Olivier, Olivier ending explained

What happens

The young man is exposed as an impostor. The real Olivier died on the afternoon he disappeared. The newcomer had learned the family's story and stepped into the place it offered, leaving them facing the loss they had tried to undo.

The last image

The film closes on the family with no son restored, left to face the absence it had spent months covering over.

What it says

The ending strips away the comfort the family chose. The film is about the stories grief needs, so the lie that matters most is the one they wanted to hear. It ends on that loss because nothing else can answer it.