The Innocents

The ending of “The Innocents” presents a haunting culmination of the children’s supernatural powers and the chaos they unleash. As Anna and her sister Ida confront Ben, who has now become a dangerously vengeful figure driven by his own anger and remorse, their final battle takes place at the edge of a large pond in the playground. Ben, overwhelmed by Anna’s psychic attack, begins to weaken, and Ida, finally breaking free from her own guilt and fear, joins her sister in combating him. Together, they unleash a powerful, almost mythic force against him, which results in Ben collapsing and becoming motionless. This climactic moment is ambiguous—whether Ben truly dies or simply is incapacitated by the children’s combined supernatural assault is left intentionally unclear. Following this, the sisters return home, with their mother informing them that paramedics have arrived to care for a supposedly dead child in the playground, emphasizing the tragic and unresolved nature of the events.

In the aftermath, Ida notices Ben watching their house from afar, and she becomes increasingly paranoid, feeling that he might still pose a threat. Her fears are confirmed when she finds Anna missing, and she suspects Ben is still lurking nearby. The sisters eventually face Ben once more near a pond, where both are able to summon their powers—Anna through her supernatural control of water, and Ida through her determination and courage. Their combined strength appears to finally subdue Ben, who falls to the ground as the water around him ripples violently. When they go home, their mother is unaware of the true extent of what happened, and as Anna resumes her drawings, the film leaves their fate somewhat open-ended, hinting that the supernatural struggle between these children—representing innocence, guilt, and evil—may continue beyond what is shown on screen.

The ending is deliberately ambiguous, blending the supernatural with the psychological, leaving viewers pondering whether the children’s powers are real or simply imagination, and whether their actions resulted in genuine death or are symbolic of their inner struggles and fears. The conclusion ultimately underscores the complex and unsettling nature of childhood innocence corrupted and the thin line between good and evil in the realm of the supernatural.

Last Updated: June 25, 2025 at 08:57