The Good Mother Movie Ending Explained: Was Marissa Successful in Getting Her Article Published?

Anyone who has just finished The Good Mother may be left wondering about how events ended and what truly transpired in the final moments of the film.

At the centre of the film is Marissa, portrayed by Hilary Swank, who works as a journalist and is left reeling after her son Michael is murdered in a drug-related incident.

Her need for answers soon consumes her, leading her to form a tense alliance with Michael’s pregnant girlfriend, Paige (played by Olivia Cooke). Her other son, Toby (Jack Reynor), who serves as a police officer, also plays a role in trying to piece together the mystery surrounding the killing.

The Sudden and Tragic Fate of Paige in The Good Mother

The moment that alters the course of the film comes close to the final third, setting the tone for what lies ahead.

Paige becomes more involved after the discovery of Michael’s friend, Ducky, who is found dead. Seeking help, she goes to Toby’s house, where she dials an unidentified number that had previously contacted Ducky on the night of Michael’s murder.

The shock hits hard when she hears a phone ringing within Toby’s home.

As she investigates, she is led to the basement where she finds the phone—confirming her suspicions. Toby catches her there, and tries to explain himself, insisting she doesn’t fully grasp the situation.

Overwhelmed and afraid, Paige makes a frantic effort to get away. During the struggle, she ends up falling down the stairs—whether it was an accident or something more deliberate remains uncertain.

Panicked and unsure of what to do, Toby attempts to cover it up. He injects her with drugs and stages the scene to appear like an overdose—something that would be easy to believe due to her history.

Although she later dies in hospital, her child survives and Marissa takes on the responsibility of raising the baby.

Clarifying the Ending of The Good Mother: What the Truth Reveals

Though it seems Toby may walk free, things start to change when his colleague Gina uncovers some evidence: a necklace that belonged to Paige, along with blood traces in the basement.

Rather than confront Toby herself, Gina hands the information to Marissa, who then takes it upon herself to dig deeper.

She stumbles upon a hidden stash of Mother’s Milk—the same drug linked to Michael’s death—that Paige had kept secret. Marissa hands this over to Toby but remains wary.

Her suspicions lead her to follow him discreetly, witnessing him making an exchange with a mysterious man—someone marked by a tattoo identical to the one described as Michael’s killer.

Later, she quietly sits beside Toby. In that quiet moment, he breaks down and admits that both he and Michael were involved with dangerous people, and that things had spiralled out of their control.

Although it becomes clear that Toby wasn’t the one who killed Michael directly, he was far from innocent. The tattooed man remains the prime suspect, but Toby’s involvement points to a tangled and reckless past.

Marissa later turns to her pen, writing a detailed piece that exposes the entire series of events, from Michael’s involvement to Paige’s death and Toby’s connection to it all.

What remains uncertain is whether she plans to share the article with the public.

Did Marissa Go Ahead and Publish Her Story?

As the final scene plays, Marissa is seen deep in thought, staring at the piece she has written—one that could destroy her son’s life if made public.

The movie doesn’t directly reveal what she decides.

She lights a match, creating suspense around whether she’s about to burn the story or simply light a cigarette.

The final image is a close-up of the lit cigarette, which many have taken as a hint that the article remains intact, and possibly ready for publication.

From the direction the story takes, one might assume that sharing the article would make sense—Toby did lie, and his actions led to tragic consequences.

He may not have killed Michael with his own hands, but Paige’s death weighs heavily on him, and Marissa suspects the full truth.

Then again, there is also the emotional pull of motherhood. Marissa now has Paige’s child to look after, and exposing Toby could cause permanent damage to what’s left of her family.

Her final decision lingers in the air, leaving viewers to wonder what price truth is worth when weighed against love and loyalty.