Film

How The Multiverse Works And Why Irene Is Traveling Through It

21 February 2026

The following contains spoilers for Redux ReduxRedux Redux is an emotionally powerful take on the multiverse concept that adds some really meaningful layers to the typical cross-dimensional adventure. The film focuses on Irene, a woman far away from her home reality, who is on a quest for vengeance against infinite versions of the same man.

After thousands of encounters with him, a chance run-in with a young woman named Mia forces Irene to open up about herself and genuinely confront the grief that’s been driving her mission for so long. The truth is a devastating story, but one that explores the power of grief and the importance of overcoming it with others.

Irene’s Mission For Vengeance In Redux Redux, Explained

Redux Redux is an emotionally charged take on the multiverse concept, with Irene’s efforts to hunt down the man who killed her daughter across countless dimensions serving as her primary motivation. In the world of Redux Redux, the multiverse exists. Each reality only differs from one another, sometimes in small and sometimes in massive ways.

One of the consistent trends in these worlds that Irene has visited, tragically, is the death of her daughter. Across thousands of realities, the young woman is targeted by a serial killer named Neville, who murders her and disposes of her body. Afterwards, the Irene of these timelines either abandons everything or (more often) takes their own life.

The exception is the primary Irene. This Irene hails from the reality only known as “00,” a timeline where humanity discovered the ability to traverse across timelines. Using the device, she’s been able to deal with her grief by visiting other worlds and hunting down each version of Neville. Still, it’s always after her daughter’s death at his hands.

Irene reveals to Mia that she’s gone through this thousands of times and doesn’t feel any better. While she has found minor constants, such as a brief relationship with Jonathan in many worlds, Irene always moves on and continues her mission. It’s a somber life that she’s accepted for herself, but one she’s accepted nonetheless.

Irene’s multiversal journey serves as a stand-in for her inability to escape her grief. Even if she goes across countless realities with insurmountable differences, she always finds worlds where her life was torn apart by a vicious man. It’s a striking metaphor for how grief, especially when it’s caused by someone else, can be impossible to escape.

How The Multiverse Works In Redux Redux

In the world of Redux Redux, multiversal travel is possible with the use of certain tools and items. There doesn’t seem to be any problems caused by people existing in the same world as their counterparts, although Irene and Mia don’t really ever get the chance to interact with their variants at all.

One of the intriguing elements of Redux Redux is the reveal that there is a cross-dimensional network of smugglers who operate on the outskirts of reality. When Irene’s machine is damaged, she and Mia are forced to barter with another traveler to gain access to a vital part needed to repair the machine.

These smugglers initially seem sketchy but reliable, suggesting they help people escape terrible situations to find new homes. However, after the smugglers attack Irene and May after suggesting taking May as payment for the part, the pair are forced to defend themselves. This all hints at a more intricate world of cross-dimensional travel than Redux Redux is focused on.

Why Irene Destroys Her Reality-Hopping Device

By the end of Redux Redux, Irene finds herself bonding with Mia. Especially after she discovers a variant of Mia that has been killed by Neville, Irene begins to see the young woman as something of a surrogate for her daughter. This leads Irene to offer her a chance to start a new life together in a fresh reality.

Infuriated with her own near-death and furious that other versions have died at Neville’s hands, Mia instead goes to confront the man on her own and is almost killed. Even Irene’s attempts to save her are almost thwarted. Ultimately, Irene and May are forced to work together to save each other, killing one more Neville and truly uniting.

Having found a semblance of peace thanks to her bond with Mia and the discovery of a reality where her daughter was never killed, Irene is finally able to move on and give up her mission of vengeance. This is symbolically completed by Irene destroying the reality-hopping machine, implicitly tying her future to one timeline alongside Mia.

The True Meaning Of Redux Redux

At the core of Redux Redux is a story about two women in pain. Irene is a grieving mother, heartbroken over the loss of her daughter. Mia is a raw nerve, with a short temper born out of a lifetime of neglect and abuse within the foster system. Both of them are women justifiably angry at the world around them.

This keeps them sympathetic throughout the film, especially when both of them lash out at others and use violence to achieve their goals. It also makes them both very tragic characters, who clearly are hurting from their experiences. Grief can be nearly impossible to overcome, whether it’s specific (like with Irene) or broader (as with Mia).

In both cases, forming a bond with empathy is key to their salvation. Mia finally lets her guard down as she realizes what Irene has gone through, but she initially embraces the same anger that has propelled the older woman. By contrast, seeing someone with their full life ahead of them forces Irene to look past her anger and grief.

Before Mia, the only person able to ground Irene had been Jonathan, whom she occasionally meets, charms, and sleeps with. She even reveals she stayed with one variant of him for months, trying to form a new life. However, the call to vengeance became too great, and she abandoned another life because of her grief. She can’t just move on.

By the end of Redux Redux, both women have found someone who understands, empathizes, and loves them. It’s a crucial moment for both of them, and Irene’s decision to burn the time machine so they can make something new for themselves without running off on another killing spree becomes more impactful as a result.

The moral of Redux Redux is all about overcoming grief. They kill one more Neville in self-defense, signifying their ability to overcome the nefarious forces in their lives. That they then live a new life instead of repeating the cycle gives Redux Redux a strong moral about the power of moving on and opening up to overcome grief.