Saagar Kote
Shudder’s ‘The Voices of Our Mother’ chronicles the journeys of Annika, her mother Harriet, and her siblings, William, Martin, and Therese. The family is haunted by past traumatic events and struggles to come to terms with difficult truths. Annika is a nun whose faith is constantly tested by the events around her. When Harriet falls ill, her four children are forced to pay her a visit after years apart. Things take a turn for the worse when Harriet, reeling from the effects of a recent tragic event, starts to display odd and seemingly Satanic behavior. As Harriet’s condition worsens, Annika and her siblings are tested in ways they never expected.
Stuck between the insecurities of the past and the tragic conditions of the present, William, Martin, Therese, and Annika realize that surviving their psychological chaos might require dangerous choices. When circumstances seem to push Harriet to a point of no return, the siblings face a reckoning in which their biggest hurdles are their own secrets and moral compromises. As things escalate, the fates of Annika and her family members remain uncertain. SPOILERS AHEAD.
The Voices of Our Mother Plot Synopsis
A woman named Annika, a nun, has a nightmare in which a male Satanic figure says she belongs to him. She recalls a conversation she had with her grandmother, Johanna, who says that Annika will have to support her mother. The older woman also hands Annika a prayer note. At a church elsewhere, Father Roslovic gives a sermon as Johanna gives emotional support to Harriet, her daughter. Harriet is the mother of Annika, William, Martin, and Therese. Since Harriet is sick, she wishes to die at the same time as Johanna. The next morning, Johanna dies, leaving Harriet in shock. Harriet reaches the phone with difficulty and calls for help. Martin and William visit Harriet at the hospital, and Therese joins them. Doctor Meyer talks to the three, who haven’t seen their mother in a long time.
Meyer says that Harriet had a stroke after the death of Johanna and has dementia. However, Harriet’s vitals are strong, and some of her physical indicators are comparable to those of a child. Annika hesitates to visit her mother and siblings because of emotional issues. It is revealed that Harriet let her husband, Annika’s father, physically assault and abuse her and her siblings during their childhood. Though Harriet could’ve defended the kids, she chose not to. In the past, Annika and her siblings left home as soon as they were old enough. Meyer convinces the siblings to take their mother home. Later, Annika joins William, Therese, and Martin, and they take Harriet home. The next morning, the four siblings take Harriet to the church for Johanna’s funeral.
Harriet imagines that a demonic stone figure is staring at her and starts laughing maniacally and slaps Roslovic, saying it is too late for God. William wants to commit Harriet to a mental health care facility, but Meyer disagrees. At home, Harriet awakens with an unnatural voice and whispers something in secret to Therese. Later, Therese confronts William and says that Harriet told her that William had an affair with Lydia, Therese’s wife. William says that he went out with Lydia before Therese did and that Therese took her away. Therese accuses William of killing Lydia and then insults Martin for being a drug addict. Annika sees how confrontational her siblings are becoming. After hearing demonic voices from Harriet’s room, her children find her sitting by the window.
Harriet tells Annika that her siblings are cruel and that they convinced Martin, the weakest one in the group, to shoot their father and make it look like a suicide. Harriet also suspects Martin may have killed Lydia at William’s behest. After this, when William confronts her, Harriet walks to the window and jumps out. Harriet survives the fall with a damaged face and is found near the church, displaying strange behavior. Later, William, Martin, and Therese lock Harriet up at home, behind a metal-and-wooden structure they have built. The siblings talk to Father Roslovic, who suggests that Harriet may be possessed. To find out more, Roslovic and Annika go to the basement, where Harriet is locked up behind the structure. Harriet appears more violent and says that the essence and evil of Satan is within her and had entered her body in the past, despite Johanna’s prayers to God.
With Johanna dead and no longer in control, the evil is ready to infect everyone. Roslovic promises Annika he will be back after learning more about how to handle this. Later, the four siblings sit together to calm themselves and have conversations. Martin confesses to killing their father. Therese suddenly strikes Martin’s head with a beer bottle and demands to know if he killed Lydia. William overpowers Therese and tells her that Martin didn’t kill Lydia and that Lydia died due to a drug overdose. Harriet keeps banging the metal and wood structure, wanting to get out, while making strange and Satanic voices. The siblings discuss killing Harriet because she might reveal their secrets to the outside world.
The Voices of Our Mother Ending: Does Annika Save Harriet and Defeat Satan? How?
Annika finds herself in a difficult position once Harriet’s Satanic possession reaches truly dangerous levels. Earlier, Father Roslovic found out that Johanna had sent him a letter before her death. The letter reveals that Harriet needs Annika’s help to survive the ordeal and continue living a life of some meaning. The only way out for Harriet is through Annika’s prayers to God, which might be powerful enough to counter Satan’s evil. When Annika is in a state of shock after witnessing the deaths of her siblings, she seems to be stuck at a point of no return. With Harriet out of her cage, Annika gives up hope of finding her mother. Despite being a nun, Annika is overwhelmed by the power of evil surrounding her. When she goes upstairs to check if Harriet might still be there, she meets Father Roslovic instead.
After learning of Johanna’s wishes, the priest tries to convince Annika to pray for her mother, hoping that she can be saved from evil. Annika tells him that they should both run away from the house and prevent further harm. Before Annika can do much, the now fully possessed Harriet violently kills Roslovic. Harriet is no longer a human being and has dark wings, glowing eyes, and has been completely taken over by Satan. Seeing Annika in front of her, Satan-Harriet approaches to kill her. Annika, now in a desperate situation, is forced to confront her deepest fears and reflect on her faith and relationship with God. As Satan-Harriet comes closer, Annika finally finds the strength to pray for her mother. Love and sympathy take over fear, and the full force of God comes alive within Annika.
These are the same prayers that Johanna used to recite to Harriet for a long time. As the prayers continue, Satan-Harriet’s body seems to be returning to normal. After Annika’s relentless efforts, Harriet becomes a human again, and her Satanic body vanishes. The house keeps burning, and Annika carries her mother out to safety. Although Satan is a powerful entity, Annika’s true faith and her courage to find love in the realm of darkness enable her to save Harriet and hand Satan a defeat at the same time. Satan may still attempt to possess Harriet again, but Annika’s faith will always be there to oppose this.
Are William, Martin, and Therese Dead?
Martin, William, and Therese have their own insecurities and secrets that test them at every stage of the journey. Once Annika reveals that Johanna protected Harriet from Satan, the three other siblings are in shock. The issues between them dictate their fates, and they seem to have no control over them. In the past, Martin killed his own father because William manipulated him into doing so. Martin also supplied the drugs, which led to the death of Lydia through overdose. The revelation of William’s affair with Lydia leads to a major conflict between Therese and William. Martin also begins to feel that he is the weakest member of the group and that William and Therese are aggressive towards him. Annika is just an observer of all the chaos between her three siblings.
Things take a turn for the worse when William and Therese decide to kill Harriet and be done with their responsibilities. Despite Annika’s opposition, the three others are convinced that their mother must die. They are also worried that Harriet might reveal their truths to the outside world. When the four siblings go to the basement, they see that Harriet has already escaped the holding structure. Instead of agreeing to search for Harriet, Martin says that he wants to leave. He also wishes to go to the cops and confess to his role in their father’s death, and that of Lydia as well. Fearing that Martin will destroy everything by doing so, William attempts to stop him. Martin is convinced that they are all bad people and wishes to redeem himself at the very least. He then gets hold of the old gun that he has used to kill his father.
When William and Therese attempt to stop him, a physical fight ensues. Amidst all this chaos, the emotional tension between William, Martin, and Therese reaches stratospheric levels. In the prevailing confusion and the intensity of the moment, Martin loses control and ends up shooting both William and Therese, killing them instantly. Annika is just a helpless spectator to all this and is overcome by fear. Staring at his siblings’ lifeless bodies, Martin realizes what he has just done. Even as Annika tries to comfort him, Martin shoots himself fatally, bringing his story to a violent end. Annika must now deal with the death of three siblings, while also dealing with the complexities of her faith.
What Do Annika’s Words to Harriet Mean? How Are They Connected to Johanna and Satan?
A terrifying phrase, “You are mine, and no one else’s,” is a major part of Annika, Johanna, and Harriet’s journey. Earlier, Annika experienced nightmares where she heard Satan uttering the same phrase to her, indicating that she belongs to him and no one else. The phrase is also uttered by Johanna to Harriet throughout her life; by repeating it, Johanna counters Satan. While Satan believes that he can always control Harriet, Johanna’s prayers act as a countering force. Johanna’s death leaves Harriet vulnerable to Satan’s control again. At this point, she truly belongs to Satan alone, until Annika bravely intervenes. After praying for Harriet and saving her from Satan’s evil, Annika takes her mother out of the burning building. Harriet rests on Annika’s lap, and the daughter uses the phrase.
By saying that Harriet belongs to her now, Annika assumes responsibility for caring for her mother. Despite being Harriet’s daughter, Annika is now more of a mother figure. Just like Johanna did throughout her life, Annika will be there to protect Harriet from Satan through love and faith. “You are mine, and no one else’s,” thus becomes a phrase that symbolizes love and terror at the same time. When uttered by Satan, it symbolizes death and control, but when spoken by Annika and Johanna, it signifies empathy, peace, and happiness.
What Do the Blood Sequences Signify? Will Satan Resurface within Harriet and Annika?
For most of her journey, Annika is troubled by visions of blood coursing through someone’s veins. This image of blood keeps appearing at different points in the lives of the siblings and Harriet. The deeper significance of this blood-soaked image is connected to Johanna and her dealings with Satan. As a young woman, Johanna strays away from the path of God through her wild behavior, which enables Satan to take hold of her. Johanna adopts Harriet, hoping to become a good mother. However, Satan continues to dominate her, forcing her to make a tough choice. Johanna allows Satan to target baby Harriet, which shifts his focus away from Johanna herself. From this point, Satan establishes control over Harriet. However, Johanna’s prayers keep Satan at bay until her death.
The image of blood coursing through someone’s veins is powerful, as it connects the fates of everyone in Harriet’s family. Just like Harriet has a part of Satan’s evil in her, a part of that evil is transferred to her children. William, Martin, Therese, and Annika are all bound by this evil. The blood image represents this terrifying ordeal that the siblings face. Since Harriet and Annika are alive at the end, Satan may attempt to possess them again, using the blood connection. With Annika’s faith renewed and her relationship with God strong, Satan may not be able to complete the possession. Ultimately, for Annika, the blood symbolizes love, loyalty, fate, and empathy.
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