A Haunting in Venice (2023) Ending Explained – Final Scene & Meaning

Rowena killed her daughter Alicia because she discovered her daughter was in a relationship with a man Rowena disapproved of. To suppress Alicia's romantic feelings, Rowena fed her a hallucinogenic honey formula she had developed. When Alicia's condition worsened and her death was imminent, Rowena pushed her from the balcony to hide the truth and later faked supernatural phenomena to make it seem like Alicia's ghost was haunting the house.

Foreshadowing: The earlier séance scenes where Reynolds 'channels' spirits while typing answers hint at Rowena's manipulation of perception.

• rowena drake
• alicia
• mother daughter murder
• hallucinogenic honey
• motive

Poirot concludes that Rowena's death was most likely a suicide driven by guilt, though some interpret the ghostly figure that appears to push her as supernatural retribution. The truth is ambiguous, the figure could have been a hallucination caused by the same hallucinogenic poison Rowena had used on her daughter, or a manifestation of her guilt taking a supernatural form.

Foreshadowing: The recurring fog and ghostly imagery throughout the film build toward this ambiguous final confrontation.

• rowena death
• suicide
• murder
• ghost
• ambiguous ending

The hallucinogenic honey was a substance Rowena created using honey from her own hives, laced with a mind-altering compound. She administered it to her daughter Alicia to suppress her romantic feelings for a man Rowena disapproved of. The formula caused hallucinations and eventually led to Alicia's death, which Rowena then covered up.

Foreshadowing: The beekeeping imagery and honey references throughout the film foreshadow this deadly substance.

• hallucinogenic honey
• poison
• formula
• rowena drake

Rowena killed Dr. Leslie Ferrier because he knew the truth about Alicia's death. As the family doctor, he was aware that Alicia's death was not a suicide or accident, and Rowena feared he would expose her crime. She murdered him to keep her secret safe, just as she had killed her psychic Reynolds earlier.

Foreshadowing: Dr. Ferrier's nervous behavior and hints of guilt throughout the investigation suggest he knows more than he reveals.

• dr leslie ferrier
• murder
• rowena
• killed secrets

The existence of Alicia's ghost remains ambiguous. Poirot exposes that the supernatural phenomena at the house were faked, Reynolds the psychic and her assistants created the illusions. However, the final appearance of the ghost that seems to push Rowena from the balcony could be interpreted as either a supernatural event, a hallucination caused by the poison, or a manifestation of Rowena's guilt.

Foreshadowing: The film blurs the line between reality and deception throughout, with early séance scenes establishing that supernatural events can be faked.

• alicia ghost
• supernatural
• haunting
• real or fake

Poirot solved the mystery by methodically investigating the séance, exposing Reynolds' tricks, and uncovering the hidden truth about Alicia's death. He discovered the hallucinogenic honey, connected Rowena to the murders of Reynolds and Dr. Ferrier, and pieced together her motive, desperation to hide her crime. His confrontation with Rowena in the tower leads to her confession and ultimate fate.

Foreshadowing: Poirot's careful observation of details throughout the film, particularly during the séance, plants seeds for his eventual breakthrough.

• poirot investigation
• solve mystery
• exposed
• truth

The ending shows Poirot returning to his home, now open for more cases, signaling his renewed readiness to re-engage with detective work. After confronting the darkness in Venice, murder, grief, and guilt, Poirot emerges from his retirement, suggesting he has come to terms with his own inner demons. His solitary journey continues, but with a restored purpose.

Foreshadowing: The opening establishes Poirot's retirement and reluctance; the resolution completes his arc back to detective work.

• poirot ending
• future
• detective
• resolution

Rowena faked the haunting to cover up her daughter Alicia's murder. After pushing Alicia from the balcony, Rowena created ghostly marks and supernatural phenomena to make it appear as though Alicia's spirit was haunting the house. This deception served dual purposes: it distracted from the truth of Alicia's death and prevented anyone from investigating further.

Foreshadowing: The elaborate séance setup early in the film demonstrates how much effort Rowena invested in maintaining this deception.

• fake haunting
• séance
• deception
• cover up

Reynolds, the psychic who performed the séance, was murdered by Rowena Drake. Reynolds had been helping Rowena fake the supernatural events, but Rowena killed her to keep her silent about the deception. Her death was part of Rowena's pattern of eliminating anyone who threatened to expose her secrets.

Foreshadowing: Reynolds' involvement in the fake séance and her unusual responses during the reading hint at her precarious position.

• reynolds psychic
• murdered
• rowena
• death

Alicia was pushed from the balcony by her mother Rowena because Rowena was desperate to hide the truth about her daughter's death. After feeding Alicia the hallucinogenic honey which caused her deteriorating health and imminent death, Rowena pushed her from the balcony to make it look like a suicide or accident, then later faked the haunting to cover her crime.

Foreshadowing: The balcony becomes a focal point of supernatural fear early in the film, foreshadowing its role in Alicia's death.

• alicia balcony
• pushed
• death
• mother
• murder