Laurence Vannicelli’s psychological horror film Mother, May I? examines the lasting impact of childhood trauma and the subconscious scars it leaves behind.
The story follows Emmett (Kyle Gallner), who learns that his biological mother, Tracy, has passed away and left her home to him. Early on, it becomes clear that Emmett harbors deep resentment toward her, as she abandoned him at a young age and placed him for adoption.
The house holds dark secrets that force Emmett to confront his past (Photo: Mother May I/Bad Grey, Burn Later Productions, Cine Primo)Emmett’s unresolved abandonment issues have taken a toll on his mental state, prompting him to seek therapy in hopes of healing. He envisions starting a family with his fiancée, Anya, a copywriter with aspirations of becoming a successful poet.
Emmett clings to the belief that raising a child will allow him to erase his painful past, but Anya does not share this perspective, and her reasons are deeply personal.
When they arrive at Tracy’s home with plans to sell it, tensions between them escalate. The eerie atmosphere intensifies when Anya’s behavior begins to mirror that of Emmett’s mother.
This unsettling transformation leaves Emmett shaken, pushing his fragile mental state to its limits. Reality and delusion blur, leading to a heated confrontation between the couple. Now, let’s examine the film’s deeper meaning by breaking down its haunting conclusion.
How Did Tracy Die?
Tracy’s death occurs unexpectedly in her secluded home, located in a quiet town near Binghamton. Mother, May I? does not provide a definitive cause of death, but it is implied that she suffered a stroke while having her morning coffee, collapsing and hitting her head in the process.
The possibility of head trauma contributing to her death is suggested. Her neighbor, Bill, discovers her lifeless body and alerts the authorities, who then inform Emmett. Wasting no time, Emmett arranges for his mother’s body to be cremated, unwilling to spend any additional money on a formal funeral.
With indifference, he scatters her ashes into a pond, referring to them as “fish food,” demonstrating his lack of emotional connection to her passing.
Does Anya Get Possessed?
Upon stepping into the house, Anya is immediately fascinated by its interior and suggests keeping it for alternative use, such as a writers’ retreat or a camping getaway. However, Emmett wants nothing more than to sell it quickly and move on.
Anya picks up on his unwillingness to discuss his mother, urging him to participate in a chair reversal therapy exercise—a technique she likely learned from her own emotionally distant and intellectual mother. Reluctantly, Emmett agrees, opening up about his deep-seated resentment and why he has avoided speaking about Tracy.
One night, after taking psychedelic mushrooms together, the situation spirals out of control. Anya initiates another chair reversal session, pressing Emmett to consider why his mother abandoned him.
Her relentless questioning unsettles him, yet she continues to push. The unsettling nature of the moment intensifies when Anya’s demeanor shifts—she begins embodying Tracy, even donning her old cardigan.
Once she takes on Tracy’s clothing, her entire personality appears to transform, mirroring the way Tracy used to behave. The film does not explicitly explain how or why this change occurs, but one possible explanation is that Tracy’s spirit has taken possession of Anya.
While the presence of psychedelic drugs adds ambiguity to the situation, director Laurence Vannicelli leaves room for interpretation. Another theory suggests that Anya might have read Tracy’s journals and used that information to mimic her behavior.
However, this explanation seems insufficient, as Anya’s drastic transformation into someone she never knew firsthand defies logic.
She starts adopting Tracy’s habits—dancing, smoking, cooking, and writing in a way that eerily aligns with the deceased woman’s past actions. This eerie move raises the possibility that Tracy’s spirit, longing to reconnect with her son, has inhabited Anya’s body.
Why Did Anya Lie to Emmett?
While attempting to make sense of the bizarre events unfurling around him, Emmett searches through Anya’s belongings and discovers ultrasound images.
Lacking a deep understanding of female reproductive health, he jumps to the conclusion that she must be pregnant and has recently visited a doctor for that reason.
In reality, Anya is unable to conceive, a fact that she has not yet shared with him. Rather than considering alternative explanations, Emmett reacts impulsively, his behavior driven by emotions rather than reason.
The tantrum that follows is not just a result of childhood trauma but also indicative of his inherent immaturity. Even Tracy’s neighbor, Bill, later remarks that Emmett has always been a wild child, reinforcing this notion.
Emmett perceives Anya’s silence as deceit and lashes out, finally voicing the cruel thoughts he had been suppressing. His self-restraint crumbles, revealing his raw anger.
The film also sheds light on Anya’s upbringing, revealing that she was raised by a cold and calculating mother who only recognized her achievements when they met a certain standard. This relentless pursuit of validation shaped Anya’s identity, leading to her constant struggle for recognition.
Emmett dismisses Anya’s poetic aspirations, labeling her as a failing copywriter who clings to an image of herself that is detached from reality. Her inability to establish a successful writing career weighs heavily on her, exacerbating her emotional turmoil.
When she learns she cannot bear children, the news devastates her, as she sees motherhood as a means of compensating for her professional disappointments.
She likely wanted to confide in Emmett about her infertility but hesitated, sensing that he would not react well. Given her strained relationship with her mother, she likely did not see her as a source of comfort either.
Emmett, on the other hand, is equally desperate to have a child—not out of love for fatherhood, but to fill the emotional void left by his past.
Anya, perhaps anticipating the explosive reaction that would follow, held onto the truth until she could find the right moment to reveal it. Unfortunately, Emmett’s unexpected discovery of the ultrasound images forces the confrontation prematurely, leading to a devastating rift between them.
Did Tracy Abandon Emmett?
The question of whether Tracy truly abandoned Emmett remains one of the most uncertain aspects of Mother, May I?, though certain clues toward the end of the film suggest that he was not willingly left behind but rather taken away by the authorities.
Bill described Emmett’s father as an artist with a flamboyant personality who had a passion for motorcycles. His self-absorbed nature may have led him to view Tracy as just another fleeting romantic encounter before he eventually prioritized his career over family life.
However, Bill’s peculiar remark, implying that he might not be Emmett’s biological father, raises more questions. That statement seemed unnecessary unless it was meant to plant a seed of doubt. Tracy, despite being Emmett’s mother, appeared far more committed to her art than to parenting.
She was absorbed in her work, often neglecting her responsibilities, which left Emmett longing for maternal affection during his childhood. When Anya, under possession, confronted Emmett, she remarked that a child is more of a necessity than a personal desire.
This suggests that Tracy, who had once been a celebrated dancer, may have chosen to have a child not out of maternal instinct but as an escape from the reality of her declining career—much like Anya had considered doing.
The idea that Tracy sought validation through motherhood rather than artistry is hinted at but never explicitly confirmed. What remains evident is that Tracy’s shortcomings as a mother weighed on her conscience, consuming her in her final years.
Bill also disclosed to Anya that Emmett had been an unruly child, difficult to manage. The film’s title, taken from a children’s game designed to teach obedience, aligns with Tracy’s apparent lifelong attempt to impose discipline on Emmett. Failing to do so in life, she continued her efforts even after death.
Emmett had defied his mother’s authority in his younger years, which seemingly led Tracy to resort to tranquilizing him. His memories of syringes suggest that he may have developed an addiction, as he repeatedly mentioned them in conversations.
During his childhood, Emmett once arrived at Bill’s home bearing severe injuries. Bill immediately rushed him to the hospital, where it is possible that medical staff detected traces of a sedative in his system.
If this was reported to child welfare services, they may have deemed Tracy unfit as a guardian and placed Emmett under state care before arranging for his adoption in New York.
Supporting this theory, Anya discovered legal documents in the basement indicating that child services had removed Emmett from Tracy’s custody.
She also found old photographs showing a young Emmett with a bruised hand, possibly strengthening authorities’ belief that Tracy had been either abusive or neglectful.
Bill, if he was Emmett’s father, may have also intervened by reporting the matter to ensure that Emmett would be raised in a more stable environment.
What Happens to Anya and Emmett?
It appears that Tracy’s lingering presence aimed to compensate for the failures of her past by possessing Anya in an attempt to fulfill her maternal role. The first time Anya prepared breakfast for Emmett, his surprise was evident, though he welcomed the affectionate gesture.
Later, unaware that Tracy’s spirit had already left Anya’s body, he requested that she make him fried eggs again. Emmett’s deep longing for a mother’s love was unmistakable, and Tracy’s presence within Anya sought to provide him with the care he had always been denied.
Emmett’s deep-seated trauma fuels his desperate need for control (Photo: Mother May I/Bad Grey, Burn Later Productions, Cine Primo)Before the film’s climax, Bill warned Anya that she could never truly give Emmett what he was seeking, subtly advising her to leave him behind.
She seemed to consider this advice, but later that evening, Emmett—desperate for the same familiar comfort he associated with his mother—begged Anya to inject him with drugs.
As this spread out, Tracy’s spectral hands appeared to be guiding Anya, reinforcing the idea that she wanted someone to care for Emmett in her absence.
The following morning, Emmett confessed that he had not destroyed Anya’s diary in a fit of anger. Strangely, Anya responded with relief, explaining that she had secretly wished for it to be gone, as it gave her an excuse to abandon her writing career.
She could now tell others that her fiancé had burned it, ensuring that no one would expect her to continue. While sitting in the middle of the lake, Emmett once again questioned Anya about how she had managed to embody his mother so convincingly.
He couldn’t understand how someone with a fear of water, who had never learned to swim, was suddenly able to do so effortlessly.
His suspicions led him to throw Anya into the lake, though when she began to drown, he quickly leaped in to save her. Given what had transpired, it became clear that no rational person would choose to remain with someone as unstable as Emmett. Anya, realizing this, walked away—but only temporarily.
By the final moments of Mother, May I? Anya spotted a bug inside her car. This seemingly insignificant detail carried weight, as Bill had previously mentioned that Tracy believed she would reincarnate as an insect after death.
The sight of the bug served as a trigger, pulling Anya back into the emotional turmoil she had nearly escaped. Despite her near-death experience, she found herself unable to break away from the cycle of pain.
Emmett and Anya resumed their reversed chair game, confiding in each other once more. She revealed that she longed for a child but was unable to conceive, while he admitted that his greatest wish was to have a mother, though he was long gone.
This dynamic set the stage for what seemed like an inevitable progression—Anya assuming the role of Emmett’s caretaker, both emotionally and physically, while Emmett regressed into the role of a child. Given his dependence on drugs, she might have taken control of his addiction, administering sedatives to manage his behavior.
Tracy’s spirit, having ensured that someone would continue watching over Emmett, may have finally been at peace, stepping away from their lives.
Anya’s final moment holding the syringe implied two potential outcomes. One possibility is that she intended to use the sedative to subdue Emmett whenever he became erratic, preventing violent outbursts.
The other, far darker interpretation, is that she was considering ending his life by inducing an overdose—though this would likely be prevented by Tracy’s spirit, which would not allow harm to come to her son.
Given that Emmett had previously attempted to drown Anya, she had sufficient reason to seek revenge. However, her yearning for motherhood suggests she would be more inclined to use the drug as a means of control rather than as a weapon. Laurence Vannicelli crafted an ambiguous ending, leaving audiences to decide which path Anya ultimately chose.
