His House ending explained: What happened to the Witch in Netflix horror?
Everything you need to know about the ending of the new horror film on Netflix.
New horror film His House has arrived on Netflix, the latest in a long line of films to use the genre to explore important contemporary issues.
The film sees Gangs of London star Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù and Lovecraft Country's Wunmi Musaku starring as a couple, Bol and Rial, who flee war-torn South Sudan, tragically losing their daughter Nyagak in the process.
The couple find themselves moved into a dilapidated house in Essex upon their arrival in the UK as asylum seekers, following months in a detention centre.
It soon transpires that while they may have led the terror of war, there are many horrors in their new environment: both from unwelcoming neighbours and unhelpful caseworkers but also from more supernatural sources.
The film ends in an extremely dramatic fashion and has left some viewers looking for answers – read on for everything you need to know, with the warning that there will obviously be some pretty major spoilers ahead.
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His House ending explained
Throughout the film, Bol and Rial are haunted by an "apeth" - a witch who has seemingly followed them on their perilous journey from war-torn South Sudan to an unwelcoming English housing estate.
The Witch constantly reminds the pair of their trauma and the suffering in the past, while many other ghosts frequently populate their ramshackle new home.
In a climactic scene, Bol finds himself directly confronting the Witch, as it seemingly threatens to completely consume him, violently digging into his arm, while a shocked and terrified Rial looks on.
We then see Rial remembering a key moment from her past: holding Nyagak's hand, as they begin the journey away from their home, while we also hear her say the words, "I have to say goodbye now, I'm going home."
Empowered, she then takes a knife and slits the Witch's throat, saving Bol in the process and symbolically confronting the unbearable trauma which they both feel.
We then flash forward to a visit from Mark and two of his colleagues who come to inspect the house, with Mark sarcastically asking Bol if the Witch is still there.
Bol responds, "Rial killed it" and later adds, "Your ghosts follow you. They never leave. They live with you. It's when I let them in, I could start to face myself.
In a striking shot towards the end, we see Bol and Rial hold hands while surrounded by the peaceful ghosts of Nyagak and numerous others.
It's an ending reminiscent of that to Jennifer Kent's The Babadook – the ghosts are still there, but by fully confronting them Bol and Rial have begun to make peace and are now able to live with their trauma.
His House is streaming on Netflix from 30th October 2020. Looking for something else to watch? Check out our guide to the best TV series on Netflix and best movies on Netflix, or visit our TV Guide.
Authors
Patrick Cremona is the Senior Film Writer at Radio Times, and looks after all the latest film releases both in cinemas and on streaming. He has been with the website since October 2019, and in that time has interviewed a host of big name stars and reviewed a diverse range of movies.
