The Mother-in-Law

Lucy drives to the police station by herself. The police question her about her involvement in Diana’s plan to commit suicide. They ask questions regarding Lucy’s professional and educational background in informational technology and data analytics. During their questioning, they ask if Lucy knows the punishment for helping someone commit suicide is up to 25 years in prison.

Diana attends a meeting for Voluntary Euthanasia International. At the meeting, a doctor presents on voluntary euthanasia’s history and its legalities. She suggests that anyone who commits voluntary euthanasia should protect their loved ones from criminal implications by leaving a letter detailing their desire to die and donating their estate to a charity to eliminate a potential motive for murder. Diana takes notes on how to secure Latuben, a drug that assists someone in committing voluntary euthanasia.

Ghezala visits Diana in her home with her two young children. As the children play with one of Diana’s expensive vases, Ghezala scolds them to put it down. Uncharacteristically, Diana encourages the children to keep playing. When the children break the vase, Diana laughs.

A week after Diana’s meeting with Voluntary Euthanasia International, Lucy washes dishes at Diana’s home. Diana admits that she enjoys Lucy taking care of her. She tells Lucy she has advanced breast cancer and asks her to encrypt email addresses so she can buy something online with bitcoins. They do not specify what Diana is implying, but Lucy understands Diana’s intentions.

Lucy drives home from the police station. Ollie greets her and expresses his desire to tell Lucy why he went to Diana’s home on the day she died. To save himself from financial ruin, Ollie broke his promise to Lucy and went to Diana to ask for money.

Diana has informed Ollie and Nettie about her breast cancer diagnosis. As she travels to meet Nettie at a café, she recalls Nettie’s uncharacteristically apathetic reaction. At the café, Diana notices that Nettie looks thinner and wonders if she is pregnant. Despite the cold weather, Nettie rejects Diana’s suggestion to sit inside.

Diana reveals that she has only one item on her bucket list before she dies: to spend more time with her family. Diana’s plans for voluntary euthanasia are almost complete. After Lucy helped her encrypt email addresses and purchase bitcoins, Diana purchased two bottles of Latuben. She plans to leave her money to charity to not incriminate her children in her death and to tell them before she dies.

Back at the café, Nettie shares with Diana her desire to find an egg donor and surrogate and attempts to persuade her mother to fund the process. As Diana pushes back, Nettie grows more frustrated. Diana worries about Nettie’s mental state but promises to consider Nettie’s plea.

Patrick stops by Diana’s home unexpectedly to convince Diana not to fund Nettie’s plans for surrogacy. He rants about Nettie’s obsession with getting pregnant. Annoyed with him, Diana unveils that she knows about Patrick’s multiple affairs. As they speak, Diana quickly discerns that Patrick is waiting for he and Nettie to pass the age limits for surrogacy and for Diana to pass away to live off Nettie’s inheritance. Diana offers Patrick an ultimatum. She will tell Nettie the truth about Patrick if he does not do it himself. Patrick disparages Diana’s parenting and attempts to intimidate her. She is not scared.

After Patrick leaves, Lucy arrives at Diana’s house. Diana notes that Lucy is dressing more subtly and reflects on how much she cherishes Lucy’s support. Openly, Diana expresses her appreciation for Lucy and her love for Ollie. Lucy embraces Diana and tells her that she will miss her. As they hug, Diana tells Lucy that she will no longer go through with her plans for voluntary euthanasia. The women express their love for each other and cry.

Diana reflects on the simplicity of her close relationship with Ollie. On the day of her death, Ollie asks to come over for a visit. Diana instantly notices that Ollie is upset. He places his head in her lap and explains his financial issues. Diana suggests that Eamon may be responsible for draining funds in the business, which has led to Ollie’s financial ruin. Diana offers to sign on as a silent partner in a new business venture with Ollie under the condition that Eamon is not included. She shares the business idea with Ollie, who enthusiastically accepts.

In the present, Lucy and Ollie continue to discuss his last conversation with his mother. The phone rings incessantly in the background as they ignore it. Ollie shares Diana’s business idea with Lucy. Diana suggested opening a recruitment agency for educated refugees to help them transfer their skills to Australia. Diana hoped Lucy would work with the agency too. Ollie wonders why his mother would kill herself after their positive conversation. 

After Ollie leaves, Diana reads over her suicide letter. She thinks about burning the letter but decides to keep it as a reminder. Shortly after, Diana is surprised by Nettie, who has stopped by to chat. Nettie continues to pressure Diana for the money for surrogacy. Diana confronts Nettie about Patrick’s affairs. Nettie confirms that she knows about the affairs and continues to push for Diana to give her the money. Diana refuses and attempts to empathize with Nettie’s feelings of loss by confessing her own depression and plans for suicide after Tom’s death. Nettie does not listen and attacks Diana with the golden cushion. She suffocates Diana to death.

The narration shifts away from Lucy and Diana to Nettie in the moments after her mother’s death. Diana left bruises around Nettie’s wrists as she attempted to fight her off. Nettie reflects on the peace she feels after Diana’s death instead of the terror she felt after Tom’s. She remembers Diana’s comments about contemplating suicide. After retrieving the Latuben from the refrigerator, she pours one of the bottles down Diana’s throat. She puts the other bottle away in her purse.

Back at home, Lucy and Ollie continue to ignore the ringing phone. Finally, Ollie answers. He informs Lucy that Nettie is dead.

At her home, Nettie attempts to write a suicide note for Patrick. When she hears him arrive before she can finish, Nettie drinks the bottle of Latuben she took from Diana’s home and dies.

Lucy and Ollie prepare for Nettie’s funeral. The salacious story of Diana’s murder and Nettie’s suicide has been publicized in a newspaper article. Lucy reflects on how much their lives have changed. Despite the grief and loss, Lucy expresses gratitude for the strengthened partnership between her and Ollie. As they prepare to leave, Ollie remarks on Diana’s necklace, which Lucy is wearing. He comments on its meaning of strength. The two agree that Diana never gave Nettie the necklace because she was not strong enough.

Ten years later, Lucy prepares for an interview with a new candidate in the offices of her and Ollie’s business, the refugee recruitment agency that Diana imagined. Ghezala, who works for them, leaves for the day. Lucy begins her last interview. Ollie soon joins them.

Lucy reflects on how much happier Ollie is in his new job. After Eamon and Ollie’s business went bankrupt, Eamon was found guilty of fraud. She details how they have lost touch with Patrick, who remarried and had twin boys. Lucy and Ollie’s family continue to struggle financially, but they are content. Lucy looks up at Diana’s framed letter and reflects on how much she and Ollie have learned.