The Unholy (2021) Ending Explained – Final Scene & Meaning

Mary Elnor is the evil spirit possessing Alice throughout the film. She was a woman burned alive in 1945 in Banfield after being accused of witchcraft. She had previously sold her soul to Satan, which granted her and her descendants supernatural powers including the ability to perform miracles. Alice, as her descendant, became the vessel for Mary Elnor's spirit.

Foreshadowing: Earlier scenes hint at the town's dark history when Gerry discovers old newspaper articles about a witch burning.

• mary elnor
• witch
• alice ancestor
• possession
• spirit

Alice is possessed because she is a direct descendant of Mary Elnor. This bloodline connection allowed Mary Elnor's spirit to inhabit Alice's body, using her as a vessel to perform miracles that would ultimately trick the townspeople into giving up their souls.

Foreshadowing: The film establishes early on that Alice's abilities are hereditary, with her mother mentioning family gifts.

• possession
• alice
• descendant
• bloodline
• vessel

Gerry stops Mary Elnor by exposing the truth about her dark past to the townspeople. When he reveals that the miracles are a hoax orchestrated by a witch's spirit, it creates enough doubt among the believers to force Mary Elnor's spirit temporarily out of Alice's body.

Foreshadowing: Gerry's investigation throughout the film builds toward this confrontation, with each discovered document bringing him closer to the truth.

• gerry fenn
• expose
• truth
• doubt
• hoax

Alice dies after being fatally injured while protecting Gerry from Mary Elnor, who tries to kill him in a desperate attempt to keep her vessel alive. Alice sacrifices herself by stepping in front of Gerry as Mary Elnor attacks.

Foreshadowing: Alice's growing resistance to Mary's control throughout the film foreshadows her ultimate choice to defy the spirit.

• alice death
• sacrifice
• mary attack
• protection

Yes, Alice is resurrected through what the film depicts as divine intervention. After her death, the townspeople's renewed faith and Gerry's prayer bring her back to life, restoring her but leaving her deaf.

Foreshadowing: The earlier theme of faith versus skepticism builds toward this supernatural reversal.

• resurrection
• faith
• divine intervention
• alive

Alice loses her hearing as a consequence of her resurrection and the trauma of being possessed and dying. The film presents this as the cost of her sacrifice, the miracles are gone, but she survives. This adds to the bittersweet nature of the ending.

Foreshadowing: The physical toll of Mary's possession is hinted at throughout, with Alice experiencing pain and blackouts.

• deaf
• hearing loss
• sacrifice
• consequence

Mary Elnor is defeated when her deception is exposed and the townspeople's faith turns against her. Though her spirit is not fully destroyed, she loses her hold on Alice and her ability to spread her influence through false miracles. She is effectively banished from the town.

Foreshadowing: The film establishes that faith and truth are Mary Elnor's weaknesses throughout.

• mary elnor defeat
• spirit
• banished
• evil defeated

The miracles are not divine acts but rather dark magic from Mary Elnor's satanic pact. They appear miraculous but are actually a trap to claim souls. The film's ending distinguishes between true faith and the manipulation of belief for evil purposes.

Foreshadowing: Early scenes show miracles that seem helpful but always come with a disturbing undertone.

• miracles
• satan
• pact
• souls
• deception

The ending is bittersweet. The immediate evil is defeated and Alice survives, but she loses her hearing and all her supernatural abilities. Gerry finds redemption, but the cost of defeating Mary includes the loss of the miracles that brought hope to the town. The victory comes with significant sacrifice.

Foreshadowing: The film's tone throughout balances hope with dread, setting up this complex resolution.

• bittersweet ending
• sacrifice
• resolution
• outcome

Faith defeats Mary Elnor by reversing the very mechanism she exploited. While she used false miracles to manipulate belief, the genuine faith and prayer of the townspeople after Alice's sacrifice proves more powerful than her dark magic, resulting in her resurrection and Mary's defeat.

Foreshadowing: The recurring theme of skepticism versus belief runs throughout the film, building to this thematic payoff.

• faith
• belief
• good triumph
• evil defeated