Deadly Illusions ending explained: Mary’s reality in a twisted game of truth and fiction

Reality blurs with fiction in Deadly Illusions, a 2021 psychological thriller written and directed by Anna Elizabeth James. The film stars Kristin Davis as a well-known author of thriller novels who hires a nanny to take care of her children so that she can start working on her new book. It seems like the perfect opportunity for her to focus on work without the usual burdens.

However, her peace doesn't last long, as she gets pulled into a disturbing plot she never asked for. By the end, it's unclear whether she was the victim of a plot—or the one orchestrating it. The ending doesn't exactly answer that. Instead, it keeps us guessing what Mary or Elaine might have done.

James depicts Mary's psychological turmoil through what appears to be an erotic thriller. Besides Davis, her film also stars Dermot Mulroney, Greer Grammer, and Shanola Hampton. The movie was released directly on Netflix in 2021 and became a hit for the streamer. Yet, if you're still wondering what happens in the final moments, let's try to decode the Deadly Illusions movie ending.

What happens between Mary and Grace?

A still from Deadly Illusions (Image via YouTube/ONE Media Coverage)

The film centers around Mary Morisson's (Kristin Davis) puzzled state of mind as she gets gaslighted by those around her. Initially, we meet Elaine (Shanola Hampton), her friend, who advises her to hire a nanny for her twins so that she can focus on her new book.

Soon, Grace (Greer Grammer) arrives to take care of these duties. She relieves Mary's burdens and offers her time to work without any distractions. What more could a writer want, right? Grace gives her the peace and focus she’s been missing.

Things unravel when Mary sees Grace making advances toward her husband, Tom (Dermot Mulroney). She accuses Grace of this unprofessional behavior, only to be accused back, as Grace feigns ignorance. At that point, it feels like either Tom or Grace is gaslighting her.

By the end of Deadly Illusions, it all gets even more twisted as Mary seemingly gets into a similar relationship with Grace, putting her marriage at risk. To make matters worse, Mary discovers the nanny agency never even sent Grace. So, Grace could be literally anyone who just walked into their home.

Then, was Grace lying to her all along? Mary wonders as she gets accused of a heinous crime. The authorities suspect she killed Elaine based on the CCTV footage and expect her to come clean. Mary goes to Grace's home and discovers her troubled past, including a dissociative personality disorder.

What really happens at the end of Deadly Illusions?

Deadly Illusions ending leaves Mary’s fate open for interpretation (Image via YouTube/ONE Media Coverage)

Toward the end of Deadly Illusions, Mary returns home to find Grace being intimate with her husband. Still, the Grace she meets in this situation seems unlike the Grace she has been seeing. Grace doesn't seem kind or genial. Instead, she feels cunning and vengeful.

It is revealed that Grace's alternate identity, Margaret, is behind her reckless behavior. Since childhood, she experienced DID, as Margaret seemingly took charge of her body, turning her into a completely different person. That's why Grace is deemed innocent while Margaret isn't.

Flash forward to a year later, Mary leads a happy life with her husband, while Grace is admitted to a psychiatric hospital. Mary pays her a visit and seemingly walks out with her head covered, while wearing a coat that the woman accused of Elaine's murder had worn, as per the available footage.

As said earlier, the Deadly Illusions writer leaves the ending open for interpretation. In this case, there can be two possibilities. Grace might have killed Mary at the hospital, worn her coat, and walked out, pretending to be her. That could also explain how she may have killed Elaine and implicated Mary for that murder.

On the other hand, it all could be the story of Mary's novel, and not her reality, which means Grace could be a figment of her imagination. It also ties in with other factors, as Elaine wasn't Mary's friend but her therapist, with whom she may not have seen eye to eye.

This could explain why she killed Elaine and imagined Tom's infidelity, given her past frustrations with him. However, there are a few loose ends to support either theory, leading one to feel that the puzzling ending might just be a way to introduce a sequel.