Andras’ Real Motivation & Fate

Warning: This article includes SPOILERS for The Parenting

The Beetlejuice-inspired horror-comedy The Parenting has many entertaining twists that lead to a satisfying ending, answering the question of Andras’ motivation and fate. As revealed in The Parenting’s trailer, Josh and Rohan are in for a major surprise when they introduce their families for the first time at a rental house in the middle of the woods.

At first, their issues stem from the fact that The Parenting’s characters are very, very different people. Rohan’s family are uptight and concerned with appearances, while Josh’s family are laid back and profane. However, the issue changes when repeating the Wi-Fi password multiple times summons a demonic poltergeist named Andras. He makes their lives a living hell, but they decide to fight back. Ultimately, the satisfying ending offers an important message about putting aside differences and working together.

How Josh & Rohan’s Families Defeat Andras in The Parenting

The Families Work Together To Kill Andras Once And For All

The biggest question throughout The Parenting is how exactly Josh and Rohan’s families will defeat the poltergeist, Andras. Josh and Rohan come to the conclusion that the best option is to kill the host. Rohan gives Josh the gun to shoot him. However, he’s unwilling to sacrifice the man he loves. As such, he tries to take the demon into him, thinking he’ll die instead. However, this becomes the key to defeating Andras once and for all.

Because more than one person is summoning the demon at once, Andras gets confused about which person to possess, keeping him outside the body. In order to survive, he has to have a host body. Realizing it’s weakening the poltergeist, the others join in, inviting Andras to possess them. Eventually, he takes his true form outside the body and dies. To punctuate his defeat, Frank steps on Andras’ neck, ending him once and for all. This feels like an appropriate action, given the fact that he spent the whole movie taking over Frank’s body and ruining his relationships.

Why Josh Proposes To Rohan At The End Of The Parenting

Josh Proposes Marriage Instead Of Rohan

At the start of The Parenting, the film reveals that Rohan is planning to propose to Josh, and Josh gets panicked about the idea when their friend Sara texts him about it on accident. As such, the fact that Josh proposes to Rohan at the end of The Parenting is an pleasant twist. The change in his attitude about the proposal seems to come around the time that Rohan finally stands up to his mom.

Most of the arguments between Josh and Rohan come from the fact that Rohan is more worried about pleasing his parents than supporting his boyfriend. Eventually, Rohan recognizes that he’s neglecting his partner and changes his behavior, aligning himself with Josh instead of his parents. The final mental shift comes when Rohan tries to sacrifice himself to save Josh, proving his devotion to their relationship. Ultimately, Josh becomes confident in moving forward with an engagement.

Andras’ Backstory, Powers, & Motivation Explained

Andras Is A Demonic Poltergeist Who Wants A Permanent Body

The 400-year-old poltergeist, Andras, is the primary antagonist in Max’s horror-comedy, but his powers, backstory, and motivation aren’t revealed until the end of The Parenting. Andras’ abilities are revealed through his possession of Frank and the dog, as well as the Demonology book that the families find in Allie’s possessions. Andras has the ability to possess humans, control the weather, twist a human’s head around in abnormal ways, and scream at supersonic pitches. He causes the snowstorm to trap Rohan and Josh’s families and then makes it disappear suddenly when it’s time for the ritual with Brenda.

Based on the fact that he possesses Frank and the dog at the same time, he can split his consciousness into more than one body. He moves from one body to another either by the person chanting a Latin phrase or consuming the vomit of the host body. It’s plausible that he has other methods of transference as well. However, as proven by his defeat, possession of at least one body is necessary for him to survive.

Because Allie and Brenda summoned him to the remote home, he’s seemingly stuck haunting that single building. He has a thirst for blood, as shown by his massacre of Allie’s family. Brenda reveals towards the end of The Parenting that his long-term goal is to find a permanent body to possess – a task he’s given to Brenda.

The Reason The Ghosts Are Haunting Josh & Rohan’s Families

The Ghosts Aren’t What They Seem At First Glance

Andras kills Allie, her brother, and her mom at the start of the movie, and they show up regularly in horrifying ways shortly after Andras grabs Josh’s hand at the dinner table. The assumption is that they are working alongside the poltergeist after their death. However, the end of The Parenting reveals the true reason they’re haunting Josh and Rohan’s families.

The ghost family spends the whole movie trying to warn the families about Andras so they wouldn’t get killed. Since they can’t speak after their death, the exact logic for contorting their bodies and grabbing the humans is a bit of a mystery. My best guess is that the ghosts wanted to scare the families so they would leave. Otherwise, the actions make no sense.

Why Brenda Works With Andras In The Parenting

Brenda’s History With Andras Contributes To Her Actions

Once Rohan and Josh learn that Brenda knew what would happen the whole time, the question naturally arises as to why she’s working with Andras in The Parenting. The reasoning is twofold. Firstly, she had a passion for the occult in the backstory, so she likely had an emotional attachment to the demonic poltergeist that she helped summon. After all, the summoning was her suggestion.

Secondly, Brenda shares that Andras let her live so that she could fulfill his goal of finding a permanent body. She says his voice is inside her head all the time, making it seem like he’s threatening her or coercing her into doing his bidding. This implies that she would still follow his instructions even if she didn’t want to.

The True Meaning Of The Parenting’s Ending

The Families Must Put Aside Their Differences And Work Together

While The Parenting is a fun movie to watch, the story is relatively lighthearted, not providing a super-profound meaning. However, the scene where the family defeats Andras shows that individuals are stronger when they put aside their differences to come together and overcome a common enemy. Josh’s and Rohan’s families are filled with vastly different personalities, values, and self-expressions. They might have very little in common, but their shared fear of Andras brings out shared love and compassion. With this, the families in The Parenting can defeat the poltergeist who ruined their vacation.