'Strung' Movie Ending Explained & Summary: What Does The Mid-Credit Scene Suggest?

Laila Calloway’s dream is to become a celebrated violinist, but her past trauma often catches up with her. She’d recently lost her little sister, and she blames herself for her death. Living with this constant guilt is challenging for Laila but she knows she has to keep trying her luck because her sister wouldn’t want her to quit. Malcolm D. Lee’s horror drama Strung takes off when Laila is approached by Audra Jelani, a rich woman in search of a live-in music teacher. Laila was a little hesitant about accepting the job offer, but after meeting Zuri she had a change of heart. The little girl is almost the same age as her sister, and she feels a sense of responsibility towards her after she discovers that Zuri has recently lost her father and has been quite distant since the incident. Laila clearly is in search of redemption; she couldn’t help her sister, but maybe she can help Zuri heal.

Spoiler Alert

Why did Audra and Marcus target Laila?

Audra didn’t just chance upon Laila at the music school, she basically tracked her down, but why? Well, she needed someone she could pin the blame for Zuri’s murder on, and since Laila had failed to save her own sister, she believed they could frame a narrative around her and make her look like a negligent caregiver. Laila’s sister died of an asthma attack; she didn’t know at the time how serious her condition was, and before the ambulance could even arrive, she lost her. Laila blamed herself, because somewhere deep down she thought she should’ve done more and that guilt ate her up. Audra’s plan was to use her guilt to their advantage, to make Laila look like a young woman who was envious of Imani (Zuri’s mother) and wanted to hurt her which was why she took the life of her little girl. She wanted her to suffer just like she did when she lost her sister. The ending of the film suggests that Marcus (Imani’s husband) and Laila didn’t have a chance encounter at the cafe where they met before she started working for his family. He probably followed her there and knew that the only way he could connect with her was through music. He wanted Laila to trust him, and his plan worked. She didn’t know he was married when they first met, and she was upset with him for lying to her, but he eventually managed to win her over, and that was how he controlled her. It’s very likely that Audra was the one who’d intentionally destroyed Laila’s violin to embarrass her in public and make it look like it was Imani who did it. Laila threw a fit at the very public event, and that was exactly what Audra wanted, to make Laila look unstable. Imani knew about her husband’s affair with Laila, but more than envy, she was sad about how her life turned out. Considering how influential the Jelani family is, Audra and Marcus know they can get away with the murders. Imani had no idea what her mother and her husband were up to, they drugged her as well and conspired behind her back.

Since Zuri is hyperallergic, they thought they could feed her food that she is allergic to and later blame it on Laila. They planned to kill Laila and make it look like a suicide; her suicide note would state that she couldn’t live with the guilt of being responsible for Zuri’s death. Laila knew too much about the family, and Audra didn’t want any loose ends. Audra had drugged Laila and asked her henchman to put her in her car and push it off the cliff. The henchman tries to do exactly as he was instructed, but to his surprise, Laila regains consciousness and stabs him with an EpiPen (she always kept one with her after Zuri had a sudden allergy attack). She kills him and drives back to the house to help Zuri. The little girl trusted her intuition when her grandma gave her the food, sensing there was something wrong with it, so she didn’t have the meal. Laila is relieved to see that Zuri is alive, and she asks her to hide somewhere until she signals her to step outside.

Who killed RGB?

Audra was all the more determined to execute her murder plan after Laila met RGB’s mother. Late rap artist Reginald Garvey Bell was Imani’s first husband, and Zuri was their daughter. She was the one who’d found her father’s dead body, and the incident left her completely scarred. She only spoke about her father when she felt safe, and she had only fond memories of him. Laila sensed that there was something odd about the family, and her instinct told her that Zuri wasn’t safe. So, she met RGB’s mother to find out why she had tried to make contact with Zuri. 

According to his mother, RGB was murdered; she refused to believe that her son had overdosed. She mentioned that RGB had started an after-school program to give back to his community, and his mother looked after the finances, but a few months after his death, the rent check bounced. It was shocking, because he had a trust set up that could easily run the place for years but someone had amended it. She remembered that her son suspected that someone was trying to steal the money that he’d set aside for Zuri, and apparently he’d told his mother that if something happened to him, she must find a secret thing that he’d kept in the house that could prove his suspicion. Laila didn’t know if she could completely trust what she’d said, but suddenly she remembered the small box with the mask (similar to the one Zuri often wore when she felt threatened) that was kept inside a snake cage. Laila gathered up her courage and managed to somehow get the box out of the glass case, and she discovered an audio reel that RGB had secretly recorded and hid in what looked like an ordinary music box. Laila planned to leave the house with it, but Marcus and Audra became suspicious of her after they discovered that she’d met RGB’s mother. They found the audio tape kept inside her violin, and later after Laila killed the henchman and made it back to the house, she overheard Marcus listening to it. 

RGB trusted Marcus, his then manager, but that was before he realized that his close friend was trying to mess him up. He’d found out that Marcus had made an amendment, and he told him that he shouldn’t have done that without his permission. He’d recorded the entire conversation between them after he confronted Marcus. Marcus had warned RGB that he was making a mistake by leaving everything for Zuri, who was just three at the time, and when he tried to repeatedly state that it was a bad financial decision, RGB lost his cool and fired him. Later, he recorded another audio message stating that if someone finds the audio reel it must be because he is dead and the person responsible for his demise is Marcus Walker. To prove this theory, whoever is listening to the audio must follow the money. So, it is quite evident that Marcus killed RGB and it is Audra who most likely came up with the plan. She despised her son-in-law, she hated the fact that he came from the hoods and she thought he was nothing but an embarrassment to her family. Audra had spent her whole life securing Imani’s future, she provided her with everything she needed from financial security to exposure, and she felt betrayed when her daughter fell in love with RGB. He wasn’t popular back when he was alive, most of his songs were released after his death so naturally his family made a profit out of it, but everything he earned went straight to his daughter, which was all the more reason why Audra wanted to kill Zuri. She refused to call Zuri her kin; she was eagerly waiting for Imani to give birth to her grandson, someone who would truly be a Jelani. 

Marcus finds Laila after she broke into the house and attempts to choke her when she refuses to believe his lies. Later, Audra hits her with her violin and holds her at gunpoint. Audra instructs Marcus to find Zuri, and when he does so, she asks him to force-feed her the poisoned food that she’d prepared for her. Marcus starts to feel overwhelmed, and he asks Audra to reconsider the plan. Soon, he realizes that Audra has used him. She simply wanted him to impregnate Imani so that one day, after Zuri’s death, she would get to raise her grandson on her own. Marcus and Audra have been physically intimate and perhaps it was Audra’s way of keeping Marcus on a leash. As soon as Marcus starts to doubt her plan, she shoots him. He was nothing but a loose end for her, and she knew that one day or another she would get rid of him. 

Did Laila protect Zuri?

In Strung’s ending, Imani, who was also drugged, wakes up when she hears Laila screaming. She soon hears Zuri cry in pain, and she immediately knows she has to take a step. She rushes to her trunk, where she’d kept her gun, but she can’t find it. She heads down the stairs to help Zuri, and Audra panics a little, because she is afraid that Imani might lose her baby if she trips and falls. As soon as Audra loosens her grip, Laila begs Zuri to run, and the little one listens. Laila soon pins Audra down to the floor, and during the scuffle, Audra pulls the trigger. She ends up shooting at the chandelier, and before the huge chandelier comes crashing down, Laila manages to escape. Laila, Zuri, and Imani walk out of the house; it was a terrifying night, but they somehow survived it, all thanks to Laila who did everything in her power to protect the little girl. Months have passed, Imani has given birth to her son, and evidently she shares a good relationship with Laila. She has also reconnected with RGB’s mother, and things are finally how they should’ve always been. They attend Zuri’s recital together, and she plays the tune composed by her father. RGB’s mother is proud of her granddaughter and so are Laila and Imani. For a brief second, Laila freezes when she imagines Audra in the audience, but she soon realizes that she is mistaken. While Laila will always live with the regret of not being able to save her baby sister, she at least can be at peace knowing that Zuri survived because of her. 

What does the mid-credit scene suggest?

Laila (most likely) imagines Audra seated in the audience but it looks like her instincts are spot-on! During the mid-credit scene of Strung we discover that Audra survives! Yes, she is brutally injured and wrapped in bandages but she is alive and probably ready to seek revenge on Laila. So, Laila feeling a sense of uneasiness, as if the worst isn’t over yet, is basically her gut telling her that she might be right. The worst isn’t over, Audra will do everything possible to get back at Laila and to get hold of her grandson. Imani won’t let her mother come near Zuri or her baby boy, but what if Audra gets plastic surgery and approaches her with a new identity? Sounds dramatic, but I think that’s just something that can possibly be in the Strung universe, and who knows we might get a sequel soon! 

...