Rather than starting with childhood memories, the story presents John and Mary’s deep connection, which grew stronger from their early school days when they were paired as dance partners. John always had a grumpy and serious nature, while Mary often tried to cheer him up.
As they passed through different stages of life, their bond remained firm and eventually led to marriage during adulthood. But marriage brought unexpected struggles when John turned into a self-absorbed husband who prioritised his career above all else.
The climb to the top leaves more than ambition behind (Photo: Rewind/ABS-CBN Film Productions, APT Entertainment, and Agosto Dos Pictures)He wanted to climb the corporate ladder quickly and began acting as though attention from everyone around him was his right. Work became his obsession, and he hardly paid attention to Mary or their son, Austin.
Though Mary had top-notch culinary training and had earned experience from the best restaurants, she gave up her ambition to take care of their home and support John’s dream. This decision didn’t sit well with her family, who believed she had abandoned a promising future just to back her husband.
She would even bake cakes for John’s office events, yet he never invited her. Instead, she caught glimpses of the event through video calls made by John’s assistant.
What Happens with John’s Promotion?
Things start to shift when John’s bad behaviour becomes obvious, especially to Vivian Pastrana, a junior department head he constantly belittles. His boss, Hermie, sees through John’s attitude and during his retirement and birthday celebration, he shocks everyone by promoting Vivian instead.
John, furious and drunk, follows Hermie into the washroom to confront him. Hermie doesn’t hold back—he tells John that his short temper, lack of respect, and arrogance made him unsuitable for dealing with international clients from countries like Korea and China.
Hurt and angry, John resigns on the spot. As he packs up his things, Vivian steps in and flirts with him. John responds by giving her a passionate kiss, calling it his goodbye kiss. Unknown to him, his secretary secretly records this moment.
Mary’s Death: What Led to It?
While driving Austin to school, Mary notices some boxes in the back seat and begins questioning John about quitting his job, just as she was about to share the news of a job offer she received from Singapore. Their argument escalates when Hannah sends Mary the video of John kissing Vivian.
Enraged and heartbroken, Mary removes her seatbelt and threatens to jump out unless John stops the car. John tries to explain himself and begs for trust, but in doing so, he takes his eyes off the road. When a man suddenly appears in front of the car, he swerves sharply and crashes into a tree.
Since Mary wasn’t wearing a seatbelt, she flew out through the windscreen. Although she’s rushed to the hospital, she does not survive.
Lodz and His Strange Offer
After Mary’s funeral, John becomes too broken to speak during his speech. He can only apologise repeatedly, filled with guilt. He stays indoors and turns to alcohol, which leads Mary’s mother to take Austin away. Before leaving, Austin hands John a picture of Lodz and tells him to pray to him because he wants to be John’s friend.
Later, while watching some old videos of Mary, John places the portrait on the table and starts blaming it for spreading false hope. To his shock, the man in the portrait suddenly appears and speaks, clarifying that he never promised Austin that Mary would come back.
The man introduces himself as Jess but says children know him as Lodz. He claims he came to finish some lights Mary had ordered before John’s birthday and, since the job was already paid for, asks John what else he can do for him.
As they talk over drinks, Lodz presents an unusual offer—he tells John that he can bring Mary back to life, but someone must take her place. John hesitates but later agrees to the deal: Mary will live, but he must die at the same time she originally did.
Does John Fulfill His End of the Deal?
The drive to Austin’s school play is filled with silence. But deep down, John decides to let Mary live and prepares to keep his promise to Lodz. He asks Mary to pursue the Singapore offer, achieve her dream, and guide Austin into becoming a well-known pianist.
As events begin repeating themselves, John manages to avoid the fatal accident this time. Both he and Mary come out unharmed. Filled with relief, John embraces Mary and quietly thanks Lodz for giving him the chance to change their fate.
Sacrifices made in silence never go unnoticed (Photo: Rewind/ABS-CBN Film Productions, APT Entertainment, and Agosto Dos Pictures)At the school play, John meets Austin, gives him his late grandfather’s watch, and they share a moment before the performance begins. John then checks the time and realises that the exact moment of Mary’s hospital death—3 p.m.—is close.
His chest begins to feel heavy, and he sees Lodz standing silently at the back of the hall. Panicked, John follows Lodz and pleads for another chance to stay alive, to be with his son and wife. But Lodz reminds him that this is necessary so he can become a lasting source of motivation for Mary and Austin.
According to Lodz, Mary will open a restaurant that’ll offer jobs to many, and Austin will shine through his piano performances, always dedicating his music to John’s memory. John finally accepts his end, and right after the play, Austin finds him collapsed in the hallway.
During the wake, Mary speaks, saying she is grateful to have met John early in life, because Lodz had always known that their time together would not last long.
What Is the Final Outcome in Rewind?
After John’s death, the final scenes give a look into what becomes of the family. Mary achieves success in her culinary career, while Austin completes his education, becomes a celebrated pianist, gets married, and names his son John.
Mary continues to miss her husband as she grows older, and in one of the last moments, she dances slowly while holding his photograph. Rewind does not offer a typical second-chance miracle. Instead, it tells the story of correcting a grave mistake, with the price being one’s life.
John gets to express the love he had once failed to show and see the joy return to his family. His sacrifice paves the way for Austin to embrace happiness and purpose and gives Mary the space to chase her dreams fully.
Had Mary remained dead, John would have likely become an angry alcoholic father, affecting Austin’s future. But the change in him during that one night showed that his death, while emotional, felt unnecessary. If he had been given more time, he would have been a better partner and father.
A joyful ending with all three alive would have felt more rewarding for such a deeply emotional story. This emotional story is available to stream right now on Amazon Prime Video.
