The ambiguous ending of Stanley Kubrick’s sci-fi epic 2001: A Space Odyssey continues to befuddle audiences, but many elements and the core message of the ending can be explained. Some of Kubrick’s movies have straightforward endings, like the nuclear annihilation of Earth in Dr. Strangelove, but most of them end on an ambiguous note, like The Shining and A Clockwork Orange. The ending of 2001: A Space Odyssey is particularly confusing because the movie takes a surreal, psychedelic turn in its last half-hour, and the complex science fiction narrative doesn't make the 2001: A Space Odyssey ending any clearer.

https://screenrant.com/2001-a-space-odyssey-ending-explained/