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Spirited ending explained

Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds star in a new Christmas movie on Apple TV Plus, but what happens in the Spirited ending and what does it all mean?

Spirited ending explained: Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds in Spirited

What happens in the Spirited ending? Comedy movie superstars Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell star in the new Christmas movie Spirited, which is now streaming on Apple TV Plus. It’s based on Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol but is full of little plot twists to keep it fresh.

Ferrell, known for making loud and silly family movies, plays the Ghost of Christmas Past, who leads his fellow festive spirits on a mission to redeem the unredeemable. Enter Ryan Reynolds, who trades superhero movies for sleigh bells, as Clint Briggs, a misanthrope who revels in making money off hatred and division.

Our Spirited review praises the unique way the musical movie tackles such a classic story, but we’re here to really dive deep and get that Spirited ending explained once and for all. Warning, spoilers ahead!

What happens in the Spirited ending?

To cut a long story short, Clint Briggs turns the tables on the Ghost of Christmas Past and tempts him to see what his own life could be like if he retired. Turns out, he’d be pretty happy. Unfortunately, helping the Ghost of Christmas Past realise this is Clint’s final act before he is hit by a bus and killed, saving his new friend.

The first thing to know to help us understand the Spirited ending is that the Ghost of Christmas Past was actually once the ultimate unredeemable soul – Ebenezer Scrooge. He was shown the error of his ways and became a good person, but died three weeks later. He would eventually go on to become the Ghost of Christmas Present to help other nasty folks see the light.

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After 150 seasons of being this benevolent spirit, the Ghost of Christmas Present has a desire for something more. He wants to have to find love, have a family, and live as humans do once more. This longing intensifies when he meets Kimberly (Octavia Spencer), the assistant to Clint Briggs, and shares a special connection with her.

As for Clint, he refuses to play the game when it comes to this retelling of A Christmas Carol. He doesn’t believe people can change, and even if he did, he doesn’t like the idea of changing anyway. But, a big part of this reluctance is down to the fact he doesn’t want to confront the past and how he behaved when his sister died.

However, when he is shown how his actions start to severely impact his niece, Clint begins to soften and rushes to save her from making a huge mistake. This one act of kindness isn’t enough to redeem him, though. That will come when he stops the Ghost of Christmas Present, now a human, from ending his life.

Spirited ending explained: Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell in Spirited

Feeling unworthy of happiness, the Ghost of Christmas Present steps in front of an oncoming bus, but Clint rushes in to push him out of the way. This selfless sacrifice sparks the wonderful celebration of the fact that Clint is now a good person. But, the celebrations are cut short instantly when real life starts again, and the bus sends Clint flying to his death.

It’s not all doom and gloom, though. Clint goes on to become the new Ghost of Christmas Present and radicalises the methods of the spiritual redemption process, helping Jacob Marley’s department to redeem more souls than ever. As for old Scrooge, he finds fulfilment in his human life with Kimberly. They have two children together and a lovely house and they even get to see Clint from time to time.

Spirited ending explained: Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell in Spirited

Will there be a Spirited 2?

While there is definitely scope for a Spirited 2 with Clint Briggs becoming the new Ghost of Christmas Present in the Spirited ending, there are no official plans for a sequel just yet.

In an interview with The Digital Fix, Sean Anders, the writer and director of the Christmas drama movie, told us he didn’t have a sequel in mind when coming up with the story for Spirited.

However, he didn’t shut the door on that idea entirely. Anders said: “Right now, we just need to get the movie out and see how it does,” so perhaps, if Spirited proves to be a big hit on the streaming service, Apple will come knocking for more.

That’s enough about Spirited for now. But if you’re feeling in a festive mood, why not check out our list of the best Disney Plus Christmas movies or the best Netflix Christmas movies?