Fréwaka

At the end of Fréwaka, Shoo willingly enters the basement, which has been transformed into a portal to another world, symbolizing her surrender to the cycle of trauma and supernatural evil that has haunted her family for generations. Inside, she encounters a figure wearing a ram mask, reminiscent of Celtic deities like Cernunnos—or perhaps a more sinister version—representing the inescapable connection between fertility, death, and the underworld. This suggests that Shoo has been pulled into a hellish realm—an extension of the trauma rooted in Irish history, including the horrors of the Magdalene Laundries. Her decision to walk into this space, dressed in the white gown left for her, signifies her acceptance of her fate and the burden she shares with her ancestors. The supernatural elements—visions, hallucinations, and ghostly voices—may partly stem from her deteriorating mental health, but they also intertwine with the real suffering inflicted by the church and societal repression. The film implies that trauma is passed down through generations, and by crossing into this otherworldly space, Shoo becomes eternally ensnared in the cycle of pain and punishment, just as Peig and her mother were before her. The closing scene, with Mila desperately pleading at the red door, underscores that the cycle isn’t broken. ‘They’—the malevolent force controlling this cycle—may strike a deal with Mila, just as they did with Peig and Daithi. As Mila stands waiting, pregnant and helpless, it suggests that suffering will continue into the next generation, hinting that her child might also be doomed to inherit this cursed inheritance of trauma and torment. The film ultimately leaves open the possibility that the cycle of suffering will persist, passing from mother to child, bound by both supernatural evil and historical atrocities.

Last Updated: June 25, 2025 at 08:44