Nocebo ending explained: What was Diana's motive?

The film stars Eva Green and Mark Strong as married couple Christine and Felix, and it follows events after a mysterious Filipino caregiver named Diana (Chai Fonacier) turns up on their doorstep offering some unorthodox cures for the mysterious sickness which has been troubling Christine.

However, as the film progresses, it soon transpires that Diana's visit might have another purpose – one that links to an incident relating to Christine's career as a fashion designer.

If you've reached the end of the film and need a little help unpacking the final moments, read on to have the Nocebo ending explained – and bear in mind there are major spoilers from this point onward.

Nocebo ending explained

Early on in the film, we learn that Christine has fallen ill – seemingly after she was bitten by a number of ticks – and has since been struggling to manage her career as a fashion designer, while she has also been neglecting her duties caring for her daughter Bobs.

One day, help seems to arrive in the shape of Filipino caregiver Diana who suddenly appears at the doorstep armed with a variety of mysterious cures. Although Christine can't remember hiring her, she assumes this is just another symptom of her ongoing illness.

Diana moves into the house and her cures seem to have a positive effect on Christine, although Felix is not impressed by her, leading to a great deal of tension between the married couple.

Eventually, Diana explains the secrets of her healing powers: when she was younger, she encountered a very sick old lady and just before she died, she passed a strange black chick from her mouth into Diana's.

The old woman, she explains, was an ongo – a creature from Filipino folklore – and in passing the chick to Diana she was transferring her supernatural, therapeutic power to her. Ever since, Diana had been blessed with the ability to heal all manner of illnesses and ailments.

Meanwhile, Felix grows increasingly suspicious of Diana's true motives and kicks her out of the house – but the caregiver has been able to win the support of Bobs, who in turn manages to poison Christine against her husband.

Later, Diana uses her powers to cause Felix to have an accident falling down the stairs. He has to be rushed to the hospital, and in his absence she moves back into the house – proceeding to torture Christine and eventually burning her alive.

It's only then that Diana's true motives are fully revealed: as had been hinted at during a number of flashbacks earlier in the film, she had previously been employed as a factory worker at a sweatshop used by the company Christine worked for.

The poor conditions at the factory – and Christine's instructions that the doors should always be locked – had caused a fire to break out one day when Diana had popped out to the shops and had resulted in the deaths of everyone inside, including Diana's own daughter who had accompanied her to work.

With her revenge against Christine now complete, Diana jumps off the roof of the house and kills herself – with her powers transferring to Bobs, who has been watching on.

Nocebo is now streaming on Netflix. Sign up for Netflix from £4.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.

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