A Matter of Life and Death - Ending Explained

The Ending: The trial in Heaven reaches its climax just as Peter undergoes surgery on Earth. June proves her love by stepping onto the Stairway to Heaven, offering to take Peter's place. This act of self-sacrifice tips the scales. The court rules in Peter's favor, granting him a new lifespan. Simultaneously, the surgery is a success. Peter wakes up in the hospital with June by his side. The ending leaves it ambiguous: did he win a celestial trial, or did the surgeon simply save his life? The discovery of the chess book suggests the former, but the medical success suggests the latter.

The Neurological Theory: The entire 'Other World' plot is a hallucination experienced by Peter due to his brain injury (chronic subdural hematoma). Evidence includes the 'fried onions' smell (olfactory aura), the tunnel vision, and the fact that the trial occurs exactly during his surgery. The Supernatural Theory: The events are real; the error was genuine, and love truly conquered death. Evidence includes the chess book Peter finds (which the Conductor borrowed) and the fact that the Conductor knows things Peter couldn't. The film brilliantly supports both readings simultaneously.