it turns out, by The Baroness’s right-hand man John. He saves her from the fire and keeps her in hiding at his apartment, leading everyone else to believe she’s dead. This gives Cruella crucial time to begin formulating a plot to get back at The Baroness.
What happened to Cruella’s parents?
Throughout the movie we’re led to believe that Cruella’s birth mother was tragically killed by The Baroness, thanks to the three Dalmatians who pushed her over the edge of the balcony. In reality, Cruella’s real mother is actually The Baroness herself. Cruella uses the necklace with the key, unlocking the box with her birth certificate inside to learn this truth. The Baroness was twisted and cruel, deciding she wanted to “get rid” of her daughter after giving birth and tasking John with the arduous ordeal of killing the babe (Estella). Well, John couldn’t do it and instead gave her up for adoption to the housemaid, who in turn stole The Baroness’ necklace in the first place and handed it down to Cruella as a family heirloom. To be fair, stealing may be a bit of a stretch here because, in essence, the necklace was always destined to be Cruella’s.
Do Cruella and Jasper romance?
It’s teased throughout the movie but Cruella and Jasper do not end up romantically linked. There are glimpses that this could be the case but neither act on this. If a sequel is greenlit though, that could well change.
How does Cruella End?
The public are led to believe that Cruella is dead. Of course, she’s very much alive but takes advantage of this. She sends out invites to all the guests inbound to The Baroness’ mansion and encourages them to dress up like Cruella as a tribute. This causes The Baroness’ extra security to be nullified as Cruella outsmarts them all. Cruella has the perfect disguise, enticing The Baroness outside with her own Dalmatians. She uses the dog whistle, prompting the dogs to sit by her side. This is the perfect signal to show the balance of power has shifted. All the guests are encouraged to head outside, courtesy of Artie, Jasper and Horace. There, they witness The Baroness push Cruella off the edge of the balcony to her doom. Our villainess survives once again though, using her dress as a parachute and falling to the water below. (Watch out for the questionable CGI with this bit!) Anyway, The Baroness is eventually arrested while Cruella dodges certain death. She returns to her mansion when everything has settled down, where John is waiting for her with the rest of team. Joining them are the three Dalmatians from before, who are – presumably – then killed and skinned before 101 Dalmatians.
Is there a post-credit sequence?
Yes, the post-credit sequence shows both Roger and Anita receiving a gift from Cruella. It’s a puppy for them both! Cruella apparently had a hand in everything that’s happened from the start, playing the long-game. Presumably, she’s been waiting for both Anita and Roger’s dogs to grow up in order for her to dog-nap their puppies and skin them alive. As Cruella herself ironically retorts: “That’s what I call a happy ending”. To read our full thoughts on this movie, check out our spoiler-free review HERE!) Thanks for reading our Ending Explained article! What did you think of Cruella’s ending? Do you think there could be a sequel? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
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