Latency

The ending of Latency blurs the line between reality and hallucination, reflecting Hana’s fractured mind shaped by years of trauma and isolation. As Hana’s grip on sanity loosens, she becomes increasingly convinced that her mother’s dark influence—what she perceives as a malevolent entity—controls her life. Her connection to the virtual world through Omnia amplifies her fears and repressed memories, eventually leading her to believe that this entity is trying to keep her imprisoned in her own mind. The series of terrifying visions, hallucinations, and encounters with monsters and her mother culminate in her tragic realization that her entire world has walled itself in illusion.

In her desperate attempt to escape, Hana breaks out of her apartment and rushes to Jen’s apartment, only to find shockingly that Jen has been killed and her body lies rotting. This horrifying revelation signifies that Hana’s mental breakdown has fully intertwined with her reality—she was so consumed by her fears and the virtual hallucinations that she unknowingly caused her friend’s death, either through her obsession or her paranoia. The final scenes show Hana being forcibly taken away by the police, seemingly lost in her last vestige of grasping reality. As she resists arrest, she transforms into the shrieking entity she believed was her mother, symbolizing how her trauma and mental instability have overtaken her sense of self.

Ultimately, Latency leaves the viewer questioning at what point Hana’s reality ended and her hallucinations began. Her troubled childhood, coupled with her isolation and her destructive connection with Omnia, created a downward spiral where her worst fears manifested into tragic actions. The film offers a haunting reflection on how unresolved past trauma and mental health issues can blur the boundaries of reality, leading to devastating consequences. Ultimately, Hana’s story ends with her lost entirely in her own haunted mind, a victim of her past, her fears, and her fractured perception of reality.

Last Updated: June 25, 2025 at 09:02