The film opens in Buenos Aires, 1994, where Sergio Dayan (Joaquin Furriel), a businessman in severe financial trouble, tries to maintain a semblance of normalcy. He buys a gold necklace for his daughter Florencia and throws a big party for her bar mitzvah, hiding the immense financial pressure he’s under from his family.
This ensures they remain oblivious to the troubles he faces. Sergio is sinking deep into debt, unable to pay the workers at his factory for months, causing unrest among them. To settle some of his mounting debts, he borrows a large sum from Hugo Brenner (Gabriel Goity), a local lender, but he’s unable to repay it.
A father’s attempt to hide financial ruin behind a party (Photo: Rest In Peace/Kenya Films and Benteveo Producciones)The Explosion and Sergio’s Disappearance
As interest on the loan continues to climb, Sergio begins to panic. At Florencia’s bar mitzvah, he spots one of Brenner’s henchmen, which triggers a panic attack. This forces him to confess to his wife, Estela (Griselda Siciliani), about the dire financial situation he’s trapped in, with no apparent way out.
When Estela asks him why he never told her sooner, he reminds her that she never asked, even when he was overwhelmed by his troubles. At the factory, workers are on the verge of striking unless they’re paid. Sergio, desperate, tries to appeal to them for understanding.
Brenner, on the other hand, blackmails him, threatening to harm his family if the debt isn’t settled quickly. In a last-ditch effort, Sergio sells his country house and uses the proceeds to visit Brenner’s office, but on his way there, an explosion rocks the city, an attack targeted at the Jewish community.
The attack causes widespread panic and chaos. Estela arrives at the scene, frantic, but she only finds his briefcase. Authorities declare him dead, but Estela refuses to believe it, holding on to hope that he’s still alive.
The Reunion and the Heartbreaking End
Over time, she’s compelled to claim his life insurance, which, while painful, offers the family financial stability. Estela is informed that the school her children attend is offering scholarships as a compassionate gesture due to their loss.
As the family’s circumstances improve, Brenner, who lost his sister in the explosion, absolves Sergio’s debt. Feeling guilty, he begins to comfort Estela, beginning a relationship with her and taking on a paternal role with her children.
From celebration to desperation as Sergio’s world unravels (Photo: Rest In Peace/Kenya Films and Benteveo Producciones)Their lives are slowly pieced back together, and their financial situation stabilizes as Brenner integrates them into his business. However, Sergio is not dead. He chooses to reinvent himself as an immigrant named Nicolas in Paraguay, working in an electronics shop.
In this new life, he avoids any attempts to build a family with his boss’s widow, Ilu (Lali Gonzales), even though he’s involved with her. Instead, he longs for the family he left behind in Buenos Aires. Years later, the rise of Facebook sparked his curiosity about his wife and children’s lives.
Unable to resist, he decides to return to Buenos Aires and reconnect with them.
Rest In Peace (2024) Movie Ending Explained
When Sergio returns to Buenos Aires, he’s devastated to discover that Estela has remarried. Her new husband, Brenner, has assumed Sergio’s place in the family. This shocking revelation is a hard blow to him, and he struggles to accept the changes in his family’s life.
He follows them to a party, where both Estela and Matias recognize him. As the truth plays out, both Brenner and Estela chase after him. Estela’s deep affection for Sergio is evident, but he is unable to confront her. Just as he prepares to speak to her, Brenner shoots him.
In his final moments, Estela pleads for him to stay, and Sergio seeks her forgiveness, offering a heartfelt declaration of the undying love they once shared, despite the years of separation.
