Riff Raff ending explained: A family fractured beyond repair

Riff Raff is a weird little grenade of a movie, equal parts awkward family drama and offbeat crime comedy, with just enough chaos to keep you guessing. Set in a snowy cabin that should’ve been a peaceful retreat, it throws together bitter exes, wild sons, confused stepkids, and yes, two random hitmen. Directed by Dito Montiel and led by a strangely perfect cast of Ed Harris, Jennifer Coolidge, and Bill Murray, it walks the line between absurd and painfully real. But it’s the ending, quiet and surreal, that really sticks. We're here to unpack that. Let's dive in.

What is the plot of Riff Raff?

Riff Raff follows Vincent, played by Ed Harris, a retired mob hitman who’s been living a quiet, reformed life for nearly two decades. He’s settled into a peaceful rhythm in a snowy cabin in Maine with his second wife, Sandy, played by Gabrielle Union, and her teenage son, DJ, played by Miles J. Harvey, who’s just about to leave for college. But what was supposed to be a calm New Year’s getaway takes a sharp turn when Vince’s old life literally shows up at his door.

Enter Ruth, played by Jennifer Coolidge, Vince’s loud and chaotic ex-wife, their reckless son Rocco, played by Lewis Pullman, and Rocco’s pregnant fiancée Marina, played by Emanuela Postacchini. They’ve barged in uninvited, and they’re not just there to reminisce. Rocco’s gotten himself into serious trouble after a bar fight ended in death, and the man he killed, named Johnnie, was the son of someone whom Vince had worked with before. So naturally, two hitmen are on their trail: Johnnie's father, Leftie, played by Bill Murray, and his weirdly chipper sidekick Lonnie, played by Pete Davidson, who are both as menacing as they are offbeat.

What starts as a messy family reunion quickly turns into a ticking time bomb. Tensions rise as old wounds reopen: Ruth’s bitterness bubbles over, Sandy’s patience wears thin, and Rocco spirals under pressure. Meanwhile, DJ watches it all unfold like someone stuck in a play he didn’t audition for.

Riff Raff walks a tightrope between dark comedy and emotional drama. It’s uneven by design, funny one minute, and deeply uncomfortable the next. The cast is what grounds the chaos. Coolidge brings raw, tragic chaos. Murray is menacing with a deadpan edge. Davidson adds an off-kilter, absurd charm. The union anchors the emotional weight. Pullman plays Rocco with twitchy volatility, and Harvey quietly shines as the film’s observant moral center.

At its core, Riff Raff is a story about fractured families, unspoken regrets, and how the past always finds a way to creep back in. It builds slowly, layering tension and dysfunction until it all boils over. But how does it actually end? That’s where things get truly strange and worth unpacking.

How does Riff Raff end?

The ending of Riff Raff brings every buried secret to the surface, forcing the characters to face the damage they’ve caused. After Rocco kills Johnnie, Leftie and Lonnie track down Vincent for revenge. They confront him at his cabin, where Sandy learns the devastating truth: Vincent killed her first husband, Lawrence, and staged it as an accident. This revelation shatters Sandy’s world, as Vincent had hidden it from her for eighteen years.

Before she can act on her anger, Ruth, Vincent’s ex-wife, arrives and shoots Vincent. The bullet only grazed his neck, but it marked a turning point. Ruth’s pain, ignored for years, finally erupts. Vincent’s refusal to ever truly reckon with his past led Ruth to alcohol and emotional collapse. Now, Sandy, too, begins drinking alongside her, suggesting she’s also been broken by Vincent’s lies.

The fate of Leftie and Lonnie is left ambiguous. The film doesn’t explain what consequences Rocco faces for the murder. Similarly, it’s unclear if the police ever connected Rocco to Johnnie’s murder at Denoi. Even Vincent's gunshot wound goes unexplained. Did he get medical help? Was the incident reported?

The film ends with Vincent at the dining table, holding his grandson, Rocco Jr., and smirking at the camera. It’s a chilling image. Maybe he thinks he’s survived it all. Maybe he believes he’s won. But Sandy’s trust is gone. DJ’s respect is shattered. Ruth is still drinking. And the cycle of trauma might continue with DJ or Rocco Jr.

The ending doesn’t offer a resolution. Instead, it leaves you asking whether survival equals redemption. Vincent is still standing, but at what cost? In the wreckage of betrayal, violence, and silence, Riff Raff ends with a smirk and a question mark.

What the ending of Riff Raff signifies

The ending of Riff Raff isn’t about closure. It’s about what happens when the truth finally surfaces and no one knows what to do with it. When Vincent smirks at the camera while holding his grandson, it’s not a victory lap. It’s the face of a man who’s lived through chaos, buried his sins, and still gets to sit at the table. But the real question is: what did he lose to get there?

That smirk says a lot. Vincent looks calm, but his world is wrecked. Sandy has lost all trust in him. Ruth is still drowning in the aftermath of his choices. DJ, the one innocent observer, now sees his family and himself through a cracked lens. The film makes it clear: survival doesn’t equal redemption, especially when you’ve never owned up to what you’ve done.

Meanwhile, Leftie and Lonnie just vanish. The film never tells us what happened to them or whether the murder was reported. And that’s the point. Silence protects the people who know how to use it. Justice doesn’t always show up, especially when people are willing to lie, hide, or pretend.

Then there’s Sandy and Ruth, drinking together. That’s not just bonding; it’s shared damage. Sandy’s fall mirrors Ruth’s, showing how trauma echoes down through lives, repeating itself when it’s left to rot in the dark.

So when the movie ends with Vincent still standing, it’s not really a win. He’s a man who outran consequences but never actually faced them. Riff Raff leaves us with a quiet, unsettling truth: You can rebuild your life all you want, but if you never look back, the wreckage stays, and sometimes, it swallows the people you love.

Riff Raff is available to stream on Prime Video.