Anemone’s ending has left viewers puzzled, but director Ronan Day-Lewis has explained the meaning of the cryptic creatures. The film was released on October 3 and explores hidden secrets and buried resentment between two estranged brothers, which rise to the surface following a reunion.

In an interview with ScreenRant’s Liam Crowley, Ronan Day-Lewis reveals the meaning behind two creatures that are revealed towards the end of the Irish drama Anemone. Day-Lewis explains that the female ghost is “always referred to as the Nessa visitation when we were in prep and even in the script stage.”

He continues by stating the ghost is a younger Nessa, “visiting Ray in this way and kind of reaching out. It’s almost like a projection of the letter. It is a visual projection of the letter of finding Ray.” The monster, however, was entirely made up from Day-Lewis’s own mind years ago:

“The creature first came to me years ago in the form of a drawing and ended up haunting my paintings for a long time, and I have a lot of thoughts about it, but I am honestly equally curious about other people’s interpretations of it, and I don’t want to tread on the mystery too much.”

Anemone also marks a very important milestone as it’s the first film in eight years that Daniel Day-Lewis has acted in following his retirement plans. Daniel Day-Lewis confirmed his retirement was “daft” and he was advised against it. Now, he stars alongside Sean Bean as the troubled brothers reunite.

Daniel Day-Lewis’s character, Ray, is haunted by his past and regret following the trauma of his own actions. His brother Jem (Bean) tries to reach out and contact him despite Ray’s years of solitude after he abandoned his wife, Nessa, and son Brian. The movie is full of soul-crushing truths unraveling as Ray’s true reason for leaving is revealed.

The film has had mixed reviews and is sitting at 57% on Rotten Tomatoes, but Day-Lewis’s performance in his son’s movie has been praised endlessly. His performance has even led to discussions about the possibility of jumping into the award season race.

Despite the mixed reviews, Anemone is a truly solemn film with a whole new outlook on life in Northern Ireland during the 1960s and onwards. Many have stated the monster at the end of the movie represents Ray himself if he gives into the solitude and abandons his own humanity. This realization allows him to return to meet with his son Brian after so long.